Max The IT Pro [versatile]

Visit MaxTheITpro.com

2009-06-10T10:50:00.005-05:00

[Karen, Kenya]
WELL FOLKS, all good things must come to an end. Blogger has been an amazing tool for me to express my thoughts to myself and to interested web surfers around the planet. It's just that WordPress has improved in soooo many areas that I'm addicted to its features, power coupled with its ease of use. In fact, I've combined my Go Africa Go! & this weblog into one using categories and tags in WordPress.

So...goodbye Blogger! I will always have a special place for you in my heart because it was you that made it easy for me to express myself when I embarked on my incredible journey to East Africa 3.5 years ago...and that was only supposed to be a 1 week business trip. :-(

Update your bookmarks: http://MaxTheITpro.com

Insane Microsoft patents

2008-09-08T11:08:00.006-05:00

[Nairobi, Kenya]
THIS IS crazy! How on earth did the US Patents Office issue Microsoft with a patent for "page up" and "page down" functionality? What are they smoking over there? Most importantly, what qualifications does one need to work for this particular US government department? :-)

Microsoft patents 'Page Up' and 'Page Down'

Been there, done that...
Surely these peeps must know that page up and page down functionality has been in existence for a looong time. Right? Just check the original IBM PC back in the late-70s/early-80s to see my point. And didn't Wang Laboratories have page up and page down in their original word processors 30 years ago.

Great forum comment...
This dude name rossasaurus in the above ZD Net Talkback said it best:

Patently Absurd
Maybe they should patent a system for demonstrating computer failure by displaying a predominantly blue screen with little else upon it and no response from any interactive input; and while they're at it, maybe they should Trademark the term "Blue Screen of Death" :)

Ha ha ha. I couldn't agree more. Yo, Mr. Ballmer, why don't you request a patent on your infamous BSOD? After all, it's a "100% original" Microsoft invention. :-)

How to install WordPress on Mac OS X

2008-08-05T01:09:00.006-05:00

[Nairobi, Kenya]
WELL, I'M about to take the WordPress plunge folks. I'll have to take Expression Engine for a spin later on because I still believe it's waaay more powerful since it's based on the amazing (and free) CodeIgniter PHP framework. By the way, WordPress (WP) is a content management system (CMS) that allows you to easily create powerful blogs and websites - all from your web browser. It's been downloaded millions of times over, and has a passionate (almost fanatical) following.

Freebies everywhere
Most amazingly, WP has tons of FREE themes that you can use to make your site look professional as hell. I'm not sh!tting you folks! Some of the web's best designers create free themes for WP because they want to help it gain world domination. In addition, they're tons of free plugins that you can add to your WP install that'll make it jump through hoops, fly to the moon, cook your dinner and make your website or blog do some amazing tricks. Good lords, I sound like a WordPress whore already. Gees, I'm sooo pathetic!

See you on the Net
In short, say goodbye to expensive web developers folks!! The web and open source software are a lethal one two punch when it comes to this sort of thing. Ditto for Linux, the powerful BSD Unix variants (FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD), Python, KDE, Zope, Plone, Drupal, Eclipse, TrixBox, Mozilla Firefox, OpenOffice, PostgreSQL, MySQL, FirebirdSQL, TinyERP, Care2X, OrangeHRM, SQL-Ledger ERP, ERP5, and a ton of other free software of exceptionally high quality. This is why I love the Internet, and why I'm such an Internet whore. Knowledge is power folks, and TV - aka the idiot box - just doesn't do it for me. Sorry Hollywood.

Suffice to say, my days over here at Blogger are numbered. Then again, who knows? Google has billions of dollars in the bank and I'm sure they'll improve things - eventually. However, I'm tired of seeing so many beautiful WordPress sites created by peeps who are way less techie than me. Heck, most of them can't even write a program that prints "HELLO" on the screen. Enough is enough! I want in! :-)

Installing on Mac OS X
Most of you already know that I've ditched Windows in the same manner that every hardliner Republican cronie has ditched president George "lame duck" Bush. :-) Anyhow, if you want to install WP on OS X, then peek this link: Installing WordPress on Mac OS X Tiger. Personally, I prefer to use XAMPP for Mac OS X by Apache Friends as my LAMP stack on OS X instead of using the built in Apache server or configuring anything. Screw that! Besides, XAMPP ships with the latest PHP 5.x build since PHP 4.x is sooo passe.

On the other hand, you're free to use this Google search string to get even better help results: Installing Wordpress on OS X.

Happy virus-free Mac computing! :-)

Where is the 64bit Flash Player?

2008-08-04T02:44:00.011-05:00

[Nairobi, Kenya]
WELL, IT looks like 64-bit computing is starting to catch on over in the Windows camp with 64-bit version of Windows Vista picking up steam. The problem that's annoying the sh!t out of everyone is the super slooow release of a 64-bit Flash player from Macromedia (er Adobe). Looks like peeps have to use 32-bit Internet Explorer on 64-bit Vista whenever they're surfing pages with Flash content. That sucks!! I urge you folks to peek this very interesting Tech forum over at ZDNet.

Dear Adobe, can we please have a 64-bit Flash player?

So, have any of you gravitated to 64-bit computing yet? You do know you can get 64-bit versions of Linux and FreeBSD for free, right? :-)

Apple bytes into 64-bit computing...
Thank goodness the current version of Mac OS/X (aka Leopard) is fully 64-bit. And why shouldn't it be? After all, it's based on the rock solid BSD Unix and Mach architecture that's legendary in research circles. Anyhow, I'm more interested in 64-bit open source server products like MySQL, PostgreSQL, FirebirdSQL, TrixBox, Exim, Postfix et al. Since you have more addressing memory in a 64-bit operating system, programmers have the ability to create some truly POWERFUL software applications that will usher in a new era of computing. Apps dealing with encryption, sound, graphics, video, or querying large data sets will fly through the roof. This is the exciting part. Here's the kind of power Mac OS/X programmers are gonna have when developing native 64-bit apps using xcode 3.0:

64-bit addressing of up to 16 exabytes of virtual memory and 4 terabytes of physical memory
Full 64-bit arithmetic
64-bit development tools
64-bit performance monitoring tools
Seamless deployment
LP64 data model
Common source base support

Ah yes, I'm so glad to say goodbye to Windows. Looks like some sweet computing times are ahead in the Apple Mac realm. Heck, just look at all of these smashing hits: iPod, iTunes, iMac, OS/X, iBook, MacBook, and now iPhone 3G. Apple is indeed on a roll, and now she's got more cash to do more and better things since the big kahuna (CEO Steve Jobs) returned to save the company from disaster a few years ago. Besides, Jobs' credentials are waaay more impressive than Bill Gates.

Cheers!

Downgrade a Toshiba Satellite A205 laptop from Vista to XP

2008-07-29T19:36:00.006-05:00

[Nairobi, Kenya]
GOOD LORDS, what an agonizing experience I've been going through over the past day or so. In a nutshell, my good friend, "Mrs. C." in Karen, just purchased an el cheapo (KShs 36,999) Toshiba A205-5800 laptop from DaveTech Kenya with crappy Windows Vista Basic on it for her business. Yuck! Now, it's not a bad system (1.8GHz Celeron, 1gb RAM, 120gb hard drive, WIFI b/g, 15" screen, DVD-RW etc.) at all - for the price. My only gripe: Why did DaveTech give "Mrs. C" a North American power plug with this machine? Oh well...I don't want to know the truth.

King Dave is in da house...
By the way, Dave seems to be eating up the competition alive down here when it comes to getting really great deals on new/used laptops and desktops. I'm sure his hardware competitors in the bustling downtown Jamiia Plaza are happy as hell that he moved his overcrowded (and always jam-packed) shop to the Twiga towers, which is about a 4 minute walk from them. Heck, I've lost track of how many store locations this dude has. I certainly wouldn't waste my time competing with his ridiculously low prices if I were a newcomer. Advantage: The Kenyan consumer.

Mac addicts, reveal yourselves...
After becoming a Mac OS/X convert over the past 3 months or so, I find it painfully agonizing to even fathom tinkering with a Windoze (er Windows) machine. Ya know, after a while, using a Mac (iBook, MacBook, iMac) with OS/X becomes almost like a cleansing ritual. You realize just how fuc#ed up you were for ever getting into bed with Windoze...almost to the point of being ashamed for wasting so much precious computing time (money?) tracking down drivers, bug fixes, doing general registry maintenance, viruses, worms, trojan horses, and what not. Please, somebody bitch slap me for putting up with this sh!t. Damn, I feel sooo used and abused by Micro$oft (the $ sign in the name highlights just how bloody wealthy Microsoft is) and its hardware cronies.

Serenity now...
Anyhow, without having to reinvent the wheel and explain the entire process, let me just say that the reason you can't install XP on a Toshiba A200 series laptop (or any modern PC) is simply because XP can't see the SATA hard drive. SATA is just a better, faster, modern implementation of the ATA hard drive reference standard. Hence XP Setup gives you that "Yo dude...I don't see a fuc#ing hard drive. Just where did you plan to install me? Please quit and leave me alone...as#hole" message. Well, it might as well have said that. :-) But don't despair folks, my trusty search companion (Google) was more than willing to help me sort out my problem of ditching Vista for XP.

Get the goods here...
Without further adieu, here are the links you should browse:

Download nLite (deployment tool for bootable unattended Windows installation)
Toshiba A2oo drivers support forum on Whirlpool.net.au (great job Zofod, thanks for the private download link)
Satellite A205-S5804 and WinXP (BSOD on first boot) - Any help appreciated!
The Technology Muse
Downgrading Windows Vista Home Basic to XP Pro on Toshiba A205-S5800
Downgrade vista to xp with your Toshiba A200 PSAE3C-xxxxxx Model
Marvell Yukon drivers

Final thoughts...
Please don't ever let your friends (perhaps your enemies) use Windows Vista Basic on a damn Celeron (a Core 2 Duo is okay) computer. You'll find your machine will run a lot faster (and more reliably) because it's not stuck with all of Vista's alleged improvements. Micro$oft, you guys really screwed up on this one. And shame on Toshiba for making it so difficult to track down the XP drivers for their A200 series laptop. It's as if M$ put a gun to their heads in a Tokyo boardroom and threatened to pull the trigger if they gave customers the opportunity to ditch awful Vista. I'm loving my Mac OS/X computing even more now. Why? Because Windoze users (like I once was) are suckers for cheap computing. Always remember this: "You get what you pay for" and "Time is money." Right?

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Related links:

OS X or Windows Vista?

2008-07-12T06:45:00.005-05:00

[Nairobi, Kenya]
SO, IS Windows Vista better than Mac OS X? This is one of the most hotly discussed topics in cyber space. Quite frankly, I've just become a Mac convert after scoring an iBook G4 (1 GHz PowerPC G4 chip, 640 MB DDR RAM, OS X 10.4.11) of a friend. In short, I'm hooked on OS X, and ya know what? "I AIN'T GOING BACK...TO WINDOWS. NEVER!!!!" Yep, you heard me folks! MaxTheITpro is now a 2-timer who's cheated on Windows to start a long lasting love affair with Apple's deliciously sexy line of Mac laptops, desktops and software (OS X, Mail, iLife).

It's the little things...
Why did I break up with Windows? Well, she just didn't pay any attention to me. For instance, I'm tired of catching all of her STDs (System Transmitted Diseases) when we're together. Also, she has this insecure desire to be continually updated with the latest (bug) fixes in order to make me (and her) feel safe and secure about our "relationship." There are times we'd be "together" and then she'd flip out on me, and get all blue in the face. Sometimes I'd insert my stick (USB) when we go on dates at the cyber cafe, and she'd give me a damn virus even though she's supposed to have protection - considering she's been around the block (Windows 95/98/ME/SE/XP) for so long now. You call that love? :-)

In short, she was just a fussy gal that everybody wanted to take for a ride simply because she's good at "playing games" and performing other unique hard/soft-ware tricks that no one else had an answer for. Plus, she was much cheaper to take home on dates compared to that red hot Apple gal. But I've learnt my lesson: You get what you pay for. :-)

Viruses be gone...
All joking aside, I just can't overemphasize to you all how "LIBERATING" (in more ways than one) it feels to go to a cyber cafe, connect my iBook to the network and not have to bloody worry about viruses. Heck, I've always been nervous as hell whenever I insert my USB stick into one of those sleazy Windows PCs at the cyber cafe, and then take it home to my "innocent" desktop PC. I've lost count of how many times that damn autorun file has started up upon connecting my USB stick to the home PC. Then, it proceeds to load a nasty virus, worm or trojan horse on my machine. You can see it just by hitting CTRL-ALT-DEL and peeking your process list. Remember those annoying AdobeR.exe entries? Well, no more worries folks! What's good about OS X is the fact that it's based on the rock-solid BSD Unix architecture that goes waaaay back to the 1970s at that great American institution of higher learning: The University of California - Berkeley. Oh, BSD stands for Berkeley Software Distribution.

Mac die hards, reveal yourselves...
Ya know, I've read a lot of reviews on a wide range of topics since I became an Internet whore around 1993. Never in this period have I read a review that's as moving as this one. This dude's passionate beliefs about Mac computing is truly moving. He's sold me. See for yourself!

It took awhile for me to understand this article...then it hit me. You can't write an article about why Vista is better than Mac without your tongue planted firmly in your cheek! Congratulations - you had me going for a bit :-)

The essence of the article is that Microsoft makes broken software intentionally - a blatantly ludicrous concept. It is broken, that is for sure. It is broken because they don't know how to do it right, don't want to take the time to do it right, have such powerful marketing that they don't need to bother...but certainly not because it is better that way. Nobody is customizing Windows XP or vista because it is easier with all the broken parts. They customize it in a huge, costly and never ending effort to compensate for it's flaws - not to celebrate them. In the Windows World, the word "customize" is a euphemism for "fix." They do it because they have to.

With the Mac, which just works right out of the box perfectly, there is nothing you need to fix, or "customize" for most people (some gamers and scientific apps aside). Anything you can do on XP/Vista to actually customize usability you can not only do easier on a Mac, but now you can do almost identically with VIsta, because they knock off the Mac OS. But why even bother - the Mac works just fine as is for most people and is easy to learn.

Microsoft has been knocking off the Mac's usability features for years, and never more "transparently" so than now with the coming of Vista. The real customizations users need aren't in the user interface anyway - they're in the hardware - more memory, bigger hard disk,faster graphics - and these days the Mac can keep up with anyone there. A Mac APPEARS less customizable to XP/Vista users only because it doesn't need to be fixed or customized, but they need a justification to "believe" in. Like many mindless fanatics, so called "believers," it is a blind act of faith not founded in facts.

That also applies to the more software argument. Other than some very technical, scientific or business apps or some games, most users will never need anything that is not available, and working better, on the Mac. You don't even need Parallels to switch to Windows, unless it just makes you feel better or saves you the cost of replacing some software you already have. I do audio & video editing, photography and retouching, Powerpoint, flow charts, web development, office apps, you name it - all on the Mac. And there are some things I do now on a Mac and never could do on a PC.

And then there is the experience of FREEDOM the Mac gives you, freedom to get your work done without worrying, freedom from hours every day fighting off viruses and malware, freedom to just love and enjoy your computing experience. There is no price for that, it is quite literally invaluable. So there goes your cheaper PC argument. If you value your time, your “cheap” PC is far more expensive than the highest priced Mac, far too expensive to even be in the running. At minimum wage, a PC user is probably spending over $1,000 a year as a premium or service charge - for the time they spend servicing their own PC. Bill Gates made his billions stepping over the dead bodies of million sof Windows users. Businesses that bought PC's because they seemed cheaper have been spending untold billions on computer support, repair and maintenance. In terms of total cost of ownership, productivity, reliability and every other measure, Microsoft has stifled industry, crippled innovation and reduced productivity. In the long run, there is never anything really gained by using something cheap and low quality to substitute for a quality, well made and effective product. The short term gains are illusions.

Since its inception, Apple has been reinventing every market paradigm it touched, inspiring innovation and creating new opportunities. The Apple II virtually invented the modern personal computer. The Mac, inspired perhaps by Xerox, reinvented computing. The Laserwriter reinvented publishing and typesetting, with help from Pagemaker. The Newton, though not successful at the time, was a vision of the future of PDA’s and smart phones ultimately leading to the iPhone, which successful or not will reinvent the cell phone for everyone. The iPod reinvented the MP3 player and turned the music industry on its ear. The Intel Mac is just such an opportunity.

What has Microsoft given us – incremental improvements in an operating system that was and still is a bad knock off of the Mac/Xerox concept? Crushing innovation and competition to the point they were investigated by the Justice Dept.? An OS so full of holes that it can never be secure (perhaps intentionally- ever wonder what happened to the vigorous pursuit of MS by the Justice Dept., and why they suddenly didn't feel a need to keep pushing the industry for a "back door" into all computers in the name of national security?). Office apps that basically just copied, bought out or scavenged, and destroyed other existing products that were actually less bloated and better in some ways? The Xbox? Well, ok, I’ll give them that one.

I have a Powerbook G5, which I will keep another few years since I have learned to love life without anything from Microsoft (I love using open source software). I wouldn't exchange even this slightly older Mac for the latest high-end Vista notebook ... though I would consider donations of a new MacBook :-)

What about you? Are you now convinced that Mac computing is the greatest thing since sliced bread, Barrack Obama, Bal en Blanc, The Winter Music Conference, The World Electronic Music Festival, and House Music? I knew you'd see things my way. :-)

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Related links:

Get Free POP/IMAP from GMail

2008-05-30T00:37:00.007-05:00

[Nairobi, Kenya]
I REMEMBER when I used to be a Yahoo! Canada email whore. I had the choice of downloading my mail via POP in any of my favourite email clients like Thunderbird, Eudora, Pegasus or Outlook Express.

Anyone with a yahoo.com email address didn't get this privilege though. Instead, you had to pay something like $19.95 per year, which also increased your email storage to 1Gb. And Hotmail teased you a bit by allowing you to download your email into Outlook, but no luck if you were using a competitor's email client. Thank you Microsoft! Back then, it would've taken a miracle for netizens to get free POP and IMAP service. In fact, Hell would have to freeze over first.

Hell freezes over...
Well, I was shocked when Google first announced it's revolutionary GMail service. The fact that they gave you 2Gb of space totally screwed Yahoo and Microsoft. But they also included a lots of FREE goodies that everybody else was charging for. Overnight, paying for POP and IMAP services became a thing of the past. I haven't looked back since.
In short, I'm a GMail addict. Yes, I still have my Yahoo Canada email addy, but I'm in love - with GMail. It's like meeting the woman of my dreams who's smart, sexy, witty, creative, dignified, a great cook, charming, yet "naughty" under the sheets. Once you find a woman like that, you can never let her go. Ditto for GMail in the realm of email hosting. Yep, I'm hooked for life.

POP vs IMAP...
To quickly find out the differences between POP and IMAP, just peek this blog post on the GMail blog. For those of you blessed with a constant, reliable broadband connection, IMAP is the way to go. In all honesty, now that Google gives me a whopping 6771 Mb (6.8Gb) of storage space, I haven't used POP/IMAP services in a looong time. What's shocking is that I'm a power user and I've only used 10% of my space so far.

Besides, I'm here in East Africa so I just check GMail on my Nokia 6070 via Safaricom or Celtel's EDGE/3G/HSDPA mobile network. I surfed to gmail.com/mobile and downloaded a tiny, slick app right onto my Nokia that feels like a tiny desktop email client. Heck, it's fast as hell!! Those Google programmers sure know how to write "gooood" software that goes down nice. :-)

You are currently using 728 MB (10%) of your 6771 MB

Well, at least I know of a top notch POP and IMAP service that's free when I'm ready to use it once again. For now, I'm quite happy using GMail either in the Mozilla Firefox browser or on my Nokia.

Now, imagine being on a safari or hanging out somewhere remote in Kenya and you're still able to read your email since most of the country is covered by EDGE...and the cost is only something like 10 or 12 Kenya Shillings per megabyte. That's a paltry US 20 cents for sending and receiving a ton of emails or web browsing. Simply amazing!

Thank you Safaricom, Celtel and Google.

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Related links:

MacBooks rock, mega patch for OS X

2008-05-29T03:22:00.004-05:00

[Nairobi, Kenya]
AFTER SEEING the new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro machines at Elite Digital Solutions' (aka AppleCentre) Sarit Centre and 3D Peponi Plaza locations in the Westlands section of Nairobi , I'm now seriously contemplating ditching my plans on purchasing a Toshiba or Lenovo notebook with either an Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD 64bit chip. Damn it, but those Mac notebooks are slick, super stylish and just so yummy running its flavour of BSD Unix (Mac OS X) under the hood, which provides it with loads of power, security and scalability. Quite frankly, anyone who knows operating systems will tell you that the BSDs are vastly superior to Linux, which has been a media darling for a very long time. Oh well!!

By the way, Elite just happens to be "Kenya's 1st Apple Reseller" according to the business card I got from Nash Bilkhu (Apple Sales & Support Executive) who happens to be a chill super kool dude that's passionate about Mac computing.
His company also gives lots of FREE workshops on using Macs to the max...such as learning GarageBand, iLife and other kool Mac apps. How many computer stores around here actually do that??

Decisions, decisions...
In fact, my good pal Samantha Phillips -- author of the best selling book, Blonde Ambition, and Managing Director of Bedouin Camp (Samburu, Kenya) -- is interested in the MacBook Air and asked me to visit the AppleCentre and give her my unbiased opinion.

Well, although the Air is the thinnest laptop/notebook in the solar system, I still prefer the MacBook Pro. Come on Samantha, it's just a tad heavier but you get tons of included hardware that you have to pay extra for the privilege of owing the super thin Air. On the other hand, I'd quickly steal an Air laptop from the AppleCentre if no one's looking. I certainly wouldn't throw it out of my bed (er off my desk) :-)

Better than sliced bread...
What, you're still not convinced about how amazing these MacBooks are? Then take a peek at these enticing ReviewStream MacBook reviews. Are you now convinced that these notebooks are the greatest thing since the invention of electricity, the transistor, flight, the Internet, and the Human Genome Project? I knew you'd see things my way. :-)

Nobody's perfect...
But alas, updates are nothing new in the PC world and I guess this is also the case on Apple's platform. No worries though...it's still not as bad as buggy Windows XP/2000/98/ME et al. I'll give Vista a little credit, but it's just annoying a lot of people right now in regards to device drivers and being too restrictive. Heck, I'd run Windows Server 2008 as a workstation OS if I were you. The word on the street is that it makes a dynamite desktop OS without all of Vista's aches and pains. Anyhow, this article on ZDNet is a must read for all you Mac folks out there:

Mac OS X Leopard mega-patch plugs 41 security holes

Oh...
I wrote here how annoyed I was with the Mac Finder. I still prefer the Windows Explorer for file management any day of the week. And you Mac folks can take that to the bank. I think it's because of the idiotic idea of "someone" at Apple who felt that there would never, ever be a reason to have 2 buttons on the mouse.

Well, now we know how stupid that was. But I still have much respect for ya Stevie boy. So much in fact that I'd do almost anything for one of your MacBook Pros with: 17" screen, a 2.5GHz Penryn Intel Core 2 Duo, 6MB L2 cache, 2GB RAM, 250 GB hard disk, Gigabit Ethernet, and a ton of other goodies that just makes my mouth drool. And Steve, did I tell you how sexy that metallic silver finish looks on it? Heck, forget about skirts...gimme the damn MacBook Pro...now!!!! :-)

Happy computing!

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Related links:

OS/X tips & tricks
Apple Pro tips archive
Macworld | Review: MacBook Core 2 Duo/2.1GHz and 2.4GHz
Apple MacBook 13-inch White (Core 2 Duo) - Reviews by PC Magazine
Electronista | Review: MacBook (early 2008)
MacBook Air review - Engadget
MacDevCenter.com -- Top Ten Mac OS/X Tips for Unix Geeks
OSXGuide.com :: Mac OS/X news, Mac tips, Mac tools, and free downloads
RealBasic - easily develop powerful apps for Mac, Windows & Linux using the same source code in a powerful IDE
The NetBSD project - the most portable free Unix OS on the planet
The FreeBSD project - the most powerful free server/desktop Unix OS on the planet
The OpenBSD project - the most secured free desktop/server Unix OS on the planet
OpenSolaris - Sun Microsystem' free BSD Unix community offering
PC-BSD - a free, open-source operating system based on rock-solid FreeBSD
DesktopBSD - Pre-packaged customized FreeBSD installation with (KDE) BSD Desktop for a simple install and use replacement for Microsoft Windows
ONLamp.com - Using DesktopBSD
PC-BSD : A user friendly BSD flavour geared for the desktop
OSWeekly.com - PC-BSD: The Most Beginner Friendly OS

Dream Job vs High Paying Job

2008-04-27T02:40:00.007-05:00

[Nairobi, Kenya]
GREETINGS everyone. I know, I know...I've been awfully quiet for like a WHILE. Well, a part of me got a little burnt out; more so from the fact that I have lousy Internet access here in Kenya. So although I had tons of things to write about here and on Go Africa Go!, I just got annoyed with the Net access thingy. Plus, there was a "little bit" of political "excitement" in these parts due to the post-election "challenges" that ensued in Kenya.

Since I'm house-sitting my pal's house here in Lavington (a Nairobi suburb) until the end of April, I've had the privilege of daily Internet access courtesy of her $200 per month iWayAfrica satellite (VSat) hookup. In a way, my friend Samantha (of Bedouin Camp fame) is doing me a favour by letting me house sit for her.

Decisions, decisions...
Well, I was peeking some enticing IT articles & discussions on ZDNet, SlashDot, Jon Auza's blog, and a host of other spots in cyber space. And I ran into this gut-wrenching scenario that a programmer had to face: Should he choose a programming job using a language (PERL) that he loves versus a 66% pay rise with another company that's using Microsoft's .NET framework.

Heck, in my state of affairs, I'd take the damn .NET job if I was that dude. I can always do PERL scripting in my off time, or even take part in a kick-ass PERL project on SourceForge, which just happens to be the world's largest Open Source Software repository. Here, you'll find tons of FREE amazing software projects - like the OpenBiblio Library Information System (LIS) that I implemented for the Jewish Youth Library of Ottawa (JYLO) back in 2004.

Anyhow, I urge you to peek the discussion...lots of interesting points for and against taking both jobs. See Choosing Your Next Programming Job: Perl or .NET. I even blogged about .NET here a year ago. See, I was right! .NET is gaining momentum. Heck, I'm sure a lot of .NET coders are paying off their mortgages in 3 years or less. :-)

Gripe central...
Since I'm using Samantha's iBook G4 laptop while she visits the south of France, the UK and Dubai, I've gotten a bird's eye view of the Mac OS/X operating system. And to be honest with you all, I'm not that thrilled with it. The major reason is just the little things. Have you ever used cut & paste in the Windows Explorer? Well, I couldn't find a similar feature in OS/X at all. I had to bloody copy a file or folder from somewhere, paste it to the destination, and then delete the original file. Damn it, but how bloody ANNOYING is that? Yeah, Windows has some warts, but give me Explorer over the Finder in OS/X any day of the week. I think I'm just gonna turn Windows Server 2008 into a workstation (see info on how to do this here, here, and here) on the laptop I plan to buy within 30 days - if all goes well. Let's just say that I'm skipping Vista after hearing so many horror stories.

Thanks Steph...
By the way, my good pal whom I met on XVI dropped by Nairobi en route to Rwanda and Uganda to do 6 months of academic research. You see, she's doing her Masters in Peace Building & Conflict Resolution through Royal Roads University. Oh, that's waaay over there on Vancouver Island, which is in the beautiful province of British Columbia on Canada's west coast. She hung out with me for 4 days, and I got her to deliver the goods. You see, since Stephanie was coming from Canada, I got her to download a ton of software on her super fast DSL broadband connection before she left for Africa.

Now I have the latest versions of PC-BSD (a kool desktop distro based on the popular FreeBSD server O/S), SimplyMEPIS (a Linux distro that's getting tons of rave reviews), OpenOffice (a free alternative to Micro$oft Office that runs of Linux & Windows), PostgreSQL (a free database manager that competes admirably against Oracle, SQL Server, DB2, Sybase et al), VMware Player (Linux & Windows versions), and XAMPP for Mac OS/X.

Heck, I would never in a million years attempt to download all that stuff over here. Nope! Anyhow, I'm gonna take them all for a spin and I'll review them right here. It'll give me a chance to spread some open source love here in East Africa. I hear po-po (er police) has been going around Nairobi nabbing peeps in offices and cyber cafes using pirated software. This is a good thing as it'll force EVERYONE to utilize open source software like Linux, FreeBSD, OpenOffice et al.

Happy computing!

Web Services and the Programmable Web

2007-04-14T08:30:00.000-05:00

[Nairobi, Kenya]
I MENTIONED in a previous post that I felt ASP.NET programming would be a lucrative ($$$) area for coders looking to move on to bigger and better things. Well, I still believe this, so I’ve been getting up to speed on this excellent technology thanks to Matthew MacDonald’s well-written book (er bible...um, it’s 1148 bloody pages), Beginning ASP.NET 2.0 in C#: From Novice to Professional. Here's a nice book review. You see, I’m eager to take full advantage of the web by using web services as my secret weapon to create powerful applications. This should definitely bring in the big bucks. :-)

For example, I could easily pass or share information (data) between various computer networks (B2B, B2C, etc.). Or, I might simply want a universal method in order to allow other web programmers to execute a shared, public function (programming code that does a particular task) on my web server that returns a piece of information (ie. a price quote, stock lookup, flight info, etc.). At the start of Chapter 21, Matthew does a fantastic job introducing web services. I also love his suggestion on how to “look” at said technology. See for yourself:

Web services enable the same evolution that COM did, with a twist. Web services are indi-vidual units of programming logic that exist on a web server. They can be easily integrated into all sorts of applications, including everything from other ASP.NET applications to simple command-line applications. The twist is that, unlike COM, which is a platform-specific standard, web services are built on a foundation of open standards. These stan-dards allow web services to be created with .NET but consumed on other platforms—or vice versa. In fact, the idea of web services didn’t originate at Microsoft. Other major computer forces such as IBM helped to develop the core standards that Microsoft uses natively in ASP.NET.
The root standard for all the individual web service standards is XML. Because XML is text-based, web service invocations can pass over normal HTTP channels. Other distributed object technologies, such as DCOM, are much more complex, and as a result, they are exceedingly difficult to configure correctly, especially if you need to use them over the Internet. So not only are web services governed by cross-platform standards, but they’re also easier to use.
You can look at web services in two ways. Application programmers (and the .NET Framework) tend to treat a web service as a set of methods that you can call over the Internet. Of course, these methods have all the capabilities that ASP.NET programmers are used to, such as the automatic security and session state facilities discussed in other parts of this book. XML gurus take a different perspective. They prefer to treat web ser-vices as a way to exchange XML messages.

Which perspective you take depends to some extent on the type of web service you are creating. For example, if you need to pass messages through several intermediaries as part of a long-running business-to-business transaction, you’ll have an easier time looking at your web service as a message-passing system. On the other hand, if you’re calling a web service just to get some information—such as a product catalog or stock quote—you’ll probably treat it like any other useful function. {source: Beginning ASP.NET 2.0 in C#: From Novice to Professional ; pg. 815}

PHP 5 book passes 1 Million FREE downloads

2007-03-17T18:32:00.000-05:00

[Dar es Salaam, Tanzania]
THIS is old news (forgot this post in my drafts folder) but I think it's worth mentioning here in 2007. Hopefully, more web developers will start coding PHP5 specific web apps instead of playing it safe with the well-tested PHP4.x lineage. What annoys me, though, is that most web hosting companies are also playing it safe and fail to install PHP5 on their web servers. This keeps developers from taking advantange of its new features.

Get cracking
If you want to start cranking out some PHP5 code, but are unfamiliar with the new OOP features/syntax, etc., then I suggest you download the book (PHP 5 Power Programming) I don't think you're going to find a better learning resource since the authors of the book are gods in the PHP world. Here's the link. It's in PDF format. Oh, did I mention it's FREE? :-)

New WiFi standard offers 100Mbps speeds

2007-03-16T16:38:00.000-05:00

[Dar es Salaam, Tanzania]
WOW, just when you thought the benefits of WiMAX was going to steamroll over WiFi's affordable ubiquity, things appear to be taking a 90 degree turn in favour of the old guard while the new hearthrob (er WiMAX) irons out a few compatability wrinkles. :-) Check this out:

With every man and his dog rushing to proclaim that the advent of WiMax will mean the death of Wi-Fi, proponents of the most popular local area wireless technology believe there's a healthy future ahead for it - and it doesn't depend on the laptop...

...A standards body is set to ratify 802.11n by September next year, giving Wi-Fi a throughput of 100Mbps and helping to bolster its potential uses in bandwidth-heavy situations. {source}

My thoughts
So, you mean WiFi is still alive and kicking? :-) This is a good thing because all the WiMAX "pushers" are selling their drugs (er hardware) at such ridiculous prices. Like, what are those guys smoking (or drinking)? :-) I've said this before and I'll say it again. Once a WiFi phone comes out with a mobile Skype application attached to it, then all hell's gonna break loose because those greedy mobile operators are going to be in some deep doo doo. Of course, this is dependent on cities and municipalities around the world offering free (or almost free) WiFi services to their tax paying citizens. Fat chance of that happening though. Government leaders cave in soooo easily to big business. Heck, why the frig are we even bothering to vote?

Worldwide Video Game Industry Worth $30 Billion

2007-03-14T07:55:00.000-05:00

[Dar es Salaam, Tanzania]
HOLY smokes! This is incredible. My advise to all you peeps studying undergrad Computer Science is to get your assess up to speed with video game design and programming. Heck, go grab some Assembly language and C++ books from Amazon.com and start cranking out some code. :-) Okay, so you think I'm kidding, eh? Well, check this out:

The majority of those console owners, 71 percent, are married, and 66
percent have at least one child in the household.

"As game consoles have become increasingly sophisticated, families have
incorporated them into their centralized home media centers, which include the television, digital recording device, digital music player and the PC," said
Carolyn Creekmore, senior director of media analytics at Nielsen/NetRatings.

Microsoft and Sony are positioning their Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles as entertainment hubs for games, music and photo viewing amid a fierce battle for dominance in the $30 billion global video game market. {source}

Time to get cracking
Actually, I wrote a blog entry about a super kool video game idea I devised. This occured after I touched down in Africa around the end of 2005. In a sense, just being on another continent really got my creative juices flowing, and I was able to come up with what I (and those whom I confided in) believe is a unique video game concept that covers many bases. It involves love, revenge, tourism, exotic animals, murder, and much more, but with an eerie twist. Heck, the idea is so "versatile" that it can easily be turned into a book, a movie, postcards, etc. I'm serious folks. Everything just came together - nicely. That's why I get tickled pink when I see those staggering financials for the video game industry. 30 billion? Where do I sign up? :-)

More Windows bugs?

2007-03-08T01:55:00.000-05:00

[Dar es Salaam, Tanzania]
BLOODY hell! When is this Windows nightmare going to end? I've said this before and I'll say it again. If Microsoft was a foreign (most notably Japanese or French) company - and not American - the world would've ditched their operating system a "loooong" time ago. Seriously. It's just that most of the business world seems to revolve around the English language media where Microsoft is a big advertiser. But do you people know the untold billions of dollars in lost productivity this one company has caused the world? It's mind boggling. Take a peek at what's bugs are cooking:

In particular it warned about one bug fixed in the latest batch of security updates that, if exploited, could put a PC under the control of an attacker. Microsoft's recent update fixed 23 flaws found in Windows software.

Many of these bugs are known to malicious hackers and some are
already actively exploited on the net. {source}

Moreover, I'm shocked that the majority of naive computer users still put up with this frigging crappy software. And don't get me started with those Outlook/Outlook Express users. Argggh, I'm sick of it! Heck, Mac OS/X with its rock-solid BSD/Unix foundation (think super strong security) is looking better and better every day.

Seeing is believing
In fact, my good pal Eric (aka HASH, aka White African) dropped by Nairobi a while back from his Florida residence to take part in an Rift Valley Academy class reunion. When I saw his swanky, ultra sleek Mac Notebook, my mouth began to droll. I knew then and there that, some day, me and a Mac Notebook were going to be bed mates. :-) Once that happens, I'll be free of worrying about all these horrible bugs that are hanging out in Windows. :-)

** NOTE: this was another old post that I forgot to complete in my drafts folder, but the info is still very relavant **

Free WiFi on Seattle train

2007-03-07T11:09:00.000-05:00

NOW this is really kool! It appears that this dude, Casey Halverson, of Seattle Wireless has created a home-brewed self-contained WiFi device that he totes along in his backpack. And get this. Whenever he's going to or from work, he allows fellow commuters in the same train car to share his cellular connection. I'm sure this is an EV-DO (Evolution-Data Optimized) cellular network, which is vastly superior to GSM for data communications as it's based on CDMA technology. Somehow I think the folks here in Africa and Europe got scammed by GSM and it's expensive implementations and promises, but that's just my opinion. :-) Oh, you wanna see how powerful (er fast) EV-DO is? Well, take a peek at this blurb:

Compared to the EDGE networks employed by GSM networks, the EV-DO feature of CDMA2000 networks is significantly faster, providing access to mobile devices with air interface speeds of up to 2.4 Mbps with Rev. 0 and up to 3.1 Mb/s with Rev. A. HSDPA a competing technology for W-CDMA, along with the new Qualcomm Rev A modems have the ability to maintian both circuit switched voice and packet data calls from the same radio, this functionality is not available in Qualcomm Rev. 0 chipsets.{source}

Now, apparently users Casey's "train network" are able to upload and download at 144 Kb/s which ain't to bad considering it's, um, FREE. :-)

Well, here's the setup info if you're in the Seattle area and want to try it out:

The open wireless node can be found in the first car of the last morning train and in Car 403 on the 5:10pm return trip. Use SSID "FreeInternetAccess" or "seattlewireless" to connect - You may have to assign yourself an IP in the range 192.168.0.0/24 and use the Default Gateway 192.168.0.1 as the DHCP is sometimes flakey.

I'm sooooo jealous!! :-) Get tons of EV-DO wireless gear here.

Happy New Year

2007-03-02T11:31:00.000-05:00

I'm back
Wow, I've taken like 90 days off because I was busy doing some IT work at a Zanzibar hotel. Also, I was just tired from writing even though I had a ton of interesting IT topics to write about. So, my brain was cranking out kool topics, but my fingers just didn't feel like typing a god damn thing. They (my fingers) sound like a new wifey, eh?? Ha ha ha. Well, stay tuned for some more enticing articles in the always changing (and crazy) world of IT.

Oh...
BTW, greetings from beautiful Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) everyone. I'm visiting the family of my good pal Zahida (she was a roommate of mine for a summer in Bayfield Hall at The University of Wesern Ontario, and now a dear, long time friend) who currently resides in Montreal - my favourite party city. Well, it's a toss up with Toronto. :-) Any how, Dar rocks like no other city I've visited in Africa so far. In fact, I wish I came here first. For starters, I walked all over the damn city during the first 4 days when I arrived and feel that I know it really well. I just loooove hanging out around the Samora Ave, Morogoro Ave., Bibi Titi Mohamed Rd, Nkrumah St., Sokoine Dr. areas. Ditto for the Kariakoo market area which has tons and tons and tons of small shops and what not. In fact, I live in said market. It's a lively area that's also safe as hell...unlike one city in another country North of Tanzania that sometimes goes by the name of *laughs* Nairoberry. Heck, I havent even visited Coco Beach with my friend's kids yet. I hear it's a blast to be on the weekends...right next to the Indian Ocean.

Any how, I'll write more about my love affair with Tanzania later. I gotta jet as I'm using the Internet cafe up at the beautifully spectacular campus of the University of Dar es Saleem. This campus is so well laid out, and did I mention how beautiful it is??

Later!

Job Survival in the IT industry

2006-12-03T08:29:00.000-05:00

Yet another great, quick read over at the Manageability.org website that really makes you sit back and ponder. Here's one of my hot tips for all you coders: LEARN .NET pronto!! I have seen the light. Have you peeps seen the hot jobs for ASP.NET application developers on Dice.com?? Take a peek at this UK job site too. And there's tons of them. Besides I'm a former ASP/SQL Server 7/VB6 developer, so retooling shouldn't be a big problem for me. But I've taken the .NET plunge and C# (pronounced C-sharp) is going to be my language of choice for commercial consulting. That's the main .NET language created by Microsoft. Some peeps say the language was born with a silver spoon in its mouth. Why? Because you can literally create anything in C#: Web applications, desktop apps, web services, software components, etc.

Don't get me wrong! I'm still going to explore PHP and Python but, let's face it, in the corporate world, Microsoft rules. End of story. And I do have to eat, right? Heck that company has pile of cash (between $20-40 billion) in the bank. Who on earth can compete with pockets so deep? Oh, once you see the free developer tools they give away to get you hooked on .NET, you too will see the green light to the cash register. :-)

Happy programming!

101 Ways to Make Money off Open Source

2006-12-03T07:46:00.000-05:00

Well, here's a really good find if you wanna make some coin from the plethora of open source projects that exist around the planet. It appears that offering support is the most popular route. Ya know, I'm getting the itch to dive into an open source project - perhaps to do some kick ass documentation. If you know of one that's meaningful and would have an impact on the lives of many users, please send me a message. But I might join something relating to the BSD projects, Linux, or a CMS.

Stay tuned.

The end user is number one

2006-11-29T04:33:00.000-05:00

It's the user stupid!
In the end, it's the user (not technology) that matters the most when you go about your daily IT routine trying to solve problems. Rob Howard is absolutely correct when he states the following:

One of the biggest lessons we've learned is one we didn't really anticipate: a shift from caring less about the underlying technology to how our software solves the user's problem. It's a subtle change, but as an ISV this is probably one of the bigger "maturing" steps a software organization has to go through. You can tell when an ISV hasn't made this transition yet: the literature and announcements about their releases focus 100% on the underlying technology instead of how the software solves a particular set of problems for the people that use it...

For example, have you ever bought a car because of where the steel was made or because of the brand of the engine? A few people care about these things, but most people care more about: does the car drive good, are the seats comfortable, etc. {source}

Quite frankly, I already knew this, but sometimes we tend to forget the simple things in this bloody "technical" field. When you hear all the kool Tech buzzwords floating around in the Tech press, that's when you gotta take a step back and, once again, refocus on the problem at hand. Sounds simple, eh? Well, you'd be shocked at how many IT pros, who lack people (or soft) skills, forget this. No wonder non-techies think we're *gasp* geeks. :-)

Therefore my advise to all you coders out there is this:

Really understand the user's problem by seeing the big picture. Heck put yourselves in their shoes.
Find out what features are absolutely essential and implement those first.
Is the user happy with the basics?
If yes, proceed and implement the other less important stuff.
Is the problem solved? If no, then go back to step 4.

Now wasn't that simple?
Read more...

Send and receive large files with Pando

2006-11-29T03:59:00.000-05:00

Hey, this looks like a totally super kool tool for sending big file attachments through your free web mail or IM account.

Pando is free software that lets you send and receive large files and folders, up to 1GB, via email, IM and the Web. Learn more

Thanks go out to Rui J.M. Silva courtesy of his very informative Microsoft Exchange blog. He's obviously a very well-read IT pro who's based in Portugal.

BTW...
Hey Rui, if you see DJ Vibe over there, please say hello for me. He a Portuguese DJ who spins some of the badest Dark Tribal/Progressive House music on the planet. I saw him at Surface night club in Ottawa last year. He totally destroyed the decks (er turntables) with his exotic tribal sounds and left everyone wanting more. :-)

Shooting arrows at MS Exchange Server

2006-11-19T15:53:00.000-05:00

Have you ever see those movies or read those stories where a powerful, entrenched ruler (or a dictator...even a clique of politicos) has been in power for an eternity...without a viable challenger to their rule? Heck that happens a lot here in Africa. Actually, things are getting better thanks to no-nonsense leaders like Rwanda's Paul Kagame, Thabo Mbeki of South Africa and Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania. :-)

Any way, my point is that, after a while, people genuinely would like a bit of change. However, the incumbent has their tentacles in all corners of society making it impossible to oust them and achieve real change.

Die, Exchange, die!
Well, a lot of people in the "Info Tech" world feel that way about Microsoft's Exchange Server. You see, here's the deal. In order to use Exchange, you have to run it on a Windows (as opposed to a secure, reliable Linux) server. Mind you, I have crazy respect for Windows 2003 Server. But now you also have to worry about purchasing additional licenses for all those users who'll connect to the damn server, which can run into the thousands. Strike 1. Next, in order to retrieve your email from an Exchange server, you need to run buggy Microsoft Outlook, which comes with Office 2000/2002/2003/XP Professional. Strike 2. Did I tell you how annoying Outlook is yet? I bloody hate that program with a passion. Yet everybody's soooo addicted to it. Argggh!! :-)

Now, if you're using Exchange up to version 5.5 (I think), and want to move up to the next level via Windows 2003 Server, well, you'll have to install Active Directory (AD), which seems to be a nightmare to a lot of administrators who have other things to do (work!) with their company's time. Strike 3. If I'm not mistaken, I think you need a degree in Rocket Science in order to install AD. :-)

You're out!
Well, all I want to say is that a lot of software companies have made some serious headway against Exchange in terms of mind share. What, you don't believe me? Well, here's some food for thought.

OpenXchange and competitors such as Scalix and Zimbra are no longer of interest only to a small clique of open source believers, but are being widely distributed through partnerships with "mainstream" ISVs, consultants, and hundreds of VARs. (OpenXchange alone claims 650 VAR relationships.) {source}

So what's the secret? Well, these Exchange killers either run on Linux or use the LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) stack, which is open source and free as our polluted air. Organisations the world over are seriously looking for alternatives. Look, a lot of system administrators simply don't want to feel so dependent on one company - especially where there's no light at the end of the tunnel. I actually blogged about this a while back (April). See Change is very good: Say goodbye to MS-Exchange.

Any how, take a peek at these recent stories on how the competition is stacking up against the Windows/Exchange/Outlook software stack.

Perhaps you might find an alternative solution that's perfect for your workplace. As for myself, I'm a little intrigued with the free Covide CRM-Groupware project (also see covide.net). It has some amazing features, and this user quote really piqued my interest:

Covide Groupware-CRM has all zimbra/openxchange etc have and more. Unlike phpgroupware and egroupware it's not a tool to link several projects together but it's build from scratch with integration of all your communication and calendars as basic principle. Please have a look at it in your next review. {source}

Now all I have to do is find a spare server to install it down here. Ya got one? :-) However, you can take it for a spin from right where you are. Whoa, those coders over at Covide have to do something about that user interface. "Um, hello, can you please pretty it up a little bit for meeee?" I suggest they hire some super kool artsy web desingers to spice things up a bit. :-) After all, seeing is believing. That's just my opinion though.

Good luck. And for heaven's sakes, get the heck out of the way with all those arrows pointed at Microsoft from its competitors. :-)

Is Windows Vista Basic a Lemon?

2006-10-29T19:14:00.000-05:00

Well, Acer seems to think that the Basic edition is. Take a peek at this blurb courtesy of The Register:

Microsoft is effectively smuggling through a price hike for Windows Vista - by making the entry-level version so poor that no-one will want to use it. So says Jim Wong, senior veep at Acer, the world's number four PC maker, who told UK hack Jon Honeyball: "The new [Vista] experience you hear of, if you get Basic, you won't feel it at all. There's no [Aero] graphics, no Media Center, no remote control."

So...what do you think? Quite frankly, I think XP Home Edition is a piece of limited crap too. Why does entry level or basic always have to be so limiting? Gees! :-)

Read more.

Yet another blog

2006-10-28T05:38:00.001-05:00

Hi Everyone!
Sorry for taking a break from blogging over here. Ya wanna know why? Because of this: LifeSize Magazine weblog. I hope you like it. Remember that eBusiness web portal I'm involved with over HERE in Africa? Well, this blog will work as a content diversion when peeps are not interested in shopping for cars, prescription drugs, art, etc. I'm a firm believer in the old dotcom saying that content is king. Well, interesting content that is.

If you get a chance, tell me what you think. I've tried to keep the blog entries interesting so that visitors will want to come back.

Oh well...let the chips fall where they may.

IT News from Internet dot com

2006-09-30T08:42:00.000-05:00

Well, October 2006 is almost in full effect and lots of exciting and interesting news in the IT arena are starting to percolate.

Firefox 2.0 to Go Live Today
Wow, the web browser that took the world (er web) by storm in just a few short years is doing it again. And it looks as though they've fixed some annoying bugs.

"We will not take bugs unless they are of great benefit: crashes, Web compatibility, and major regressions. IMHO [In My Honest Opinion] FF2 RC1 is already a tremendously superior product to FF 1.5. So let's wrap this up!"

Go Mozilla go! :-)

VPNs: $23B And Growing
Wow, I didn't know the VPN business was "thaaaat" lucrative. But here's what I don't get. I'm quite comfy with SSL via HTTP (https) in my web browser because it's fast and convenient...no nagging, "slooooow" VPN clients to install. Heck, I even use HTTPS to do all of my online banking with TD Canada Trust, which is one of Canada's biggest banks that's also highly rated in the web banking arena. Now, if it's good enough for Canada's Top 5 banks who are fussy about security, then what's the big deal with these VPN clients? Oh well!!

SSL-VPNs offer the promise of simple remote access connectivity since from an end user standpoint they typically involve just a Web browser to access a corporate network.

They differ from their principal technology competitor IPSec VPNs in that IPSec typically requires an additional client application.

Earlier this year, Infonetics reported that IPSec (define) is currently dominant though losing ground over the next few years to SSL-VPN-based VPNs (define).

Now that's more like it. :-)

I'll add more stuff to this later. After all, it "is" Saturday here in Nairobi, and I'm itching to do something exciting tonight...so I gotta make some plans. :-)

Interview with PHP founder Rasmus Lerdorf

2006-09-17T07:51:00.000-05:00

Thank you Rasmus
Without a doubt, PHP is the world's most popular web-scripting language that's used in hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of websites throughout cyber space (the Internet). TWit.tv had a chat with PHP's legendary creator, Rasmus Lerdorf, to gather his thoughts on PHP and FOSS today.

Thank you Zeev & Andi
By the way, please note that PHP became a household name after Andi Gutmans (also see here) and Zeev Suraski (2 brilliant, hardcore Israeli C/C++ programmers) created the Zend engine, which now powers the language. If anything, these 2 dudes deserve just as much credit (if not more) than Rasmus. Let's just say that creating (programming) programs that allows you to create other programs is one of the most complex tasks in all of Computer Science or Software Engineering. Ditto for programmers who create Operating Systems like Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, Solaris, Unix, Windows, Mac OS/X or VAX/VMS. Oh, throw in RDBMSs like Oracle 10g, DB2, Sybase ASE, Microsoft SQL Server, PostGreSQL, and MySQL.

Listen up
If you'd like to listen to the interview, just grab the audio files (Ogg audio 64kbps mono, 25.65MB - MP3 file). See the intro below, which I found on the TWiT website:

FLOSS Weekly 12: PHP Creator Rasmus Lerdorf
PHP Creator, Rasmus Lerdorf, talks about the origins of PHP, the challenges of open source development, and his favorite PHP programs...

Sahana - FREE Disaster Management software

2006-09-17T06:56:00.000-05:00

Wow, this is simply amazing. Just when you thought that the Open Source software movement couldn't come up with any more ideas for practical software applications, along comes the kind folks (developers) at Sahana.lk in Sri Lanka.

"Sahana is a Free and Open Source Disaster Management system. It is a web based collaboration tool that addresses the common coordination problems during a disaster from finding missing people, managing aid, managing volunteers, tracking camps effectively between Government groups, the civil society (NGOs) and the victims themselves." (Source: Sahana.lk)

A sad beginning
So, how did the Sahana project come to light?

The Sahana Free and Open Source project was quickly built over a 2-3 week period around the time of the Asian Tsunami to help coordinate the relief effort in Sri Lanka. It was initially built by a group of volunteers consisting mostly of the Sri Lankan IT industry and spearheaded by Lanka Software Foundation, a FOSS R&D NPO. An implementation of Sahana was authorized and deployed by CNO (The main government body in Sri Lanka coordinating the relief effort) to help coordinate all the data being captured. (Source: Wikipedia.org)

Seeing is believing
If by chance you're involved with an NGO or a non-profit organisation that quickly needs to mobilize help in the face of a natural disaster, then by all means take Sahana for a spin (try online demo). Here's a quick peek at the program's snazzy web interface.View more screenshots here.

Help the Sahana team
Are you able to lend a hand in these troubled regions?

Over the last week, the core Sahana team has been engaged with deployments in Lebanon, Ecuador, and Sri Lanka as a reponse to the natural disasters and conflicts.
The Sahana team calls for the support of everyone in the community who have links, contacts or can in any way support the deployment of Sahana in these countries. (Source: Sahana.lk)

Your thoughts?
If you are using FOSS applications in your organisation, please share some info with us. What did you install? Did you ditch a commercial alternative? Is it web-based or a desktop app?

Happy computing!

A beginner installs the Drupal CMS

2006-09-17T06:11:00.000-05:00

What is Drupal?
For those of you living in the Dark Ages, Drupal is a CMS (Content Management System) that'll quickly give you an unfair advantage (see features) when it comes to creating any type of website. But don't take my word for it.

"Drupal is software that allows an individual or a community of users to easily publish, manage and organize a great variety of content on a Web site. Tens of thousands of people and organizations have used Drupal to set up scores of different kinds of Web sites, including:
Community Web portals and discussion sites
Corporate Web sites/intranet portals
Personal Web sites
Aficionado sites
E-commerce applications
Resource directories
Drupal includes features to enable content management systems, blogs, collaborative authoring environments, forums, newsletters, picture galleries, file uploads and download, and much more. Drupal is open source software licensed under the GPL and is maintained and developed by a community of thousands of users and developers. Drupal is free to download and use." (Source: CMS Matrix)

Is this CMS a good pal?
Now, I've never used Drupal but I've been in the IT business long enough to know a good thing just from reading countless rave reviews. Web developers really love this CMS, and I'm not about to second guess them. Oh, Big Blue (aka IBM) is also gung ho on Drupal too. For those of you who'd like to see what it's like to install Drupal on your web server, then I urge you to read more. By the way, I'm told the Drupal user community is also very helpfull to newbies.

Vote for Drupal
By the way, if you're a Drupal user and would like to show your support for this venerable CMS, then by all means cast your vote. It is one of 5 CMSs duking it out for top honors. Take a peek at this:

"This is your chance to support Drupal by voting! Pakt publishing is running a competition for the best Open Source CMS, and Drupal is in the top 5 candidates. The final round of judging will be done by four judges, where the community vote is the fourth judge. That means it is time to head on over to the voting page and fill out the form to show that you choose Drupal above all others. The winning CMS will get US $5,000, the second will get US $3,000 and the third placed finalist will get US $2,000." (Source: Drupal.org)

Enjoy.

TOAD for MySQL Review

2006-09-02T03:14:00.000-05:00

A look at Database Management & Design tools
Since we're using the free LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP/Python/Perl) stack to create our eCommerce web portal here in Africa, I reckon that it's only a matter of time before our database becomes unmanageable. Thus it's smart to use appropriate tools in order regain some control considering there's well over 70 tables with more on the way - eventually.

I've heard a lot of good things about TOAD over the years, and was fortunate to find this quick review over at ITtoolbox. It looks as though a freeware version for MySQL database management is available. Why don't you take it for a spin?

Other good DBA (database administration) tools include SQLyog (there's a free edition) and DB Designer4 (completely free by FabFORCE). Of course, a lot of web developers use PHPMyAdmin, which is a remarkable web-based tool that's 100% free, but these other tools are usually much faster since they run as a desktop application and use native C/C++ libraries to connect to MySQL.

A stroll down memory lane
I'm told TOAD is written in Delphi (Object Pascal), which is a very powerful language invented by Borland (inventor of Turbo C, C++ Builder, Turbo Prolog, Quattro Pro, Interbase, Turbo Pascal, Paradox, purchased DBase from Ashton Tate) and is on par with C/C++ for speed. Trust me! By the way, I got into programming via Turbo Pascal, which was then morphed into Delphi. Pascal is still one of my favourite computer languages to date. Perhaps it's just nostalgia, but Dr. Niklaus Wirth from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology was "waaaay" ahead of his time back then. Too bad Pascal's successor, Modula, didn't gain momemtum.

If you need more info on LAMP, get it right here!

Giving Microsoft the Boot

2006-09-02T01:22:00.000-05:00

I blogged here about how the Indian state of Kerala has begun to take a serious look at using Linux and other open source apps in order to save money. No doubt this move will also reduce those dreaded Windows security bugs (holes). Read more...

If any of you have given M$ the boot, please let me know. Tell me what you did. What software you relied on before, and what alternative (Linux, Max OS/X, etc.) you're using now.

Now, although I'll give credit to M$ on their new security intitiatives, the fundamental fact remains that Windows (XP, and soon Vista) is still too expensive for most developing nations. In other words, Linux is more than good enough for these governments who could then use the savings on better education and health care for its citizens.

Comparing Google AdSense to Shopping.com ads

2006-08-11T07:22:00.000-05:00

Bigger = better?
Not necessarily.
So I was cruising the addictive Delicious tagging/bookmarking site that's taking the web by storm, and this popular link ( Don't settle for Google AdSense) by Erik over at the ProductWiki blog really got my attention. This is very interesting information. Well, for those blog whores who'd like to earn a little revenue from ads on their blog sites. To make a long story short, it appears that Shopping.com just "might" provide webmasters with a better opportunity to "pay cash for a red Ferarri" (in my case, a pearl white Ford Mustang-GT convertible) as opposed to going with the Big G (er Google). You don't believe me? Then take a peek at this visual comparison.

Exhibit A: Google Adsense ad
Exhibit B: Shopping.com ad

Do you see how the Shopping.com ad is "waaaay" more informative for, um, shoppers? Read more.

Filed under:eCommerce Adsense Shopping.com advertising web advertising Google

Interesting Forum: Perl versus PHP 5

2006-08-08T15:19:00.000-05:00

Eyes wide shut
I've had a lot of misconceptions about Perl (more info) over the years even though I've never touched the language. Yes, I do know that it's an extremely powerful language for handling system administration and text processing duties. It's also great for writing complex applications and everything in between. Well, after perusing the replies from numerous Perl experts in this forum, I finally get it. Perl suffers from a few misconceptions that's seen PHP, Python and even Ruby gain prominence at her expense. Now, I'm not knocking those 3 languages. They are incredible.

Snake eyes
Besides, Python is definitely going to be my secret weapon in future application development projects. Why? Well take a peek at these 3 links (here, here, here). Oh, you gotta check out this amazing quote:

"The computing landscape has been transformed over the course of the last decade from one focused on the PC to a new web-based model where many of the new killer applications run on the LAMP (Linux-Apache-MySQL-Perl/PHP/Python) platform. In the new paradigm applications are continually updated as new data becomes available and dynamic languages like Python are an essential key to this shift.

But even non-programmers like me know Python is good for a whole heck of a lot more than web programming. It’s a highly adaptable (and scalable), full-featured, object-oriented programming language that’s suitable for a wide variety of jobs. Its stable and mature, has large and powerful standard libraries, and integrates extremely well with C, C++, or Java code, and COM objects. The future looks bright for Python and its with great delight that I’m finally posting this booklet of Python Success Stories."

As you can see, the slippery "sssnake" takes a back seat to no one. All I'm saying is that Perl truly is a remarkable language, and now I understand why Perlites (Perl programmers) are so passionate about their language. Read more.

Happy coding!

Filed under: programming PHP Perl language comparison Perl reviews Python

How to: Import your Blogger posts into WordPress

2006-08-08T02:48:00.000-05:00

Ditching Blogger...plus a "delicous" discovery
Although I'm still a slave to Blogger.com, I thought this informative post just might come in handy sometime in the future if I feel like jumping ship - over to WordPress. After all, Blogger does not allow me to categorize my posts. However, I'm a huge del.icio.us user now so screw categories...tags are "waaaay" more powerful. Oh, you don't believe me?? Well take a peek at this: http://del.icio.us/maxtheitpro. I'm starting to use del.icio.us to bookmark everything. Ditto the posts for AyoAfrica, which is the eBusiness/eCommerce web portal (still in beta mode) that's been occupying the majority of my time here in Kenya. See for yourself: http://del.icio.us/ayoafrica. Once I get the blogs up for the Motoring, online Pharmacy, Movie library, Arts section, etc., the competition ain't gonna know what hit em. You see, we want to excel in Customer Service and blogs are a great tool for doing just that. Take a peek at our LifeSize Magazine and Motoring blogs. Stay tuned!

Now, if you've been in the dark about the latest and greatest FREE services on the Internet, del.icio.us is simply a site that stores all your bookmarks, posts, etc. using tags so that you, your friends or fellow web surfers can peek your links. Heck, I don't know how the f!ck I got along without it. Let's just say I don't bother bookmarking anything any more. That's "soooo" passe. My life as an Internet whore is now even more deliciously devine. :-)

Oh!
As I was saying, this script, which was hacked by some dude named Andy (aka Skeltoac), allows you to move (er, import) all of your Blogger posts and comments right into WordPress. Moreover, WordPress is supposedly an AMAZING blogging application that's 100% FREE thanks to the spirit of the Internet and the Open Source community. Heck, even my favorite IT pro on the planet, John C. Dvorak, uses WordPress on his personal blog, Dvorak Uncensored. So, if it's good enough for him, then I should be okay. After all, he's fussy...but in a good way.

The Politics of Piracy Emerge in Sweden

2006-08-02T05:08:00.000-05:00

Teens of the world, unite!
Well, I always gain new insights by reading the columns of my favorite IT pro, John C. Dvorak. This dude is "waaaay" ahead of the curve on how things aught to be in the world of Information Technology. He's also pretty sharp in his logical analysis on who's fu#king up in said industry. Let's just say his Inside Track column is partly responsible for me keeping my edge on the competition. Quite frankly, I share his views on all the stupid anti-piracy legislation that's sweeping the West due to greedy Hollywood media moguls. In this column, Dvorak believes that the RIAA and their ilk may have met their match if Sweden's teenagers have anything to do with it - at the ballot box. He sets the stage with this poignant (neat, skillful, and to the point) observation:

Well, it looks like the boneheads in Hollywood and the RIAA, along with onerous new copyright laws such as the DMCA and other restrictions, are triggering change. I'd be cautious. Today's youth internationally are not like anything we've seen before. Their view of the world is skewed by the media and new realities. When they see all these restrictions, they see them done on behalf of fat guys who are flying around in private jets with a cabin full of high-class hookers while lighting cigars with hundred-dollar bills. They see rappers in limos wearing diamonds and having their teeth removed and replaced with gold for no apparent reason other than to spend the suckers' money. They see mega-yachts and homes that are the size of a small college all bought and sold on the backs of the kids buying music. Indeed, they are seeing a different world than most of us did when we were growing up. It's nuts. It looks unfair or, worse, exploitative.

Then they see old ladies arrested for copyright violations because a grandkid downloaded a song. Dead people are indicted in hysterical sweeps. Kids are threatened with ruination for song-swapping.

They're not going to put up with it for long, I can assure you. While I think any outrage will fall short of storming the compounds of the rich and burning their homes, once the next-generation youth finally figure out that they can take over at the ballot box, all hell will break loose.

By the way, if you want to see Dvorak's views on what a real democracy is all about, take a peek at this quote:

In a parliamentary system, a group like the Pirate Party, which will quickly surpass Sweden's Green Party, doesn't have to win a majority of seats to have an effect. In multiparty systems (unlike in the U.S.), you have to form coalitions to rule, and all sorts of deals are made for anything to get done. And I suspect that a lot of older politicos are tired of being pushed around by U.S. intellectual-property monopolists and would love to side with the Pirate Party on the excuse that they "had to."

Links to the current situation are on my blog here. To American ears, this all seems and sounds silly. But the moniker for the Pirate Party in Swedish, Piratpartiet, actually has a nice ring to it.

God damn it, but I love the way this guy THINKS! Honestly, if anyone thinks the US has a real democracy, guess again. Two parties (Republicans & Democrats) does not make a democracy. Nough said. Oh, go Sweden go!

Hopefully the youths in Africa will follow suit and take back their continent since most of these greedy, CORRUPT politicians over here couldn't give a damn about them...unless they're family, or when election time rolls around. Read on.

A look at Web Usability & Design

2006-07-22T02:21:00.000-05:00

Some things never change
Since I'm intimately involved in the creation of a new, exciting eBusiness "community" web portal that's part eCommerce, part entertainment (eventually), and part community, I was tickled pink when I ran across Jakob Nielsen's Top Ten Web Design Mistakes of 1999 in cyber space. Most importantly, I'll be sure to pass on this link to our web developers. So, who the heck is Jakob Nielsen (see pic on left)? Well, according to ZDNet's Anchordesk, he's "the smartest person on the Web."

What's surprising about this article is the fact that a lot of companies and web developers still make the same damn mistakes...and this is 2006. Like, do people not use the logic and common sense in their god-given brains?? {"Earth to web developers, please come in!! Can you hear me??"}

Repent or die
Even though I'm not a religious person per se, Jakob offers some timely web religion (er advice) for everyone who's involved with anything and everything to with the creation of web pages. And just like my mother in Canada is still trying to get me to step foot inside a church so that I can be (gasp!) "saved", I'm sure many future web projects will be saved by Jakob's timely web design advise - if people will just read and subscribe to his "religious doctrine." :-)

Take the information & run
I'm convinced that this information will be of vital importance for aspiring web developers and companies in Africa who would like to really make some serious noise on the Internet. Hopefully, they'll absorb Jakob's excellent advise and reap the rewards of sweet success.

Only time will tell.

Oh, while you're here, take a peek at Dave Taylor's best-selling book on Creating Cool Web Sites with HTML, XHTML and CSS. It's a must read for aspiring folks who are looking to gain an unfair advantage over their peers in cyber space. {"Doh, why did I provide this link to everyone?"} :-)

Happy computing.

Escapism & Diversion Dept.
Since I'm having a blast here in Africa, I've decided to use this section of my blog as a form of escapism from the fast-paced world of Information Technology. Most of the time, I'll probably talk (or show pics) about the fantabulous world of Electronic Dance Music (EDM), which is one of my main passions in life. Just take a peek at my previous blog entry, Asus Creates Sizzling new 19in LCD for Gamers, to see how much I loooove this genre of music and the exciting music events it has spawned around the planet.

Speaking of music events, I can't believe I'm going to miss the Sundance Music Festival at Beach Club, which is just a hop, skip and a jump outside of Montreal (Quebec, Canada). Here, you'll find the world's top DJs pumping out some of the most incredible EDM sounds to about 15,000 adoring fans. Let's just say that the vibe is going to be "out of this world."

Now, on other occasions, I'll talk about interesting or scenic places I've visited (or heard about). And sometimes, I'll just quickly mention stuff relating to healthy living (ie. medicinal mushrooms, powerfull herbal teas, exercising, etc.) because the most precious asset we all have in common is our health. Besides, I'm not a fan of Big Pharma.

As you can see, I like to be versatile because it prevents me from getting bored to death...like when I used to attend church as a kid, sitting on a hard bench for 2 hours or so catching up on my sleep. :-)

---------------------
Related links:

The ten very worst design mistakes of all time
Web design mistakes (2002)
Web design mistakes (2003)
Web design mistakes (2005)
Good deeds in Web design
Top homepage usability guidelines
Most violated homepage guidelines
About Jakob Nielson
The 10 Secrets of Selling Online (courtesy of Paul Graham - one of my favorite IT pros on the entire planet)
Ask Dave Taylor (Industry guru answers a wide variety of technical topics ranging from HTML, web design, CSS, Mac OS/X, Linux, Unix, online advertising, shell script programming, SEO, MS Windows)

Asus Creates Sizzling new 19in LCD for Gamers

2006-07-12T17:37:00.000-05:00

Seeing is Believing
Wow, this monitor looks absolutely amazing!! I soooo want one. Yo, Asus, what do I gotta do to get my hands on one of these thingys? Heck, I'll trade in my little brother if you're so inclined. Do you see me smiling? :-) Folks, if you think this monitor's not destined for greatness, then take a peek at this:

Rife with unique industrial designs, the black-and-silver PG191 comes with a sleek aluminium alloy neck and circular base and piano-black panel frame, making it a stylish piece of décor for any environment. Specially designed for gamers, the display takes inspiration from stealth planes and tank cannons to put you in the atmosphere of the latest FPS shooters. The top-of-the-range PG191 integrates a 2.1-channel speaker system (two 10-Watt speakers and 15-Watt super bass system) to deliver an exhilarating audio experience when battling in the virtual world. Complemented by SRS Lab’s Flagship TruSurround XT audio technology, the display supports the latest game 5.1-and 6.1 channel sound effects. {source}

Now, some hardcore gamers are probably gonna be pissed off with the monitor's built-in speakers. Screw em! I'm not a gamer so this is not really a problem for me. {Note to Self: "Must plan a clandestine operation at Asus HQ in Taiwan to free the PG191 from bondage. If I don't make it back alive, my peeps will disavow any knowledge of ever knowing me...or borrowing money offa me."}

The BEST things in Life are FREE
My very good pal Robbie (aka The Download Whore, aka Lead Foot) in Ottawa is definitely going to love this blog entry. He's an IT pro who was also one of the world's top video game players just a few years back. In fact, his highest ranking was #4. Let's just say he'll destroy any one in Quake. He sort of lived a rock star life "back then" getting FREE trips to Las Vegas and Seoul (South Korea) to compete against the world's best gamers. Heck, video game manufacturers would even send him games and hardware devices to try out in order to get critical feedback.

Fatal attraction...for ca$h
Oh, Robbie's Net pal, Fatality - a legend in the gaming world - even has a bloody video card named after him. Can you say, "Geeks??" :-) But it looks as though this dude has a license to print money. Take a peek at this:

At 24, Jonathan Wendel, aka "Fatality," is living the dream. He expects to make over $200,000 this year as a professional gamer. {source}

Hmmn, I wonder if Robbie ever made that kind of cash just for starting virtual wars.

Out with the old...in with the new
Any how, I don't think he's into the gaming thingy as much. Why?? Because we're both hooked on attending huge EDM events in cities like Montreal and Toronto. I fondly remember meeting this super kool dude after going to Club Vibe (in Ottawa) to hear Derrick Carter (also see here here here and here) destroy the decks (er turntables) with his delicious brand of House, which just happens to be a sub-genre of EDM (Electronic Dance Music).

Pssst...do you want to see the ultimate EDM event? Well, this pic is from the Sensation White Party (see more pics) in Amsterdam where you'll find some of the biggest (and most expensive) DJs performing. Any one who's serious about their EDM beats must attend this event. Ditto for Ibiza, Spain.

A great beginning
If you look back at my life, it's utterly hilarious how I meet people. This is one of those occasions. So I meet Robbie and Hanna (a Ukrainian hottie) - his best friend at the time - at the end (5:30 AM) of the Derrick Carter event, and we all still felt like partying. {Come to think of it, Robbie has more skirt friends than Paris Hilton's entire wardrobe skirt collection.}

Any how, this dude named Phil invites me and some other friends over to his place to chill and listen to some of his House music records. So now Phil's pal, DJ Danny K, a new comer at the time, was spinning some of the most amazing EDM sounds I've ever heard. I like to call his style on that particular morning Dark Progressive House because it was upbeat, disruptive, inspiring and BASStastik. It was simply out of this world. You see, a really good EDM DJ has a signature sound (and rhythm) that you, the clubber, can tune into - almost like clockwork. Could this be the vibe that everyone always talks about afterwards? I believe so.

Dan The Man
So me and my buddies (Sarahkins, Robbie, Hanna, Liz, Tom) were like, "Holy sh!t...this dude's fuck!ng amazing!!" Seriously, Danny K has got to be one of the best bedroom DJs I've ever heard in my life. Ditto for 3 other House cats: Rick "The Plant", Pablo Diablo and DJ Ryan Dunlop. Let's just say that I've attended tons of after parties so I'm a pretty good judge of bedroom DJ talent. By the way, if you're lucky, try to get your hands on the "Fresh Ones" mix which was created by Danny K around 2004. All I can say is, "Wow!!"

New beats
Oh, and as they say, "the rest is History." Me and Robbie have been very good friends since meeting in 2004. Thanks to the download whore that he is, I've been getting a steady supply of fantastic EDM beats since I'm on a sloooow Internet connection here in Nairobi - perhaps due to Telkom Kenya's corrupt monopoly that's kept this country in the dark ages when it comes to broadband Internet. Boy do I hate telecom monopolies. Besides, I am simply too impatient to look for DJ mixes on the Net from over here.

But thanks to Robbie, I've been introduced to the Dark Tribal/Progressive sounds of Rick Pier O'Neil. Now, this is the kind of EDM beats that can change the world - one listener at a time - as opposed to that CHEESY crap most of you naive peeps from the Top 40 world call "Techno", which is just sooooo wrong. I suggest you listen to every EDM genre here to see and hear what I'm talking about.

Oh well...gotta jet.

-------------------
Related Links:

WetPaint.com: The new King of Web Collaboration?

2006-07-02T02:06:00.000-05:00

I'm back in Nairobi
Hi Everyone! I've been soooo busy getting our eBusiness web portal up to speed. Plus, I just recently got back from Tanzania (Arusha and Zanzibar) doing some "IT Tourism" -- if I can coin such a phrase. By the way, Tanzania is now my favorite place in all of East Africa. I'm still depressed about leaving such a beautiful country, and it's wonderful people. Heck, I was only there for 2 weeks. "Me wanna go back - pronto!" :-(

Seeing is believing...
Oh, I forgot to tell you something. Um, I flew by Mount Kilimanjaro on my return trip to Nairobi from Zanzibar. Damn, what a spectacle!! She's simply awesome - and scary at the same time. Why scary? Well, all I was thinking when flying in the Precision Air propeller plane was this: "Please don't let there be a 'mechanical problem' forcing us to permanently (and painfully) relocate between a rock and a hard place."
We were only flying at 20,000 feet, and Killi's about 700 feet less. Any how, it was a very safe flight. Otherwise I doubt I'd be writing this entry...unless I'm in (gasp!) Hell. I don't know about you, but I have a sneaking suspicion that I'd have way more fun "down" there than "up" in that other place where everyone has wings. Okay...enough kidding around! ;-) {NOTE: Pics info: By the way, I got these Kilimanjaro pics from my good friend and business associate, Sam, who actually climbed the Summit over a period of 5 days in 2003 with some Russian tourists. There he is on the top of the world with our super kool pal, Irina, from Moscow. He was also on the 747 when the above 2 pics were taken.}

Moving right along...
For starters, I assume you all know what a weblog (or blog) is, right?? {Hint: You're reading one right now}. Well, I mentioned in a previous blog entry of mine (GMail is Annoying me TODAY) how GMail (and Blogger to a lesser degree) were starting to piss me off, and that how Google -- a company that I adore because they have a lot of talented IT pros with vision -- had better get their act together with these wonderful web services. I guess what I'm trying to say is that, to me, they're starting to "appear" to NOT pay attention to the little important details, which will eventually annoy hardcore users -- like me.

Getting wet & wild...
Any how, it appears that there just might be a new kid on the block in the web collaboration realm. Folks, please allow me to introduce you to wetpaint. Why am I so enthused about wetpaint? Because their collaboration technology is like a chameleon. In other words, you get all the benefits of a weblog, a wiki, and web forums all rolled into one super kool interface -- or so I'm told. Damn, I can see myself getting friends and colleagues to finally start creating their very own collaborative websites in Cyber Space - effortlessly.

One potential snag...
I'm not sure about this, but if the Google ads on a wetpaint website are not making money for the author who's supplying the web content, then I might stay put. You see, I make a little bit of cash every time someone clicks one of my Google ads that you see right on this page. If wetpaint does not allow me to earn a little cash from my web content, then forget it. I just sent them an email so I'll let you know what the deal is. Oh, take a peek at this wetpaint
site (Victoria City Style Council) which aims to promote the beautiful city of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Not bad, eh?

Take a hike...

I guess I might as well take wetpaint for a spin. Right?

Well, since I'm a big fan of Electronic Dance Music (House, Funky House, Tech Trance, Tribal House, Techno, Progressive House, etc.), I have a strong desire to create a collaborative site where I can interact with all my club buddies (in Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, etc.) and other EDM aficionados from around the planet. Why?

The reason is quite simple. It allows us to share information on up and coming DJs and producers who are pumping out some delicious pounding beats. You see, there's a lot of cheesy music going around right now that people like you call Techno. And this is ruining the amazing underground beats that you'll never hear on the radio or cheesy Top-40 clubs that play commercial crapola. Well, I want to educate new peeps on what gooood EDM is all about.

Trust me, once you've listened to a DJ Dan, John Digweed, Chris Liebing, Steve Lawler, DJ Demi (see pic on right), Miss Honey Dijon or a Victor Calderone DJ mix, you too will be hooked. Who knows, I'll probably run into you at some big dance event like Bal en Blanc (pics) where you'll find up to 20,000 passionate EDM lovers getting down on the dance floor over the Easter long weekend. Or, if it's a Sunday afternoon, I'll probably see you at Beach Club (see pic on left & below) just outside of Montreal enjoying some awesome EDM beats under the sun. Well, maybe. I'm sort of out of the loop since I'm waaaay over here on the dark continent. :-)

Get cracking!
Well, I've introduced you to a new, powerful (and FREE) tool to quickly create your very own collaborative website that acts like a weblog, web forum, and wiki all rolled into one easy-as-apple-pie web interface.

What more can you ask for people??

Now, giddyap and point your web browsers to wetpaint. I guarantee that you'll wow your friends, colleagues and enemies with a tool which I believe is going to make a lot of noise very soon. Just remember where ya heard it from. Oh, if you do create a wetpaint site, please post a link in the comments below. Pssst...take a peek at some more wetpaint sites.

Happy computing!

Windows Vista Beta 2 Released to the Public

2006-06-11T09:21:00.000-05:00

A new & improved Windows?
Greetings from Zanzibar. Well, a good pal I used to work with in Silicon Valley North (Ottawa, Canada) told me that Windows Vista is the real deal. He should know since he's an IT pro who's done some amazing things in the tech support arena managing expensive corporate servers.

Stress: The silent IT killer
Boy did that ever stress the crap out of him to the point that I seriously worry about his health in the FUTURE. Although he was making good coin doing high-end support, he walked away from it for something LESS stressfull. I definitely will LEARN from his mistakes. My health is too important to let a bunch of silicon chips rule my world. Just make sure there's some Dark Progressive Tribal House music playing somewhere near by and I'm a happy camper. :-)

New kid on the block
Well, this article caught my attention because the general review of the FREE Windows Vista Beta 2 was NEGATIVE. However, my pal tells me that he's installed it on his 64-bit PC at home and it's rock solid. I'll have to take his word because he's got a pal who works for Microsoft, so he's definitely in the know.

Oh well, it looks like I'll have to see for myself. Right?? :-)

Anyhow, I just thought I'd share this news with you. So, if you're fed up with Windoze 98/ME/XP (I actually like 2000 Pro), and you have NEW hardware that's capable of running the next generation of Windows, by all means take it for a spin. Actually, I'm told that Micro$oft (hey, these guys have a license to print money!) is putting a sh!tload of effort into making this baby SECURE and virus-free.

We shall see in due time. However, I do wish them all the best though. Besides, this means more money in my pockets since most people will need modern computer hardware in order to fully take advantage of Vista's capabilities. Ultimately this means that PROBLEMS will arise due to some crazy upgrade plans that will take place by some seriously NAIVE corporate users. :-)

Oh well, time for me to catch some more sites of beautiful Zanzibar Island!

Why Your Business Needs a UPS

2006-06-11T07:10:00.000-05:00

Greetings from Arusha & Zanzibar,Tanzania

Well, I've now taken a break from the Kenya scene and dropped into Arusha and Zanzibar for what I'd like to call "IT Tourism." You see, a business acquaintance in Nairobi owns a hotel or 2 in Zanzibar, and my assistance was needed to set up and install an email server for this location since Internet access speeds there sucks too. Therefore it's much better having a dedicated PC stay on 24/7 and download everyone's email to take advantage of the hotel's 100 Mbps LAN access speeds.
(Pic1: Mount Kilimanjaro)

An important lesson

Because electricity supply can be sporadic at times here in Tanzania (Kenya too!), this hotel has a generator. However, it's vital that all PCs have a UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply) whenever the changeover takes place. I was in an empty office setting up the email server, and the blimey system would reboot whenever the generator needed a brief moment to get into gear.

Now, what if I was running an important batch accounting operation? Or what if, hypothetically, I was in the middle of transferring a million Euro dollars (US dollars are sooooo passe) to my offshore bank account in Seychelles so that I could lay low from Lord Vader and his evil empire? You do know how bad this dude is, right? :-)

My point? Always have a UPS connected to your PC if your work is IMPORTANT. I don't know about you, but I'd be pissed if my bank transfer didn't go through just as Lord Vader was about to invade this part of the planet. :-)

Detour Dept.: Tanzania, how I love thee

So, how much do I love Tanzania?

Well, take a peek at the email I sent to my colleagues and friends not too long ago. This country has tons of potential with the resources (especially Tourism) to make a lot of noise if its leaders play their cards correctly.

Well,
Hello EVERYONE.
I thought I'd send an email out to say "Hi."

Well, Arusha is simply AMAZING...as is Zanzibar. I feel so much SAFER going ANYWHERE in Tanzania, and corruption is definitely not as BAD as it is in Nairobbery (um, Nairobi). :-)
Flying from Arusha to Zanzibar is a sight to behold...lots of green vegetation everywhere. What a remarkable country. I definitely will be BACK - without a doubt - so that I can conquer Mount Meru (see pic on left), which hovers beautifully in Arusha's background. And boy does it ever look intimidating...so steep. See for yourself: http://www.good-hotels-guide.com/africa/tanzania/novotel-mount-meru.htm | http://www.pbase.com/image/35378312 | http://www.ewpnet.com/meru-PICTURES.HTM | http://www.afrika-pur.de/diashows/tanzania_bilder/Arusha_bilder/meru300.jpg | http://www.tanzaniaparks.com/arusha.htm

Now, what on earth did the Kenyans do to the Tanzanian people?? **KIDDING, sort of**
Luckily my Carribean/Canadian heritage afforded me the luxury to meet some very interesting people as I mentioned I came FROM Nairobi. :-)
Perhaps the Tanzanians are too relaxed which allows their Kenyan neighbors to scoop up some excellent business opportunities. :-)

Oh well...gotta jet...must fix some PCs for this hotel.

Why Arusha?
So, what brought me to Arusha? I thought you'd never ask. Well, the hotel takes part in the Karibu Travel & Tourism Fair which is a huge 3 day convention showcasing who's who in anything and everything to do with Tourism in Africa. According to this link, "Over 200 companies, tour operators, hoteliers, air operators, caterers and government institutions from the EAC partners states are expected to feature in the show."

I met some amazingly kool people. All the booths were lavishly decorated, and the wine at the Sopa Lodges tent went down goooooood. :-) Now I realise just how much money's involved in this industry. I met expats from as far away as China who've made East Africa their home. Again, I urge my Canadian counterparts to take another look at Africa. There are truly tons of business opportunities here. It absolutely boggles the mind. Oh, Mount Meru is considered Kilimanjaro's little sister.

Happy comupting!

I'll report back to you SOON. :-)

It's Crunch Time in Nairobi

2006-05-29T13:59:00.000-05:00

I'm back
Well, sorry for taking the past few weeks off folks. But it's crunch time for the eBusiness web portal that I'm part owner of, and we needed to get things developed here and there plus add more content to the site. Most importantly, I got my pal Robbie (aka the download whore) in Ottawa (Canada) to grab me a GoDaddy.com TurboSSL certificate so that we can encrypt all data traffic between our web server and the user's web browser.

Got protection?
Just as you need to protect yourself when going under the sheets with your "friend(s)", it's extremely important that you, the web surfer, are protected in cyber space when exchanging information (passwords, user names, bank account info, etc.) with strangers (web servers). Why? Well, when you send your data unencrypted over the wire, it could be intercepted by anyone sniffing your network. In the case of our new web startup, I wanted to make my users feel right at home, and not have any aprehensions with signing up. Also, residents in Africa are not too trusting with this sort of stuff, so encryption was a must have feature.

BTW, if you want to see 2 examples of the correct use of browser SSL encryption, take a look at 2 banks I deal with for online banking: TD Canada Trust and President's Choice Financial. Just remember that https shows up in the browser address bar instead of http when you need to send vitally important (or secretive) data to the computer on the other end of your Internet connection.

Gotta jet!
Oh well, it's time for me to hit the sack! I have a meeting with a wireless data provider tomorrow who's service offering just might shake up the broadband market here in Kenya. If so, I want a piece of the action by starting up my very own wireless ISP with them providing me with the infrastructure to do it. Why? Well, DSL service down here literally sucks. And boy do I hate monopolies. Just take a peek at the first blog entry link below to see why I get annoyed so easily with telecom sharks. The second link clearly illustrates how customer service appears to be a foreign concept in said industry.

* Telkom South Africa: Can a Company be this Hated?
* Tracking Jumbo Elephants with PostgreSQL, Flashcom sucks, Shirky rocks

Sweet dreams. :-)

GMail is Annoying me TODAY

2006-05-09T02:17:00.000-05:00

Et tu, GMail?
Arghhh!! Today I am soooo annoyed at my sweetheart, Google, who's the mother of that great web app called GMail. Well, GMail is turning out to be a bratty little kid. It just won't let me into my blimey account. And I've got email to send to the web developers with content for the Professional Resource Centre (PRC) component of our upcoming eBusiness web portal. If there's one thing I cherish more than anything in life, it's FREEDOM. I hate depending on anyone and anything. GMail's hiccups over the past week or so is a threat to my freedom because I depend on this kid behaving well. Otherwise all hell's gonna break loose.

Blesseth are the Pessimists
When I was doing my high school Coop-Ed in Computers & Accounting a long time ago, I fondly remembered this comment in the computer lab at Computing Devices Corp. (now General Dynamics Canada): "Blesseth are the pessimists for they hath made backups."

Oh well...I'm off to Mail.Yahoo.ca to send out my web content. After all, the show must go on, right? Arghhh...foiled again by the bratty kid! Gees, I forgot that the email addresses for the web developers are in my bloody GMail account. Heck, I wonder if this GMail kid will play nice with me if I email it some digital candy. LOL. Whoops, my bad! I actually had those email addys in my Yahoo account after all.

Conclusion
Well, for the record, I've cleared my cache in Mozilla Firefox a gazillion times, and still no dice (er success). This is a stern warning to GMail's developers. Get your fu#king beta house in order. Yes, I'm in awe at what your entire company have accomplished, but I'm not gonna kiss your ass when you fu#k up. And over the past week, you've been doing that a lot. You're lucky that I've become addicted to your AMAZINGLY, FANTABULOUS web-based email client. :-)

Oh...
Any how, smarten up, GMail!
Oh, I'm also getting very annoyed with the Blogger.com WYSIWYG editor - another Google product. It's more sensitive than a bloody prima donna musclehead. As soon as I change some formatting and click "Publish Post", the bloody app gives me an "Your HTML cannot be accepted: Tag is not closed: " error message. Like, for Criss sakes, but I didn't tell you to insert all of those god damn style tags. Did I? You put them there! So don't bitch at me.

Right now, Blogger is "almost" on my endangered list. I hear WordPress kicks ass, so they better not annoy me any more. Oh, you're not gonna bloody believe this. Blogger just gave me that error message after I clicked the "Save as Draft" button. See what I mean?

One other final thing.
Mozilla Thunderbird (email client) has a made a fool out of me after I suggested that it would be an excellent Outlook replacement. Well, the only major gripe I have with the darn thing is that it's HTTP proxy feature is flimsy at best. In other words, you can't grab your POP3 email unless your PC is directly connected to the Internet. How pathetic.

Storing Images inside Databases

2006-04-29T23:13:00.000-05:00

The Problem (issue)
Okay, so we're doing our first all-night code session (or hackathon according to the talented folks over at the OpenBSD project) on this new eBusiness web portal I keep telling you all about, and an important discussion ensues between me and Dan - our PHP guru. It's about whether images for the Bazaar, Art, and Pharmacy modules should be stored as files in well-named folders, or if we should just use a BLOB (Binary Large OBject) field in the database tables. Hmmmn. From my own personal experience, I've always felt more comfortable letting the O/S (operating system) handle the static file system chores...until I saw this.

An enlightening SQL dude
Well, being the self-proclaimed Internet whore that I am, I simply went to my Mozilla Firefox search box, which defaults to Google, and entered the following query: storing images in databases.

Here's the info right from the horse's mouth:

Many times I have read comments that its better to have a pointer to the image be saved in the database and the image be managed by the operating system.
Here is some insight about the pros and cons of managing images in the database.
Here are some of the Pros for storing the images in the database as a better choice and the application in which the images will be used can count on the benefits of a database system.

The benefits of storing the images in the database include:

Scalability: Although file systems are designed to handle a large number of objects of varying sizes, file systems usually are not optimized for a huge number of small files.
Database systems are optimized for such cases.

Availability: SQL server has availability features that extend beyond those provided by the file system.

SQL Server replication is a set of solutions that allow you to copy, distribute and potentially modify data in a distributed environment.

Log Shipping provides a way of keeping a stand by copy of a database in case the primary system fails.

As far as the cons for it are concerned
Storing the image in the database increases the database size dramatically and obviously the overall performance of the database is degraded.

Conclusion
Well, this debate is sure to continue until the cows come home, and most politicians (over HERE) are no longer corrupt. :-)

Fat chance!

However, I want to give serious props to SQLdude for really giving me some food for thought. And isn't this what the Internet is supposed to be all about. God damn it, but I totally looooove this cyber space thingy! Anything and everything is available right at your fingertips - merely for the asking (from places like Google). Of course, you have to be ever so careful to avoid it's "dark" dubious corners (zones).

Oh well...I gotta jet. I'm supposed to finalise the categories for the Bazaar so that our web visitors can post items (kitchenware, electronics, toys, auto parts, clothing, etc.) in appropriate CATEGORIES which should make searching easier for you and me alike.

Happy "spirited" computing!

10 Reasons Why Blogging is Good For Your Career

2006-04-25T18:12:00.000-05:00

Write on!
Today is one of those days where I totally got immersed in cyber space, and was enthralled by a bevy of insightful web content on numerous websites. I've said it before and I'll say it again. You can have my TV (aka the Idiot Box) and the stupid radio. But please don't disconnect me from the "active" world - er Internet. :-)

Well, here's some info for IT pros on why you should blog. Are you looking to make a career move? Or do you simply want to progress to the next level in your field of expertise? If you answered yes, then I suggest you dip your feet in this blogging thingy.

Write for the right reasons
Personally, I write because I have a lot of thoughts and ideas running through my head that I need to get out. In IT, I find that writing about a topic or technology helps to reinforce said material in my long term memory. Furthermore, I'd like to delve into the realm of Advertising and Film Production, but from the point of view of creating snazzy ads or flicks that have pizzazz and mass appeal. I don't know about you, but I find that a lot of allegedly "creative" stuff today is soooooo god damn BORING that I feel like taking a puke in the producer's direction.

By the way, you should see the ads I've cranked out for our new eBusiness web portal here in Africa. I have scripts and details about what each scene entails. Stay tuned!

So, why is blogging good for your career? Well, the dude (or dudette) at this link has 10 good reasons.

1. You have to get noticed to get promoted.
2. You have to get noticed to get hired.
3. It really impresses people when you say “Oh, I’ve written about that, just google for XXX and I’m on the top page” or “Oh, just google my name.”
4. No matter how great you are, your career depends on communicating. The way to get better at anything, including communication, is by practicing. Blogging is good practice.
5. Bloggers are better-informed than non-bloggers. Knowing more is a career advantage.
6. Knowing more also means you’re more likely to hear about interesting jobs coming open.
7. Networking is good for your career. Blogging is a good way to meet people.
8. If you’re an engineer, blogging puts you in intimate contact with a worse-is-better 80/20 success story. Understanding this mode of technology adoption can only help you.
9. If you’re in marketing, you’ll need to understand how its rules are changing as a result of the current whirlwind, which nobody does, but bloggers are at least somewhat less baffled.
10. It’s a lot harder to fire someone who has a public voice, because it will be noticed.

Animals?
Well, since I'm in Africa, I figure it'd be nice to spice up my blogs with some kool pics of wildlife from over HERE.

I hope you enjoy them. :-)

Upcoming blog entries
I have so much unfinished stuff (er articles) stored in my GMail drafts folder that it's high time I complete them.

Here's what's coming soon to MaxTheITpro:

Way to go Samsung
Amazing FireFox browser tip
Experiment a little: TRY a DIFFERENT Search Engine
Windows Vista: A BAD Corporate Citizen?
Sportsvite.com looks like a WINNER
Very Interesting Software - Issue 1
Are you a People Person? The art of Schmoozing
Mind Your Business with FREE Open Source Solutions
(I'll be talking about FREE ERP/CRM/SCM apps for SMEs)
How to use GMail to as your Blogger.com editor
(I use GMail to edit all my entries thanks to its nifty spell checker)
Kool Mobile gadgets and Accessories

As you can see, I've got some good stuff cooking in the wtiting lab.

Oh well...I'm outta here.

Change is very good: Say goodbye to MS-Exchange

2006-04-21T15:27:00.000-05:00

Are you too tied down to CHANGE?
Do you sometimes feel like pulling the hair out of your head? Well, that's if you're one of those unlucky souls in the IT department who has to maintain the Microsoft Exchange groupware beast. You see, a lot of IT shops in the Windows world are beholden to the Exchange/Outlook stack in order to function properly. This is an unfortunate outcome. Let's just say that both applications are ANNOYING to say the least in terms of manageability, bloat, bugs and security risks that seem to surface regularly.

Small business: Watch out
Now, according to John C. Dvorak, who just happens to be my favorite Tech columnist in the whole wide world, Exchange is too pricey for most budgets. Take a peek at his on-the-ball (as usual) observation:

"Though there's no doubt that Exchange's integration with the Microsoft Outlook client, groupware features, and shared contact lists are handy, companies may object to its cost and complexity. The cost of running Exchange includes Windows Server. Unless you like paying Microsoft a small fortune (up to $8,000 for 25 user licenses for Windows Server and Exchange), you might consider a Linux solution." {source: Life Without Exchange}

Decisions, decisions
Although Dvorak discussed 6 alternative Exchange solutions, I was quite intrigued at his mention of OpenGroupware.org (see screenshots). Once again, I present the word right from the horse's mouth:

This Exchange alternative (aka OGo) provides contact management, group calendaring, resource planning, task management, e-mail, document and project management, news, and Palm syncing, all available via a Web interface. An Outlook plug-in is available. You can manage accounts, groups, and server configurations using a Web interface. The Projects application lets you share documents and link projects with contacts, tasks, notes, and appointments. The server runs on Linux or Windows. Cost: Free.

One thing that impressed the heck out of me about OpenGroupware's brain trust is that they really understand their mission. This part made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside:

Use Open Protocols
We find it even more important to support open protocols than to provide the source code for a groupware solution, since open protocols provide the real freedom of choice for the customer and allow integration into existing IT infrastructures. Groupware is in a miserable state when it comes to interoperability, we try to fix that issue by cleanly documenting all the protocols used by the OGo reference server and by building protocol bridges.

Are you listening Micro$oft? These kind folks are committed to using "open protocols." By the way, please take your proprietary Outlook PST file format, and shove it. Ditto for your Word doc file format, too. No wonder so many customers are locked into your products, and are too apprehensive to seek greener pastures.

Okay, end of rant. :-)

Wrap up...more on Dvorak
To conclude, I urge you to take a look at Dvorak's timely article, and give Exchange the boot. He's always a step ahead of everyone in terms of where IT is headed, or where it ought to go. I've been a big fan of his ever since I got into computers thanks to an amazing high school Coop-Ed work term in Computers & Accounting at Computing Devices Corporation (now General Dynamics Canada).

I'll never forget his insightful Inside Track columns (now in PC Magazine) in PC/Computing (now defunct), which kept me up to date on all the important goings on in the computer industry. He truly is a legend. Oh, he's also joined to the hip with PC Magazine as chief editor (I think), which I also give credit for helping me to lose my "IT virginity" back then. After all, "knowledge is power" and I learned a lot simply from reading followed by "doing."

Oh, you should see his non-IT blog: Dvorak Uncensored. I'm sure you'll get a riot out of his Fixing California’s Problems blog entry where he proposes to split the sunshine state into 3 states: Northern California, California, and Southern California. Once again, I agree with his logic 100%.

John, thank YOU for making a difference in my LIFE!!! Much love.

By the way, here's wishing you smooth sailing in your Exchange/Outlook ordeals. For those of you who simply need a better email client, I suggest Mozilla Thunderbird. You'll have a different (and better) outlook on emailing and contact management once you take it for a spin. Guaranteed. Heck, if it's sister, Mozilla Firefox (web browser), can obtain over 100 million users in record time, there's no doubt this bird's going to soar very high - and fast.

Happy computing!

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Related links:

Telkom South Africa: Can a Company be this Hated?

2006-04-10T14:24:00.000-05:00

The cat's out of the bag
It's no secret to any one who really knows me about how much I detest monopolies. Why? Because, in the long term, they do nothing but stiffle innovation, and prevent certain natural events from taking place. Now, when it comes to monopolies, I believe that telecom companies (I see them as cockroaches) do more harm than good because their actions can directly (and indirectly) prevent a nation from reaching or realising its true economic potential.

I say this with confidence based on comparing different societies. For example, look at the rapid pace of broadband Internet innovation in places like Sweden, Japan and South Korea in comparison to Kenya, South Africa, and, yes, even the USA to a lesser degree. Did you know that most Koreans can get 10+ Megabit connections to the Internet? Heck some Swedes can even get 100 Megabits/sec DSL connections right now for US $79.49. How unfair.

Today, we're going to take a good look at what has to be one of the most hated monopolies I've ever seen in a very long time. Please allow me to introduce you to Telkom SA - aka Hellkom. I urge you to follow the links.

Hellkom on Earth?
BTW, I love this South African website, Hellkom.co.za, which is a grassroots site determined to get Telkom SA to reduce its ridiculous broadband prices. Do you want to see how pissed off they are? Well, take a quick peek at this poignant Digg.com discussion: Worst ADSL offering in the world? As a self-proclaimed Internet whore who's dependent on reliable broadband Internet access in order to get work done, I just want to show my support for all the affected users in South Africa. So here's a big "shoutout" to the spirited folks over at the MyADSL.co.za forums who are keeping the pressure on Hellkom (er Telkom SA) via MyADSL. You can also get there by typing MyBroadband.co.za. Like I said, a lot of people in South Africa are pissed off at Telkom SA for "Information super highway robbery."

Thou shall not hate
Good lords, I've never seen a telecom company so hated by its customers in all my life. I know people hate (or hated) AT&T, Verizon (merger of GTE and Bell Atlantic), NYNEX (acquired by Bell Atlantic which is no more) et al, but this is scary. Check this out: www.ScrewThePublic.co.za. Yikes, if Telkom SA ever gets any real competition, me thinks even the cockroaches (click on pic above) that infest the company's toilets will be jumping ship. After all, they're probably getting ripped off too with all the nice lavish toilet bowls, furniture and what not that's most likely clean as a whistle due, once again, to the obscene profits Hellkom's raking in. LOL.

Tracking Jumbo Elephants with PostgreSQL, Flashcom sucks, Shirky rocks

2006-04-04T05:39:00.000-05:00

Short & Sweet
Well, after writing Part 1 and Part 2 about my web hosting nightmare a few days ago, I just feel like writing some random IT thoughts going through my head. The last bit below is a glaring example of how to piss of potential customers before even lifting a muscle.

* Tracking Jumbo elephants via GPS/SMS & PostgreSQL?
I've been meaning to send a quick email to another IT pro (software engineer), David Gachuche (see pic on right), regarding the exciting work he's doing tracking elephants throughout Africa. He got my attention at his New Year's Eve 2005/06 party in Karen (a town about 15 minutes from downtown Nairobi) when he told me that he was using PostgreSQL - the world's most advanced open source database - in a serious location-based application right here in Nairobi. I want to get his thoughts on the project, and also to pick his brains about using GPS data points in a slick Real Estate web application that I have on the back burner in the Beta Zone at our Labs.

Get more info here: Using texts to save Kenya's elephants (BBC) | same article in The Seoul Times | GIS/GPS Experiences with PgSQL?

* Clay Shirky's Writings About the Internet, Economics & Culture, Media & Community, Open Source
This amazing lecturer from the US is absolutely brilliant. He's 100% correct on everything he says with regards to wireless, telecom and Internet politics. I'm going to shut up and let you see for yourself. PLEASE (pretty please?) read these gems by him: Wireless Auction Follies | Permanet, Nearlynet, and wireless data | ATT and Cable Internet Access | Fame vs Fortune: Micropayments and Free Content | Weblogs and the Mass Amateurization of Publishing | The Internet and the Size of Government | Web Traffic and TV Ratings | Language Networks.

This is article is my favorite so far because it has huge implications: Customer-owned Networks: ZapMail and the Telecommunications Industry.

Telecom execs from Telkom Kenya, Telkom SA, and similar telecom monopolies with their heads stuck in the sand should read this because they are so behind the times holding their respective nation's economic prosperity hostage due to sheer greed. And the public just sits back and takes the boot in the ass more or less. Of course we know government is partly to blame because of the huge revenues that fills their coffers - legally or behind closed doors. I always thought a government was to serve the best interests of its people. Oh well.

* Flashcom's Customer Service SUCKS
I've been meaning to write about this new startup called Flashcom that appears to have some amazing CDMA fixed wireless broadand technology that should put the fear of god in Telkom Kenya and VSAT operators. Actually, I see their bloody TV commercials every damn day, and I'm like, "Hmmn, these guys seem like they got their sh!t together." Wrong!!!!

So I send an email to CustomerCare@Flashcom.co.ke a WHILE back (Feb 15/2006) indicating that I'd like to get more info on their service offering, and if it'd be possible for me to drop by and take the technology for a spin so that I can write about it here. I also suggested that they need to step up to the plate and offer an unlimited data package similar to Africa Online's iBurst service. If they just do this one simple thing, then all of a sudden, the Internet dynamics in this region will change overnight because, like I said, their technology is sound.

Well, WEEKS later, I still haven't heard a clue from anybody over there. Like, is that really a legit company, or is it just a front doing some nefariously ILLEGAL activities here in Kenya? LOL. ;-)

Oh well, let's just say that Flashcom is OFF my LIST. See ya...wouldn't wanna be ya.
Heck, even an employee from Africa Online noticed how crappy Flashcom's customer "care" is. He's right! Customers are not going to gravitate towards Flashcom, so his company is safe - for now. ;-)

BTW, if Flashcom were to set up shop in South Africa, I'm sure they'd get a boat load of business. Why? Because of this. Heck, I've never even dealt with Telkom SA, and I already hate em with a passion. "Die Telkom, die!"

Get more info in my next blog post: Telkom South Africa: Can a Company be this Hated?

My Web Hosting Nightmare: Part 2 of 2

2006-04-02T02:05:00.000-05:00

I'm back!
Well I woke up at 9 AM after I went to bed at 4 AM this morning. You'd think I'd sleep for 7 or 8 hours, but I didn't. You see, when I'm in a country with amazingly nice weather, I just can't seem to stay in bed for too long. Ditto when I was growing up in Barbados. Now in Canada, I'm quite capable of sleeping for 8 hours when it's (gasp!) Winter time.

Take a hike
Anyhow, I went for a nice 1 hour jog - to clear my head - through Parklands, downtown Nairobi, and 2 nearby campuses of the University of Nairobi (U of N). Boy did I need that! My body and mind are "one" once again. I actually feel very relieved and calm. One thing though...keep your eyes on the road when you're attemping to take a recreational jog in this city lest you end up on a one-way trip to the mythical land of Hades.

A stroll down memory lane & some "pleasant" distractions
Oh, I didn't notice the cute skirts up at "U of N" either on my jog. Come to think of it...do I ever miss campus life (see here | here | here | here | here) at the University of Western Ontario (aka UWO). I knew I should've tried out for the cheerleading team since I don't recall seeing too many women in my CompSci classes. BTW, I forgot we had a "Beaver" Hall residence on campus. The sheer irony...well, for those who know what I mean. LOL. :-)

Medicinal shrooms - how I love thee
On another note, too bad I didn't bring down some of my medicinal mushrooms (Reishi , Shiitaki, Cordyceps, Maitake , etc.) from Canada, which I usually purchase from Ottawa's Rainbow Natural Foods. Truly powerful (almost "magical") stuff that'll change your outlook on life - forever.

Ya don't believe me? Read for yourself.

The study of medicinal mushrooms through the last three decades has proved its many beneficial outcomes and has been followed by the rapid development of manufacturing businesses dealing with commercial cultivation of mushrooms. In 1999, world production of mushrooms amounted to US$18 billion, roughly equal to the value of coffee sales.^3,4
Medicinal mycology has deep and firm roots in fungi's traditional uses in the medicine of the Far East. For centuries, Chinese and other healthcare practitioners employed mushrooms to treat various diseases. They valued the power of some mushrooms as divine (e.g., a special goddess was associated with the reishi mushroom). Reishi is also considered a symbol of happy augury and good future, good health, longevity, and even life with the immortals. The use of medicinal mushrooms has gone beyond medicine itself: different schools of Taoism employed reishi and other mushrooms as purifiers and promoters of mind and spirit.⁵ {source: Review of Medicinal Mushrooms Advances: Good News from Old Allies by Solomon P. Wasser, Ph.D., Dr.Sci. (Biol.)}

In addition, this short blurb is also an eye opener. But I wish they'd mention Cordyceps , which are my favorite natural adaptogens as they're simply amazing for those who are into athletic pursuits and good all-around health - like me. {get more info: here | here | here | here | here}

In fact, an estimated 38,000 species of mushrooms, most provide a wealth of protein, fiber, B vitamins, and vitamin C, as well as calcium and other minerals. And at least three species have demonstrated phenomenal healing potential: maitake, shiitake, and reishi. These medicinal mushrooms have been shown to boost heart health; lower the risk of cancer; promote immune function; ward off viruses, bacteria, and fungi; reduce inflammation; combat allergies; help balance blood sugar levels; and support the body's detoxification mechanisms. {source: Healthcastle.com }

Okay, enough of the lovely (and healthy) distractions. Remember, I'm still going through a web hosting nightmare, and no amount of cute skirts are going to make me lose my focus (ponders for a while). Go ahead, try me! Make your day! :-)

Customer dis-service continued
So, as I was saying at the end of my previous blog entry, my pal called the owner (Michael) from Afrohosting (see Whois). He in turns tells us that his host, Rackforce , shut him down because "one of his customers was sending spam from their account." Now, I refuse to believe that a reputable company like Rackforce would throw out the baby with the bath water. It just doesn't make sense.

After about 2 or 3 days, Michael did the most incredible disappearing act I've ever seen. Not even David Copperfield could match this. Incidentally, the web developer for our new site told us that Afrohosting had a lot of business with some NGOs based here in Kenya, and that they are all pissed. Again, Michael has fallen off the face of the earth. I presume he's entered the 4th dimension. "Earth to Michael - come home!"

Cut your losses
Now, our new EBusiness web portal needed a reliable web hosting company to deliver the goods. Since Michael must've went into the Federal Witness Protection Program , we decided to cut our losses and find an alternative - pronto. Why?

Well, it's sort of embarrassing when you've got interested investors, potential web partners, and web affiliates trying profusely to access your site only to get a blank screen. Actually, the pic to your above left is what appears when I "tried" to access Afrohosting.com on April 1/2006 at 5:18 PM. Oh, the suspended.page link you see in that JPEG image takes you to the screen which is captured in the next pic right below. How professional - not!

A shocking discovery
Now, it turns out that Michael's Afrohosting.com company is NOT even hosted by Rackforce. What a bloody liar! The only speculation we're going on right now is that he fu#ked up royally, and now his business is a goner. Perhaps he didn't pay his bills? No one will ever know. Oh, if any of you guys see him, please tell him to send us a credit for our remaining web hosting plan. Also, if your hands are near his neck, please deny him some air. Where's Lord Vader from Star Wars when you need him? :-)

Afrohosting.com goes "incognito"
This is almost too funny folks. But according to a Whois lookup for Afrohosting.com, it appears that their DNS servers are being hosted by (laugh) Incognito Networks. See the 3rd screenshot on this page below this text. What an ironic twist, eh? How very fitting since Michael has gone incognito on his alleged clientele.

Oh well, ya live and learn. Right?

What's with the healthy stuff BTW?
So why the heck did I mention medicinal mushrooms in my IT blog? Well, IT, if approached from a negative perspective, is a very stressful profession when you take the following into account: Missed delivery dates, unrealistic expectations, security vulnerabilities, bugs, viruses, in-experienced users screwing things up, creeping featuritis in new apps, pointy-haired bosses {also see here|here } who don't know jack squat about real IT, and the sheer increased complexity of today's systems.
On the other hand, medicinal mushrooms have a calming Zen-like effect on the entire body, which is a possitive thing. They actually aid in reducing stress on your system - guaranteed. And you can take the bank.

The best things in life are FREE
Look, I've always made healthy living my firstpriority in life. Yes, even over a damn computer loaded with all of my favorite geeky stuff! Why? Well, if your health takes a serious nose dive, it doesn't really matter how successfull you are, or how many material possessions you own. You see, I find that most of my IT colleagues have become slaves to their profession, and it's come back to bite them right in the ass - in the form of BAD HEALTH and habits. Two to 4 large cups of coffee per day - with 3 sugars? Yikes, that's a recipe for disaster! Better them than I.

All I'm trying to say is to learn from your experiences. In this case, I will make sure that my associates understand the need to truly scrutinize who they select to host their precious commercial "data" cargo (websites) next time.

But here's the thing. After almost a week of being offline, and looking through the window from the outside, I realise that, "Hey, it's NOT the end of the world." This BTW is also my 1st sacred principle in life. In other words, the site was backed up, and no data was lost, so "chill dudes." :-)

Ultimately, your health is the most important thing you have going in life. And it's free when you enter this world. If your body gets a virus or encounters a serious malfunction, then it doesn't really matter what happened to your data yesterday. Right?

And that's my point.

BTW, don't forget to follow the advise for choosing a web hosting company which is in the conclusion section of Part 1 of this blog. It'll save you a ton of time. Trust me!

Happy computing.

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Related links:

My web hosting nightmare: Part 1 of 2

2006-03-27T20:03:00.000-05:00

CONCLUSION
I'm serious here folks. Take my advice and avoid pretenders the next time you're looking for a reliable web hosting company that can "deliver" your precious digital cargo throughout Cyber Space. (pun intended)

If first impressions are the ones that last, then, for Pete's sakes, go with a company that has a well-deserved reputation. Save yourself some time and aggravation by checking out these 4 review sites:

I think we all learned a very valuable lesson over the past 6 days, and you can be certain that this will never happen again. Hey, do you remember that old saying? "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me." Don't be a fool. :-)

The 'weakest link'?
Could your web hosting company be the weakest link? I mean, could it make the difference whether your new baby (a web startup) flies high like a reliable Boeing 777, or crash-lands like those very "old" jets from the Iron Curtain (er Soviet Union...er Russia)? Well, the answer is unequivocally, "Yes!"

Background....
So, I'm here in Nairobi (Kenya) writing some delicious web content on my pal's laptop. Now, everything's going according to schedule - more or less. The graphics/Flash dude is creating some sexy web page layouts, and the back-end dude is plugging away successfully on a home-grown CMS (content management system) for the online Pharmacy section of the portal, which will also be tailored for the Bazaar, Art gallery, and Motoring sections. Heck, if needed, I won't even hesitate to roll up my sleeves and do some PHP/MySQL coding either. My ASP/SQL Server/Sybase background should permit me to jump aboard if a helping hand is required. Besides, PHP5 has some nice features (OOP, SQLite, XML goodies, etc.) that I wouldn't mind taking for a spin, and it's way more portable than ASP will ever be unless Dollar Bill (Gates) and his "yes" men don't sabotage Mono. {Kidding!}

But honestly, I just feel like writing some kick-ass web content, and strategising on future projects cooking in our Labs at the Beta Zone with the site's brain trust.

Then, suddenly...

Arghhhh...sh!t has hit the fan
Okay, so we've got a live demo site hosted allegedly on "Africa's ultra fast, most reliable and cheapest web hosting..." according to this page: http://afrohosting.com/Terms.html. Oh, I forgot, they're still bloody offline. Here, you'll see this when you do a search on Google for Afrohosting:

Africa's ultra fast, most reliable and cheapest web hosting ...Africa's cheapest web hosting and domain registration,cheap domain registration, .co.ke, .co.ug, .co.tz, .dj, .fm, .tv kenya, uganda, tanzania, south africa ...
www.afrohosting.com/Terms.html - 52k - Cached - Similar pages

Anyhow, we try to load the home page last Tuesday evening, and realise the blimey website returns an empty CPanel screen (see demo). Right then and there, my spidey senses {hey, I was a big Spiderman cartoon fan growing up as a kid!} kicked in and I knew we were in deep doo doo. At first, I was sure we got hacked since these guys were using Linux, which is pretty good with security (well compared to Windoze), but no cigar compared to the legendary BSD projects (FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD) which needs no introduction.

Customer dis-service
So my pal calls the owner from Afrohosting, who calmly states that there appears to be a mechanical problem with the server, and that the host, Rackforce, should have it back in operation - "soon." So now it's Wednesday morning and my pal, Sam, is getting totally annoyed with this unprofessional nonsense.

{Observation: Holy sh!t. It's 4:00 AM. I gotta catch some Zzzzs. BRB - in like 6 hours since I'm +8 hours ahead of EST zone. I'll explain the rest of the details as you'll be pleasantly surprised.}

Go to Part 2 of 2

BellSouth does WiMax, wireless news

2006-03-24T09:22:00.000-05:00

Wow, WiMax is alive!
With all the talk and grandstanding by some wireless manufacturers over standards, it appears that BellSouth - one of the largest telephone companies in the USA - is going to take the WiMax plunge and roll it out in test trials later this year. This could have huge implications if done properly.

Why? Well, since it's allegedly cheaper to set up customers with wireless access, it could eat into the company's high-margin DSL business. Also, DSL technology depends on telephone companies, but wireless does not. So if you have access to a big fat alternate pipe running through your home or office, you can say "goodbye" to the telephone (and cable) company once and for all. Thus, if BellSouth's customer really like the WiMax service, then what's stopping other competitors from offering something cheaper - assuming they're not a bloated monopoly? :-)

By the way...AT&T Agrees To Buy BellSouth For $67 Billion

Wait and see...
Well, I'm just going to sit back and see how this thing pans out. This blurb was interesting:

"BellSouth, which recently agreed to be sold to AT&T Inc., already sells city-wide wireless broadband services in five markets including New Orleans using a proprietary technology. It is looking at Wi-Max to lower costs and expand its subscriber base.
The No. 3 U.S. regional provider plans to test Wi-Max equipment in its labs in the coming months and expects to run a live network trial in the second half of the year. It said it has not yet decided whose equipment it would use for the tests.

Wi-Max, designed to blanket whole cities with high-speed wireless services, is expected to provide an improvement to Wi-Fi, the dominant wireless technology used in laptops today, which is confined mostly to places like coffee shops." Read more...

---------------------
Related links:

iBURST: The Future of Wireless Broadband in Africa? (right now, I use iBurst for Internet access in Nairobi)
Intel To Have Wi-Max Cards This Year
WiMax Market To Hit $1.6 Billion In 2009: Report
Largest Wireless Network' Planned For Arizona
Metro Wi-Fi Networks To Grow 8,400% By 2010: Report
Yahoo Launches IM VoIP Service In US
The 10 Biggest Network Security Myths
10 Ways To Juice Up Your Network

Is Africa ready for e-Business?

2006-03-23T16:03:00.000-05:00

News flash: I'm right here
So, I keep getting all these emails from the West (Canada, US) asking when I'm coming "home," or if I'm still in Africa. My reply to everyone? Yes, I'm still over here in Nairobi, Kenya and I've gotten involved with a hot, upcoming e-Business community web portal, which I truly believe is going to make a lot of noise in the East Africa region; heck, the entire continent if things go as Sam (a local Nairobi businessman) and I envision. By the way, the concept for this site is totally awesome. Read on.

Connect & prosper
I mentioned here that there are "tons of business opportunities" in this region. However, I perceive that Western entrepreneurs are a bit slow when it comes to taking a bite out of the dark continent - relative to other parts of the globe. I recognise this, but I don't agree with it. I will say this though. By this time next year (2007), there will be a dramatic transformation in East Africa thanks to a 20 Gigabit under-sea fibre optic link (called EASSy) that's supposed to lower telecom and ISP charges considerably. I also read somewhere that this link has the capacity to handle 640 Gigabits of data should the region require it. Once everyone starts connecting, more dollar $igns will flow - just like black gold (oil).

For example, take a look at Rwanda's boom thanks to the digital magic of fibre.
{note: Click on pic above to see workers laying fibre in Rwanda}

Rwanda ahead of Kenya in affordable DSL
Quick, what's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Rwanda? Come on, be honest! Well, for me, it sure isn't cheap high-speed Internet access or economic development. But that's exactly what's taking place there right now. In fact, they've surpassed Kenya - a country who's capital is the economic hub of East Africa - in the cheap DSL department, and they're not looking back. And because of this affordable bandwidth, quite a few overseas companies are either headed to Kigali to set up lucrative call centre operations, or they're giving it some serious thought. I'm glad this is happening though because it'll put a sh!t load of pressure on Kenya to smarten up and stamp out corruption lest the country falls further behind. In this case, the potential loss of economic opportunity is going to be a big wake up call for Kenya's leadership. I hope they don't screw up because there's a lot at stake to lose in this competitive game they call "globalisation."

Did somebody say e-Business?
Now I don't know about you, but I've become so dependant on the Internet that I'd be lost without it - seriously. Look, you can take away the idiot box (TV), my land line or even the radio, but pleeeze don't mess with my Internet access (or my free digital music). All that other "stuff" I can get on the Net thanks to revolutionary technologies like IPTV, VoIP a la Skype, and streaming media. Thus I predict that when the proposed fibre link arrives, all sorts of wonderful things will begin to happen digitally - like e-Business. That's why I'm tickled pink about this project (business opportunity) that landed right in my lap - literally. Talk about being in the right place at the right time. You see, the dude who encouraged me to come down here talked a good game, but he couldn't deliver the business goods, and he left empty-handed.

Taking care of business
So, what is this e-Business website that I'm involved with entail? Initially, it will offer the following features:

An online Bazaar that aims to have almost every consumer product and service under the sun thanks to our affiliates – eventually.
A unique online lifestyles magazine that promises to engage the minds of its readers, thus guaranteeing repeat visitors.
An innovative DVD movie rental service with an online presence that has no equal in Africa - so far.
A bricks and mortar Pharmacy with an online presence that makes deliveries.
An eye opening Art gallery showcasing art (paintings, sculptures, jewellery, etc.) from talented grassroots artists throughout Africa.
The most innovative online Motoring experience in the region that will allow auto dealers, buyers and sellers to conduct business.
...plus many more cool ideas that are cooking at our Labs in the Beta Zone

As you can see, the above website features are a good blend of online and bricks and mortar services thanks to our partners who came aboard. But that's just a tip of the iceberg. There's loads of other remarkable services that we plan to put on the site. But one thing at a time. Right? Of course offering top-notch customer service is very high on our list, too, since I find the concept lacking in many businesses I frequent here in Nairobi.

To conclude, East Africa is definitely ready for e-Business thanks to all the wonderful developments that are taking place as we speak. And I intend to take advantage of this one way or the other. Oh, I'll fill you in on the website once it's fully operational.

Happy computing.

--------------------
Related links:

East Africa needs a fair entry-ticket to afford cyberspace: Easing Access to EASSy
The EASSy project page
Timbuktu Chronicles (Emeka Okafor's amazing blog which is a "view of Africa & Africans with a focus on entrepreneurship, innovation,technology...")
Need cheap DSL? Go to Rwanda
New CDMA network for Kenya
African broadband access accelerates
iBURST: The Future of Wireless Broadband in Africa?
Building the foundation for e-business in Africa
Rising Wages in China, Africa's Opportunity?
E-Commerce for Developing Countries: impact, obstacles and policies
Africa Can Be Built By Entrepreneurs
Rwanda: from doomsday to boom time

Microsoft's Origami Ultra Mobile PC, Google Finance?

2006-03-21T17:06:00.000-05:00

Enter the bittersweet zone
Ya know, I always give credit where credit is due. In the computer industry, Micro$oft has received a lot of negative publicity - and rightfully so - mostly of it's own doing. How? By trying to stifle "innovative" competition, or by shipping "virusware" in their bratty, overweight kids (Windows 98/ME/XP, Office and Internet Explorer) who depend on a monopoly in order to survive. Heck, in terms of security, if Windows and OpenBSD were 2 pet dogs, the former would be a prissy, overweight toothless poodle while the latter would be a cross between a ferocious German Shepherd and a Rottweiler. Now, if you're a crook, who's house are you gonna attack? Psst...take a peek at OpenBSD's legendary mascot, which is the epitome of, well, security. You can see more cute mascot images here which ship with each new release. Oh, Mac OS/X is based on BSD code but it's not free like OpenBSD, NetBSD, or FreeBSD.

But let me just say this right now. The SOHO (small office home office) PC user owes Dollar Bill (Gates) and company major props for making computing truly affordable. How? By bringing much needed standards to the industry. I mentioned here how the word "affordable" didn't exist in Big Blue's corporate culture back then. I wonder if they've changed today.

Revenge of the M$ Nerds? Oregano or Origami?
Well, it looks as though the Redmond posse might be on to something exciting in the hardware category with the introduction of the much hyped (this is soooooo Micro$oft) Origimi. This is being touted as an ultra mobile PC (UMPC), which means it's bigger and more practical than a PDA (Ipaq, Palm, etc.) yet much smaller and just as powerful as a low end notebook. According to Razib Ahmed over at LaptopGamers.com, the device "runs on Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition operating system and it can do many works including playing games, digital music, mobile communication, and surfing internet, checking and responding to emails and so on." {Oh for Heaven's sakes! What kind of a bloody quote was that? Do authors not read their own writing before pressing the upload button? Oh well...moving right along.}

By the way, the Origami will also run Windows Vista in the future. As for hardware specs, I was able to grab this right from the horse's mouth: Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 OS, Approximately 7” diagonal display (or smaller), Minimum 800 x 480 resolution, Approximately 2 pounds, Integrated touch panel, WiFi- and Bluetooth-enabled.

Now if they can produce these sexy devices for around US $700 to $800, I could see a huge consumer demand; any higher and I'd simply purchase a more powerful notebook with a huge hard disk along with all the other trimmings.

In other news...
Wow, it appears that Google is now going after the lucrative finance web portal market where Yahoo Finance currently reigns supreme. Although I'm also a big fan of Yahoo, all I have to say right now is this: "Go Google, go!" :-) Again, we the consumers are the ultimate winners here thanks to competition. Oh, just between the 2 of us, I lost my Internet virginity to Yahoo! when I was in CompSci thanks to their well-organised web directory along with Netscape Navigator as my interface to this new world. For that, I will always have fonds memories of both companies because I haven't been the same person once I ventured into Cyber Space - usually at Taylor Library, Middlesex College or Western Science Centre. It's just too bad that Google and Yahoo didn't merge though. Both companies have excellent technologies with employees who really understand the Net.

There's no doubt that Google drew first blood in the Web 2.0 (aka AJAX) realm with scintillating products like Google Earth and GMail. Ditto for searching. Now it looks as though they're tightening the screws on my first web love according to Jack Schofield of The Guardian. :-)

"Google also improves on Yahoo by offering some cute Web 2.0/Ajaxing features. For example, go to Google's income statement on Yahoo and you have to load two pages for the quarterly and annual figures. On Google's version, the page stays while numbers change in a fraction of a second."

Wow!

Jack also noted this observation:

"I'm a pretty heavy long term user of Yahoo Finance, but it looks as though using Google involves loading far fewer pages to get the same info. That's the kind of thing that could make me switch...."

All I can say is try both financial sites out for yourself and choose the service that you're most comfortable with. Hey, they're both FREE, which would've been unheard of before the Net went mainstream. Do any of you remember Bell Canada's over-priced iNet-2000 or Envoy 100 service during the AOL, CompuServe, BIX and bulletin board era? I heard the rates to obtain financial data was ridiculous back then.

Take care.

------------------
Related links:

Red alert: PayPal Phishing Scam Exposed

2006-03-20T04:28:00.000-05:00

This is just a quick post to warn all of you ECommerce peeps about some very ingenious phishing scams.
All I'm going to say is to be very careful about the web links you click on when you receive email from an "alleged" financial institution or a popular e-shopping site.

Please take a peek at this article. And for heaven's sakes, learn from other people's mistakes (OPM). PayPal Phishing Scam Exposed

Quick, can you "see" the clever deception before your very eyes in this JPEG image?
If you can, that's great! If not, open your eyes, people. After all, this is Cyber Space - a never-ending digital world filled with unlimited possibilities both good and bad.

For some more insights on computer security and how to avoid Internet fraud, I suggest you take a peek at a recent blog entry of mine from last month's archive: Red Alert: Your Bank Account is now EMPTY $0

This other blog entry should come in handy for you too: Tip: Free AVG, Outpost firewall rocks. Why re-invent the wheel? Learn from my experience.

Oh well, I'm outta here!

Happy computing.

Download your Hotmail messages via POP3: FREE

2006-03-12T22:31:00.000-05:00

Do you feel trapped?
I don't know about you guys, but I gave up on Hotmail a looooong time ago because it became a spam-infested stomping ground. I remember reading the news quite a few years back that one of its departing developers "borrowed" (er stole) the company's entire email address database. And thanks to that wonderful concept of capitalism, he sold it to a spamming company for mucho dinero. :-)

The good ol' days
I remember when I was studying Computer Science in the mid-90s, and literally got hooked on HoTMaiL. Yes, that was it's name back then - short for HTML mail. Get it? Back then, Hotmail was fast as hell thanks to its use of the FreeBSD (not Linux!) operating system on all its servers. For those in the know, FreeBSD is regarded as the best web hosting O/S on the planet because of its blazing-fast speeds. Yahoo, arguably its biggest user and a major financial donor, can attest to this.

History repeats itself
Once Microsoft paid Sabeer Bhatia (gasp!) US $400 million in 1998 for the rights to acquire Hotmail, everything slowly went downhill since Microsoft management wanted to migrate everything over to their baby, virus-infested Windows.

{Hello, you wanna freaking mail service used by millions to run on...Windows? Okay, intermission time...I gotta puke at that thought. BRB}

Boy did Sabeer (see pic) ever luck out - at the right time - long before the Dot Com bust. Now he's a legend in his native home, India. The lucky bastard! Paul Graham would've been proud of him for sure. :-)

To make a long story short, Hotmail users "back then" were able to download all of their messages into any POP3 email client (ie. Outlook Express, Eudora, Pegasus Mail, Thunderbird, etc.). Actually, Microsoft used this honey in order to get Outlook and Outlook Express into the mainstream, and it was a slam dunk idea. Well, that's all history now unless you're a paid subscriber. In fact, Yahoo did the same thing, too, for all its freeloading users like yours truly. Et tu, Yahoo? :-)

Thankfully, I'm now with GMail, and although I can download all of my messages to my PC for FREE, I've never felt the need to do it. Heck, why would I do that considering the Big G (er Google) gives me a whopping 2,703 Megabytes (2.7 Gigs) of space? Yes, you heard me...2.7 Gigabytes of mail storage space on the most powerful grid computer network on earth. I don't even think I'll use 800 Megs, and I'm a bloody heavy email user. Click the image below to see how much storage space I have left in GMail. See, I wasn't kidding around. :-)

How to download your Hotmail messages
* Step 1: Grab the last free version and more info of Hotmail Popper from this page: Download (1005 kB)

If you get it from Boolean.Ca, then you'll have to fork out US $17 after the software expires. Plus, you'll only be able to download 100 messages; then the software craps out on you. It's up to you!

* Step 2: Install it as per the instructions (screen shots) here:

Conclusion
Well, that's it for now! Again, if you really want an amazing web/POP3 email experience, just go with GMail. After all, you do use Google a lot, right? So you already know that it's backed by a rock-solid company with great ideas.

By the way, 321Download.com has an excellent list of the last versions of many popular programs before they went commercial with a cripple-ware version. I suggest you take a peek at their Last Freeware pages to see if there's anything that might be of interest to you.

Oh, since we're talking about email here, I have another piece of information for you. Since using email and the Internet implies using anti-virus and firewall software to protect your PC, I figure this ZD Net review might come in handy. Why? Because there are tons of Norton Antivirus users out there.

Take a peek at this: Why you should ditch Norton AntiVirus.
I also suggest you take a look at this recent blog entry of mine where I talk about my recent ordeal dealing with Norton Antivirus all the way down here in Nairobi, Kenya: Tip: Free AVG, Outpost firewall rocks.

Happy computing!

------------------
Related links:

Hotmail's Creator Is Starting Up Again, and Again, and... - Sabeer Bhatia talks about the new ventures that are keeping him busy since fleeing Microsoft
Mr Hotmail talks about globalisation
Failure is a badge of success for 'Hotmail man'
by Paul Graham: How to Make Wealth | How to Start a Startup| Ideas for Startups
Download your Yahoo Mail for FREE:
YPOPs! is an application that provides POP3 access to Yahoo! Mail. It is available on the Windows, Linux, Solaris and Mac platforms.

Various IT topics, news from around the globe

2006-03-09T04:28:00.000-05:00

Let's go surfin'
Today, I'm going to share with you some insightful Information Technology related articles I read, or products (demos) I took for a spin. Hopefully, these topics will pique your interest enough for you to explore a little more. Trust me, the knowledge (tips) you glean from the following links should give you a leg up on your competition.

So sit back, grab a cup of anti-oxidant tea (coffee is soooo passe!), and prepare to expand your mind. :-)

Here we go!

::Careers::
It is the age of mobility not 9 to 5 visibility 08/03/2006 16:32:31
Women in IT: Rebecca Dorries 07/03/2006 07:55:22
Quality and jobs will prevail in offshoring blitz 07/03/2006 11:38:15
Women in IT: Susan Webb 06/03/2006 10:30:41
Confessions of a Full-Time Telecommuter 06/03/2006 11:06:52

::Linux & Open Systems::
Ubuntu voted 'Linux distribution of the year' - 6 hours ago
The Debian-based distribution has won its latest accolade from a Linux community site.

IBM will not use Windows Vista - but will move to Linux desktops - 12 hours ago
IBM switching to Linux destops in Germany according to a Linux Forum 2006 presentation by their head of open source and Linux sales in Germany. More... (94 comments @ NeoSeeker.com)
{Comment: Whoa, this is big news! I wonder how much in licensing revenue this is gonna cost Dollar Bill Gates? Get more info here}

Jon Maddog Hall on Linux, saving money and ruling the world 08/03/2006 15:00:39

Open source preferred in SME sector says study 07/03/2006 08:53:47
Open source software is used by 17.5 percent of New Zealand ICT (information and communications technology) companies, according to the 2005 HiGrowth ICT sector survey. More...

Users buying into free 'express' databases 07/03/2006 08:09:25
Missouri State University's school of information systems and Web startup Savvica Inc. don't have a lot in common apart from tight budgets. In the recent past, their spending limitations likely would have meant choosing open-source software such as MySQL or Postgres as a database. More...

McNealy pumps open standards at gov't trade show 09/03/2006 08:22:45
Government agencies need to move toward open standards and managed services to cut IT costs and improve service to customers, Sun Microsystems Chief Executive Officer Scott McNealy said Wednesday. More...

Zimbra: Open Source Collaboration Suite Email, Group Scheduling Calendar
{Note: I went to their site and took the live AJAX demo for a spin. Wow, I have seen the alternative-to-Microsoft-Exchange future, and it is good!}

Linux Called 'Garbage' By Open-Source Rival 1:29 PM EDT Mon. Jun. 20, 2005
By TechWeb News
If there's little love lost between fans of the Windows and Linux operating systems, there's none lost between Linux and another open-source OS, OpenBSD. According to a report in Forbes magazine, the founder of OpenBSD, Theo de Raadt, pulled few punches when asked about Linux, the far more popular open-source operating system. "It's terrible," De Raadt told Forbes. "Everyone is using it, and they don't realize how bad it is. And the Linux people will just stick with it and add to it rather than stepping back and saying, 'This is garbage and we should fix it.'" More...

Zope and Plone blaze open source path at Epson Wednesday November 30, 2005 (07:00 PM GMT)
By: Tina Gasperson

64-bit Linux and BSD are maturing steadily Monday April 04, 2005 (08:36 AM GMT)
Most top-tier hardware vendors are selling AMD64 workstation and server systems these days, including Hewlett Packard, Sun Microsystems, and, more recently, IBM. Oddly enough, most of them are shipping with 32-bit operating systems installed by default. While the AMD64 architecture can comfortably handle both 64-bit and 32-bit software -- even concurrently -- it seems a waste of its potential to disregard the best features of the architecture. More...

::Software Development::
Sun Labs readies kits for sensor development 08/03/2006 11:50:15
Yahoo readies new and improved online services APIs 08/03/2006 08:26:32
Ruby shines over .Net for school portal 07/03/2006 13:38:41
AOL opens AIM service to external developers 07/03/2006 09:00:48
Software developer looks to .NET for mobile 06/03/2006 10:54:59

Developers are finding platform lines blurring Tuesday October 18, 2005 (12:01 PM GMT)
By: Jay Lyman
As cross-platform development grows, programmers are turning toward open source tools that are not tied to a single platform. Even Windows development is drifting toward open source, as more .Net developers look to tools such as Mono and PHP to develop software for the Microsoft platform. Read more at ITManagersJournal.com

::E-Business::
Customs turns attention to in-house ID management 09/03/2006 10:12:36
Google mulls 'infinite storage' idea 09/03/2006 08:26:41
CEBIT - RFID on all goods is 15 years away, says Metro 09/03/2006 09:53:12

Premier 100: Veteran CIO talks about agile enterprise 09/03/2006 11:25:26
CIO at large Michael H. Hugos Monday admitted to IT execs at the Computerworld Premier 100 IT Leaders conference that the term "agile enterprise" has a certain faddish buzzword quality. Then he went on to explain why corporations and their IT departments ignore its concepts at their peril. More...

The sweet smell of success 09/03/2006 11:30:55
If necessity is the mother of invention, then a skunk works is her creative big sister. And if you follow the logic of that family tree, necessity is also the mother of skunk works. More...

::Networking::
Fastest network in the world highlights promise of IPv6 09/03/2006 09:32:50

Internet speed record smashed 21 Jun 2004
840 gigabytes of data sent 10,157 miles in 27 minutes
{Comment: Wow, NetBSD really shines through here in the networking category.}

Oh well, I hope you enjoyed the links.
Remember, "knowledge is power" so cease the moment and CYOITD: Control your own IT destiny.

Cheers!

Pocket PC How Tos, Tutorials

2006-03-07T07:03:00.000-05:00

Introduction
Some of you reading this blog already know that HP's iPAQ line of PDAs are one of my areas of IT specialisation. Ditto for the company's laptop and tablet models. Now, with regards to the current crop of Pocket PCs on the market, all I can say is that these wonderful devices are extremely powerful.

In addition, they have practical uses for both home and business users as opposed to being glorified address books. Thanks to the recent arrival of Windows Mobile 5, Microsoft has surprisingly turned into the mythical Fiery Phoenix in the fast-paced mobile marketplace.

So much to learn, such little time
Actually, one of my "gazillion" things to learn this year - if time permits - is how to develop serious mobile software applications so that I can separate myself from the competition (other IT pros). Oh, ASP.NET 2.0 for web development is looking pretty sweet too, so I'm afraid I'll have to dive in before I get left in the dust. :-)

Well, being the Internet whore that I am, it looks like I struck gold with Go-DB, which appears to be a fantastic software development product from India's Consign Tech. What blew me away is how effortlessly you can create programs for the Palm, Pocket PC, Symbian OS, Embedded Linux, Symbol and Win32 in one fell swoop. Hopefully the competition is not reading this blog entry. :-)

How do I...
To help you quickly get up to speed on using your new Pocket PC, I'm going to provide you with some web gems. I'm confident you'll learn tons of new stuff just from reading these links. Bookmark em Danno!

iPAQ Pocket PC Hints & Tips: http://www.ipaqchoice.com/hints.aspx
Tutorials and other resources @ WindowsMobile.com:
http://www.microsoft.com /windowsmobile/help/pocketpc/supportsetup.aspx
Pocket PC Central: http://PocketPCcentral.net
How To: http://PocketPCcentral.net/helphow2.htm
iPAQ HQ: http://www.IpaqHQ.com
- Take a peek at their excellent forums: http://www.IpaqHQ.com/forums
News, news, news: MobileRead.com: http://www.MobileRead.com
Chris De Herrera's Windows CE Website: http://www.PocketPCfaq.com
Pocket PC Hints & Tips - by Frank McPherson, author of " How To Do Everything With Your Pocket PC, 3rd Edition" http://www.PocketPChow2.com
PDA Street: http://www.PDAstreet.com
- The PDA network for handheld computers, PDA software, Windows CE, Pocket PC, iPaqs, and more!
SmartPhone Today - The Complete Independent SmartPhone Information Resource:
http://www.SmartPhoneToday.com

VPN Setup (examples)
I'll admit that it's bloody hard as hell to find good VPN setup links. If I can find something better, I'll re-edit this section.

Making a VPN connection to the IU network in Windows Mobile 2003
http://uits.iu.edu/scripts/ose.cgi?anze.ose.help
Instructions for PocketPC users to access Wireless LAN via a VPN connection:
http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/itsc/network/wlan/pda/pocketpc2003.html

Essential PocketPC software

(update March 24/2006)
Activesync 4.1 Download:
For those of you with PDAs running Windows Mobile 5, you must install Activesync 4.1. Anyone using 4.0 should uninstall it, reboot their PC, and install 4.1. Don't even have second doubts...do it and save yourself some agony!! Get version 4.1 here: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/downloads/activesync41.mspx
ActiveSync 3.8 Download:
This is for Pocket PCs running anything less (PPC 2003, PPC 2003SE, PPC 2002) than Windows Mobile 5.0
http://download.microsoft.com/download/7/8/2/782df1cb-302d-46dd-96a3-0cda97d195ac/MSASYNC.EXE
Instructions: Unistall Activesync 3.7.x in Control Panel-->Add-Remove Programs and reboot your system. Say "no" if it asks you to delete your sync folders.
This version fixes a lot of bugs from Activesync 3.7.x and does a much better job with syncing. If the above link is bad, use this one: http://www.softwarepatch.com/windows/activesync.html
Setting up Outlook on your PC
A copy of Outlook 2002 comes on the Companion CD, but if you have Office 2003 or later, then you don't need to install it. By the way, you can't use Outlook Express to sync with your Pocket PC. You see, Microsoft doesn't want you to use a FREE app like that to sync with.
Any how, you can get more info here on how to set up an Outlook profile:
- Beginner's Guide to Creating a New Outlook 2002/2003 Profile

If you already have a profile and simply want to add an email account, then take a peek here:
- Setting Up An Email Account on Outlook 2002/XP

SD Card problems?
Trust me, all SD cards are not created equal. Therefore I suggest you use the Flash Format utility to format your SD cards before using them. Get more info here: http://cnetx.com/format
You can download it from here: http://cnetx.com/format/download.asp
{Note: Choose Pocket PC then Desktop Installation}

Synching problems with Activesync 4.x? (added on March 24/2006)
I don't know what the f#ck Microsoft's developers were smoking, but I have to seriously warn you right now. If you move from version 3.8 to 4.1, you'll notice a few more services in your Windows Task Manager that are required for your PDA and desktop to sync. If your firewall (Norton, McAffe, Trend Micro, Zone Alarm, etc.) is not aware of this, you will never, ever be able to sync. The solution is to follow the instructions here - carefully: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/help/activesync/

Mobile Printing help? (added on March 24/2006)
Well, it appears that HP has discontinued HP Mobile Printing for Pocket PC as of October 1/2005. If you're customer or developer, you have until April 1/2006 until the clock strikes midnight and phone support is no more. :-) Try these alternate solutions as stated from HP's site: PrintBoy for Pocket PC | PrintPocketCE

The Journey begins
The above links should be more than enough to help you master your new Pocket PC device. In my upcoming blog entries, I will give you some pointers on the following topics:

Connecting WiFi networks
Encrypting the wireless data traffic between your PDA and WiFi router
Sending/Receiving POP3/IMAP mail on your PDA - A sound Backup/Restore routine so that you'll never lose your precious data
Using Protect Tools to prevent unauthorised users from accessing your data
Using SD cards
Connect GPS devices to your PDA and never ever get lost again
How to remove the annoying Nevo media server software from your PC...and much more

Any suggestions? Just post a comment here.

Enjoy!