Ubuntu VMWare Images
After a quick Google search I found that Ubuntu.com supplies VMWare images (www.ubuntu.com) of Desktop and Server version of Ubuntu.
Download the FREE VMWare Player (www.vmware.com) and you can run a virtual instance of Ubuntu without having to install it on your computer. I am working on a few Web Services (WS) which use Tomcat and Axis that I will install on my Virtual Machine (VM) at home. After I finish coding my WS I will deploy it and test it on my VM. Once everything works the way I like I can take my VM Image and convert it over to the VMWare ESX Servers at work for permanent usage.
Oh yeah and the root username and password is
un: ubuntu
pw: ubuntu
If you want to have some fun with VMs check out the Virtual Appliance(www.vmware.com/appliances) section on VMWares site. If you don’t know what a VA is, well… Wikipedia has a good description
virtual appliances are aimed to eliminate the installation, configuration and maintenance costs associated with running complex stacks of software.
A key concept that differentiates a virtual appliance from a virtual machine is that a virtual appliance is a fully pre-installed and pre-configured application and operating system environment whereas a virtual machine is, by itself, without application software.
Two of my favorites for home are Hasslefree Download App. It will download files, repair it and unpack it, put it on a fileshare and cleanup after itself. All it needs are .torrent or .nzb files. Also Music Player App, a small network appliance designed to be an interface and backend for MusicPD(www.musicpd.org), a music player daemon.
Google Sites
I recently went to a Google API Workshop (http://googleworkshops.googlemashups.com/) and learned great stuff like Maps API, Google Gadgets, AJAX Search and Feeds. The talks were a little basic for the average programmer (ZZzzzz). The Web Services talk made me want to shoot myself in the head because of all the details left out, but the code on how to use the API was good stuff. Plus they showed us this awesome site to learn google maps by Doug Ricket (http://doug.ricket.com/gdd2007/intro.html) who made his slides in Java Script! You can modify the code inside the slides and watch it work! Great job Doug!
Well it looks like Google has just released a new App, Google Sites.
Google Sites is the latest offering from Google Apps, a suite of
products designed to improve communication and collaboration
amongst employees, students, and groups. Google Sites makes
creating a team web site as easy as editing a document. You can
quickly gather a variety of information in one place — including
videos, calendars, presentations, attachments, and gadgets — and
easily share it for viewing or editing with a small group, their
entire organization, or the world.
This looks like its in direct competition with 37 Signal’s Basecamp (http://www.basecamphq.com/). I love the fact that it supports Google Calendars and other Google Apps. This is where 37 Signals Apps falls short. They are great simple applications, but each one has repeat features. I guess Ruby on Rails framework is great for making ToDo list and contacts because each app 37 Signals provides has one. But I don’t want four different ToDo list, I want one that syncs between all apps with simple labels. Google Sites allows data from different Google Apps inside your Google Site. Good Job!
I wonder if Google will come out with a decent contact manager app like Highrise(http://www.highrisehq.com), with iPhone support of course =)
Airport Security ftw!
Your Country May Be At Risk
Click Here To View Options Then Ignore Them
(Flickr)
You can disable Balloon Tip Pop Ups by running RegEdit (MSDN)
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\
Software\
Microsoft\
Windows\
CurrentVersion\
Explorer\
Advanced\
Edit (or Create if needed) the REG_DWORD.
EnableBalloonTips 0
(Thats the number zero)
Also if you have a thing of BSOD like me… then checkout Blue Screen of Death.
Anonymous vs. Scientology
Anon?mous has set its sights on Scientology. If your behind the power curve of knowledge and don’t know whats going on with Anonymous and Scientology then check out these links
Message to Scientology (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCbKv9yiLiQ)
and (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrpznNrjg_s)
Anonymous (http://encyclopediadramatica.com/Anonymous)
For the good of your followers, for the good of mankind–for our own enjoyment–we shall expel you from the Internet and systematically dismantle the Church of Scientology in its present form. We acknowledge you as a serious opponent, and we are prepared.
But all I really wanted to say is, who is the hot girl with the Hello Kitty shirt and Gas Mask! I think I’m in love!
Anonymouse vs. Scientology
(http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=939&page=1)
FOR GREAT JUSTICE!
Update: Creepy Much?
Also found a great picture for scientology to put in the board room.
Family Guy: Blue Harvest…holy shit, funny as hell
Lets begin with part IV.
Family Guy: Blue Harvest
(http://www.familyguyx.net/watch/99/Blue_Harvest/)
Takes a little while to load. Cut into two parts and this will probably be taken down soon.
Found it on Digg.
Aired Sunday, 9/23/2007 at 9:00pm on Fox. With the Griffins stuck at home during a blackout, Peter begins to tell a story, which leads to a Star Wars flashback. Acting out scenes from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Peter plays Han Solo, Lois is Princess Leia, Stewie becomes Darth Vader, Brian plays Chewbacca, and Chris is Luke Skywalker.
Vegas baby, Vegas!
This Is Vegas, Midway’s new game coming out end of 2008.
Vegas! (http://www.tomsgames.com/us/site/flash_videos/this_is_vegas_trailer.html)
This Is Vegas (http://www.midway.com/rxpage/Game_ThisisVegas.html)
I am going to plan another Vegas trip, who’s down?
Sleep at Work if Your Coworkers are Blind Idiots
From Gizmodo
So you want to sleep at work. I can’t say that’s the brightest idea in the world, but who am I to judge? Let me help you out: if you want to sleep at your desk and also look really, really creepy while awake, all you need to do is buy some of these eye stickers. Slap ‘em on your closed eyelids, learn to sleep sitting up, and you’ll be sure to fool everyone who walks by your desk. There is absolutely no way for this plan to fail… trust me.
You could also use them to win a staring contest. Just don’t wake up. 
I really hope this catches on! I always wanted to date a girl with Anime Eyes.
But Calvin & Hobbes did it first.
Lotus Notes Sucks
One of my favorite sites to read is /. (Slashdot) and they recently posted a store on The Life of a Software Engineer. On of my favorite quotes from the article they linked to was about the IT Department.
In fact most employers I’ve worked for actually have rules in place to suggest that I not try to fix my own computer. There’s these organizations, some (not all) still stuck in the 70s and 80s, called “I.T. Departments” who’s official purpose is to fix computers — but who’s actual purpose is to attempt to prevent their users from doing anything dangerous (read: useful.)
This reminds me of my current companies I.T. department. Where they love to prevent anything dangerous (useful) from happening by doing there best to prevent users from doing work. No work = no danger. I’m sure the I.T. department would work great if the company was filled with users like my grandmother… but its not. One example is that they love lotus notes. Its the de facto e-mail program and they are adding this useful feature (bug) that allows single sign on. This feature now has some user creating two different passwords for the same e-mail account if they use more the one computer or version of Notes. Because every I.T. department knows that no one uses more then one computer right?
I recently found other people also think Lotus Notes Sucks (http://lotusnotessucks.4t.com/index.html) with plenty of examples. Here are some of my favorites
- The login windows
- The Property Sheet (and poorly designed icons)
- Stupid Error Messages (These are terrible when its an important e-mail)
- Entering a Hyperlink (WTF is a Hotspot?)
- You’ve Got Mail! (Couldn’t you just update my inbox without making me refresh it?)
- Least Favorite Favorites
- Meeting Invitations (Invite me to a meeting on LN and I wont show up… I might even block you)
For some reason my inbox always says I have 5 unread messages. I have looked everywhere. I have searched and sorted by unread. I have gone through every option… they are no where to be found. I get nightmares sometimes about the 5 unread messages. One might be a memo about the TPS report cover sheet update.
