Desktop

Its no big secret that I have been a big fan of Firefox. I have been using Firefox 3.0 beta 5 ever since it got included as the default browser with Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron). Needless to say, I was quite impressed with the new avatar. Ars has a great series of articles that cover the new features introduced in Firefox betas. However, the Linux interface had not changed much from Firefox 2.0.

Today, I was forced into trying the beta in Windows (yes, it's been that long since I've had to use a Windows maching on a regular basis). On one side, I'm disappointed by why a major interface overhaul was not included in the Linux release. On the other hand, I'm practically smiling with joy looking at the pure aesthetics of this release in Windows. The Forward/Backward button integration, the enhanced address bar, the default navigation buttons, the screen preview of text/graphics selected and dragged - wow! (Read this article for a summary of the changes)

The browser is said to be using significantly lower memory than previously releases, and is really fast. And the browser has not crashed on me even once (though, I have to admit, I have not exactly stress tested it yet).

You can download the beta here. As always, the normal warning of beta releases apply - don't use it for anything critical (like share trading, bank transactions, etc.), and don't blame me if anything goes wrong.

I recently learnt about the Ken Burns effect and wanted to use it in a slideshow I had to make. The Ken Burns effect is a mixture of pan and zoom effects to create a really professional slideshow. During my extensive search for a tool I looked at open source alternatives (such as the dvd-slideshow tool for Linux) and proprietary software (Microsoft Movie Maker which comes bundled with Windows XP is surprisingly useful), I finally landed on the page for Microsoft Photo Story 3.

This tool is exactly what I was looking for. You customize start and end points in a photo, customize motion, add speech, audio, notes, and you're off. You can export your slideshow in a variety of resolutions (unfortunately, only in the windows media video format).

I believe in giving credit where it is due. This is the second Microsoft software after Microsoft Excel that I appreciate. The next time you want to create a slideshow, give Microsoft Photo Story 3 a run.

There - I did it. I have totally shifted to Ubuntu. It's a breath of fresh air, and it has breathed new life into my old laptop (an HP Compaq nc6230). The latest release, Gutsy Gibbon is not exactly for the feint of heart, but with the right kind of browsing through the Ubuntu Forums, you'll get everything working. Well, it took me a sabbatical and a break from blogging - but I think it was worth it.

And if you think, graphics on the Vista are cool - check this video out - you are bound to be impressed (yes, the cube and the dock work on my laptop).

About the best thing of Ubuntu are its repositories. With a click of a few buttons (just click on 'Add/Remove' in the applications menu), you have access to programs that:

• Convert metres to feet (ConvertAll)
• Synchronizes your music collection with your iPod (RhythmBox, Amarok, Banshee)
• Burn CDs/DVDs (GnomeBaker, Brasero)
• Edits images as well as Photoshop (the Gimp)
• Take notes - Wiki style (Tomboy)
• Read comics off the Internet (Comix, Buoh)
• Edit documents (OOO, Abiword), make presentations, create databases, and work on spreadsheets (all OOO)

And all are free!

Of course, popular applications seen on Windows like Firefox, VLC Media Player, BitTornado and Google Picasa work too.

Take a day off, install Ubuntu, and let me know of your experience by leaving a comment below.

You can download Ubuntu using normal download or a torrent (intel computers). You can even request for a FREE installation CD to be sent to your house by clicking here.

PS> This post has been written in 100% Ubuntu :)

My first attempt at Linux was 5 years back when I had given it up with a 'too difficult to handle' tag. Just installing the operating system was a big event in itself with tons of caveats and configuration changes. The release of Ubuntu made things a lot better, but still, I wanted a safe and easy way to experiment without making any significant changes to my PC configuration.

I read about Wubi - a program for installing Linux on a virtual drive in a Windows computer and allowing it to be loaded at boot time. I craved for more ease. My efforts led to VirtualBox - a virtualization software that can install and run Ubuntu in a window within Windows XP. Virtualization is a method of creating a virtual computer for an operating system that makes the operating system believe that it is working in a computer of its own, whereas it is actually working in an environment created by another operating system. You can do whatever you want to inside the environment without affecting the main operating system. To see the results, click on the screenshot.

Here's a step-by-step of getting your own Ubuntu system up and running:

• Download and install VirtualBox from here (choose the Windows x86 binary if you are running an Intel based PC)
• Download an Ubuntu ISO (I would suggest the Desktop version) from this page (it will be ~700 MB in size)
• Run VirtualBox, click on the New Virtual Maching button and give it a name (I chose Feisty after Ubuntu's current release codenamed Feisty Fawn), select the type as Linux 2.6
• On the next screen choose how much RAM to offer to Ubuntu (I chose 256 MB on my 512 MB RAM laptop, and it worked wonders - Ubunty was quite breezy :)
• In the next screen, click on 'New' to create a virtual hard disk for Ubuntu to use
• You can create one that is 'Dynamically increasing in size' in the screen that follows
• I chose to make the drive 6GB in size - this left a good 4 GB for me to experiment in
• Back in the Virtual Machine screen, 'Finish' to create the drive
• Your drive should appear in the main VirtualBox screen
• Next, click on the settings button, and then select the 'CD/DVD-ROM' tab
• Check the 'Mount' checkbox, select the 'ISO image file' radio button, and navigate to the Ubuntu ISO you downloaded
• That's it, click on OK, and double click on 'Fiesty' to start Ubuntu's installation.

You'll go straight to the Ubuntu Live desktop. Click on 'Install' and just follow the instructions. When asked for hard disk options, let Ubuntu take the entire virtual hard disk you created. The installation will take some 20 minutes - so you can grab a cup of coffee in the meantime (or play Jetman!).

Once the installation completes, do remember to unmount the Ubuntu CD-ROM ISO so that 'Fiesty' goes to the installed OS and not the live OS the next time you start the virtual machine.

Wasn't that easy? I hope to open a world of Linux applications with this soon. Let me know if there is any particular application that you want me to cover by leaving a comment below. Also, do let me know if you run into a problem installing Ubuntu.

I have come to quite appreciate Firefox. Not for the security, not because its not by Microsoft, but because its the most customizable software that I have ever used. The customization comes from little downloads called extensions.

The following is a list of extensions that I feel are absolutely essential! These extensions are for everyone, not for the technology inclined (read geeks).

1. TabMix Plus - Tabs are becoming essential. All browsers now have them (including Internet Explorer 7). No one likes a barrage of windows on the Windows taskbar. But no browser offers the level of control that Firefox + TabMix Plus allows. You can control the behavious, appearance, opening, etc. of all tabs. You can even relocate them or add a closeing cross on each tab.
2. Google Toolbar for Firefox - Though this version does not offer all the features of the latest Google Internet Explorer toolbar, its still quite essential. You can safely remove the Firefox search bar. Google Suggest is enabled by default (although I've never found a use for that).
3. Firefox Preloader - Even though this is not exactly an extension, the preloader is another essential tool. Compared to Internet Explorer, Firefox takes a long time to load. This is because many components of Internet Explorerare loaded into the memory by Windows. This tool loads essential components of Firefox. You can quickly start Firefox by just clicking on the icon in the taskbar near the clock. Quite simple and addictive.
4. IE Tab - This extension allows you to view a page in Internet Explorer within a Firefox tab. No need to fire up Internet Explorer separately. Quite useful for viewing pages such as Microsoft's website and Outlook WebAccess and other sites that are optimized for Internet Explorer. Works like a charm.
5. Download Status Bar - This shows your downloads and status in a nice little bar at the bottom of the browser window. Get rid of that irritating Download Manager window.
6. AdBlock + AdBlock Filterset.G Updater - This set of extensions removes advertisements from pages. The filters are quite comprehensive and most ads will never appear. You can avoid being distracted from animated advertisements while working, and of course pages appear faster.
7. GreaseMonkey - This extension allows customization of pages as they load. For example, you could add links to relevant content, change the links of the page, or even change the formatting. Changes are defined by site-specific user scripts, hundreds of which are available for free download.
8. Colorful Tabs - Bordering on being a purely aesthetic extension, this one distinctively colors tabs. Allows you to distinguish tabs that have similar long titles. Also breaks the mundane look of the tabs toolbar.

Download and try Firefox today! You wont regret it.

I feel pretty confident about this. If nothing else, Google will launch a service just like Goowy.

Goowy is a full-featured online desktop, and I'm *very* impressed with it. Goowy includes a cool interface, a desktop that holds links for all applications, a 'minis' page that holds widgets, an IM application (connects to Yahoo, MSN, AIM, and ICQ), an online file storage drive (2 GB), a mail application (2 GB) that uses Adobe Macromedia Flash and does everything that MS Outlook does (drag-and-drop, mail alerts included), an address book, a calendar, and a set of nice Flash games. All applications run in windows that share screen space in your browser window. It even has a small taskbar that can be used to switch between applications. What's more - the taskbar has a Google deskbar like search box that allows you to search directly (I would rather the results showed in a window within the same window, but currently, the results open in a separate window). Here's what the taskbar looks like:

Goowy and Google deserve each other. Firstly, the names are too phonetically similar for coincidence. Goowy would fit right into Google's tools. Even now, I can imagine a Writely icon on the Goowy taskbar. This could prove quite strategic. An entire operating system on the Internet. It goes wherever you go. No need for installing anything - all you need is a PC with a browser and an Internet connection. You can do *whatever* you want to without worries of security, configuration, updates, crashes, storage space etc., etc. Google sweeps the floor from right under MS's feet, without even entering the operating system market.

In the mean time, I give Goowy five stars for innovation and implementation. I can't wait to see how the cookie crumbles.

You might want to check out 'Yahoo! Widgets' widget engine. Widgets are little modules that are placed on your desktop and give you access to little controls/pieces of information. You can check your free disk space, see your local weather forecast, tune into online radios, launch applications, read RSS feeds, etc. They might not provide any great additional functionalities, but they sure are good to look at (remind me to talk about 'The Chocolate Wrapper Theory').

I'd encourage you to check out the coding for these widgets. They provide a good and easy to understand example for XML, which seems to be the de-facto language for next-gen data representation and transport.

Windows Vista will have its own set of widgets in a 'Sidebar'. I guess with a widget engine built into the OS, the days of Yahoo! Widgets are limited.

If you really have the time, check out Kapsules, an alternate widget engine for Windows.