Author Archive

• Why Subversion is not a complete way to update WordPress

  Date: 2012.01.29 | Category: How to, Reviews, Trends, Wordpress | Response: 0

  While WordPress offers the functionality of upgrading core files, themes and plugins via the Dashboard, this feature cannot be used with some webhosts who are keen on security. Upgrading via FTP is time-consuming and error prone. FTP is also not very secure. To quote one webhost, “Its 2012, and you shouldn’t be using FTP for anything.” Subversion offers the promise of one-click one-command, lightning-fast, server side upgrades. Is Subversion the way to go or has Subversion yet to grow up for the casual WordPress user? Please note that this posting is more of a documentation of experiential learning in an area that really needs documentation. This is not to be read as a manual. And I am not in a position to offer support.

  What is Subversion?

  Subversion is a version control system for software. The basic concept is to host the most recent copy of the software on a publicly accessible web server, known as a repository. Using a few shell based commands, a user can download or upgrade to the latest version of the software. A user can also downgrade to a previous version of the software if he or she finds that previous release more stable. A developer can also access the latest “nightly build” of the software for testing purposes (referred to in subversion as the “trunk” version). All approved developers of the software can commit changes to the trunk version of the software in real-time, making the trunk version of the software a working copy of latest code changes. This is especially helpful for software like WordPress, whose total developers number in four digits.

  For a long time, repositories were the only painful way to get software and patches for Linux (in the interest of security). Later distributions of Linux added GUIs to make this process more interactive. However, Linux now allows downloading and installing software from websites, provided the installer file has a .apt extension.

  How is subversion different from FTP?

  FTP involves dumping files from your own computer onto the web server. Subversion works strictly on the web server side (and must be supported by your web server). You issue shell commands to the web server to download software onto your web server.

  There are complex ways to make Subversion work locally as well. For example, you could download and install the Tortoise SVN client, which creates a repository of desired software on your hard drive. And this in turn, is synced with your web server. But again, this defeats the purpose of making installation and upgrade strictly web based. And its not as simple as it sounds. I am still looking for a good tutorial.

  How is a Subversion WordPress Installation different from a Traditional FTP one?

  A Subversion WordPress Installation has a folder called .svn in the main root directory. Similar .svn folders can be found in the Themes and plugins directory, as well as for each and every theme and plugin folder.

  The .svn folders store files with the extension of .svn. They contain version information about WordPress and its components. This information is necessary for future Subversion upgrades or downgrades.  These files can be downloaded via FTP and viewed with an editor such as Notepad++. But it is not possible not recommended to edit these files in any way. Doing so can “break” Subversion upgrades. It is also not recommended to move them around using FTP, as they store path information which may not be correctly updated.  These files are only meant to be handled using a shell-based command line interface. Removing these files makes your WordPress installation identical to a traditional FTP one.

  A Subversion WordPress Installation is expected to be only upgraded through subversion. Later doing an FTP upgrade of the Subversion WordPress installation will not impact WordPress functionality in any way. But Subversion will get broken and may not be used again. Installing themes and plugins via FTP on a Subversion WordPress installation will not impact the functionality of these components in any way. Neither will it break Subversion for the core WordPress installation. And neither will such themes and plugins be lost when WordPress is upgraded via Subversion. Likewise, such themes and plugins can only be updated via FTP, not Subversion.

  What are the advantages of Subversion

  The primary advantage of Subversion is for developers, who need access to latest “bleeding edge” versions of WordPress, WordPress plugins and WordPress themes. There is no other way of accessing this stuff.

  For the casual user, WordPress can also be installed for the first time using Subversion. Compared to an FTP install, a Subversion install takes only a fraction of the time (around 15 seconds). Upgrading WordPress via Subversion also takes around 15 seconds. And requires only entering a command. This means your blog will be offline for a lot less longer. And this can be done remotely, as long as you have the right credentials. Upgrading WordPress via FTP requires care. The latest version needs to be downloaded and unzipped. Some files and folders in the existing installation have to be deleted and new ones are then uploaded to replace them. There is always the danger of deleting the wrong files, which can jeopardize the blog.

  How to Install WordPress via Subversion

  Once you have made sure your host supports Subversion, all you need to do is to connect to your FTP account using a terminal. A free software such as Putty can be used for this purpose.

  1. Connect to your website by typing your FTP credentials into the terminal window
  2. In a browser, go to WordPress.org and note the version number of the latest stable release (in this case, it is 3.3.1).
  3. Go to your root folder using the cd (change directory) command.
  4. If you want to install WordPress into a folder such that your blog will be accessible at example.com/blog, type
     • mkdir blog
     • Then navigate to it by typing cd blog
  5. If you want to install WordPress to the root directory, ignore the previous step.
  6. Type svn co http://core.svn.wordpress.org/tags/3.3.1 .  Note the trailing dot preceded by a single space.
  7. Files will start being downloaded and unzipped. You should be done in less than a minute.

  Needless to say, Subversion is not the only way to make a fast install of WordPress. A non-SVN version can also be installed via command line using the following procedure,

  1. Connect to your website by typing your FTP credentials into the terminal window
  2. In a browser, go to WordPress.org and note the version number of the latest stable release (in this case, it is 3.3.1).
  3. Go to your root folder using the cd (change directory) command.
  4. If you want to install WordPress into a folder such that your blog will be accessible at example.com/blog, type
     • mkdir blog
     • Then navigate to it by typing cd blog
  5. If you want to install WordPress to the root directory, ignore the previous step.
  6. Type wget http://wordpress.org/latest.tar.gz
  7. Files will start being downloaded. To unzip them, type tar -xzvf latest.tar.gz
  8. Then remove the zipped file typing rm latest.tar.gz

  Once you are finished installing via Subversion, wget or plain old FTP, make sure you are in the WordPress directory, and type the following commands to set up permissions properly:

  • chgrp web index.php
  • cd wp-content
  • mkdir uploads
  • cd ..
  • chmod -R 775 wp-content
  • chgrp -R web wp-content
  • mkdir tmp
  • chgrp web tmp
  • chmod 775 tmp

  To enable media uploads via the WordPress Dashboard, you will need to change some group ownership permissions

  • chgrp web wp-admin/async-upload.php
  • chgrp web wp-admin/media-upload.php

  Further information on activating your WordPress install and connecting it to your MySQL database can be found here.

  How to convert an existing WordPress Installation to Subversion

  This is beyond the scope of this article. Please note that converting existing blogs to Subversion can be nightmarish if WordPress was installed in the root folder of the public directory. Although WordPress provides detailed steps and further information can be found, some web hosts do not allow renaming/swapping of the root directory.

  How to upgrade WordPress via Subversion

  Only a WordPress Installation that was installed via Subversion can be upgraded using Subversion.

  1. Connect to your website by typing your FTP credentials into the terminal window
  2. In a browser, go to WordPress.org and note the version number of the latest stable release (in this case, it is 3.3.1).
  3. Go to the folder that contains the WordPress installation using the cd (change directory) command.
  4. Type svn sw http://core.svn.wordpress.org/tags/3.3.1/ . Note the trailing dot preceded by a single space. Note that this is slightly different from the earlier install command.
  5. Files will start downloading and unzipping. You should be done in less than a minute. Unlike an FTP upgrade, an SVN upgrade only downloads and updates specific files and components that have been upgraded, and is therefore less time consuming.
  6. Login to your WordPress Dashboard using your browser and make sure everything is OK.

  How to install additional plugins via Subversion

  This is the part where Subversion falters. The WordPress Subversion installation comes bundled only with the Akismet plugin. To install additional plugins, you have to engage in command line acrobatics.

  1. Go to WordPress.org and note the latest version of the plugin (In this case, 1.6.13.8).
  2. Go to the WordPress plugin Subversion repository and note the name of the plugin. For example, the plugin All in One SEO Pack will be listed as all-in-one-seo-pack.
  3. Download and install Vim on your computer. Vim is a command line editor that works very well within the shell environment. Don’t bother learning to use it because we will only make use of it in an indirect, limited way. Of course, there are more user-friendly editors as well, but Vim seems to interface with minimal errors.
  4. Connect to your website by typing your FTP credentials into the terminal window
  5. Go to the folder that contains the WordPress plugins using the cd (change directory) command.
  6. We need to set Vim as the command line text editor. Type export SVN_EDITOR=vi
  7. Type svn propedit svn:externals . Note the trailing dot preceded by a single space and the single quotation marks.
  8. This will open an editable file in command line. Before you proceed, please note that you will have to use Vim-specific keyboard commands. The mouse will not work. A handy guide to Vim-specific commands can be found here.
  9. Go to the line below it using Vim-specific commands and type
  10. all-in-one-seo-pack http://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/all-in-one-seo-pack/tags/1.6.13.8/
  11. Save the file by typing Vim-specific commands ( : followed by x followed by [return])
  12. Type svn update
  13. Go to your WordPress Dashboard and activate the plugin.

  How to install additional themes via Subversion

  This is another part where Subversion falters. The WordPress Subversion installation comes bundled only with two basic themes. To install additional themes, you have to engage in command line acrobatics.

  1. Go to WordPress.org and note the latest version of the plugin (In this case, 1.2).
  2. Go to the WordPress theme Subversion repository and note the name of the theme. For example, the theme Coraline will be listed as coraline.
  3. Download and install Vim on your computer. Vim is a command line editor that works very well within the shell environment. Don’t bother learning to use it because we will only make use of it in an indirect, limited way. Of course, there are more user-friendly editors as well, but Vim seems to interface with minimal errors.
  4. Connect to your website by typing your FTP credentials into the terminal window
  5. Go to the folder that contains the WordPress themes using the cd (change directory) command.
  6. We need to set Vim as the command line text editor. Type export SVN_EDITOR=vi
  7. Type svn propedit svn:externals .  Note the trailing dot preceded by a single space and the single quotation marks.
  8. This will open an editable file in command line. Before you proceed, please note that you will have to use Vim-specific keyboard commands. The mouse will not work. A handy guide to Vim-specific commands can be found here.
  9. Go to the line below it using Vim-specific commands and type
  10. coraline http://themes.svn.wordpress.org/coraline/1.2/
  11. Save the file by typing Vim-specific commands ( : followed by x followed by [return])
  12. Type svn update
  13. Go to your WordPress Dashboard and activate the theme.

  How to upgrade additional themes and plugins via Subversion

  When you upgrade WordPress via Subversion, only the Akismet plugin and the two default themes will also be upgraded. The additional themes and plugins have to be separately upgraded via command line acrobatics.

  1. Login to your WordPress Dashboard. Your dashboard should indicate which plugins/themes are out of date and what are the version numbers of the new version. Alternatively, this can be done by checking the WordPress plugin and theme Subversion repositories (which is safer, because Subversion can only update to version numbers listed in the repository; For example, the WordPress Dashboard may indicate the new version as version 2.31 whereas the correct format (as listed in the repository) is 2.3.1.
  2. Download and install Vim on your computer. Vim is a command line editor that works very well within the shell environment. Don’t bother learning to use it because we will only make use of it in an indirect, limited way. Of course, there are more user-friendly editors as well, but Vim seems to interface with minimal errors.
  3. Connect to your website by typing your FTP credentials into the terminal window
  4. Go to the folder that contains the WordPress plugins (or themes) using the cd (change directory) command.
  5. We need to set Vim as the command line text editor. Type export SVN_EDITOR=vi
  6. Type svn propedit svn:externals .Note the trailing dot preceded by a single space and the single quotation marks.
  7. This will open an editable file in command line. This is the same file you previously edited to add additional themes or plugins (which should be listed in the file). Before you proceed, please note that you will have to use Vim-specific keyboard commands. The mouse will not work. A handy guide to Vim-specific commands can be found here.
  8. Go to the line on which your plugin/theme is listed using Vim-specific commands. Then move your mouse to the version number using Vim-specific commands. And replace the existing version number with the new version number, using Vim-specific commands.
  9. Save the file by typing Vim-specific commands ( : followed by x followed by [return])
  10. Type svn update
  11. Go to your WordPress Dashboard and make sure everything is right.

  Conclusion

  While updating WordPress through SVN is a breeze, the same does not apply to updating (or installing) additional themes and plugins.

  Nowhere is the casual WordPress user near the dream of updating WordPress and all plugins/themes using one command. Rather than a step towards automation for the casual user, SVN as it stands today, is still a developer tool that is best suited for updating to the “trunk”versions. Updating to latest stable releases requires manually entering the version number of the latest stable release. There is no command for automatically updating to the latest stable release.

  Clearly, Subversion for WordPress has a long way to go before it can truly replace FTP as a solution to update WordPress. In fact, installing/updating additional themes via FTP may be less time consuming in certain cases (Putty does not remember login credentials). Also, there is quite a margin of error when typing in text via command line, using the convoluted Vim interface.

  The precarious typing also takes out the joy of trying out new plugins on whim.

  There are of course, complicated ways to create a unified update process for both WordPress and additional themes and plugins. These are clearly beyond the scope of the casual user.

  But until Subversion for WordPress grows up, a hybrid solution can be pursued. While WordPress may be be installed and updated via Subversion, additional themes and plugins may be installed using FTP. The two can coexist, and even updating WordPress through Subversion will not affect the functionality of the additional themes and plugins installed via FTP.

  Further Reading (Subversion How-To’s)

  What WordPress has to say on Subversion

  Upgrading WordPress via Suubversion

  Useful SVN Commands

  Installing additional plugins via subversion

  svn:externals command line wizardry (1 & 2)

  What is your stance on Subversion for Wordpress?

  • I will go without it (grow up Subversion...)
  • I will fully convert to Subversion, using it for additional themes and plugins as well
  • I will pursue a hybrid solution using both FTP and Subversion

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• Piwigo and Zenphoto; a Comparative Review

  Date: 2012.01.15 | Category: Reviews, Wordpress | Response: 2

  Open Source Software for web-based photo galleries has been around for a very long time. Web based photo galleries mean different things for different people. The casual user feels no compulsion to go Open Source and host his or her own photo gallery, thanks to Flickr®, Picassa®, Photobucket® and Facebook®. But apart from  privacy and ownership issues, these services are fairly limited when it comes to integration with blogging platforms. For example, Photobucket® only allows its users to post a slide show of their photos in a blog post. A clickable thumbnail gallery cannot be inserted into a blog post as of now. And Photobucket® has the annoying tendency to automatically resize images to save bandwidth (at the expense of quality). For example, a 1.5 MB DSLR image will end up becoming a 70KB image once its uploaded to Photobucket®.

  For me, experimenting with Open Source web-based photo galleries began when I began to realise the limitations of WordPress when it comes to photoblogging.

  When WordPress started off, photos were more or less an afterthought. Photos on WordPress were given some advanced functionality by plugins. The best I could find was the nextGEN gallery by Alex Rabe of Germany, which seems to be partly inspired by oldtime photoblogging favourite, Coppermine.

  Everything was great with nextGen gallery, until I wanted to add just a little more content to photo descriptions. I discovered that it was impossible to add a hyperlink into the image description field (unless I was willing to hack some components). For those interested in pursuing this path, here’s a link.

  Even WordPress admits its helplessness when it comes to photos, suggesting that users change their site theme to a photoblog theme, or use a WordPress plugin that is compatible with an outside web-based photo gallery.

  Since I am an occassional photoblogger, changing the site’s theme to a photoblog theme was not an option. Therefore I started on my quest to find an ideal Open Source web-based photo gallery. I had some very specific criteria.

  1. Maximum compatibility with WordPress, especially when it came to inserting image galleries into a blog post.
  2. The ability to add HTML content to a photo’s description.
  3. The ability to add Copyright info to a photo’s description.

  With these criteria in mind, I found Wikipedia very helpful in narrowing down on Piwigo and Zenphoto. Apparently, these two Open Source web-based photo galleries have the most features. A close third would probably be Coppermine.

  Please note that my comparative review is based on Piwigo 2.3.2 and Zenphoto 1.4.1.6. Things are changing fast in this area and this comparative review should be considered outdated in a few months.

  It is interesting to note that while WordPress development has diverged from photoblogging, Open Source web-based photo galleries now draw cues from Wordpress’s famous “five minute install” and theme/plugin architecture.

  Piwigo and Zenphoto; History

  Both Piwigo and Zenphoto have been around for more than five years. Zenphoto is relatively newer (they don’t have a Wikipedia page). Zenphoto developers appear to be based in America while Piwigo developers appear to be clustered in France. It appears that Zenphoto is more small scale than Piwigo, in terms of code volume. This is quite surprising because I found it more feature-rich and more sophisticated. Both Zenphoto and Piwigo have had security vulnerabilities in the past (all appropriately patched). But Zenphoto appears to have had more than its share of bad press.

  Piwigo also offers full fledged photo hosting service (in the fashion of WordPress.com).

  Piwigo and Zenphoto;  Installation

  I ran into installation issues related to PHP on my host server and file permission settings with both Piwigo and Zenphoto.

  

  Zenphoto gives a thorough preinstall analysis

  In the case of Piwigo, I had to shoot in the dark because there were no preinstall checks. In the case of Zenphoto, a preinstall screen pretty much summed up all of my issues, giving me specific pointers on troubleshooting.

  Newbie Tip: Never Install Piwigo or Zenphoto onto your existing WordPress database. Create a new database. And better yet, install on a subdomain instead of your WordPress domain.

  Piwigo and Zenphoto; Support

  I consider support for Open Source software as a courtesy and therefore my expectations were low.

  But within a day of posting my problems on Piwigo and Zenphoto support forums, I recieved direction from their support staff.

  Zenphoto appeared to have some (non-impacting) technical issues with their forums. They also have a system of moderating newbie posts.

  Piwigo and Zenphoto; Features

  Both Piwigo and Zenphoto were able to superbly meet requirements 1 & 2 (adding html content to individual images). But I found Zenphoto to be more sophisticated and advanced (detractors may use the word “dizzying”). There is the ability to fine tune everything. For example, Zenphoto has the option of enabling secure logins, (provided the server supports OpenID) whereas Piwigo does not. In addition, the bundled themes that come with Zenphoto are very clean and sophisticated. Zenphoto even has special themes that can replicate your original WordPress blog themes!

  When uploading image files via FTP, Piwigo requires that thumbnails be also created and uploaded to a subfolder with the prefix TN-. This requires batch processing of image files by a local image editor such as Adobe Photoshop Essentials. The alternative is to avoid uploading images via FTP and instead use a special upload program (Ploader) created by Piwigo. Zenphoto has no such requirements.

  Piwigo and Zenphoto; WordPress Integration

  Zenphoto initially appeared promising when it came to WordPress integration. After all, there were four WordPress plugins for Zenphoto, compared to just one for Piwigo.

  But the first Zenphoto plugin for WordPress is no longer under active development. Another one “may” support Zenphoto later on. One plugin (ZenphotoPress) that appeared promising works as intended, but only if zenphoto is hosted on the same site as the wordpress blog. Another plugin allows Zenphoto integration on another blog by reading the public RSS feed of the Zenphoto gallery (provided that it is enabled). But it does’nt appear compatible with the latest release of Zen photo.

  

  PiwigoMEDIA WordPress plugin allows easy insertion of images in a Piwigo Gallery, as well as entire thumbnailed albums.

  This left me with no way to go but Piwigo. The Piwigomedia Plugin utilizes the TinyMCE interface and works exactly as intended. It does not duplicate images in the Piwigo gallery. A demonstration can be found at the bottom of this page.

  Conclusion

  While Zenphoto clearly has sophistication and features, Piwigo has best managed to achieve WordPress Integration while offering an impressive, yet not dizzying array of features.

  What web-based PhotoGallery software do you prefer?

  • Wordpress (or my CMS) meets my needs
  • nextGEN plugin for Wordpress
  • Piwigo
  • Zenphoto
  • Coppermine
  • Third party hosting (Picassa,Photobucket, Flickr)
  • Gallery Project
  • phTagr
  • Resource Space
  • TinyWebGallery
  • Phoca Gallery
  • Other

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• HP’s dreaded “Ink System Failure”

  Date: 2011.12.15 | Category: Inkjets | Response: 0

  

  The mechanical side of inkjet printing is relatively simple compared to laser printing. This makes it all the more irritating when an obnoxious error message pops up in HP’s “smart” inkjets.

  There have been numerous cases of an “ink System Failure” message popping up on HP inkjets. To give an extent of the problem, typing in “HP” and “Ink System Failure” throws up 340,000 results in Google. There appears to be no clear solution. Based on what I have gathered on HP support websites and forums,

  1. It is a problem with the printhead, therefore try cleaning the printhead.
  2. Its an issue that can be resolved by simply resetting the printer.
  3. It can be resolved by replacing the printhead. However ordering a replacement printhead is mission impossible on the HP website.
  4. Its an issue related to the use of non-genuine or depleted cartridges, and can be fixed by installing new HP cartridges.
  5. It is because of cartridges having their air vents blocked.
  6. It can be fixed be replacing the CMOS battery within the printer, that keeps track of print history (Good luck with that).
  7. It can be fixed by doing a nozzle check by accessing a secret support menu.

  All these solutions are conflicting, and HP Support appears to be all the more clueless. And HP rarely if ever releases firmware updates.

  What makes this error all the more obnoxious is that there is no way past it. For example, you may expect an “Ink System Failure” message to only impact printing, and not the scanning function in All-in-Ones. But that is not the case here. The entire device gets bricked once this message appears.

  There is a tendency for this message to appear after the first year of purchase. Built in obsolescence?

• Have you been Clouded?

  Date: 2011.11.06 | Category: Cloud Computing, Trends | Response: 2

  This graphic is an addition to one of the more popular articles on this website, Ten Reasons Why Cloud Computing is a Bad Idea. Feel free to use it and reproduce it. A printout on an office/cubicle notice board can be fairly effective in spreading awareness on the subject.

  Please click on the image or click here to download a high quality version of the below image, complete with a link and a QR code for mobile phones.

  

  
  Have You Been Clouded? by Hamad Subani / Techtangerine.com is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
  Based on a work at www.techtangerine.com.
  Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.techtangerine.com/2011/11/06/have-you-been-clouded.

• Who killed Encyclopaedia Dramatica?

  Date: 2011.05.09 | Category: Internet Subculture | Response: 0

  In April 2011, the url of Encyclopaedia Dramatica began redirecting to OhInternet. In a span of a few days, an important part of the Internet subculture Anonymous had disappeared. And was replaced by a website similar to the dozens of websites that commercialize Internet phenomena. Here’s some investigation of what may have happened. Read the rest of this entry »

• Why do Western countries pay stupendously more for prepaid wireless service?

  Date: 2011.02.12 | Category: Mobile, Trends | Response: 0

  While Canada is home to latest developments in wireless technology (Blackberry is headquartered in Canada), wireless service in Canada features a huge price disparity compared to developing countries.

  For example, Rogers Wireless, the biggest mobile phone service provider in Canada, has several prepaid plans. The prepaid plan that requires the minimum top-up ($10/month) charges 40 cents a minute for incoming and outgoing calls.

  On the other hand, Vodafone India minimum top up for a prepaid plan is $1.42/Month (66 Indian Rupees) and the rate offered is $0.01297 cents a minute for outgoing calls. Incoming is free. Interestingly, Vodafone UK offers 33 cents a minute (21p) for outgoing calls.

  We are told that this disparity is the result of economies of scale, given that it is impossible for Canadian wireless service providers to find as many subscribers as they would find in India. But there are many more reasons to think otherwise. The wireless service industry in North America is concentrated among a few players, just like Big Tobacco and Big Sugar. There maybe more at work here than economies of scale.

  Why do we pay more?

  • Economies of Scale
  • Cabal

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• Blackberry Waiving $200 Registration Fee for App Developers for “Limited Time”

  Date: 2010.12.27 | Category: Mobile | Response: 2

   

  Blackberry has been late to the apps marketplace. This was partly because apps were never a main focal point for RIM. But after some growing pains, the Blackberry App World now provides an app marketplace for Blackberry users that bears the robustness we have come to expect from the Blackberry OS. It still requires PayPal for purchasing apps though.

  Recently, I came across this message on the Blackberry App World Distribution Page:

  BlackBerry App World limited time offer: $0 registration and submission fees.

  Obviously good news for developers. Given the fact that the one time registration fee costs around $200.

  Maybe RIM has learnt that penalizing charging developers is not a good idea at a time when apps are becoming critical to the success of mobile phone platforms.

• Enabling Hardware Virtualization on a SONY VAIO VGN-CR320 Laptop – An Experience

  Date: 2010.05.19 | Category: How to | Response: 1

   

  Note that what follows is not a how-to guide. Rather, a recollection of an experience. I am not an expert in this area. And what worked for me may not necessarily work for you, even if you replicate each step to the very best. Worse, there is a very realistic probability of bricking your computer for good and the possibility of voiding your warranty. The purpose of writing about this experience is to contribute to the existing body of knowledge on this subject. I am not in a position to provide any kind of support whatsoever. Please also read the disclaimer.

  What is Hardware Virtualization?

  Hardware Virtualization is the capability of a computer’s processor and/or motherboard to allow the operating system to to run another operating system. Usually, the host operating system pretends to emulate the hardware requirements of the other operating system. Hardware Virtualization further  supplements this by allowing the secondary operating system to access the capabilities of the processor and/or motherboard in a more direct manner, resulting in more performance. For more information, check Wikipedia.

  Why enable Hardware Virtualization?

  When Windows 7 was rolled out, they offered a nifty feature called Windows Virtual PC as an optional download. The Windows Virtual PC allows running Windows XP inside a window within Windows 7. There are some very specific reasons why you would want to do this.

  1. You may want to run programs that can only be run in Windows XP, thanks to lazy developers who are not patching/updating their software. Normally, most programs that can be run in Windows XP can be run in Windows 7, because Windows 7 comes equipped with a compatibility mode to address this problem. But there are some programs that just don’t want to leave their home environment. Windows 7 initially made the capability of hardware virtualization mandatory to run Windows Virtual PC. But since then, they have released another patch which allows Windows Virtual PC to run on a computer without hardware virtualization or without having hardware virtualization enabled. If you intend to enable hardware virtualization just for running Windows Virtual PC, you may gain slightly better performance.
  2. You are a computer programmer, and you require hardware virtualization in order to run not just Windows Virtual PC but other emulated environments as well.

  Other than the above two reasons, enabling hardware virtualization has no other tangible benefits. Enabling hardware virtualization to overcome a feeling of deprivation is not a worthy pursuit.

  Why did SONY disable hardware virtualization on some laptops?

  SONY disabled hardware virtualization on some laptops by providing these laptops with rudimentary BIOS (that screen that comes up when you boot). Unlike typical BIOS, the BIOS simply did not have the feature for users to enable or disable hardware virtualization. When an advanced user buys a high end laptop, he or she expects to “play” with the BIOS. And being provided with a “limited feature” BIOS is not what he or she would expect.

  SONY has been evasive in providing an answer. Clearly, this was not done to cut costs.  There have been all sorts of speculation about this, and following the uproar, SONY did release new BIOS updates for select laptops. To check if your SONY laptop has a new BIOS update that enables hardware virtualization, go to Sony eSupport. This issue started gaining momentum around August 2009, coinciding with beta releases of Windows 7. Users who wanted to upgrade to Windows 7 and who also wanted to take full advantage of Windows Virtual PC. Assuming that SONY has learnt its lesson, we can assume that new laptops are not having hardware virtualization disabled. It wouldn’t hurt to check the BIOS in the showroom before purchasing a SONY computer.

  Note: As of this date, SONY has released no patches for VGN-CR320 that enable hardware virtualization. A SONY customer support rep declined to comment on the possible future release of an updated BIOS.

  Enabling Hardware Virtualization

  The first thing to do is to check if your computer has hardware virtualization, and whether or not it is turned on. The easiest way to accomplish this is to get into the BIOS during boot. But the VGN-CR320 comes with a rudimentary Phoenix BIOS that does not give any such information.

  Therefore, the next step is downloading a Windows utility that checks whether or not hardware virtualization is supported on the computer. This utility gives some useful feedback, such as whether or not the BIOS has enabled or disabled the feature. In this case, the utility reported that even though the computer had hardware virtualization enabled, the BIOS had disabled it.

  As a double-check, also download and run the Intel Processor Identification utility. The VAIO VGN-CR320 comes equipped with an Intel Centrino Santa Rosa Platform (2007). According to the Intel Processor Identification utility, it has hardware virtualization capability.

  The VAIO VGN-CR320 I was provided with has the latest updated BIOS (Phoenix Technologies LTD R2101Q0, 02/06/2008). You can check which BIOS version you have by going to Programs>Accessories>System>System Information. If you don’t have this BIOS, you can get it from the Sony eSupport website.

  Based on two lists compiled by nerds hardware enthusiasts (1,2), you can determine that for this particular BIOS, the registry number 05BB corresponds to enabling or disabling the hardware virtualization. Note that this number may will not be the same if you have a different BIOS version. And remember, these lists appear to have been compiled on a trial and error basis. Therefore use at your own risk.

  Now comes the tricky part; modifying your BIOS such that hardware virtualization is turned on. Right now, the value associated with registry number 05BB is 0000 (off). Changing that value to 0001 would thus turn on hardware virtualization.

  For doing this, we need to download a utility called SYMCMOS, that allows us to modify the BIOS settings.

  Next, find an empty USB stick to create a bootable drive. Booting to USB must be enabled in your BIOS. Then download and install the HP USB Disk Format Tool. Also download Windows 98 system files. We are using them only because they help in booting to DOS (which we need to run SYMCMOS). Now run the HP USB Disk Format Tool and point it to the location where you downloaded and unzipped the Windows 98 system files to create a bootable USB drive. Once this is done, copy SYMCMOS.exe to the USB drive as well. Shut down the computer.

  Turn on your computer with the USB stick plugged in. The computer should boot to DOS. Type:

  SYMCMOS -LBIOS.TXT

  Turn your computer off, boot to Windows and access the USB stick. There should be a new text file called BIOS. Open it in notepad and search for REG 05BB. Corresponding to it, you should see a value 0000. Change it to 0001 and save the file.

  Boot to DOS again and type:

  SYMCMOS -ubios.TXT

  Turn off your computer and boot to Windows. The Windows utility should report that hardware virtualization is  enabled and that you are clear to install Windows XP mode.

  Important Links

  Thanks to these two posts for making it possible.

  Bogart’s post on enabling VT on a VAIO with Intel Santa Rosa Platform (Notebookreview.com)

  Imyun.net on running SYMCMOS

• Buying Norton 360? Read the fine print

  Date: 2010.05.18 | Category: Reviews, Shopping | Response: 4

   

  Norton 360 is considered to be the top ranked security suite for computers. And one that impacts system performance in a very minimal way.   

  But here’s what the “fine print” on a retail box of Norton 360 reads like:

  ‡1 Year Protection: With this service, you receive the right to use this product on one PC or on the specified number of PCs during the service period, which begins upon initial installation and activation. This renewable service includes protection updates and new product features as available throughout the service period, subject to acceptance of the Symantec License Agreement included with this product and available for review at www.symantec.com. Product features may be added, modified, or removed during the service period.

  In other words, Norton 360 is not software. It is “rentware.” You get to use it for a specified period of time. After that, it becomes the software equivalent of a paperweight. To make sure that it does so, Norton comes with a comprehensive online license activation service, that $tart$ a countdown to the next renewal date.

  This is a departure from Norton’s previous policies. For example, previous versions of Norton Internet Security allowed to software to still be used after the license had expired. Only the customer’s access to updated virus definitions was disabled after the license expired.

  In Norton 360, once the one year license expires,

  1. The antivirus protection ceases downloading updates (obviously).
  2. You can no longer run scans on the computer (But I should be able to using my previous updates).
  3. The antivirus protection ceases to protect the computer (Antivirus protection can still be very potent without updates).
  4. You can no longer run backups on the computer (using Norton 360).
  5. You can no longer set Norton parental controls.
  6. You can no longer run the Norton start-up manager (which is a bundled utility).
  7. The Norton firewall turns off (Back to Windows Firewall!).
  8. Nearly all product functionality is lost.

  Even non-security items, such as a password manager that comes bundled with Norton 360, denies you access to the website passwords you have stored in it. Bear in mind that this is a local utility that does not use Norton’s network services.

  

  When purchasing boxed versions of software at retail outlets (at a premium price) it is assumed that the customer is taking ownership of the software, not “renting” it. And even if the terms of the fine print are to be applied, the customer does “own” the updates downloaded over the subscription period, and has the right to use them even after the subscription period has expired. And of course, he or she still has the right to use the software as it came, minus any new updates. For example, if you purchased a boxed version of Windows 95, you can still use it on a computer, even though that may not be a good idea. And you don’t expect Microsoft to disable the product.

  Norton 360’s “rentware” agreement enforcement ironically endangers the security of computers it vouches to protect. For example, lets suppose that you cannot renew your subscription because you are in a foreign country and do not have access to your credit card. Or lets suppose you don’t want to pay the full price for a new subscription, and instead you are waiting for retail stores to slash prices on the boxed versions of Norton 360. Until you renew the subscription, your computer will be left vulnerable, without any kind of antivirus protection.

  Depending on how angry this post makes you, you may switch to a free antivirus software. Or you may abandon Windows altogether, given the fact that when you pay Norton, you are paying for covering Windows vulnerabilities even though Windows is offering free antivirus to cheer you up.

  What will you do?

  • Stick with Norton, its well worth the money.
  • I will not consider Norton again
  • Enough, I am switching from Windows

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• Techtangerine reviews the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1a

  Date: 2010.03.28 | Category: Reviews | Response: 1

   

   

  Sony Ericsson’s first attempt at a Windows Mobile smartphone may have not garnered much fanfare. But for those who do not live on planet iPhone, it remains a significant development. The XPERIA X1a brings out the best in Sony Ericsson hardware, while also highlighting the limitations of Windows Mobile 6.1 (and the XPERIA’s valiant efforts in overcoming them).

  The Good

  To start with, the XPERIA X1a is not a smartphone. Its more like a micro-netbook. It comes with a 528MHz processor (iPhone: 412MHz) and 256MB RAM (iPhone: 128MB). Its beautiful 800 x 480 resolution display (iPhone: 320 x 480) uses WVGA technology that is used in netbooks to render pages on small screens. Unlike the iPhone, the XPERIA X1a can be considered very well suited for multitasking.

  One of the main attractions of the XPERIA X1a is a keyboard that has not gone to the touchscreen. The phone features a thoughtfully crafted keyboard, complete with backlighting. In my opinion, a touchscreen keyboard can never fully substitute a physical keyboard, no matter how brilliantly made. And the XPERIA keyboard is near identical in layout to laptop keyboards (except for the numbers). There is nothing like the feeling of your fingers tapping qwerty while you only look at the screen. For basic functions, sliding out the keyboard is not necessary. The 6 buttons on the phone’s face, the “optical joystick,” and the touchscreen are more than sufficient.

  The Panels, which have been a major selling point for the XPERIA X1a have a lot of potential. Simply put, a panel is a fully customizable home screen. By default, Windows Mobile offers a customizable “Today” screen. But the customization options are limited. The XPERIA X1a comes loaded with several panels, and even more are available for download. Since the phone screen is the first point of interaction with the phone, using panels can change the way you interact with your phone. Panels allow creation of shortcuts to commonly used programs, display of RSS feeds and weather updates, display of calendar entries as well as unlimited color and wallpaper options. Sony Ericsson offers its Panel SDK for third party developers, which means a wide variety of panels will continue to be offered. The Panels have now ported over to other HTC WinMo phones too! The Panels allow overcoming some of the limitations of Windows Mobile 6.1. For example, instead of diving through a dizzying array of menus and windows to find different communication options, they can be made to appear on your panel/home screen. Initially, there was some lag when the panels were switched or when they changed to landscape mode when the keyboard was pulled out. But this appears to have been corrected in a Sony Ericsson update.

  

  The Goodies

  The XPERIA X1a comes loaded with Microsoft Office Mobile 6.1 (2007) which includes Excel, OneNote, Word and Powerpoint.  

  The XPERIA X1a also comes with Adobe Reader LE for mobile, that allows all the functionality of the standard Adobe Reader.

  For PIM fanatics, the XPERIA X1a allows for seamless synchronization with a Windows PC (Sorry Mac users). This can be even done over Bluetooth. Bluetooth on a typical Windows computer has the ActiveSync provision used by WinMo smartphones, allowing exceptionally seamless Bluetooth synchronization.

  A generic microSD card can be separately purchased to increase onboard storage space (Not possible on the iPhone).

  The XPERIA X1a can undergo a SIM unlock at the electronics boutique in your local Chinatown. Typical of GSM phones, the XPERIA X1a’s SIM locking mechanism is a hardware based permutation of the IMEI number. And I have been told that even a firmware upgrade does not revert the SIM lock. In contrast, the mean people at Cupertino have put a SIM lock on the iPhone that requires the original software to be “jailbroken” by a third party software, and re-jailbroken when a firmware upgrade is applied to the iPhone. There have been cases where jail breaking has caused the iPhone OS to act buggy. Initially, the XPERIA X1a was offered on Sony USA’s website unlocked! But this quickly came to an end, possibly from pressure from carriers.

  The 3.2 Megapixel camera comes with flash! Video recording capacity is only limited by the size of the storage card. Since Sony’s primary business is its Cybershot cameras, the camera has superior image quality. To catch a glimpse of the exceptional video quality produced, check this Youtube video.

  The bundled Opera browser allows for full screen browsing, and computer-like rendering of complete web pages. When browsing, tapping the stylus or pressing the volume button allows one to zoom in and out of web pages.

  The Not-so-Good

  Windows Mobile 6.1 was built for styluses and keys, not human fingers. And thus, the XPERIA X1a also comes with a stylus. This drawback is exceptionally noticeable when searching for contacts. You really need to whip out the stylus for performing this feat unless you are used to using the “optical joystick.” (The fix: purchase and download Touch Contact from the Windows Mobile Marketplace).

  Detractors may argue that a stylus has its own merits, and can save more time than thumbing a touchscreen. I would agree when it comes to taking handwritten notes. Nothing can be as fast as the stylus on a touchscreen. The XPERIA X1a features Microsoft Outlook Notes, that can be used to jot down freeform handwriting, sketches and diagrams.

  The XPERIA X1a can synchronize emails, contacts, notes, calendar entries and tasks ONLY with Microsoft Outlook, that is NOT included in the economical student edition of Microsoft Office. Unless you have Microsoft Outlook for Windows, you may be bereft of key synchronization options. Although you can still “browse” the phone from your computer (which iPhone won’t allow).

  When taking still images with the camera, the lack of a software based image stabiliser becomes apparent. Still images often turn out shaky. Lets hope they fix it in a software update.

  It should be noted that the XPERIA X1a comes with A-GPS, that is dependent on having a network based data connection. This is not an independent GPS device.

  The XPERIA X1a deserves care. While I do not have lab tests to supplement my claim, I am sure that Sony Ericsson, and its XPERIA maker, HTC, do not have as much of a reputation for ruggedness as Nokia. But with its replaceable battery, an XPERIA X1a may outlast an iPhone.

  Must Gets (and not-Gets) for new owners

  Windows Mobile 6.1 does not come with Windows Mobile Marketplace. You must manually download and install it to take advantage of Microsoft’s answer to the iPhone app store.

  The XPERIA X1a has an annoying tendency of its screen shutting off to save power, even during calls (ROM version 1.05.631.10; 04/23/2009). This can be corrected by installing a third party application called XperiaTweak, and customizing some options within XperiaTweak.

  WiFiFoFum is a free Windows Mobile application that estimates the approximate location of Wi-Fi networks in the vicinity.

  Do not uninstall the Windows Live program from your XPERIA X1a in favour of the one available on Windows Mobile Marketplace. The later versions no longer carry instant messaging because of carrier restrictions. Greedy carriers want you to use their own IM applications so that they can charge SMS rates per IM, even though IMs are not SMSs.

  The Wish List

  Without the bundled Opera browser, mobile browsing would be pretty much dead on the XPERIA X1a (Internet Explorer Mobile is suited for WAP sites, and cannot do the full page rendering Opera does). It would be great to use Firefox Mobile on the XPERIA X1a when it comes to Windows Mobile. 

  Given its premium price, users may expect Sony Ericsson to offer timely updates to the XPERIA X1a. While Sony Ericsson does provide timely updates to firmware, XPERIA-specific add-ons and Panels, they won’t be facilitating an upgrade to Windows Mobile 6.5. This is the part where you will miss the iPhone, which allows its all of its users to upgrade to the latest iPhone OS. Windows Mobile 6.5 will only be coming to the XPERIA X2. But why settle for Windows Mobile 6.5 when Windows Phone 7 is on the Horizon? Sadly, an XPERIA with Windows Phone 7 may never be (unless you know how to hack ROMs). Sadly, the XPERIA X10 has switched to Android because Google has managed to cuckold Sony Ericsson wireless carriers into doing so. In my opinion, Android has yet to grow up. And Android uses the controversial cloud computing model for PIM synchronization with Google’s online services.

  The Verdict

  The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1a is an ideal smartphone for anyone that has a beef with the iPhone’s smartphone capability. It has high performance hardware, boasts a physical keyboard, and according to some, is a stunner. The Panels are indeed a revolutionary concept that can change our interaction with smartphones. Because of its superior hardware, even the outdated Windows Mobile 6.1 fails to turn everything sluggish, and instead exceeds performance expectations. But it would be a delight to have Windows Phone 7 on the XPERIA X1a.

  Essential Links

  These are the links that both XPERIA X1a owners and potential owners can’t do without.

  The Official XPERIA blog: Finally, an official blog to refute/confirm claims of all the other blogs.

  PlayNow: Sony Ericsson’s website for its phone users, which features additional XPERIA panels available for download.

  The XPERIA X1a product website: Straight from the horse’s mouth.

  Freeware PocketPC: Tonnes of freeware for Windows Mobile.

  Jenn Lee’s 15 tips for new XPERIA X1a users: Covers some essential tweaking.

  Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1a @ Wikipedia: Nothing to be said.

  EPILOGUE

  Sony Ericsson has pretty much forgotten the XPERIA X1a after it moved to the Android platform. The much promised panel updates are no longer being seen. But again, it was the XPERIA X1a, that kick-started the XPERIA line. And it was only this success that made Sony Ericsson realise the revenue drain for using licensed Windows software (and therefore its switch to the Android platform). On the other hand, the abandoned panel feature may have inspired the new Windows Phone 7 interface.

  For those of you still clinging to your XPERIA X1a, there are still some redeeming features of the phone. Windows Mobile 6.1 had more security features, allowing seamless enterprise use, which even Windows Phone 7 does not.

  And if you managed to grab the Skype panel for the X1a, then you have a very rare gem indeed!

  What do you think of the XPERIA X1a?

  • As good as Windows Mobile gets (for the time being)
  • Better than the iPhone
  • Not as good as the iPhone
  • Needs refinement
  • Not worth it without Windows Phone 7 OS

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• Five cases that highlight “evil” at Google

  Date: 2010.02.21 | Category: Cloud Computing, Trends | Response: 10

  

  While Google has become associated with computing and the Internet in general, it attracts more grumbling and raised eyebrows than other heavyweights, such as Microsoft.

  Even though Google’s recent pullout from China has highlighted its commitment to user privacy, it did little to assuage the doubt of netizens that the pullout from China was a result of cyber attacks on Google infrastructure. And were it not for them, Google would happily continue to participate in the censorship demands of the Chinese government. A notorious case of such “accommodation” towards the Chinese government was the 2006 “banning” of spacewar.com from its global search engine. Spacewar.com was reporting on China’s geopolitical and military affairs.

  The following is a collection of five cases that highlight instances where Google’s commitment to “not being evil” has been questioned by netizens. And answers have generally not been forthcoming on Google’s part. Of course, this is not a general rundown of why you should avoid Google. Its more of a mixed bag of cases that I have come across over the years.

  The Privacy International Report

  Individual instances of Google’s creep factor are too numerous to enumerate. You can fill your hands by searching at Gawker using the “yourprivacyisanillusion” tag.

  The situation can be best summarized by the findings of Privacy International. In June 2007, Privacy International (PI), a privacy advocacy group, released a privacy ranking of Internet service companies. The report compared companies such as Amazon, AOL, Apple, BBC, Bebo, eBay, Facebook, Friendster, Google, Hi5, Last.fm, LinkedIn, LiveJournal, Microsoft, Myspace, Orkut, Reunion.com, Skype, Wikipedia, Windows Live Space, Xanga, Yahoo! and YouTube.

  Google was the only company to receive the worst ranking (Black; Hostile to Privacy). In their 2007 consultation report, PI justified their ranking citing the following specifics:

  In summary, Google’s specific privacy failures include, but are by no means limited to:

  • Google account holders that regularly use even a few of Google’s services must accept that the company retains a large quantity of information about that user, often for an unstated or indefinite length of time, without clear limitation on subsequent use or disclosure, and without an opportunity to delete or withdraw personal data even if the user wishes to terminate the service.

  • Google maintains records of all search strings and the associated IP-addresses and time stamps for at least 18 to 24 months and does not provide users with an expungement option. While it is true that many US based companies have not yet established a time frame for retention, there is a prevailing view amongst privacy experts that 18 to 24 months is unacceptable, and possibly unlawful in many parts of the world.
  • Google has access to additional personal information, including hobbies, employment, address, and phone number, contained within user profiles in Orkut. Google often maintains these records even after a user has deleted his profile or removed information from Orkut.
  • Google collects all search results entered through Google Toolbar and identifies all Google Toolbar users with a unique cookie that allows Google to track the user’s web movement. Google does not indicate how long the information collected through Google Toolbar is retained, nor does it offer users a data expungement option in connection with the service.
  • Google fails to follow generally accepted privacy practices such as the OECD Privacy Guidelines and elements of EU data protection law. As detailed in the EPIC complaint, Google also fails to adopted additional privacy provisions with respect to specific Google services.
  • Google logs search queries in a manner that makes them personally identifiable but fails to provide users with the ability to edit or otherwise expunge records of their previous searches.

  • Google fails to give users access to log information generated through their interaction with Google Maps, Google Video, Google Talk, Google Reader, Blogger and other services.

  PI claimed that a Google representative (or representatives) was alleging a conflict of interest between PI and Microsoft (Microsoft scored an orange in the same report). According to PI, the supposed conflict of interest revolved around one member out of the seventy members that make up PI’s Advisory Board being a Microsoft employee. PI stated that the said member had resigned from the Advisory Board immediately after taking a job at Microsoft. In a second letter, PI claimed that Google had briefed the media across the UK about another Microsoft conspiracy! To quote,

  In this new allegation you assert that Microsoft pays for Privacy International’s silence about potentially negative aspects of its products by tipping money into 80/20 Thinking Ltd, which has two Privacy International staff as Directors. You allege that Burston Marsteller, which has been retained by Microsoft, in some way facilitates this relationship because it is a strategic partner of 80/20 Thinking. In this bizarre conspiracy you allege that the world’s most prominent privacy advocates, the world’s biggest software developer and the world’s leading PR company have entered into a secret pact to discredit Google.

  Such denial, “blame Microsoft/Russians/Terrorists” attitude and hostility towards scrutiny is more characteristic of Intelligence Agencies rather than publicly traded companies.

  Allegations of links to the CIA

  Robert David Steele, a former CIA operative claimed that CIA seed money helped launch Google. He further identified by name, Google’s “liaison” at the CIA. To quote,

  “I think Google took money from the CIA when it was poor and it was starting up and unfortunately our system right now floods money into spying and other illegal and largely unethical activities, and it doesn’t fund what I call the open source world,” said Steele, citing “trusted individuals” as his sources for the claim.

  “They’ve been together for quite a while,” added Steele.

  Asked to impart to what level Google is “in bed” with the CIA, Steele described the bond as a “small but significant relationship,” adding, “it is by no means dominating Google in fact Google has been embarrassed because everything the CIA asked it to do they couldn’t do.”

  If these revelations are true, they may be worrisome to not just “terrorists.” Lack of transparency allows the CIA to be used on some occasions, as a private army for the United Fruit Company those rich enough. And if a large and well endowed organization such as American Intelligence did indeed play a role in creating and fostering Google, then its founders may not be so deserving of the accolades heaped upon them. They may be just Lonelygirl15 cardboard cutouts meant for public consumption.

  Regardless of the authenticity of these allegations, Google appears to have no issues when it comes to partnering with American Intelligence Agencies. Google acquired Keyhole Inc in 2004, which was partly funded by the CIA. Keyhole Inc. originally developed the software which is now known as Google Earth. The CIA received actual Google shares following the acquisition. In 2008, the NSA awarded Google a $2 million contract. When pressed for details by a journalist, the NSA only revealed that “NSA bought four Google search appliances, two-years replacement warranty on all of them, and 100 hours of consulting support.” A commercial satellite was launched in September 2008 to get high resolution imagery for Google Earth (The rockets had the Google logo on them). The $500 million satellite was partly funded by the Department of Defence.

  Allegations of censorship of media related to the 9-11 Truth Movement

  Allegations have been made by infowars.com that Google Video reset the viewership count of Terror Storm from around 500,000 to 0 to prevent the video from continuing to be on the first page and going viral. Google later admitted that the numbers had been reset by mistake. Although its not that easy to convince members of the 9-11 Truth Movement.

  The Matthew Tanin Case

  Prosecutors in the trial of Matthew Tanin, one of the two former Bear Stearns managers indicted for fraud in the collapse of hedge funds in 2007, managed to obtain a CD-ROM from Google, containing Tanin’s  email messages from November 20th 2006 to August 12th 2007.

  Mr. Tanin had closed his Gmail account, and he thought it was closed. Although Mr. Tanin may get little sympathy, what is troubling is that Google has a very perplexing definition of “closed.”

  Do emails that you delete, accounts that you close and pictures that you remove using Google services really get deleted? Or do they continue to reside on Google’s servers? What if Google operated a funeral home? Would they secretly remove bodies after burial and store them in cryogenic freezers?

  The temporary suspension of Sibel Edmonds Blogger account

  Sibel Edmonds, a former FBI translator and a major 9-11 cover-up whistleblower was preparing to provide deposition before an American court on the involvement of American Intelligence with Al Qaeda in Central Asia. Around the first week of August 2009 (when the sensitivity of her claims intensified), Google suspended her blogger account, preventing her from posting updates about the deposition. Google claimed that their automatic spam detection technology had labelled her blog as a “potential spam blog.” Her blogging privileges were restated a few days later. But she has chosen to create her own blog than stay with Google.

  Being a whistleblower, Edmonds claims that

  A few weeks ago I started receiving ‘Google & Blogger warnings’ from my technologically savvy friends and well-wishers, who encouraged me to have a mirror site as a back up and or cease using Google’s Blogger all together. I did take these warnings seriously and started looking at alternatives and other options.

  What do think of Google?

  • Google is a "good" corporation that sometimes bends to the whims of governments in the nations where it operates
  • Google is sacrificing privacy for maintaining its position in an aggressively competitive market
  • Google is an arm of American Intelligence; masquerading as a publicly traded company only allows it to do stuff a regular intelligence agency could never think of doing
  • Google is more than an Intelligence operation; it IS Big Brother/New World Order/Illuminati/The Powers That Be

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• What is a Creative Commons License and why you should use one

  Date: 2009.12.03 | Category: How to, Reviews | Response: 0

  According to Canadian Copyright Law, any piece of writing you produce, any photo you take, or any image or video you create becomes copyrighted to you automatically. No formal copyright notice or a © is required, although it does help to include one. Neither are you required to submit a formal claim of copyright to a state agency.

  The purpose of the Copyright Act is to protect the intellectual property of the Copyright holder. The Copyright Act also has a “Fair Dealing” clause that allows limited reproduction of copyrighted work, provided that the reproduction does not border on infringement. This “Fair Dealing” provision is situation-specific and technically difficult to enforce.

  With the rise of digital media and the Internet, reproducing copyrighted material has become stupendously easy. A photo posted on Facebook can find its way all across the Internet. A video posted on YouTube may spur several remixes when it gets popular. A well written blog post may be extensively quoted by other bloggers, sometimes in its entirety.

  The creators of such digital content generally frown on any kind of reproduction whatsoever as it can open the possibility of copyright abuse. On the other side, those that seek to reproduce copyrighted digital content clamour around the Fair Dealing clause, sometimes stretching it into a wormhole when their purposes go beyond “Fair Dealing.” 

  If you create digital content, and if you acknowledge (and maybe appreciate) the easily reproducible nature of digital media, you can modify your traditional copyright to be less adversarial towards those who will share your content by using a Creative Commons License. There are several reasons why you may want to use this tool.

  1. Outlining the rules for reproducing your content can give your content more exposure. This can be critical to if your profession depends upon exposure of your content, such as the profession of photography and blogging. Google® Image Search and Flickr® have the ability to restrict searches to content that is licensed under Creative Commons. This gives people immediate access to content that they can readily incorporate into their work.
  2. Being vague about the rules for reproducing your content can scare people from making “Fair Use” of it. People may assume that you intend to bring down the hammer of the Copyright Law on any kind of use, and may avoid your content altogether. It is not prudent to assume that most people have the time to email you for clarification.
  3. Setting out the rules for reproducing your content under a Creative Commons License can inhibit misuse of your content in some situations. While a Creative Commons License does not override the Fair Dealing provision of the Copyright Act, it makes your specifics clear for those intending to use your content. For example, if you use a Creative Commons license that prohibits commercial reproduction and reproduction without attribution to your name, those that intend to use your content will have clear guidelines to go by.

  A Creative Commons License can be applied to almost all kinds of digital content, and even software code! But for the sake of example, we will assume that we intend to use a Creative Commons License on a digital image that accompanies a blog post.

  The Creative Commons website gives us a tool that allows us to generate a snippet of code that can be placed in the blog post. You get to choose a number of variables that make up the license. Specifically, you get to choose

  1. Whether or not you allow commercial reproduction
  2. Whether or not you allow others to make derivative works
  3. Whether or not you demand an identical Creative Commons License for work created through reproducing or modifying your work (if you chose to allow so)

  You can choose from a combination of these factors to create a license that fits your needs. And you can always create a new one for new situations. Regardless of which Creative Commons License you create, use of a Creative Commons license implies that you wholeheartedly allow reproduction for non-commercial purposes. All Creative Commons Licenses insist on attribution to the original author though. Though there is a special Creative Commons License called CC0 that allows you to waive all your rights, should the rare need arise.

  A Creative Commons license reduces the anxiety associated with sharing, allowing you to share your digital content online while protecting your rights.

• Which smart phone OS gives the best local PIM synching?

  Date: 2009.11.21 | Category: Mobile, Reviews | Response: 2

  For many people, a smart phone also doubles up as a personal information management (PIM) tool. A typical smart phone is expected to have at least an address book, a calendar, email storage and the ability to configure alerts and reminders.

  Many students and employees also use their email client software as a personal information management tool on their computers. Such smart phone customers want their smart phone to wholeheartedly synchronise with the personal information management software on their computer. But here’s where the limitations of the smart phone OS, the computer OS and the computer email client come into play.

  This table is meant to compare the PIM synching capabilities of different smart phone OS’s across different platforms and different email clients. Please note that PIM synching is different from a backup. A backup produces a single fat file that is meant to restore data back to the phone or another phone, in case the original is stolen. Also note that it is possible to carry out PIM synching using third party software not supported by the phone manufacturer, in addition to various hacks and tweaks. But this table is limited to computer software provided by the phone manufacturer. Because the aforementioned alternatives are generally beyond the means and capability of the average user.

  Online PIM synching that uses the cloud computing model is included in the table for reference purposes. In some cases, online PIM synching can in turn be synched with a local computer application. For example, An email message on a Windows Mobile smart phone can be synched with a Microsoft Exchange server via ActiveSync. And an email client on a Linux computer can download the message. Or, a calendar entry on a Blackberry can be synched with a Lotus Domino server and a Windows computer with Lotus Notes can download the calendar entry. Or, a contact entered into an iPhone can be stored online through the MobileMe service. And an Address Book on a Mac computer can connect to the Internet and download it. But unless the smart phone OS manufacturer specifies that this can be done with a particular program for a particular operating system, it will be considered unsupported and will not be given a check mark. Our focus is on one step PIM synching with a local computer (docking), which I consider true PIM synching.

  Some smart phone OS’s allow direct synching of files stored in the phones internal or external memory every time the phone is connected to the computer. But in most smart phones, these files are meant to be manually copied to the computer.

  Please note that the specifications listed in the table are based on a cursory review of information on the manufacturer’s website. Errors and Omissions are very likely (And I would appreciate if you bring them to my attention). In order to verify for accuracy, we did try to contact the manufacturers before publishing this post. This table is no substitute for an exhaustive analysis involving actual lab tests. And the specifications listed below tend to change by the month. Please consult the manufacturer before making any critical decisions.

  All cell phone OS names, symbols and logos are registered and copyrighted trademarks of their respective owners. They are reproduced here under the Fair Dealing provision of the Canadian Copyright Act.

  	iPhone OS	Windows Mobile	RIM OS	Android	WebOS	SymbianOS
  Local Computer Synching Platform	iTunes	Windows Mobile Device Center	Blackberry Desktop Manager	Some smart phone makers provide custom software but there is no consistency.	Palm suggests purchasing  third party applications for Windows and Mac.	Some smart phone makers provide custom software but there is no consist -ency.
  Windows
  Mac
  Linux
  What Gets Synched & which Desktop application it gets synched to?
  Emails		Outlook	Outlook Lotus Notes Mail Entourage
  SMS
  Contacts		Outlook	Address Book Outlook Lotus Notes
  Calendar Entries		Outlook	iCal Outlook Lotus Notes
  Tasks /To-Do		Outlook	Outlook
  Stickies/ Notes	Mail Outlook	Outlook	Outlook
  Bookmarks
  Music & Video	iTunes iTunes		iTunes iTunes Windows Media Player
  Files

  The table below indicates online PIM synching that in turn can be synched with Desktop applications (where officially supported by the manufacturer). Please note that with the exception of the Blackberry Enterprise server, online PIM synching is done through unencrypted transfers via the Internet. Cloud computing has its dangers.

  	iPhone OS	Windows Mobile	RIM OS	Android	WebOS	Sym-bian
  Online Synching Platform	MobileMe(sub-scription based service)	My Phone (free and premium)Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync (requires an exchange server)	Blackberry Enterprise Service (Paid service geared for a corporate IT department)	Android provides built-in synching functio-nality to several online Google services. But there is no emph -asis on desktop clients.	Palm allows users to export PIM information from their desktop applications using its Synergy feature. This information, along with information from several other major online services can then be accessed on the phone. The focus is on keeping information in the cloud, not getting it synched back to the computer.	Some smart phone mak-ers provide special servi-ces but there is no consis -tency.
  What Gets Synched & Which local application it can  be down-loaded to?
  Emails	Mail Outlook	My Phone offers online access & backup only. Exchange ActiveSync allows emails to be  synchronized to: Outlook Outlook.	Outlook Lotus Notes Mail Entourage	NA	NA	NA
  SMS		My Phone offers online access & backup only.		NA	NA	NA
  Contacts	Address Book Outlook	My Phone offers online access & backup only.Exchange ActiveSync allows contacts to be synchronized to: Outlook Outlook.	Address Book Outlook Lotus Notes	NA	NA	NA
  Calendar Entries	iCal Outlook	My Phone offers online access & backup only.	iCal Outlook Lotus Notes	NA	NA	NA
  Tasks /To-Do		My Phone offers online access & backup only.	Outlook	NA	NA	NA
  Stickies/ Notes			Outlook	NA	NA	NA
  Bookmarks	Safari	My Phone offers online access & backup only.		NA	NA	NA
  Music & Video		My Phone offers online access & backup. Files may be individually downloaded to computer.		NA	NA	NA
  Files	iDisk iDisk (all files)iPhoto(photos)Aperture(photos)iMovie(personal videos)	My Phone offers online access & backup. Files may be individually downloaded to computer.		NA	NA	NA

  Conclusion

  The iPhone OS gets commendation for its versatility. Apple has done an uncharacteristically good job at reaching out for the needs of non-Apple users.

  Windows Mobile is still trying to stick to Windows, and is truncating its user base in the process. And in typical Microsoft boorishness, Windows Mobile will only synch PIM information to Microsoft Office Outlook (NOT Windows Live Mail or Outlook Express). Mind you, Office Outlook is not included in the economical student edition of Microsoft Office.

  RIM OS is emerging as a force to reckon with, considering the fast developmental response of the people at Blackberry. Let us not forget that this is a relatively new company. I would not be surprised to see RIM OS to be the first smart phone OS to offer PIM synching compatibility with Linux, in the near future.

  Other small players have tried to sidestep local PIM synching by wholeheartedly adopting the cloud computing model. Cloud computing has its risks.