May 2013
2 tags
How i would like to use Google and my Photos →
With Google’s announcement today that 3 become one when it comes to storage space, and its all Google Drive now rather than Google+, gMail and Drive. I got to thinking in to what Google could add to Plus to expand it and take it to places Facebook can’t even imagine going.
3 tags
Setting up a serial console | HowtoForge - Linux... →
This tutorial will show you how to set up a serial console on a Linux system, and connect to it via a null modem cable. This is quite useful if your Linux server is in a headless configuration no keyboard or monitor, as it allows you to easily get a console on the system if there are any problems with it especially network problems, when SSH is not available. In the end, the GRUB menu will appear...
Enabling Dual Factor Authentication on Linux SSH... →
A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post on using a Chromebook to develop on a cloud platform. Its based on a Digital Ocean remote server and like most people who wish to attach to the command line interface on a remote server I use SSH. It’s an encrypted connection over the network/internet from end to end. However being a cloud server I was wondering if it was possible to secure this a little bit...
The industry is heading for disruption again.. →
5 tags
Getting a bit more out of crouton on a Chromebook →
I recently wrote a post about using a cloud based VPS for doing development work on, it was pointed out to me in a Google+ conversation that this could be done equally as well with the Crouton installer.
Its true that most of the posts i’ve found on the internet cover running the default installer which will get you a Unity Shell Ubuntu 12.04 LTS i386 install. I’ve also covered in a different...
3 tags
Windows Phone, the Apps, the Phone.. →
I’ve had my Nokia Lumia 920 since November 2012 and I chose the phone because i was fedup with just how staid and old Android was feeling, and an iPhone was old hat. WP8 was the new kid on the block and I wanted to give it a go..
So what are my thoughts on the Phone, the OS and the Apps?
Generally speaking I have nothing bad to say about the phone or the OS expect for two small bugs i’ve had...
6 tags
Being safe in the cloud... →
Storing your data in the cloud is a no brainer for most poeple, its an obvious place to store it and why not, however if services like dropbox have taught us one thing about this new web based storage, its that it is not 100% safe. So how can we use these services AND be a bit safer? Simple, easy and free is the answer, well file encryption is the answer actually, but is is those three things.
...
2 tags
If your going to disrupt the Status Quo, you've... →
Mark Shuttleworth has the potential of being this Generations Steve Jobs and he is planning on doing to Ubuntu what Jobs did for Apple. He seems to be taking that think different philosophy Jobs had with Apple and applying it to the Linux Distribution he sponsors Ubuntu.
2 tags
The next step in internet streaming is close.. →
Back in the day when you wanted to stream some video on the internet you installed RealPlayer, the real plugin was the go to guy for live and normal video streams, it was ubiquitous as todays alternative Flash Player is. Somewhere in the mide 2000′s flash took over as being the default delivery mechinism for streaming media over the internet, potentially helped by sites like Youtube using it.
...
3 tags
There is more to hacking than spotty teens... →
If you think that hackers are spotty geeks in bedrooms at 3am in the morning grabbing your credit card details you;ve only got a small piece of the picture. Hacking is also state sponsered and its the new battleground. While we still have soldiers putting their lives on the line for Queen and country every day, in some circles this is seen as nothing more than show. true warefare is being fought...
6 tags
Is Apple about to revamp IOS? Hope so.. →
Apple are, if the tech blogsphere is to be understood correctly, on the very of a radical new Sir Jonny Ive inspired revamp of the IOS interface, moving away from using pictures of calendars and phones, and stitching around the edges of apps and bringing the OS Interface into the world which has radical, but accepted interfaces such as Windows 8 (Which Ive himself has lauded publically)
5 tags
Using a Chromebook to develop in the cloud... →
Being a few months in with my Acer C7 Chromebook as my only laptop i’ve very pleased with what it does, I do have the Crouton Ubuntu chroot installed and upgraded the device to 16Gb of Ram, however there is one core thing I miss with this setup. VMWare/Virtualbox. I find i’m often building virtual machines, usually Ubuntu to test bsh scripts or build LAMP Environments to test some PHP out with....
April 2013
Google Glass, it's the next stage →
is this the next stage in the Personal computer revolution or your worst distopian nightmare?
2 tags
Ubuntu 13.04 raring to go on Acer C7 Chromebook →
With Ubuntu’s new release out this week, i wanted to share with you how to get this working in a chroot environment alongside ChromeOS on the Acer C7.
The thing about office suites... →
It’s pretty clear that people like Microsoft Office, its the default first thing most businesses install on a Windows Desktop once the updates are done, the lack of something which replicates Microsoft Office on the Linux platform is also a hotly contested argument. While it’s arguable that LibreOffice is more than a drop in replacement for Microsoft Office if you have learnt how a word...
4 tags
Google needs to go full cloud with ChromeOS →
Google seem to have the breakout hit of the year so far on their hands with ChromeOS, its giving the “laptop” the lease of life Windows 8 just ins’t providing the hardware manufactures and while Pixel may be wowing at the top end of the spectrum but its the £200/£300 end of the market which is proving to be the huge hit.
(Ars Technica) It just works: Dell XPS 13... →
I’ve been on the lookout for a new Laptop, and while i can’t afford to buy one in the near future, if i do it will be a device which works with Linux, specifically the Linux distro which just works, Ubuntu. Have a read of how Dell finally after all these years might have just about got it right..
Where ChromeOS stops Ubuntu gets a new alternative... →
What tablet should I be looking to buy in 12... →
While most people will probably ask me the question what tablet or phone should I buy now? I am half way thought a 24 month contract with 3 for an iPad 3.. So right now I’m looking at what should I be keeping an eye on in 12 months time rather than now?
First it was how we listened, now its how we watch →
There was a phenomenon in the 80s where portable stereo systems, or boom boxes would get bigger however by the end of the decade true portability of the Sony walkman won out.. Is what one happened with our audio now happening with our visual?
Is Ubuntu's future being dictated by people who... →
Canonical have a plan when it comes to Ubuntu and right now of all the major Operating Systems out there Ubuntu has a more clearly defined cross device infrastructure than any of the other big players. However this may not be enough, in a recession where the “no one ever got fired for buying IBM” mentality is rife…
What do you do with your Raspberry Pi??? →
Tip:Taking Screenshots on Chrome OS →
6 tags
How to set-up Google as a drop in replacement for... →
I wrote a post last week explaining why I think Flipboard was better than Feedly part of the reason was I was able to set-up Google+ as a drop in replacement for Google Reader, and Flipboard has great G+ Support. One of the comments on the post asked if i could outline how I did this.
Why Flipboard is better than Feedly as an RSS... →
March 2013
2 tags
Can Google replace my news reader? →
Google, what they give they take away and in doing so set a whole subsection of IT into a scramble trying to find the next best thing.
The impending death of Google Reader had me thinking can I use Google+ as a direct drop in replacement for my RSS Google Reader of choice?
2 tags
Running ChromeOS and Ubuntu at the Same time using... →
The Acer C7 Chromebook is an absolute steal at £200 and it appears the revise unit also has better specs. I’ve added 16Gb or Ram in mine and to be honest can spend most of my time in ChromeOS. There are however times when having a full OS like Ubuntu is needed. It is possible to run both Ubuntu and Chrome OS on this device as I’ve outlined...
1 tag
Getting an IT Helpdesk running on the cheap.. →
IT is a costly business for any company SAN’s, Blades, Servers, OS Licences the list goes on so having a few core IT Helpdesk management tools which make your life more organised and are free can only be a good thing.
3 tags
Just enough Linux command line to be dangerous.. →
I’ve had need to take a Windows Admin through the joys of Linux and it occurred to me just how hard the first Bambi like steps are with the OS and how so many users condone the Command Line, because they have the illusion that to do anything useful in Windows is done in the GUI when the reality is its not. Even on a Windows server the true power is in the command line a fact often overlooked by...
2 tags
What ChromeOS needs... →
Having recently withstood some of the worlds best hackers to stay solid and working safely Google are serious about security with this OS, and with hardware between £200 and £1200 this is a serious contender for the commercial PC crown as more and more of us live in the web. However it is missing a few things.
Four popular news readers →
In a post Google Reader world, for better or worse the Google Reader API will be no more and alternatives are being sought which can provide us with those never ending feeds we choose to follow.
2 tags
http://blog.projectz.me/2013/03/14/2143841668/ →
So Google are killing off Google Reader, that name either means something to you, or it doesn’t, and if it doesn’t that’s not a bad thing, it just means you probably come from a different age of IT than many of its users.
Can Google do what Linux couldn't, and by doing so... →
While we all know a wounded animal when cornered will bear its teeth, Microsoft is currently feeling the pinch with the less than lukewarm reception not only for Windows 8 but for Office 2013 as well. While its doing great things in its online space with Azure, Outlook.com, Office 365 and Skydrive none of these are quite as lucrative as the desktop market. A market it seems Google wants a piece...
3 tags
The MK808 Dual Core Android 4.1 TV BOX Rockchip... →
The thinking was sound, there has been a lot of press recently about Android on a stick devices which plug into the HDMI port on your TV and turn that “dumb” TV into an Android powered Smart TV. So hove does this device with the snappy title stand up to this task?
There's something Ubuntu needs to do if the phone... →
They say a week in politics is a long time, well a year in the mobile phone industry is an eternity and what huge changes the industry is going through. A year ago the roost was ruled by Apple and Google, 3G was the fastest we can go and handsets were finding a stock size at 4.5″.. The world however of the mobile device is now a very different place and very much in a positive state of change..
February 2013
6 tags
Plex: The Clients →
I’ve written about Plex at the back end previously on this blog hee: http://blog.projectz.me/2012/10/11/plex-for-local-and-online-media/ and its worth a read should you not know or would like to know more about the Plex server software. Once you have the software up and running on a server, Plex has a good selection of clients which allow you to view your media on many devices. I thought i’d share...
3 tags
The Chromebook Pixel, proving the Internet Tech... →
So what do I get for my £1000? Well the spec’s are indeed pretty stunning on the Chromebook with from an aesthetic point of view the look and feel of this device has Google aiming fiar and square at the Apple Macbook Pro’s An integrated HD webcam, microphone array, and active noise cancellation help ensure that video and audio are lifelike. Multi-finger touch, natural scrolling, and all the other...
OMG the IT Marketing Dept has run amok... →
Lets stop with the rehashing of old ideas, in a poor way, just to justify lots of people with consultant in their job title getting paid lots of cash for what isn’t needed and lets focus on what this industry really really needs. some real grass roots innovation. Google Glasses, Self Driving Cars, hoverboards, computers i can talk to, a fridge which orders my milk for me.. not a Mainframe, pre...
Microsoft isn't the answer, Microsoft is the... →
Home
Turn up at any office in the western world and its a safe bet that Microsoft Windows is the prominent OS used in that office, look at PC’s in the Starbucks and if it’s not a Mac it will probably be a Windows PC. Microsoft’s dominance of the Desktop PC market is strong..
The tide however is changing and while it is it might be time to ask a few questions…
5 tags
Sabayon Linux 11 on a Macbook Pro (Updated... →
I will add more to this post a bit later, however if you own an older Macbook Pro and OSX is just getting too long in the tooth. You’ve tried Ubuntu but the heating issues and terrible mouse control its almost impossible to use.
Take a look at Sabayon Linux 11. Rolling release schedule, works with EFI out of the box, no over heating, Gnome 3 interface is great.
I’ve posted about getting...
The Ultimate Operating System →
I love this synopsis of the perfect desktop operating system. some of the options are flawed however the points are valid.
8 hidden Windows Phone 8 settings you’ll actually... →
This is an interesting post directly from Windows.com which covers some of the settings you might not be aware of on your WP8 device. Worth a look and a read of the comments too.
BitTorrent's New Trick: Letting You Send... →
Not too long ago, BitTorrent launched a little project called Sync, that provides practically unlimited cloud storage. Now the professional sharers are rolling out yet another service called “SoShare” that promises to let you easily send huge files to friends an coworkers with little to no hassle. Up to a whole terabyte at the click of a button.
1 tag
9 Reasons to Root Your Android Device | Gizmodo UK →
To root or not to root? That is the question. Rooting your Android device definitely pushes you up a level or two in your geekdom. It requires a certain level of commitment, at least a little savvy, and even a modicum of risk. So, why would you want to bother?
Touch-based Ubuntu preview coming February 21st,... →
It’s not like we didn’t have ample warning, so by now anyone wanting to try out the new Ubuntu smartphone OS should have gotten hold of a Galaxy Nexus to be their test device. Still don’t have one? Then you’ll be pleased to know that a Nexus 4 will actually serve just as well, and you have six days to get equipped. The Ubuntu Touch Developer Preview will be made public on February 21st alongside...
5 tags
5 things Windows Phone 8 Needs in the UK.. →
There is honestly not much I can say wrong about the Windows Phone 8, compared to its desktop sibling its a joy to use and zippy. As someone who has actively used IOS, Android and several other OS’s on phones over the years Microsoft have hit the money with this one.
Having used the phone for 90+ days now there are a few things which could be added as features in the next few major releases,...
3 tags
Sending Files from Mail in Windows Phone 8 →
It seems that sending files other than photos from the Windows Phone 8 isn’t quite so easy as it maybe should be, the insert feature is great for adding a photo but no go for files.
Skydrive is the place WP8 seems to want to store files and it is tightly integrated with the whole OS which is a good thing however even from within Skydrive the ability to send a file rather than a link is also...
2 tags
First Ubuntu Phones ‘Available October’, Says... →
The first Ubuntu-powered mobile phones will be reportedly be available from October this year.
Reporting on a meeting Shuttleworth attended in New York earlier this week, Michael Hickins of the Wall Street Journal writes that the Ubuntu founder announced plans for the Phone to ship in ‘two large geographic markets’ come October of this year.
2 tags
Is Canonical Working on New, Custom Display Server... →
Canonical are evaluating different options for improving the display server in Ubuntu as it seeks to span multiple devices, Ubuntu Community Manager Jono Bacon has recently confirmed.
The news comes by way of response to questions raised on the status of Ubuntu’s adoption of alternative display server ‘Wayland’.
But before we jump to precisely what Jono has said – and what it might mean for us...
1 tag
Web Servers In A Can: Now In Stock At Mac App... →
Within the App Store for OS X can now be found four such stacks, courtesy of BitRock’s Bitnami, a free software service that enables you to install various software stacks either natively on Windows, OS X or Linux; as a virtual machine in VMware or as an Amazon Cloud instance.
