Aug 212010
 

dvs-slideshowOn returning from a vacation with friends, everyone said ‘Well, now you can do a nice DVD with all our photos, right? ”
Certainly, work in IT means I need to know anything about computers, let’s say I used this opportunity to learn a bit about this topic in Linux.

I found myself with about 3000 photos from five different cameras, to put in order and select for a slide show of about an hour, to accomplish all we need:

  • Software to move from camera to PC the images
  • Software for storing photos and process them
  • A software to create a slideshow from images, perhaps with some effect
  • Software to prepare a DVD with interactive menus and music.
  • A burning software

Excellent, let’s start
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Aug 212010
 

fear of Linux ?I was driving down the road thinking about writing a bit about reliable and inexpensive backup solutions, and my thoughts kept getting interrupted with a “giant elephant in the room”, or perhaps we should call it a “Giant Penguin”? So yeah, it became clear to me I needed to tackle the giant elephant first. Clear the room of an uncomfortable silence and try and break the ice barriers surrounding the fear of using or switching to Linux as a side-by-side, head-to-head or mano a mano server platform.

So, tackle it we shall. Let’s consider what are probably the top 5 Linux fears:

  1. Linux what? Yeah, I know ‘nada’ about Linux.
  2. Cost! Considering most Linux platforms are free, I am talking about the expertise factor, the affordability of a Linux Admin employee.
  3. Employee knowledge transfer. What if my Linux employee leaves?
  4. Support! Can I get server support? And how much is that going to set me back?
  5. Can it do the job? Can it reliably replace my Windows Server job functions?
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Aug 142010
 
linux.comOriginal article-  LinuxCon Day 3: Now Get Out There and Do Something!

At the end of a conference, most people have two feelings. The first is a feeling of wanting to get out there and do something. After last year’s LinuxCon, especially after listening to Noah Broadwater of Sesame Workshop, I wanted to go back to my office, take a chainsaw to my IIS installations, and tear out my Sharepoint system. But I am pretty sure that feeling is felt by many of us on a daily basis without attending LinuxCon.

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Aug 132010
 

cloud

Working with 3 computers that run 5 operating systems, I often get bits of information found only on a single PC, a url that I bookmarked for a very useful site, or a TXT file used to take a quick note (the equivalent of a post-it on the monitor).

When I had to move information from one PC to another, I usually sent myself a note via email–not so comfortable, in fact. But while I was installing the new Ubuntu 10.04, something enlightened me: “Ubuntu One.“ Canonical started his project for a personal space on the clouds where you can store files, take notes, store your contacts or bookmarks, or just read. I thought, “Finally, I can solve my problem,” and so I discovered Tomboy.

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