Watch: "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmjyMnKWTrM".
These RIAA people are really so nasty and are committing crimes... why aren't the world doing something to punish them ?
Monday, August 10, 2009
Friday, August 7, 2009
Microsoft patent storing docs in XML
Read "http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/08/microsoft-granted-patent-on-xml-word-processing-files.ars".
Imagine how much implication this patent can cause ? I think it's time for some international organization to yank Microsoft back to court and add another charge on Microsoft for this kind of manipulative moves.
By creating a patent for storing docs in xml, it literally is used as a spear to kill of competitors like OpenOffice's ODF format which does the same thing and it's trying to undermine the open source community because ODF is one of the famous symbols of the efforts of the open source community.
I think it's time Microsoft should be given a very hard and serious slapping for creating such an evil patent and the USPTO should wake up and not just blindly give patents. Such misuse of patent power by organizations like Microsoft who is well known for manipulating technology through it's powers should not be given to them.
Does USPTO ever consider the effects of giving patents or just give patents because someone's gonna pay you whatever amount you specify for the patent and you get to earn some good money and that's all you care ?
I really wonder if such patent offices really consider the impact of their actions !
Imagine how much implication this patent can cause ? I think it's time for some international organization to yank Microsoft back to court and add another charge on Microsoft for this kind of manipulative moves.
By creating a patent for storing docs in xml, it literally is used as a spear to kill of competitors like OpenOffice's ODF format which does the same thing and it's trying to undermine the open source community because ODF is one of the famous symbols of the efforts of the open source community.
I think it's time Microsoft should be given a very hard and serious slapping for creating such an evil patent and the USPTO should wake up and not just blindly give patents. Such misuse of patent power by organizations like Microsoft who is well known for manipulating technology through it's powers should not be given to them.
Does USPTO ever consider the effects of giving patents or just give patents because someone's gonna pay you whatever amount you specify for the patent and you get to earn some good money and that's all you care ?
I really wonder if such patent offices really consider the impact of their actions !
Thursday, August 6, 2009
OpenOffice Ribbon-like UI
Refer to the link "http://lifehacker.com/5331438/openofficeorg-screenshots-preview-a-ribbon+like-toolbar".
"This is not how OpenOffice should go..." as many OpenOffice users and supporters would criticise the latest OpenOffice Impress screenshot. This is the same comment I would use for the latest screenshot. Ribbon-like UI is for MS Office and let's leave the sucky and hard to navigate Ribbon-like UI for MS Office. I have tried MS Office a few times and the UI just sucks and is hard to understand and navigate.
While MS Office tries to make itself more unique, it also makes it's UI more unfriendly. Would it be better if you have the traditional menu bars and tool bars where everyone is accustomed to or the latest supposedly revolutionary Ribbon UI ? I prefer the more conservative and traditional yet easy to use menu bars and tool bars. Yes, it's outdated but it's been in use for so long and everyone is accustomed to it already.
Another danger of the Ribbon UI is that you have no idea what patents or stupid copyright stuff Microsoft have for it. You never know until it bites hard and bad.
So why not let's go to the traditional UI and don't ever touch the Ribbon UI because Ribbon UI is for Microsoft use as we have no idea what patents and hidden or open agenda Microsoft have installed and we have no idea what is out there waiting for us to walk into it's traps.
Anyway, from a GUI design point of view, Ribbon is unintuitive and sucks. Imagine you have such a huge 'Paste' , 'Copy' and 'Cut' button... like as though the user is a total idiot. The bar for containing the Ribbon UI takes up so much of screen space, I rather dedicate these space for a small button with a simple icon and then put a tool tip text to it. You can put stuff inside the right-click menu as well and it's more effective as people are used to right-clicking and expecting to see a list of options drop out from a menu.
The problem with most software is that the top menu bar, tool bar ...etc... are just hogging up space and the workflow is always disruptive. How does it become disruptive. Imagine you are typing and you have to move your mouse and look through some menus or tabs for some options or tools to use. Why not design something like an intelligent tool bar where as you type, certain valid options like bolding of changing text size is available and appears in a small translucent menu beneath the text. In Java, this can be done using a glass pane. Can you imagine having a bold tool for text available when you are trying to insert an image or a sound or video file in your document (i.e OO.o Impress) ? As you run into different scenarios, the menu would update itself showing you the possible options you can use rather than flooding the menu and tool bar with every thing. This is a better and more intelligent design isn't it ? Yes it requires better processing powers on the machine but these days, technology are advance and so are the processing powers with processor cores like Core 2 Duo ...etc...
I think we shouldn't try to ape someone's design blindly like OO.o(OpenOffice.org) did. We should use rationality instead of trying to ape MS's Ribbon UI.
"This is not how OpenOffice should go..." as many OpenOffice users and supporters would criticise the latest OpenOffice Impress screenshot. This is the same comment I would use for the latest screenshot. Ribbon-like UI is for MS Office and let's leave the sucky and hard to navigate Ribbon-like UI for MS Office. I have tried MS Office a few times and the UI just sucks and is hard to understand and navigate.
While MS Office tries to make itself more unique, it also makes it's UI more unfriendly. Would it be better if you have the traditional menu bars and tool bars where everyone is accustomed to or the latest supposedly revolutionary Ribbon UI ? I prefer the more conservative and traditional yet easy to use menu bars and tool bars. Yes, it's outdated but it's been in use for so long and everyone is accustomed to it already.
Another danger of the Ribbon UI is that you have no idea what patents or stupid copyright stuff Microsoft have for it. You never know until it bites hard and bad.
So why not let's go to the traditional UI and don't ever touch the Ribbon UI because Ribbon UI is for Microsoft use as we have no idea what patents and hidden or open agenda Microsoft have installed and we have no idea what is out there waiting for us to walk into it's traps.
Anyway, from a GUI design point of view, Ribbon is unintuitive and sucks. Imagine you have such a huge 'Paste' , 'Copy' and 'Cut' button... like as though the user is a total idiot. The bar for containing the Ribbon UI takes up so much of screen space, I rather dedicate these space for a small button with a simple icon and then put a tool tip text to it. You can put stuff inside the right-click menu as well and it's more effective as people are used to right-clicking and expecting to see a list of options drop out from a menu.
The problem with most software is that the top menu bar, tool bar ...etc... are just hogging up space and the workflow is always disruptive. How does it become disruptive. Imagine you are typing and you have to move your mouse and look through some menus or tabs for some options or tools to use. Why not design something like an intelligent tool bar where as you type, certain valid options like bolding of changing text size is available and appears in a small translucent menu beneath the text. In Java, this can be done using a glass pane. Can you imagine having a bold tool for text available when you are trying to insert an image or a sound or video file in your document (i.e OO.o Impress) ? As you run into different scenarios, the menu would update itself showing you the possible options you can use rather than flooding the menu and tool bar with every thing. This is a better and more intelligent design isn't it ? Yes it requires better processing powers on the machine but these days, technology are advance and so are the processing powers with processor cores like Core 2 Duo ...etc...
I think we shouldn't try to ape someone's design blindly like OO.o(OpenOffice.org) did. We should use rationality instead of trying to ape MS's Ribbon UI.
Official Chrome for Linux ? Starcraft 2 ?
We have always been hearing Chrome improvements here and there and the only way to install an official Chrome is via the Windows Installer provided and the non-official way to get Chrome is via some builds you have to figure out how to do it.
I am personally getting very very tired of waiting for an official version of Chrome for Linux so I would simply pass Chrome and continue Firefox or something else. Chrome is definitely good in features but hey, you are making users and enthusiast waiting too long for an official release... even a basic 0.1 stable for Chrome ? My personal opinion for myself as a Linux user... it's not worth the wait even though there are unofficial builds (and they are not stable at all).
About Starcraft 2... they just shifted the estimated release date to 2010. We all are suspecting that there's something really going wrong in the development of Starcraft 2 that's causing all the waiting and shifting of the release date. Maybe the developers aren't interested in Starcraft 2 at all judging by the slack efforts in promoting Starcraft 2 and the many years we have to wait and many failed datelines. There is something definitely wrong with Starcraft 2 to my opinion from my observation and I think now I would just give up on waiting for Starcraft 2 and play other games. Blizzard seems to have more interest in WoW 3 , DOTA ...etc... then Starcraft 2 and it took them about a decade or more to figure out that it's time to move from Starcraft to Starcraft 2. I guess I would personally consider Starcraft 2 a 'dead' one. I wouldn't be surprise if Blizzard suddenly just announce that Starcraft is 'dead' and move on ? Well this is my guess and point of view for now.
To Blizzard, good luck for trying so hard on appearing interested to Starcraft 2. I find the Battle Report Blizzard released so far a good try but they are using all the 'old stuff' we already know that might appear in SC2.
Two failed products here ... in my point of view ... Chrome and SC 2.
I am personally getting very very tired of waiting for an official version of Chrome for Linux so I would simply pass Chrome and continue Firefox or something else. Chrome is definitely good in features but hey, you are making users and enthusiast waiting too long for an official release... even a basic 0.1 stable for Chrome ? My personal opinion for myself as a Linux user... it's not worth the wait even though there are unofficial builds (and they are not stable at all).
About Starcraft 2... they just shifted the estimated release date to 2010. We all are suspecting that there's something really going wrong in the development of Starcraft 2 that's causing all the waiting and shifting of the release date. Maybe the developers aren't interested in Starcraft 2 at all judging by the slack efforts in promoting Starcraft 2 and the many years we have to wait and many failed datelines. There is something definitely wrong with Starcraft 2 to my opinion from my observation and I think now I would just give up on waiting for Starcraft 2 and play other games. Blizzard seems to have more interest in WoW 3 , DOTA ...etc... then Starcraft 2 and it took them about a decade or more to figure out that it's time to move from Starcraft to Starcraft 2. I guess I would personally consider Starcraft 2 a 'dead' one. I wouldn't be surprise if Blizzard suddenly just announce that Starcraft is 'dead' and move on ? Well this is my guess and point of view for now.
To Blizzard, good luck for trying so hard on appearing interested to Starcraft 2. I find the Battle Report Blizzard released so far a good try but they are using all the 'old stuff' we already know that might appear in SC2.
Two failed products here ... in my point of view ... Chrome and SC 2.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
OpenJDK's Swing, Sun JVM, Extreme Open Source
Just a while ago, I tried to use the apt-get to install Maven2 into my LinuxMint 6 machine to try out the hype with Java devs on Maven and I was given a surprise when it installed OpenJDK 6 too. I found out about the installed OpenJDK 6 when I tried to launch my Makagiga app and the Swing looks.... ok.... honestly... it's badly rendered !!!
So now what I am saying is that Swing in OpenJDK sucks ! It's not up to scratch... it's not even good at all. I would prefer Sun Java JVM since it's free too but those who are extremist in the Open Source thing... (I am a supporter of open source too but not to the extremes of conducting strikes and stuff....) and I would suggest Sun to just give up on trying to make it's JVM a secret but to open up the entire Sun JVM. What good or profit would Sun get from keeping it's JVM codes a secret ?
To dispose other rivals trying to make better VMs ? Look at Ruby ! There are many Ruby VMs and the competitions are very productive and healthy and look at Sun ... refusing Apache Harmony some test kit for it's VMs or give a lousy or bad kit ? Who knows... But up till now, Sun have always ill treated Apache Harmony and ironically Sun supposedly is a contributor in Apache projects !!!
Hey Sun, time for a wake up call ... Don't think you are high and almighty like Microsoft because you made and own most of Java's share. It's time you stop following Microsoft, completely provide proper and unbias test kits for free and ease of availability and downloads, completely open up without delay the codes to the Sun JVM (anyway you are into open source OpenJDK so what's wrong with just completely opening your official VM ?).
I really hope there's an international enforcement on Open Source where all codes created are open source in nature and there isn't propriotery codes anymore. This such law if exist would force all developers to open up their codes and share it.
I know FOSS would love this international law to force all codes to be open source, but there are powers behind the scene manipulating governments like puppets to ensure that such law would never be voted for as an international or local law.
For now, just open source the stupid Sun JVM. Why make an open source JVM when you could just open up your Sun JVM and change it's license to GNU GPL ? It would save the need for some weird badly made OpenJDK !
So now what I am saying is that Swing in OpenJDK sucks ! It's not up to scratch... it's not even good at all. I would prefer Sun Java JVM since it's free too but those who are extremist in the Open Source thing... (I am a supporter of open source too but not to the extremes of conducting strikes and stuff....) and I would suggest Sun to just give up on trying to make it's JVM a secret but to open up the entire Sun JVM. What good or profit would Sun get from keeping it's JVM codes a secret ?
To dispose other rivals trying to make better VMs ? Look at Ruby ! There are many Ruby VMs and the competitions are very productive and healthy and look at Sun ... refusing Apache Harmony some test kit for it's VMs or give a lousy or bad kit ? Who knows... But up till now, Sun have always ill treated Apache Harmony and ironically Sun supposedly is a contributor in Apache projects !!!
Hey Sun, time for a wake up call ... Don't think you are high and almighty like Microsoft because you made and own most of Java's share. It's time you stop following Microsoft, completely provide proper and unbias test kits for free and ease of availability and downloads, completely open up without delay the codes to the Sun JVM (anyway you are into open source OpenJDK so what's wrong with just completely opening your official VM ?).
I really hope there's an international enforcement on Open Source where all codes created are open source in nature and there isn't propriotery codes anymore. This such law if exist would force all developers to open up their codes and share it.
I know FOSS would love this international law to force all codes to be open source, but there are powers behind the scene manipulating governments like puppets to ensure that such law would never be voted for as an international or local law.
For now, just open source the stupid Sun JVM. Why make an open source JVM when you could just open up your Sun JVM and change it's license to GNU GPL ? It would save the need for some weird badly made OpenJDK !
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Getting Things Gnome !
I just stumbled upon this software for the Gnome Desktop called Getting Things Gnome !. It's a task organizer. I installed it on my Linux Mint 6 Universal.
You can get it at: http://gtg.fritalk.com/
I used this initially just a while ago and this stuff is good. I got my Linux mintMenu to start up this baby when I login so I can look through my task/to do list. This baby organizes things well too and you can add sub task here and there and it allows you some choices how you dispay the tasks and sub-tasks.
I would be testing and using this and see how it works.
That's all for now.
You can get it at: http://gtg.fritalk.com/
I used this initially just a while ago and this stuff is good. I got my Linux mintMenu to start up this baby when I login so I can look through my task/to do list. This baby organizes things well too and you can add sub task here and there and it allows you some choices how you dispay the tasks and sub-tasks.
I would be testing and using this and see how it works.
That's all for now.
Convert MKV to iPod MP4
Recently, I decided to use my backup Win Vista Home Basic's iTunes to load anime I have into my iPod. Most anime are served out in MKV H264 format and I used KigoConverter to convert MKV to Custom MP4 (iPod uses this). What I noticed is that by doing so, the scipts containing the english translations are omitted and I am left to listen and watch the animes on my iPod without any translations and this can be hard on those who have no idea about Japanese language.
I noticed that AVI videos when converted to MP4 have their translations retained and you can watch them properly.... hmmm... I am wondering why did the translations scripts not be added to the custom MP4. Does anyone have any answers ?
I noticed that AVI videos when converted to MP4 have their translations retained and you can watch them properly.... hmmm... I am wondering why did the translations scripts not be added to the custom MP4. Does anyone have any answers ?
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