This month (and last) in BSD and friends
What happened in the world of BSD and friends in the last 2 months.
- Sam Smith [01:16:25 AM | Discuss (0) | Permalink]

What if we had integrated Douglas Engelbart's insights into the modern Net?
I wondered, in the aftermath of CPSR's award to Douglas Engelbart, what the modern Net of sensors and cameras and GPS devices and wireless networks would be like if we had integrated his 1960s-era insights from the start.
- Andy Oram [09:14:43 PM | Discuss (0) | Permalink]

After -Ofun: Thoughts on Code Optimization, Part 3
Part 3 of our story, in which theory meets silicon.
- Geoff Broadwell [04:22:12 PM | Discuss (0) | Permalink]

Don't Throw Away Those USB Socks
The little USB plug protectors packaged with my new Mac were so over-engineered that it seemed like a shame to throw them away. Then I thought of this hack.
- David Battino [02:39:47 PM | Discuss (0) | Permalink]

Emacs, your retro gaming friend
Life ain't all editing text
- Giles Turnbull [01:48:32 PM | Discuss (2) | Permalink]

Competition is Good
BBC News reports that Bill Gates says Microsoft's ambition is to be bigger than Google in the search technologies field...
- Mitch Tulloch [09:28:17 AM | Discuss (1) | Permalink]

Programming is just easier with Pydoc
In this post, Christopher introduces you to a few of his favorite features of pydoc—Python's tool for generating and viewing source code documentation.
- Christopher Roach, Christopher Roach [09:11:39 AM | Discuss (4) | Permalink]

Rip Your Existing DVDs to Play on iPod video
HandBrake is open source software that lets you convert existing DVD content to MPEG-4 for playing on the new iPod.
- Derrick Story [06:05:41 AM | Discuss (3) | Permalink]

Graphviz - Why draw when you can code?
In this post, Christopher introduces you to an Open Source tool that uses a simple textual language to create beautiful diagrams in a plethora of file formats (e.g., SVG, PDF, and JPEG).
- Christopher Roach [10:45:21 PM | Discuss (9) | Permalink]

We Don't Need No Stinkin' OS
Let's face it, artists don't care about operating systems - they simply want a transparent instrument to create art and a vehicle to freely express ideas. How should computer systems function for the creation of art?
- Brad Fuller [04:00:32 PM | Discuss (3) | Permalink]

Making DarwinPorts A Bit Better
This week, Christopher apologizes for already missing his first weblog posting deadline and introduces a GUI for the DarwinPorts application. Also, he discusses his upcoming posts for later today.
- Christopher Roach [02:59:47 PM | Discuss (0) | Permalink]

Beware Risk-Free Business Models
After years working in high tech media I've come to value dumb questions. And the same dumb question keeps occurring to me when I look at the magnatune, weed and other net-based alternatives to record companies: How do you earn rewards without risk?
- Spencer Critchley [02:09:22 PM | Discuss (0) | Permalink]

Getting Kids Into Computing
How can you encourage children to get interested in computing as a career? Should you even try? I have mixed feelings, because I think kids already spend way too much time sitting on their bums, getting fat and nearsighted.
- Carla Schroder [12:58:55 PM | Discuss (0) | Permalink]

Open Source Mac Gaming
In 'Is Mac gaming still a punchline?' I mentioned that 'there is some hope to be found in open-source games.' Today I'm going to point out some of those bright spots.
- Robert Daeley [11:39:18 AM | Discuss (0) | Permalink]

Finding Unity in Diversity with Spotlight and .Mac
Western philosophers have tried to find unity in diversity for centuries. There's clearly still a lot of thinking to be done on the religious and political scene, but does it make you feel any better that Spotlight and .Mac have done wonders for your browsing experience?
- Matthew Russell [11:01:36 AM | Discuss (2) | Permalink]

Linux Triple Crown?
It may not have quite the same thrilling finish, but you need wait no longer for a new Triple Crown winner--we've just published the third jewel in our Linux Triple Crown: What Is a Linux Distribution, which follows the publications of What Is Linux and What Is a Linux Desktop, respectively. Each article is intended to introduce your friends, family members, and co-workers to the world you know so well, and maybe enlighten you in some untold way as well.
- Tara McGoldrick Walsh [04:56:23 PM | Discuss (0) | Permalink]

Boston OSBC (well, in Newton actually)
Happenings in Open Source.
- Greg Corrin [04:02:16 PM | Discuss (0) | Permalink]

What chapters can be cut from Prog C# 5e?
Speculation on what I might cut in the next edition of Programming C#
- Jesse Liberty [02:18:48 PM | Discuss (0) | Permalink]

<insert dog metaphor here> Using Mutt Part 1: Getting Started
So I've written about mutt a few times before, but for the most part I've jumped ahead into advanced usage. Since I've recently gotten a few beginner-level mutt questions, I've decided to devote a few blog entries to mutt basics.
- Kyle Rankin [11:53:06 AM | Discuss (0) | Permalink]

Timepieces of the Ancients
How do you fix a digital watch so old, you can't find it on Google?
- John Adams [08:55:58 AM | Discuss (0) | Permalink]

The Trouble with Searching for Open Source Code
Searching for open source code is ineffective. Why is this, and what can we do?
- Christopher Diggins [06:19:41 AM | Discuss (3) | Permalink]

Survival Tactics For Women In FOSS, Linux for Churches
LXer.com publishes great stories you won't find anywhere else in the tech or mainstream media. Two examples are:
Survival Tactics For Women In FOSS, part 1 and Defining a Turn-key Libre Software Solution for Ministries.
- Carla Schroder, Carla Schroder [09:28:14 PM | Discuss (2) | Permalink]

Is California holding your property?
State Controller Steve Westly kicked off a campaign Wednesday to find the owners of $4.8 billion worth of items in the vault including checks, jewelry and antique gold coins. (From CNN)
In my modest searching of California's Unclaimed Property Search, I've already found some property the state owes to various family members.
- Ben Bangert [03:09:02 PM | Discuss (0) | Permalink]

If All Else Fails, Blame Apple ?!?
When you're losing, and you know you're probably going to continue to lose, do you try to cover it up, suck it up, or just try really hard to blame Apple?
- Matthew Russell [02:39:18 PM | Discuss (5) | Permalink]

An actually useful error message
While printing through Firefox on my new Ubuntu install, I received a very informative error message.
- David Brickner [02:37:00 PM | Discuss (2) | Permalink]

We Love Blu-Ray Java! It's Perfect! Now Change.
First HP says they love the Java environment in the Blu-Ray high-def video disc format. Then they decide they love HD-DVD again and start slamming Java. They were probably right the first time.
- Chris Adamson [01:27:53 PM | Discuss (3) | Permalink]

Maybe it's Not Just Ruby on Rails
In recent days, the question "Why is Ruby on Rails so newsworthy?" has come up. This time, the answer isn't just "It's easier than J2EE". This time, the rest of the question is "... when it's dynamic languages and existing good practices that provide the benefits?"
- chromatic [12:57:22 PM | Discuss (1) | Permalink]

Repeat After Me: Lack of _Output Encoding_ Causes XSS Vulnerabilities
I’ve been spending a considerable amount of time auditing web applications, and I’ve come to realize that a large amount of developers do not understand the root cause of Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities.
- Nitesh Dhanjani [12:21:39 PM | Discuss (4) | Permalink]

YAAWTR
Yet Another Automatic Web Test Recorder
- Robert Cooper [12:16:42 PM | Discuss (1) | Permalink]

Is Mac gaming still a punchline?
With the heady announcement of a Mac version of Civilization IV months away, it looks like Mac gaming is still a punchline. Isn't gaming a barometer for the health of a computing platform? Can it be resurrected? Should it be?
- Robert Daeley [12:15:08 PM | Discuss (2) | Permalink]

Why do people switch to Linux?
Actually, I think having an alternative provides a small part of the answer. When I started using Linux, I really liked it. I remember installing Red Hat 5.0 back in 1998 and thinking it was really pretty cool. Given what the media and many analysts say, I shouldn't have liked Linux more than Windows because it did not have all the things they emphasize as important. I mean, fvwm wasn't a great GUI desktop. Lots of hardware didn't work. In fact, I had to hunt for older video cards to get X Windows to work. So, something else went on with me when I switched. I didn't even have much disdain for Microsoft at the time. I wish I could articulate it in a sound byte or two.
- Tom Adelstein [12:09:51 PM | Discuss (24) | Permalink]

Is Java over the hill ?
Is Java over the hill ?
- Andrew Anderson [11:36:45 AM | Discuss (10) | Permalink]

Compressing video for the iPod: don’t sacrifice quality
The iPod’s screen is by no means large, but if you understand the basics of codecs and video compression, you can make video podcasts that look really sharp.
- Ian David Aronson [07:18:17 AM | Discuss (0) | Permalink]

Microsoft Office: Coming to a Ballot Box Near You?
In Massachusetts, where I live, politics is a contact sport. And Microsoft finds itself in the middle of the fray --- it could even become an issue in the next gubernatorial campaign.
- Preston Gralla [06:48:57 AM | Discuss (1) | Permalink]

In The Face of Flickr, Whither Dot Mac?
With Flickr doing more than ever, is .Mac really worth it?
- Tom Bridge [04:47:53 AM | Discuss (5) | Permalink]

Oh no, Onno
Onno Kluyt says that one of the misconceptions with the Java Community Process is that standardization is slow.
- Daniel H. Steinberg [04:19:34 AM | Discuss (0) | Permalink]

We loved you, iSync
Continuing along the inexorable road of progress, our friend iSync is slowly dying a horrendous death. Let us all take our hats off and remain silent for a minute.
- François Joseph de Kermadec [02:47:10 AM | Discuss (3) | Permalink]

Podcast UI changes to 5th Gen iPods
There are two welcome changes for 5th generation iPod (nano and video) owners. 1) nano and video iPods show a blue dot next to podcast "artists" with unplayed podcasts. 2) Podcast is a top level category under Music (although it is still listed inside of Genre too).
- Todd Ogasawara [01:42:22 AM | Discuss (2) | Permalink]

Get nagged for tags
An idea for keeping photo collections under control
- Giles Turnbull [01:23:12 PM | Discuss (6) | Permalink]

Is It Time to Wait for Intel?
The new Macs are nice... if you're willing to roll the dice on Apple's continuing love for PowerPC. How good are those odds?
- Chris Adamson [12:19:14 PM | Discuss (11) | Permalink]

How to Record a Podcast Interview
In How to Record a Podcast Interview, Glenn Fleishman shows you some nifty tricks for recording your audio, especially if you want to capture phone interviews for syndication. His toolkit includes Soundflower, Skype, Audio Hijack Pro, Audion, and a USB headset.
- Daniel H. Steinberg [12:18:36 PM | Discuss (0) | Permalink]

Web 2.0 Roving Reporter
David Hornik wandered around the Web 2.0 conference asking various attendees "What is Web 2.0". Hornik's Web 2.0 blog entry lists those interviewed as " Caterina Fake, Toni Schneider, Ross Mayfield, Stewart Butterfield, Joshua Schachter, Anil Dash, James Joaquin, Evan Williams, and many more". He has edited the various answers together along with a jingle and an intro that he recorded on the drive into the conference. Download What is Web 2.0 (time 10:46, 7.9 MB)
- Daniel H. Steinberg [12:00:42 PM | Discuss (0) | Permalink]

Gary Flake: Yahoo Research Labs
ITConversations has posted a podcast of Gary Flake: Yahoo Research Labs from the O'Reilly ETech 2005 conference. At the time of this talk, Dr. Gary Flake was Director of Yahoo!s Research Lab, and he discusses the philosophy behind the Research Lab. He also demonstrates some of the new tools being developed a Yahoo!, including a collaborative prediction system (with prizes!) in which you can participate. The MP3 runs 17:25 and is 8 mb.
- Daniel H. Steinberg [12:00:15 PM | Discuss (0) | Permalink]

GUI Schmooey
In a recent entry, I looked into the options for creating a writing environment that encompassed the entire screen, hearkening back to halcyon text editing days. Here's a followup on a couple of items in that article, including >console login, alternate window managers, and the ever-spiffy screen program.
- Robert Daeley [10:59:50 AM | Discuss (1) | Permalink]

OpenDocument and OpenReader: complementary steps toward freeing data
OpenDocument provides freedom for writers, and OpenReader provides freedom for readers.
- Andy Oram [09:52:57 AM | Discuss (1) | Permalink]

Where is the Internet revolution? On the Edges... on Windows.
Vint Cerf says the revolution is on the edges of the internet and cites VoIP as a good example. The edges? Client applications? That's Microsoft's turf.
- Sid Steward [09:21:46 AM | Discuss (0) | Permalink]

Keychains, Login Passwords and You
The Keychain is a brilliant and crucial part of my working environment. My friend Chuck discovered something bizarre in the way that Apple handles your password changes that really bothers him, and it bothers me, too.
- Tom Bridge [08:31:33 AM | Discuss (4) | Permalink]

What I wish I could watch on my video iPod
Deep inside 1 Infinite Loop, work is progressing on future Apple products...
- Giles Turnbull [04:32:35 AM | Discuss (0) | Permalink]

Annoying Groove, Inspiring Story
Peering inside the intriguingly named Zzz Annoying Groove widget, I discovered an inspiring musical idea...
- David Battino [03:45:15 AM | Discuss (0) | Permalink]

Welcome back, Apple Garamond
Apple.com is sporting a Think Different picture. And guess what? Apple Garamond is making a comeback!
- François Joseph de Kermadec [03:22:18 AM | Discuss (7) | Permalink]

A new approach against fishing
What if there existed an easy way to target fishing, a way that required neither white nor blacklists, no community support and no privacy intrusion? A way that relied on common sense and best practices.
- François Joseph de Kermadec [03:03:16 AM | Discuss (5) | Permalink]

Google Base works around the lack of a Semantic Web
If the rumours are to be believed, a new uber-Database from Google is close to completion.
- Dan Zambonini [01:52:13 AM | Discuss (1) | Permalink]