If you are a thinker, a mad scientist in the making or just a curious ADD person like me, the Arduino boards are just what you are missing in life.

Arduino is an open-source physical computing platform based on a simple micro controller board, and a development environment for writing software for the board.

Arduino can be used to develop interactive objects, taking inputs from a variety of switches or sensors, and controlling a variety of lights, motors, and other physical outputs. Arduino projects can be stand-alone, or they can be communicate with software running on your computer .

Arduino hardware can be used in Windows, Mac or Linux. The boards can be assembled by hand or purchased pre-assembled and the open-source IDE (programming environment) can be downloaded for free.

There’s a great starting guide at http://arduino.cc/en/Guide/HomePage, but I have also been recommended this book:

30 Arduino Projects for the Evil Genius

This guide shows you how to program and build a variety of projects with the Arduino microcontroller development system. Covering Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms, it gets you up to speed with the simplified C programming you need to know–no prior programming experience necessary.

You can find more books and arduino boards and components on here.

Examples of what one can accomplish with Arduino:

Technorati Tags: Arduino, arduino projects, C Programming, DIY geek, geek gifts, IDE, Linux, Mac, muti platform, Open Source, Programming, robbots, Windows

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As a Linux user and Open Source enthusiast I always want to see people moving away from the proprietary stuff and into the Open Source world, but sometimes it’s easier to keep them where they are (stuck to Windows), specially when it comes to gaming. I am not a gamer, and would rather spend my time on other more fulfilling tasks like testing a ClearOS installation, but when it comes to helping people migrate from Windows to Linux, there’s always that dreaded question  “Will my games work?”  The answer could easily be “yes very well, better than before!”  but in reality a majority of the games won’t. Why? The proprietary monster that is Microsoft has allured programmers, graphic card manufacturers and the common citizen into the idea that DirectX is the best, and it could not e further from the truth. While DirectX only runs on Windows, OpenGL offers equal or better results and runs on every platform. 

But don’t let me talk to you about this, as I said I am not a gamer, let those who know what they are talking about tell you. This great article will help you understand Why should you use OpenGL and not DirectX (Wolfire Blog), and you may also enjoy reading this article Commercial Gaming coming to Linux?  from the Linux Magazine.

Technorati Tags: DirectX, Gaming, Linux, Mac, Microsoft, OpenGL, Windows, Xbox

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• May 12, 2009 -- Offline Blogging Tools
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Offline Blogging Tools let you comfortably write and effortlessly publish new entries to your blog.  I personally like the easy to use Scribefire, a Firefox addon, but there are many others our there.  Here is a shortlist…

Scribefire

Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux

This is an addon for Firefox so you need to be using Firefox (clearly)

BlogDesk

Platform: Windows

BlogDesk is totaly free of charge and optimized for the blog systems WordPress, MovableType, Drupal, Serendipity and ExpressionEngine.

BlogGTK

Platform: Linux

BloGTK is a weblog client that allows you to post to your weblog from GNOME without the need for a separate browser window. BloGTK allows you to connect with many weblog systems such as Blogger, Movable Type, WordPress, and more.

Windows Live Writer (by Microsoft)

Platform: Windows

WLW is a desktop application for publishing to blogs and works with almost any blog provider in the world including Windows Live Spaces, Blogger, WordPress and more.

Qumana

Platform: Mac, Windows

Great for bloggers on the move. Qumana features include easy text formatting and image insertion, simple Technorati tagging, advertising insertion with Q Ads and more.

Technorati Tags: Blog, BlogDesk, BloGTK, Drupal, ExpressionEngine, Linux, Mac, MovableType, Qumana, Scribfire, Serendipity, Windows, Windows Live Writer, WordPress

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• November 7, 2011 -- Arduino the Open Source hardware
• March 11, 2010 -- The future of gaming is OpenGL
• January 28, 2009 -- Synergy – share mouse and keyboard cross platform
• April 22, 2011 -- Has the iPad really overtaken Linux?
• November 11, 2010 -- IPV4 is almost exhausted.. time for IPV6?

I was reading this article on ZDNET.com “Is Mac still the safer bet?” by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes. This is a question that I have been asked many times also, “Is Mac safer than windows?” Although many times it sounded more like an affirmation than a question.

I wouldn’t say it’s safer, it’s just not as targeted. Once Mac becomes a target, the cyber criminals will have a lot of fun because of the lack of attention to security Mac users have. To switch platform with the sole reason of not having to think about security is very lame.

The Microsoft operating system is targeted  for its many vulnerabilities including the end users, who have now started to take security really seriously. Mac users have to step up on their care for security. Most problems I find with Mac users are:

•  Very simple (Unsecure) passwords
•  Blind trust in any program that is available for Macs (because its safe right!)
•  Addiction to desktop gadgets (because its safe right!)
•  Keychain unconditional love – store all and any passwords (this combined with my first point can be a disaster)
•  Will join any wireless network availabe (I am safe it’s a Mac)
•  Last but not least… they are  annoying. ;)

I do not intend to have a go at Apple/Mac and its users, but the lack of security awareness I have seen , specially the new ones recently switched from Windows, is scary. If a well developed targeted malware or virus were to be released now it would be a global disaster.

So my answer to the question is: “The operating system hasn’t been target untill then no one will know how much safer it is. Mac users brace yourselves!”

Technorati Tags: Apple, Apple Malware, Apple Virus, Mac, Security, Windows

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• January 28, 2009 -- Synergy – share mouse and keyboard cross platform

Synergy lets you easily share a single mouse and keyboard between
multiple computers with different operating systems, each with its
own display, without special hardware. It’s intended for users
with multiple computers on their desk since each system uses its
own monitor(s). 

Redirecting the mouse and keyboard is as simple as moving the mouse
off the edge of your screen. Synergy also merges the clipboards of
all the systems into one, allowing cut-and-paste between systems.
Furthermore, it synchronizes screen savers so they all start and stop
together and, if screen locking is enabled, only one screen requires
a password to unlock them all.

You can get synergy working on computers running different Operating Systems, the sharing is done via your local network and hosts are linked via the hostname or IP address. Setup is very intuitive. To install just follow these steps.

For Windows download it from http://synergy2.sourceforge.net

For Macs you can use the SynergyOSx or QuickSynergy

For Linux you can use QuickSynergy

• OpenSUSE go to http://software.opensuse.org 
• Ubuntu $sudo apt-get install quicksynergy 
• Other distros download it from http://quicksynergy.sourceforge.net

Watch this video with an idea of what is possible with Synergy.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id3GHAruhAk

Technorati Tags: Cross-platform, Linux, Mac, QuickSynergy, Sharing periferals, Synergy, Windows

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This is an Old Novell Ad, a nice addition to the Mac/PC ads war.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eTguZ5OzJ4

Technorati Tags: Linux, Mac, Novell, PC

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0Gzq-QEt0s

If this was real, Mac users would love it… just because it’s from Apple!

Technorati Tags: Apple, Mac, Mac Book Wheel

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