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Sabtu, 30 April 2011

Déjà Dup: a Simple Backup Solution for Linux

Déjà Dup is a simple, easy to use GNOME-based backup solution for Linux. Despite its simplicity, the software comes with some fine features such as encryption, off-site backup, and more. It is also bundled with several key functionalities such as integration with Amazon's EC2 and its capability to setup an automated backup to a remote Linux server using protocols such as SSH. Let's take a closer look at some of the features that Déjà Dup has to offer.




Kamis, 28 April 2011

Ubuntu 11.04 'Natty Narwhal': To Upgrade or Not to Upgrade?

It's been just a few hours since the release of Ubuntu 11.04 'Natty Narwhal', and the buzz about it just won't die down. Even though it brings along a slew of new features and changes, the reactions have been somewhat mixed. There are a lot of users who'll switch to Natty, but there are some who absolutely won't. Here are some reasons why upgrading to Ubuntu 11.04 is a good idea, and sometimes, a bad one too.




Senin, 25 April 2011

Protect Your Linux Backups with Encryption


If you work with important data on your Linux servers or desktops it is very important that you take regular backups. We have covered some backup tools and solutions that will help you do that.

Assuming you have a backup strategy and implementation in place, another important thing you need to worry about is the safety of your backups themselves. Safety includes two important factors. The first is the storage device or devices on which you store them. The other is to make sure that even if someone gets hold of your backups he can't look at the data.

Let's look at how to secure your backups so that anyone snooping around your system or backups drives cannot steal your valuable information. This can be done using encryption. As an extra layer of security we will encrypt your backups using gpg (Gnu Privacy Guard). gpg is an open source encryption software which ships with almost all flavors of Linux and UNIX. It's quite simple to use and provides several useful options. Let's take a look at how you can use it to secure your backups.


Sabtu, 23 April 2011

Cool Kindle Easter Eggs To Discover

Easter Sunday is here, and unlike last time (see: Top 50 Software Easter Eggs of All Time) we won't be revealing any software-related Easter eggs. Instead, we'll be looking for Easter Eggs in Amazon's popular Kindle device. Even though last week we mentioned some excellent Kindle tips, Kindle has many more tricks up its sleeve. Here's a look at a few of them:


Activate Picture Viewer: Kindle does have a basic picture viewer, but it's not activated by default, here's how to make it work:

1 Create a folder titled "Pictures" in the root of Kindle drive or SD card. Kindle also checks for DCIM made by cameras.
2 Create another folder inside it and drop all the pictures there. The pictures saved in this sub folder will be read as a single book. Supported formats are jpg, png, gif.
3 In the Home screen press Alt-Z. A new "book" should appear. Open it to view your pictures.
4 In the local menu you can also toggle dithering, resize to fit and full screen mode.



Jumat, 22 April 2011

How to Enable Unity Quicklists in Google Chrome and Firefox

A few weeks ago, we did an in-depth review of Ubuntu 11.04 when compared with Fedora 15. One of the interesting little features we missed was Quicklists in Unity. Quicklists allow users to access common menus, or perform common tasks within a program by right-clicking the launcher icon. The feature is very much similar to Jump Lists in Windows 7, which could be accessed by right-clicking the Windows task bar. Applications, like Browsers and Media Players use these Jump Lists to let the user access documents and tasks associated with the current application. Unity on the other hand being freshly baked from the oven, there aren't many applications that take advantage of the Quicklist features. Here's a quick tip that will let you enable Quicklists for both Google Chrome and Firefox.



Rabu, 20 April 2011

Awesome Tricks Every Kindle User Should Know

Kindle is a portable e-book reader from Amazon.com that has gained huge popularity since its launch. The Linux-powered gadget allows reading files in most of the popular formats including PDF, if you're using the latest version. Though it utilizes Amazon's own DRM format for Amazon e-books, it is not as heavily walled as Apple's iPad. Hence, there are some pretty cool tricks that can help you get more out of your Kindle. Here are 3 such tricks:




Selasa, 19 April 2011

Top 5 Paid Games for Linux

With Linux matching Windows and Mac head-to-head in almost every field, indie developers are ensuring that gaming on Linux doesn't get left behind. We've covered various types of games that are available for Linux, from the best MMORPGs to the top action-packed First Person Shooters. While most of these games are free, there are a few paid games that have come out for Linux.

Here's a look at the top 5 paid games that are making noise:


Minecraft is a new cross-platform indie game, which has recently gained a lot of popularity. It is a 3D sandbox game, where players must try and survive in a randomly generated world. In order to do this, they must build tools, construct buildings/shelters and harvest resources. If you're still curious, then do check out the best minecraft structures created by addicted players from around the world. Minecraft comes in two variants – Beta and Classic, both with single-player and multiplayer options. The Classic version (both single-player and multiplayer) is free. On the other hand, Minecraft Beta, which is still under heavy development, will retail at 20 Euros (that's about 28.5 USD) when finished. For the moment, the game can be pre-purchased and played as a beta for 14.95 Euros. Users who buy the beta version won't have to pay anything for the stable release once it comes out.


Minggu, 17 April 2011

10 Great Movies Worth Watching on YouTube


YouTube, a simple video-sharing site that began in 2005 has now become a global phenomenon. Be it 'David after Dentist' or 'The YouTube Symphony Orchestra', this Google-owned site, has found a way to keep everyone entertained. A while ago, YouTube started uploading full-length movies to a brand new section called YouTube Movies. While many of the movies there are too corny to watch, there are some that cannot be missed. Here's a list of 10 such movies.

N.B: Most of these movies are available through Satellite TV. The movies mentioned below are legally available through YouTube because they are available in public domain. Watching these movies will not violate any copyright policy whatsoever.


Jumat, 15 April 2011

Best Free and Open Source System Cloning Solutions for Linux

If you have worked as a system administrator at an enterprise, you might be familiar with Norton or Symantec Ghost, a great network-enabled system cloning solution. It allows you to create an image of a computer's hard drive and store it to a location on your network. If the computer in question has a failure you can restore it from the image and be back in business pretty quickly and easily. Although this may not always be a solution that small organizations use often, it is quite popular with larger ones.

Symantec Ghost is a commercial software and comes with a pretty hefty price tag. However, there are several free alternatives for it in the open source world. Let's take a look at a few of my favorite ones.



Rabu, 13 April 2011

5 Lesser Known Google Services that Deserve More Attention

Over the years, Google has evolved from the quintessential search engine into an all-comprising web powerhouse, bringing in the newest web technologies. Though the front line Google services like GMail, Reader and Docs have received huge popularity, there are some services that haven't yet got the attention they deserve. Here's a look at 5 such services from the big G.





Senin, 11 April 2011

Setting Up SugarCRM on Shared Web Hosting

If you want to setup a CRM solution for yourself or your organization and don't have a dedicated server for it, you can use a shared web hosting solution. There are plenty of options available, some are cheap and others a bit more expensive.

I have been a fan of Dreamhost's web hosting solution. I'll guide you to setting up SugarCRM on a web hosting account. The instructions should not be too different for other hosting companies. However, I'll assume that you have access to a database, and SSH access to the file system. Some hosting companies do not allow you SSH access to your account, and only FTP access. Although you can still perform most steps, it is a bit more complicated.


Prerequisites:

SugarCRM is a LAMP application. So it requires a database server, preferably MySQL, and a web server with PHP 5 or better, preferably Apache. Sugar will work on Windows, Linux, Mac, and with Oracle or MSSQL instead of MySQL. However, for this tutorial I will assume that you are using Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP.



Minggu, 10 April 2011

3 Linux Distros That You Might Never Want to Try

Linux-based distributions like Fedora, Ubuntu, and openSUSE have completely revolutionized the traditional desktop. However, there are some distributions that don't quite match the standards that these Distrowatch-toppers have set. Here's a look at 3 such Linux distributions, that you'll never want to try.


Hannah Montana Linux:

-Hannah Montana: an American T.V series about a teenage girl leading a double life. She's an average schoolgirl by day and a famous pop star by night.

-Linux: a generic term referring to Unix-like graphical user interface (GUI) based computer operating systems based on the Linux kernel.



Kamis, 07 April 2011

The Ultimate Guide to Getting Support on Linux

Installing Linux has become effortless to the extent that anyone with a little knowledge of computers can get a Linux machine up and running instantly. However, many of them throw in the towel when faced with even the slightest of glitches. The main reason for this is the belief that Linux doesn’t offer any kind of support.

Other problem users face is that the regular technician who repairs their computer refuses even to touch a machine that’s running Linux. So, if you are one of those users disgruntled after encountering a multitude of problems with a fresh Linux install -- don’t panic and read on to know some ways in which you could get support for your Linux installation.



Rabu, 06 April 2011

Best Alternative Web Browsers for Android

The web browser portion of the Android market is one of the most fiercely competitive markets since all users at one point or another need to browse the Internet on their devices. Although Android ships with a default web browser, the increasing demands users place on surfing the Internet has lead to the launch of more advanced browsers that offer added features and usability.

I have gathered here a list of some of the best alternative web browsers for Android:



Selasa, 05 April 2011

Avatar 2 and 3 will be Shot at Much Higher Frame Rates than Normal

James Cameron, the director of path-breaking films like Avatar (see: The Technology Behind Avatar), Aliens and Titanic has announced that he has plans to make Avatar 2 and 3 at frame rates higher than 24 fps. This change, he believes, will give a more realistic feel to movies whilst reducing the effect of strobing or blurriness seen in many movies. The sequels for the groundbreaking movie will be shot at either 48 fps or 60 fps and Cameron believes that this change will revolutionize the way movies are normally shot.


Minggu, 03 April 2011

7 Ways of Staying Backed Up on Ubuntu Linux

You’ve installed a multitude of packages on your heavily customized Ubuntu desktop. Games, themes, and tweaks, it’s got it all. Plus, you’ve got your whole music and movies collection meticulously organized. With a wide relaxed grin you bask in the glory of your new-found productivity so much that you’re already thinking of penning a self-help book. Meanwhile, as you are lost in that reverie, a 3-eyed monster suddenly appears out of nowhere, snatches your laptop and gobbles it up!

OK, I might be exaggerating, but the fact is, we can never be 100 percent sure of our data. No matter how careful we are we always end up in a situation where a format or a reinstall is the only way out. Then, we either scrounge for a good backup media or whine about the lack of good backup services for Linux. If you're more of a whiner, then this article will show how you can safely backup your data in as many ways as possible on Ubuntu. Here are few of the things you'll be able to back up after reading this article: files, settings, installation files (debs), music and movies collection, browser data, passwords and almost all important data.




Sabtu, 02 April 2011

Best Finance Apps for Android

The basic wallet, as we know it, is gradually being absorbed into the digital world and mobile devices are deemed to take the throne and become the eventual digital wallet. This is just one way that the Android platform is taking financial management to the next level of mobile computing. Numerous apps are taking advantage of the computing power that the platform offers to create Finance Apps that make managing our finances and carrying out transactions a whole lot easier.

Here are some of the best finance apps available for Android:


Easy-to-use and convenient are just two of the numerous benefits that come with the Mint for Android App. Mint is one of the most popular online services that brings your financial accounts together online, categorizes transactions and lets you set budgets. It therefore comes as no surprise that Mint on Android is one of the best Finance Apps on the platform. The app is full of features that make managing your money and keeping track of your budget on-the-move extremely simple. Even better, is that the app works in real time by giving users up-to-date information about their accounts, letting them check budgets and edit transactions. As anyone would expect when dealing with finances, the Mint app is password protected to offer a level of security to users.