Windows Vista Advantages & Learning to Become A Competent Linux System Administrator
April 13, 2007 by Gaman · 11 Comments
The more I read about Windows Vista, the more tempted I become to upgrade my Windows XP to the latest release from Microsoft as soon as possible.
I decide to upgrade not because I can afford to or because I have a Vista Premium Ready PC but because I need to. As a software developer for the Windows platform, there’s no escaping for me to ensure that my software are compatible with the latest OS in the market.
I was asked several times by my customers if my software is compatible with Vista . While I expect them run without problem, the only way for me to know for sure is to test them on Vista myself
However, instead of replacing my Windows XP installation, I am considering to install Vista on a separate partition allowing both Vista and XP to coexist. This setup will allow me to select which OS to run while the PC is booting.
Protect Your PC From Becoming a Zombie Machine Using These Free Security Software
April 12, 2007 by Gaman · 7 Comments
A recent survey conducted by Symantec reveals alarming stats that showed 96% of computers in Malaysia are zombie machines.
This gives another reason for us to be more wary especially if you are using public computers such as those in cybercafes.
Zombie machines are PCs that have been compromised by hackers and used to send spam emails, or launched phishing attacked that lure unwitting computer users to reveal personal information such as credit card details and bank account passwords.
Malaysia ranks No 7 as a propagator of zombie machines in the Asia-Pacific region. China occupies the top spot, followed by South Korea , Taiwan , Japan , Thailand and Vietnam .
Google Pack Offers Free Screensavers Too
March 30, 2007 by Gaman · 8 Comments
Google has added two new applications to Google Pack to help you improve you computer’s security.
The two products are Symantec’s Norton Security Scan which detects and removes viruses and an anti-spyware – Spyware Doctor Starter Edition – from PC Tools.
Both software includes free updates.
I didn’t install those software since I already have the full version of Norton Internet Security 2007.
If you are wary about installing third party screensavers you found on the Internet, Google Pack screensaver application should ease this concern.
The latest Google Pack includes a screensaver application that displays photos from your own computer or from online photo sharing websites such as Flickr.com.
I am currently streaming photo feeds from
Buck Forester’s Photos
His photos are stunning to say the least.
Windows Vista Could Destroy Your iPod
February 7, 2007 by Gaman · 3 Comments
Apple is warning its iPod users not to upgrade their PCs to the new Microsoft operating system as it could be damaged by it.
A statement on Apple’s website says the songs purchased from iTunes Store may not play when upgrading to Windows Vista and ejecting an iPod from the Windows System Tray using the Safely Remove Hardware feature may corrupt your iPod.
Despite the release of a new software update for Vista users so that they can play iTunes Store songs Apple continues to recommend that users wait to upgrade Windows until after the next release of iTunes which will be available in the next few weeks.
Some may see this advisory from Apple as a little shady. After all, Apple should have been able to test Vista for weeks before it’s being released. Why wait until the last minute after Vista release to issue such advisory?
Picasa Referrals Becomes Part of Google Pack
January 12, 2007 by Gaman · Leave a Comment
With the recent international launch of Google Pack, you’ll soon notice that Picasa and Pack referrals program combined into a single program.
According to the AdSense team, the new Picasa buttons will be available soon. You’ll need to generate a new code to take advantage of the new button, i.e. the new Pack unit that features Picasa.
If users decide to install Picasa from their Pack download, you’ll still earn referral fee for Pack. So that means you earn $1.00 for the pack and another $1.00 for Picasa.
AdSense team adds
If you’re currently displaying a Picasa referral unit on your site, you won’t notice any changes to the unit or to the way that you have been generating earnings. For now, all Picasa referral units that are currently up will remain supported. However, we strongly encourage you to switch to the new Pack referral units at your earliest convenience.
Google Earth 4 & SketchUp 6 Is Out
New version of Google Earth and SketchUp were released on January 8th and 9th respectively.
Google SketchUp now in its 6th version is an easy to use 3D software modeling tool that allows design professional and enthusiasts alike to create 3D models and enables you to integrate them into Google Earth.
Google Press release adds:
- Photo Match – Users can now quickly and easily trace a photo to create a 3D model of the photographed object or match an existing model with a background photo for near-instant modeling.
- Styles – New collections of display settings including Watermarks (2D images behind or in front of models) and Sketchy Effects (rendered as though drawn by hand) enable users to create 3D models to fit their professional or personal needs.
- 3D Text – Users can now convert text to 2D outlines, filled surfaces, or extruded 3D objects.
Thinking of upgrading to Vista? Think again.
January 11, 2007 by Gaman · 4 Comments
According to PC World, to take advantage of all Vista’s features, you’ll need at a minimum of 1 GB of RAM. This requirement has been discussed before. On top of that, you are going to need a fast dual-core processor.
I have several computers and the most powerful one is a Pentium 3.2 GHz single processor but obviously it doesn’t meet the requirement. I know Vista will run on it but as a software developer, I need to make sure my own software work with Vista with all the bells and whistles running.
Another thing that concerns me is that security vendors such as McAfee and Symantec claim that Microsoft’s making it difficult for them to gain access to the part of the OS they need in order to upgrade their antivirus and anti-spyware tools to work with Vista.
This is another good reason not to upgrade if this issue is not resolve.
Where Have I Been Lately?
August 10, 2006 by Gaman · 7 Comments
I am still here. Just that things have been a little hectic for the past few weeks here.
I’ve been helping out my parent renovating and designing an extension to their house to accommodate a new kitchen and two more rooms.
While the builders are building the extension, I’ll have to keep an eye to make sure things are done as planned.
On the business side, we are in the final stages of releasing the new version of one of our software. The product’s website and documentation are nearing completion and some bugs are still being ironed out. Hopefully we’ll be able to meet the deadline this time if no new major bugs discovered.
The little time that I have left has been spent answering customer support emails.
Unfortunately, blogging has to take the back seat but this situation is temporarily. For the time being, I’ll update my blog as time permits.
5 Tools To Bulletproof Firefox
July 17, 2006 by Gaman · Leave a Comment
Looking for ways to make your Firefox browser more secure?
Techweb has a roundup of the most important security add-ons to help you fight spyware, adware drive-by-downloads, phishing and all sort of other malware.
Check out: 5 Tools To Bulletproof Firefox
Test Drive Microsoft Office 2007 via Your Web Browser
June 28, 2006 by Gaman · Leave a Comment
In an effort to attract more interest in the upcoming release of Office 2007 next year, Microsoft has launched an online preview of the software.
The online preview allows you to play around with the software without going through the trouble of downloading the large beta versions because it’ll run via your browser.
Still, to use the online demonstration, you must use IE 5.5 or later. You may also need to download a plug-in and must register with the company.
To be honest, I haven’t tried it myself but I’ll do that soon to see if it’s worth the upgrade from my Office 2003.
Test Drive Microsoft Office here
