Category: Operating Systems

64-bit or Bust – Don’t Settle For Less

Casting my mind back over the last decade with regard to the development of 64-bit computing, I’ve realised that it really has taken a while for 64-bit platforms to become the mainstream. Certainly from the perspective of x86 (which is the instruction set architecture that many desktop and servers systems have used for just over …

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Subsonic – Free Streaming Music

A few days ago, a friend of mine (thanks Mark!) brought a fantastic piece of software to my attention. It’s called Subsonic and it basically allows you to stream your music collection over the Internet to a streaming capable device. You’ll need a Windows, Mac or Linux computer to act as the streaming server and …

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Find Software on the Cheap

Have you ever wanted a piece of software but have been left wanting because of the cost? Microsoft software, in particular, can be quite expensive to acquire legitimately but there are legitimate ways to get your hands on their software. If you are studying at TAFE or a university, you may be eligible for a …

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Internet Explorer 9 Platform Preview

Internet Explorer 9

A preview of Internet Explorer 9 has been released to the public earlier this week to test the waters with early adopters. If you are keen to download a copy (which is a painless installation and can run side-by-side with your existing version of Internet Explorer), you can grab it here. Bear in mind, this …

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Hard Drive Revival – Part 2

Hard drive with replacement board

A couple of weeks ago, I embarked upon Hard Drive Revival – Part 1 when I took receipt of an apparent dead drive and decided to replace its circuit board. Last week, the replacement board arrived whilst I was on my extended weekend in Melbourne. I’ve only just been able to collect it today from …

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Unsecured Wi-Fi – Protect Your Privacy

My view of the Melbourne CBD as I blog today

Hello from the club at the Grand Hyatt in Melbourne! Just a quick update today. Included with the cost of our room here at the Grand Hyatt, there is also free WiFi available in the club. Of course, with such an arrangement the WiFi is unsecured and unencrypted which can be a concern as all of …

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Electronic Voting – Where is it?

A couple of days ago, I came across an article at ZDNet about the Victoria Electoral Commission expanding its e-voting deployment through the use of Linux-based computers. It still fascinates me that in this day and age that we still resort to pencil and paper and physically turn up at a designated location to cast …

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Microsoft Security Essentials – No Bloat, No Fuss

Microsoft Security Essentials (Update)

Since I got my first computer back in 1995 (with Windows 95 on it) I’ve gone through several different pieces of antiviral software as well as the incremental upgrades that became more common. As time progressed, the size of the software increased as well as the scope of what was included in an AV package. …

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Windows Home Server – A Great Backup & Storage Solution

Home Server Console (Home Network Health)

In an earlier blog entry, Erratic Electricity – The Silent Killer, I mentioned the fact that I use Windows Home Server in conjunction with offsite backup and a UPS to keep my data safe and sound. Windows Home Server (WHS) is basically a cut down version of Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 and is …

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Applications in the Cloud vs Thick Clients

In news that I came across yesterday, Google bought out Picnik which is a photo editor in your web browser. I’ve never heard of it before so I gave it a very quick test drive (which you can do for free and without registration) and was pleasantly surprised by its ease of use and the …

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