Knowledge | Technology Blog

Fundamental Differences Between Linux and Windows

December 10th, 2008

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Anyone who has pondered the idea of migrating from Windows to Linux knows there are differences between the two operating systems. But just what are those differences? Many people considering this migration might be more apt to make the jump if they know just what the differences are. So I thought it would be a good idea, in the spirit of helping users make the leap, to outline some of the fundamental differences between Linux and Windows.

Cost

In the current state of the economy, cost is a factor that will drive more and more people away from costly solutions to free solutions. That is one area that Linux can not be denied. It is free. Linux has been free since its inception. Why is it free? Because it is created by a vast community of developers who do not work for a single company. Linux is not a company. Red Hat is a company and they package a distribution of Linux that has a pricetag, but they are not Linux.

Importing Calendar From Microsoft Outlook To Mozilla Lightning

October 26th, 2008

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A question came up today if it was possible to export a Calendar in Microsoft Outlook and import it to Mozilla Lightning. Mozilla Lightning can be integrated in the email client Thunderbird. There are basically two ways to import the Microsoft Outlook Calendar into Mozilla Lightning.

The manual way would be to export the Calendar files from Microsoft Outlook as comma separated values (csv) and import them into Mozilla Lightning. To do that open Microsoft Outlook and select File > Import and Export from the top menu.

The Import and Export Wizard will show up offering choices to import data into Microsoft Outlook and export data into files as well. Pick the Export To A File entry from the selection.

What’s Better: Dynamic or Static IP Address?

October 12th, 2008

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The IP address. Your gateway to the internet. That little set of numbers that guarantees you can log on and check mail, watch videos, etc. This is something I only used to bother about when my internet connection stopped working and I needed to check if there was a problem from my end.

All this while, my ISP had assigned me a static IP address. Then, a few days ago, someone from the ISP called me up asking me to change some settings. Turns out they are now assigning dynamic IPs to their users.

While my internet experience hasn’t truly changed significantly, I got curious about the merits and demerits of both types of IP addresses. From what I’ve gleaned so far, the type of IP address doesn’t matter for the average home user. However, if you run some kind of server like Web, FTP, Email etc. then you definitely need a static IP address. I’m still not sure which one is better though so I’d like to get ghacks readers’ opinions on the subject.

Use Worldcat to Search Libraries Worldwide

September 26th, 2008

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I never quite understood why most people shy away from going to a library. After all, 9 times out of 10, the information you are looking for is available at your local library. In fact, libraries have an excellent collection, not only of books but also CDs, DVDs, scientific journals, etc.

One common reason people shy away from libraries is that they cannot find what they are looking for. The solution to this problem is to use Worldcat. It is a publicly accessible online interface that lets you search the collections of libraries in your community and around the world.

Worldcat lets you search for books, CDs, DVDs, audio books, journals, and just about anything that a library stocks. The best part is that you can search all the libraries in your area at one go. Just type in your search query and your pin code and voila! a list of all the libraries in your neighborhood with the item you searched for.

How To Sort Feeds In Google Reader Alphabetically Again

September 20th, 2008

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Google Reader sorts the feeds alphabetically which is probably the natural way of sorting news feeds. Once the user begins to move feeds around by dragging and dropping them to another location the sorting turns from alphabetical to one that does not sort the feeds at all but adds new feeds at the bottom of the list.

Users should not confuse that behavior with the temporary addition of new feeds to the bottom of the folder they have been put into. Once a user logs out and in again the feeds are sorted alphabetically again.

Google Reader offers no “sort” button that would make it possible to sort the feeds alphabetically again if the user started dragging and dropping around feeds previously. If you are one of those desperate users who want their feeds to be sorted alphabetically again read on.

Add Pictures To MySpace

August 24th, 2008

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The following article explains how to add pictures to MySpace. The process itself is not overly complicated and everyone should be able to follow the steps. Please leave a comment if you have any questions about the process.

There are basically two possibilities to add pictures to MySpace. The first is to upload pictures from a computer to MySpace and use the code presented after uploading them to add them to the MySpace profile or blog post. The second option is to embed images that are hosted on other websites.

If you want to upload pictures directly to MySpace you need to know the requirements. Pictures may not contain nudity, violence, copyrighted material or other offensive imagery. The picture can have a maximum size of 5 Megabytes and has to be a jpg, gif, bmp, png or tiff.