Ubuntu 8 - Is the penguin finally coming of age?

OK I admit it, I'm a Windows boy. I've been using Windows now from 95 through to Vista, working on networks from small businesses to large corporations. As much as I hate to admit it I even know a few registry keys off by heart... but that doesn't make me blind to what else is going on in the operating system world. Closing your eyes to other systems in the fast moving field of IT can often leave you stranded but can also mean you miss out on something which could improve your life dramatically. After all I might have more windows experience than a Canary Wharf glass cleaner but I still run my web servers on Linux and Apache because its the most sensible choice.

Posted by Daniel: 11:44, Thu 1st May 2008

SIP - Getting the most out of VOIP

What is VOIP?

Many people either have no idea what VOIP is, think its unreliable, or can't see the point in it. To be fair for people who have mobile phones with hundreds of free minutes and land-line telephones with free weekend and evening calls it can appear on the surface to be pretty pointless. However there are some advantages which may affect you:

More than one telephone line for free...

If you live in a household with three or more people in it you have undoubtedly encountered the situation where you either wanted to use the phone when it was already in use, or got annoyed by someone else constantly picking up your private calls. With VOIP this problem is solved...

Posted by Daniel: 12:09, Sun 16th Mar 2008

Gizmo of the Month - Techno-Balls

Out of all the Xmas presents I got this year, I had to tell you about this one. What looks like a simple marble run kit is actually hours of constant tweaking and adjustment to get that perfect swish mesmerising marble motion. If you are even slightly obsessive-compulsive like me you will love it!

I personally got the Techno-Balls "Hi-Lift Drive Helter Skelter" (269 piece set) and although once you've built and perfected it there's not a whole lot of room for customisation, it does take a considerable amount of time to do and makes an impressive gizmo ornament at the end of it. However fingers crossed I will get another kit next year and be able to combine the two to unleash some of that supressed creativity potential ;)

Posted by Daniel: 11:21, Sun 16th Mar 2008

OBDII, Check Engine lights and fun with car diagnostics

Ever felt that you were once a pretty good home car mechanic until all this computery stuff came out? Ever got a check engine light come on and felt you had no choice but to take your car down the local dealership and prepare to be fleeced? Ever wanted one of those gadgets you see the mechanics using which tell you instantly what the fault on your car is? ...or maybe you just fancy a cool gizmo that draws graphs of your 0-60 times, horsepower, fuel consumption, speed, rpm, etc.? Personally they all sound useful to me...

(Updated: 10:53, Sun 13th Jul 2008)
Posted by Daniel: 22:32, Sat 29th Dec 2007