TechnoTopia

Blog Action Day 2008: Poverty

2008-10-15T16:09:00.003+03:00

We all know, yet no-one does anything about it: Poverty dominates our world. Don't think that the majority of the world's population is fairing well, living happily and peacefully. It's quite the contrary, the majority is actually suffering from Poverty.

In a world without borders, the land of famine is drawing it's own markers. Do you know that 30 MILLION people a year DIE of hunger ?

In my opinion, this is not those people's fault, it's the BIG-Cheeses' fault.
Nowadays, rich countries are getting wealthier at the expense of less-fortunate ones, under the greedy cloak of capitalism and globalization.
All people deserve to live decently, their dignity intact, no must be obliged to BEG: but everyone has a duty to GIVE.

Don't say you're too small to make a difference. Each step forward you aid them with means two less steps backwards. Share, talk, work, donate.

You can start by just giving the first homeless person you meet a buck.
You can write a blog post concerning the subject of poverty.
You can give away your unused clothes.
You can visit Oxfam's website and check out the current campaigns.
You can visit www.kiva.org and lend money to a struggling third-world entrepreneur.

There are endless ways to help.
If only each one of us would give a buck, we could raise a billion.

Peace out,
Poverty too.

War comes back to Lebanon

2008-05-09T18:29:00.002+03:00

Just STOP . . . Peace

Ubuntu 8.04: the real deal

2008-04-25T22:12:00.009+03:00

I just upgraded my system to Ubuntu 8.04, Hardy Heron.

Before i write anything, i just want to say something out loud, IT IS GODDAMN SLICK !!!!!!!!!!!!!...!

Sorry for the intense language, hehe I'm not yelling at you, but I just needed to scream that out loud !!

Now let's cut to the chase, here's what happened.

The upgrade went almost flawlessly. Actually i have a feeling the Ubuntu guys up there at Canonical had prepared their website for a very hefty load before actually releasing the marvel. I have noticed that every time the mirror gets bogged down and slow, it doesn't take long before it springs back into adequate speed. Overall the download was steady and much more tolerable than that of Feisty's upgrade to gutsy. THAT one really bogged down Canonical's servers. This time they made it smooth.

But -as i had expected-, I got some problems after the upgrade was complete. The worst was that sound stopped working, but i quickly fixed the problem by disabling the new PulseAudio sound server. I don't know why it didn't work, maybe on a fresh install it would have, but I'm content with sound now, although some applications (like VLC) have troubled me. This is the problem that got me the most irritated actually, but again i guess it would have worked on a fresh install.

The second problem was the login screen suddenly having a weird resolution (although i must admit that the only reason for that is my tweaking). It's fixed by a simple driver-reinstall though.

Also, i think the cube plug in in Compiz fusion has become slower. But on the other hand several other areas that require graphics have become faster, the screen saver for example.

And lastly, not having to do with anything being wrong, but where the hell did the shared folder configuration tool and the screens and graphics tools go ? I have heard that Ubuntu removed the samba GUI because it now invokes samba user-creation in a GUI when needed.

Don't get too dimmed about it though, as a matter of fact i think it was a smooth upgrade, i mean one has GOT to expect a day or two of tweaking after an upgrade it's normal. Plus you don't see MICRO$OFT offering you an upgrade online without re-installation !

On to the real issue.

Now that I'm happy with everything. I can objectively talk about the release.

First of all, disregarding the numerous new features. I'm just amazed by how much professional hardy looks and acts. It's truly the best Ubuntu version enterprise-wise. It has been meticulously engineered to soften Linux's rough edges. I cannot possibly explain more, you'll have to try it out and see for yourself. But for example the artwork is complete, there are practically no ugly icons skipping around the neck of the Heron; the menus, the icons, the emblems, the wallpaper; are all well conceived. Even that old ugly bluetooth icons, that annoyed me personally, has been replaced. Look at the screenshot and see what I'm talking about.

And as far as usability and features are concerned: I'm afraid Bill Gate$, that your windoez crap is nothing compared to this. Actually Ubuntu 8.04 introduces some hidden features that make it rival Mac OS X's pizazz. For one you can pretty easily encrypt files and sign them as a security measure, without installing any additional software. You can meddle with permissions to a point where a user must not open sound, change the clock or eject USB keys ! And that I think is insanely powerful for administrators and offices.

Firefox is also much improved, it's now themed exactly as the other native applications, it's faster, more responsive, and just slicker ! Having this improved integration, you cannot but admire how professional the system is. I initially though it would behave disastrously seeing it's still in beta, but it seems like they played with it to stabilize it before the release. It's integrated to the degree IE is integrated in windows XP. Here's a screenshot:

Also did i tell you that i LOVE the new transition effects in OpenOffice.org Impress (PowerPoint alternative) ?? If you want to see what they can do check out this page.

Compiz-Fusion, the desktop effetcs engine is also revamped. Everything has become much more integrated with it, for example the settings in System-Preferences-Windows directly apply to it. It also has a couple of new plugins, like a new eye catching and wonderful mouse focus effect. Notice the light circle, that's the effect ( the mous should appear in the middle but the screenshot didn't include it )

And that pretty much raps it up for features that i reeeeeaaaaally dug.

But i would also like to talk about the success of the Ubuntu project, which i think has become inevitable and destined to happen sooner than later. First of all i would like a give a big THANKS to Mark Shuttleworth and tell him that thanks to his leadership and the benevolent work of a thousand others we can enjoy operating systems again. Mark, i salute you. I want to point out also the beautiful work that the guys ( and girls too! ) up at Canonical have done with the Ubuntu website. They have published a tour on it to introduce new users to Ubuntu, and which, i think, is just a wonderful piece of true marketing. Please pay a visit and look at the tour.

So, if anybody has been having Linux thoughts in his Cabeza, like our spanish friends say it, it's indeed a great time to put your finger in the water and i'm sure you'll eventually dive in.

Everybody enjoy your herons, Peace Out.

Earth Day

2008-04-22T13:58:00.003+03:00

So, it's finally Earth day !

This day is a worldwide festival organized to appreciate the Earth's environment and raise awareness of global climate change.

I urge anyone who has the slightest hope for this planet to do something on this great day. Turn off your lights for one hour, participate in a street cleaning event, write a post on your blog, light a candle, whatever you ant to do would be more than fine. The goal is to show participation in the event, and commitment to the cause.

But as many people say, Earth Day should be everyday, and not just April 22.

If everybody tries to keep that in mind for the rest of the year, things would be a lot better from now on.

Peace out.

Ubuntu gets "hardier" with Hary Heron

2008-04-03T12:03:00.004+03:00

First of all, I'm sorry for the long idle period you have noticed on this blog recently. I've had a lot of work to do and I was just unable to grab some free writing time ! I'm back with this post now.

The Beta's still hot out of the oven, and a lot of reviews have appeared throughout the internet describing the numerous improvements, so I'm not going to spend a lot of time talking about them too. I will talk about what the Hardy Heron release can do for Ubuntu.

Indeed, the Heron is carrying a lot of features up its long beak. Most importantly a new X.Org display system with emphasis on better auto configuration support. Also, the file manager now sports more file operation options like restoring from trash. For administrators, a new much more powerful permissions management system that can be tinkered with to a great extent. A new sound manager for music lovers ( like me lol ) and the all-new Firefox 3, a much faster browser than its predecessor Firefox 2. They added a new burning application, a new Bit Torrent client and a new remote desktop viewer. For more details visit the release notes.

But as a matter of fact, Hardy means more than that. Being an LTS or enterprise release, it presents a fully viable alternative to Windows on the business front. As a boss you don't want to hear about the new Linux scheduler or about the new burning application, what matters to you is stability, and usability. And that's where the heron is aiming to land. Ubuntu 8.04 is aiming to provide the most stable and usable Linux desktop (and server) ever made, proudly ready for a business environment.

This is where all those features come in, didn't you notice that they were not focused on being cutting-edge but instead on providing a more polished solution ? For example Compiz-Fusion is not mere eye candy anymore, it's now fully integrated and offered as a solid windows manager that can do its job without crashing or annoying you with inconvenient problems.

Canonical knows this is a very important release, that's why they are being very careful in how to deal with it. It could either determine the ultimate success of the Ubuntu project, or its demise. The south African company has already made deals with several OEM ( like DELL and SUN ) in preparation for its enterprise platform. A Noticeable deal is that one with SUN, which now is planning enhanced support for Ubuntu on its server line. The company was also quick to ready its systems management software Landscape, in competition with the indisputable leader RedHat.

But still, the heron has some drawbacks that need to be resolved before the official release. Most importantly the inclusion of Firefox 3. I'm not saying that they shouldn't put it in, because Mozilla has honestly made considerable efforts to improve Firefox for its Linux users. But having beta software in an enterprise release seems wacky to me. I've heard Mozilla doesn't plan to officially release Firefox until June. I'm sure the Ubuntu guys would think of something after all, they could always meddle with the Firefox code, since it's open-source, in an effort to stabilize it before the release. Either way, Firefox 3 Beta is said to be more stable than the current Firefox build !

Hardy Heron will mark a huge change in the project's history, and most probably for the better. Let's wait and see.

Peace out.

How about the rise of UNIX ?

2008-02-11T17:05:00.008+02:00

2004... 2005... 2006... 2007... 2008

We've seen it happen every year... and it's getting old, I know. That long awaited "Year Of The Linux Desktop" never actually took place. So why am I still writing about it ?... Because I'm not just gonna say it is time and put another lie on the table, on the contrary my post is gonna cover the fact that there is NO year of the Linux desktop, and that's it's actually a gradual penetration into the market.

One more thing, did u notice that *UNIX* catchphrase ? It's intentional, because Macintosh is also starting to gather some crowd around it.

Let's talk first about Change and origins.

Change is good isn't it ? The human mind itself was conceived to refuse idle situations and lack of evolution. We push ourselves to the limit to obtain a better living, we work hard to provide our families with support and care, so how come we work so little to improve our society ? Maybe we're greedy, maybe even we're too materialistic. But what about when we've ignored change so much that it's absence has gave birth to a never-ending quagmire that started to eat up our so-dear advances ? This is the spark that lights up the torch of change, and we've seen it light the torch of revolutions, uprisings, movements, and last but NOT least philanthropy.

So to cut to the chase - what the hell does that have to do with technology ? It has to do with a lot actually. We live in a monopoly that the like has never existed before, politically and technologically speaking, and it's called Microsoft -- or micro$oft, the way I like to call it -- . We rely on it in all of our computing needs, to the point where choice started to be condemned, laughed at and sometimes ridiculed. Down here on planet earth, everyone who even dares to think about competitors to micro$oft is subject to discrimination, a new type of segregation, a technological one. We UNIX guys are considered to be almost non-existent, although we were responsible for defining modern computing as we know it. Let's take a few examples: the Internet was invented on a UNIX computer, telecommunications are almost ALWAYS based on UNIX technology, and 90% of the the world's 500 most powerful supercomputers run a form of UNIX. So to sum up my point of view, I want to get a message out to those idiots who say that the world would not function without micro$oft software, well THINK AGAIN because if it wasn't for that *second class* ( as you call it ) UNIX OS you'd be still selling 3.5-inch floppies, so quit it and get a grip, CAPICHE ?!

So when i talk about change, I'm looking forward to it because i know things aren't going the right way nowadays.

Now let's move on to popular culture

This is the thing that irritates me the most: "Hell everybody uses it ! so it must be damn good ! Who are you to prove wrong all of the planet ?!". So to sum up what I think: this is dope-level mambo-jumbo. I just want to reply back to the people who say that with one phrase: did you notice that 90% of users don't have a clue about using it ?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! Go ask anybody randomly if they know how to format an office document so that it's layout is automatically related and coherent and cohesive, they would answer " Go do whaaaa' ?!?!". So the "it's popular" argument has got to go.

And what about freedom ?

Do any of the micro$oft users think about their rights when using software ? Hell no. The folks at Redmond just give orders " do this, do that, buy this, buy that ..." and users are stupidly agreeing on everything that goes out of their mouths. WAKE UP people !! NO company has the right to force the use of its product -- especially on people who don't have the means to support their cost --, and they DEFINITELY don't have the right to dictate when, where or how you should use their products ( I'm not talking about copyrights here just to make things clear ). But unfortunately, in the state of monopoly that we have come to suffer from, people don't have much choice: they should either go the micro$oft way or nowhere. They are forced and locked into the monopoly because micro$soft software is the most supported. This is extremely unfair ! Where has choice disappeared ?! Where did you throw those FREE MARKET ideals ?! Where is fair competition ?! This shows that the micro$oft way of doing things is WRONG.

And you know what ?! You do have a choice !! Take it by force !

If you believe in your liberty, don't hesitate to say NO, even if the whole world is silently obeying. You are NOT born to be a sheep. Make a stand and cut on micro$oft software, the same software that less-developed countries than yours are not able to obtain.

As a matter of fact, UNIX is way more technically advanced

Security. UNIX is not perfect and 100% immune, that's just a myth. but it is actually more than 500% more secure than Windows. This is NOT due to fact that it's not so popular, but its mere structure is designed in a way to stop viruses and malware ( the File permissions system is a good example of a structural security advantage ).

And Linux for example is secure by design because it's open source nature removes any threat of a back door to your system put by the vendor to exploit you.

Reliability. Unlike Windows, when you configure or fix something to your liking in UNIX, it actually STAYS that way. It doesn't erratically stop working or give you totally unexplainable errors.

Performance. Compare two machines with the same hardware, one running Windows and the other running UNIX, you will find that the UNIX system is much faster than it's Windows counterpart.

So why the hell do they keep using Windows for goodness sake ?!?!

I do understand people in this area, because a system Is all about the applications it has. And UNIX does not have the huge number of 3rd party applications Windows has. But what people don't understand is that the situation is a two way relationship: the developers don't create applications for the system because it's not popular, and the people don't use it because there are not much applications for it. But we've GOT TO START SOMEWHERE ! UNIX has reached the point where it can, independently of 3rd party vendors, serve the majority of computer functions alone, whether It was office work, music, or internet browsing.

A push started on the Linux scene in 2004

Mark Shuttleworth, the world's second space tourist, started a project that has achieved great success lately and really taken off in our monopolistic society: it's Ubuntu, a free ( as in free speech ) UNIX ( actually Linux to be more specific ) system. It's now massively used throughout the world, especially in France. And before it RedHat had dominated the Linux scene and helped drive the system's adoption.

My point is: there is no event that can make Linux adoption skyrocket overnight. On the contrary it's the added work of several companies, individuals, and institutions that drives it, it's a gradual phenomenon, and the day is definitely gonna come where Linux is gonna be taken as a very serious platform on the Desktop system scene.

Macintosh: already a thriving UNIX ?

Simultaneously, Apple has doing some great work on it's own UNIX system, Mac Os X.

Recent reports even suggest that Macintosh now occupies about 7% of the overall desktop market. It had risen approximately 5% in 4 years.

So is the change happening ?

Yes it is, you might not feel a sudden blow because of it, but it will turn things upside down and eventually turn the current situation the other way around.

KDE 4 released !

2008-01-12T21:18:00.000+02:00

Copngratulations to the up there at www.kde.org ! They finally got KDE to version 4! If anyone wants to try the new KDE don't hesitate to download the liveCD.

Peace out.

In Memory of Gebran Tueni

2007-12-14T14:30:00.000+02:00

On december 12th, Gebran Tueni was brutally assassinated in an attempt to silence him, but his ideas and his love for his country still survive.

In homage to Gebran Tueni:

A great Phil Collins album

2007-12-08T00:48:00.000+02:00

I just bought the Phil Collins music album "...But Seriously", and it's amazing !

That guy's songs are filled with deep meaning and symbolism, and are a real pleasure to listen to.

I recommend this CD to everyone who like REAL honest meaningful music.

It talks about a range of topics, like love, homelessness, discrimination ...

Independence Day

2007-11-22T13:15:00.000+02:00

It's our Independence day ! But i'm not gonna jump up and down for it seeing the awful political situation that's we've come to suffer from.

Let the Lebanese flag guide the wind !

P.S: in memory of Pierre Gemayel ( son of Amin Gemayel ), I dedicate this flag to him.

Great Song by Coldplay

2007-11-22T13:07:00.000+02:00

I just found the greatest song ever performed by Coldplay, it's called "The Hardest Part", and is included in the album X&Y :

Rockbox: an open-source portable music platform

2007-11-17T22:51:00.000+02:00

I've been hearing for a couple of years about iPodLinux, but the fact that it didn't support my iPod model ( nano 1st generation ) kept me aways from trying it.

But recently I discovered another alternative, open-source project too, under the name "Rockbox". It stated that it had support for my iPod model, and it also offered an easy installer for setting it up. Here's a screenshot of the installer, you can see it's quite simple:

Rockbox is mainly an operating system designed specifically to run on portable music players, like the iPod for example. The most interesting thing about it is that it's relatively new, yet enough feature rich to blow minds.

The system has had many positive effects on my iPod, like it being now able to manage the files stored on it ( in disk-mode ), have a TON of games and useful utilities, and have the ability to be skinned ( have it's theme changed ).

On the downside though, the built-in music player itself lacks some features ( but in the same time offer some unique ones ), like Album Art - which the player cannot read unless you put it explicitly in the same folder of the file as a JPEG image - . And it lagged when I was playing a 320 Kbps bit rate song, I admit it's quite a large file for a song, but nonetheless the player should NEVER skip audio.

Overall, I found the Rockbox experience to be pleasing and fun, and I plan to keep installed on my iPod.

Here's an attempt yo shot you how it looks ( sorry for the bad quality thisa is a cellphone camera ) , I have picked the vista theme for my iPod:

And here's a screenshot I grabbed from the internet:

Scenery picture from downtown Beirut

2007-11-03T17:54:00.000+02:00

I always like to take pictures there. Hehe here's one I in the central square.

Just received 2 Official Ubuntu CDs

2007-11-02T21:49:00.000+02:00

Hehe it's always a pleasure to receive official Ubuntu CDs. Although this time they are both gonna be given away to my friends, I'm gonna keep none.

By the way, they DO look more professional than the feisty CDs.

Why Open Source can save Information

2007-10-31T13:35:00.000+02:00

I was watching a program on TV last day, that brought up the issue of preserving digital information.

We have done an ugly job at that, why ? Because for example information stored on a floppy disk dating back to 70s cannot possibly be retrieved today, even if it could, it would be way beyond the capabilities of an average computer user, financially and technically speaking. So what if this information was important to us ? No matter what, it would be lost forever.

Here's where Open Source comes in. By publishing how a certain piece of software or hardware works or how it is built, one guarantees that he will be able to read information written by this Software/Hardware later on, after many many years, even when the required software/hardware exists no more. Why ? Because he would know how to rebuild that machine to restore this information.

If you think about it on a global scale, we, humans, have always used written words to preserve our culture and history for further generations. Nowadays, we rely massively on IT to store our information, and we mostly use proprietary products. This is a threat to the survival and preservation of our culture, imagine a man 200 years from now looking at a 200 year-old Microsoft Word document. What the hell could he ever use it for ?! Absolutely nothing. Information is slowly being lost in time.

I'm not saying all the planet should switch to open source because of this, I'm just hinting that we need to store information that is *critical* to the recovering of our history later on, with a long-term vision . This way we know we are not doomed to become a "lost" civilization in the cyber-age.

Apple releases Mac OS X 10.5, dubbed "Leopard"

2007-10-28T15:05:00.000+02:00

Apple recently unleashed the latest version of their ever popular Macintosh operating system, and they call it "Leopard".

The new system deserves a cheer, for it's polish and nice feature set, which includes a new iLife suite, a new iWork suite, and improved dock, iChat, and finder, and a revamped interface.

If you want to know more about Leopard, head to the Apple Website, there you will find a great tour of the new features in Leopard, plus if you get really hungry for a run with the new system you can just order a Mac there ;)

It's a very good system by the way, Fast, Secure, and VERY easy to use.

Congratulations for the Mac OS X team for this awesome release.

Ubuntu 7.10 : more polished than Vista ! Review

2007-10-24T23:15:00.000+03:00

I'm sorry I haven't posted about the release sooner, but I was busy ENJOYING my new Gutsy system ;).

The upgrade from Ubuntu 7.04 was painless, i just launched the update manager ( System-Administration-Update Manager ), checked for updates, and got notified that a new version of Ubuntu was available. I clicked the upgrade button, and Ubuntu did the rest. Although it did take some time to download the upgrade ( in my case a 897 Megabyte download ! ), mainly because the Ubuntu servers were under a lot of pressure, and because my connection is an ADSL 256Kbps connection, not a fiber optic cable ! All in all i was pleased with the upgrade process, it was as easy as an upgrade could get, now if you were from Windows XP to Vista you would have seen hell on earth. Here are a couple of screenshots of the Ubuntu upgrade process:

Indeed, the new Ubuntu is a very polished release, just like Mark Shuttleworth said it would be. The menus, the toolbars, the icons, the selection of applications, are all well thought of. You can clearly see that the Ubuntu team has made a good effort in paying attention to details. For the iconset is now more unified under the human/tango theme guideline, just look at this picture to see what I'm talking about:

The selection of pre-installed applications is impressive. OpenOffice 2.3, Pidgin 2.2.1, The GIMP 2.4, Thunderbird 2.0.0.6, and Rythmbox 0.11.2. As a matter of fact the Rythmbox application has undergone a major interface overhaul., the whole iconset - which honestly used to simply SUCK - has been modernized to mimic the other human/tango icons. But Rythmbox's iPod abilities are still far from perfect. Actually, get "Banshee", this particular music player is, I think, the best i have found on Linux, it actually works quite well with iPods. Here's a screenshot of Banshee:

Also the included movie player now has a new revamped set of visualizations, that also exists in rythmbox.

Another application got a complete interface overhaul, the instant messenger Pidgin ( formerly called Gaim ). It's now really easy, and pleasing for the eye, also integrated in the human/tango theme of Ubuntu. It's a great way to keep in touch with friends, and even though it's supposed to be a multi messenger, it offers features not found in any other instant messaging software. Here's a screenshot of me running Pidgin and chatting on the MSN network:

Also, the new OpenOffice version 2.3 has some nice improvements, especially in the charting system of Impress. And many new features have been implemented, like better page display in Writer, and new formulas in Calc.

Now let's talk about the most amazing feature in Ubuntu 7.10, which is, as some of you have guessed, Compiz-Fusion. To sum it all up, Compiz-Fusion is the most complete, awesome mind-blowing set of 3D visual effects ever added to an operating system. Of course, not all of it's wonderful effects are turned on by default, but it still gives you a WOW no other piece of software can ever give. Here are some pictures of what it can do, apart from the smooth standard window effects :

Although the cube effect isn't enabled by default, another virtual desktop switcher effect is the standard, also functioning on the mouse-rotate basis, it's a very good effect, but i like the cube better ;). Something worth mentioning also is that the Compiz-Fusion cube effect is a LOT faster than Beryl's.

Now of course, there are some minor annoyances in this release, like a cube-rotate freeze that happens sometime ( rarely ) in Compiz, and some bug here and there, but come on what kind of software doesn't have bugs ? They all do ! In Ubuntu's case they are simply annoyances but in other systems they cause huge problems ( like in Windows ). Some might say that Ubuntu is becoming a viable alternative to Mac OS X and Windows, I say it has already become.

Al Gore wins nobel peace prize

2007-10-14T12:20:00.000+03:00

Al Gore, the former vice president of the USA, has been awarded the nobel peace prize.

The environmentalist is sharing his prize with the U.N panel, but he isn't keeping it to himself, he vows to give it away to further assist the climate change awareness campaign.

I wish he would run for president, I really do, and many other people too.

Congratulations Al, you deserve it.

New Skype version released for Linux

2007-10-06T13:07:00.000+03:00

Skype for Linux 1.4 is finally out the door, it has many improvements over version 1.3, and significantly it now comes embodied in a new Mac-like interface.

This version features two important additions, Call Forwarding and Birthday Reminders. The first will allow you to receive your Skype calls when you're not working on your PC, by forwarding them to other devices ( example: Cellphones ) . The second is simply a nice little feature that reminds you of your buddies' birthdays.

But the major overhaul isn't lying in the features, but in the interface, which had been completely redesigned to be easier to use, and simpler. It now strongly resembles Skype for Macintosh, and I think this is a good thing, because the interface is now VERY easy to work with, in fact it's now easier on both Linux and Macintosh than on Windows. Here's a comparison, you can see that the Mac and Linux interfaces are very simple and easy to use, but the Windows one is kind of bulky and complicated.

Could the Skype developers have intentionally made the Linux/Macintosh applications more intuitive ? Maybe their goal is to have a unified front-end for all major UNIX® systems ? Cause you know both Linux and Macintosh are UNIX deep inside.

Anyway, this is a good improvement to the Skype for Linux project, and it's a good release that coincide with the Ubuntu Gutsy release of October 18th.

Ubuntu 7.10 "Gutsy" due soon, a true quality release.

2007-09-30T00:04:00.000+03:00

We are getting closer and closer to the release of the next version of Ubuntu, codenamed "Gutsy Gibbon", which will bring huge long-awaited improvement to Desktop Linux in general. I'll go through the new features in these following categories.

Desktop

Gutsy is bustling with new features, among the first is Compiz-Fusion, the 3D effects engine created from the Beryl/Compiz merge. In short, this represents the graphics that top Vista's Aero, and Mac OS X's aqua. You can search YouTube or Google Video for "Compiz-Fusion Ubuntu" and you'll see what I'm talking about, these are the best graphics Linux has yet to have. The new Ubuntu will also feature a ton of new desktop improvements, largely due to the Gnome 2.20 release, check out the list of changes here.

Hardware Support

Ubuntu will be using Linux 2.6.22 from now on, resulting in broader support for new hardware in the market.

X.Org 7.3 won't be included, but its 2 most important features will, the monitor configuration applet allowing easy monitor configuration, and the X hot plugging, which means being able to plug in a monitor and have it working without any advanced configuration or a reboot. And also, from now one when you mess up your graphics configuration X will still load a configuration interface to save you from the daunting task of editing the xorg.conf file.

And hey, remember those pesky WinModems that only worked in windows but no on Linux ?! Ubuntu can now finally run them, well at least a large quantity of them.

Stability and performance

Ubuntu will feature a smarter way of handling full discs, allowing the user to free up disk space required for the bootup, and saving him from using the command line to delete files so that the system can load.

On the other hand, apport, a crash report, will be able to detect system errors and send reports of them to the Ubuntu developers for fixing, without requiring too much input from the user.

And of course Gutsy will have new up-to date packages in its repositories for you to enjoy, many of them are great pieces of software, like Banshee or Pidgin.
Many important programs will be updated, like OpenOffice.org jumping up to version 2.3 .

All in all, Ubuntu 7.10 would be a great operating to have and use, and truly a joy to interact with.

Antoine Ghanem Killed in blast

2007-09-19T18:37:00.000+03:00

Another bomb, another martyr, but always the same cowards.

Antoine Ghanem was killed during a car bomb in the east of Beirut., precisely the Sin el Fil area.

That pretty much sums everything up, we all know who did this, so I'm not gonna analyze the situation.

All i want to say is be sure not to support the killer for the September presidential elections.

I'll leave you to think about what I mean.

May his soul rest peacefully in God's hands.

ATI: Now Linux Friendly

2007-09-09T14:36:00.000+03:00

AMD's ATI GPU division announced recently that it is partnering with Novell to produce 2D and 3D drivers for it's Radeon chipset series. The news emerged on September 5th, and puts the AMD giant head to head with the open source supporter Intel, best known for it's excellent line of CPUs.

Intel has already open sourced some of it's drivers for better inclusion in the Linux kernel, it is a company that supports many Open Source projects, like Ubuntu, a version of which will be running on some of it's Mobile Internet Devices later this year.

But AMD, with it's recent decision, has outpaced Intel by far, because it will be providing the documentation to open source developers on how to build drivers for ATI chipsets themselves. That's a very important matter, it lets Open Source projects have some independence of the hardware company, ensuring driver availability even after a potential company fall down.

Unfortunately the next version of Ubuntu, due to arrive in Octobre, is already feature complete, so it will not be including the new drivers, although it will offer them them as an update to the existing driver when they become available and mature.

Mark Shuttleworh, founder and chief of the Ubuntu project, said that the timing move made by AMD couldn't be better, it's ahead of 2008, a year where Linux is thought to finally become a completely viable alternative to Windows and Macintosh.

ATI promises these new drivers will offer HUGE performance improvements, and will add support for accelerated compositing ( Compiz, Beryl ). They also might be inlcuded in the Linux kernel if they become Open Source, which will make ATI graphics cards work out-of-the-box on a new Linux installation, and be fully 3D enabled.

Congratulations to all Linux users who were waiting for this, and for Linux as a whole.

Apple refreshes iPod Line, cuts iPhone price.

2007-09-06T13:06:00.000+03:00

WOW. It's true what Apple said last year, the past 30 years were really nothing. The journey has just begun.

Yesterday during the "special event" Apple held, a slew of products were introduced. A new iPod shuffle, a new iPod nano, and a new iPod "Classic" and iPod "Touch".

It's indeed a major overhaul for the whole iPod line, the shuffle has one new color, ( RED ), and by ( RED ) I don't mean just a red casing, I mean 10$ of the price going to the AIDS fund in Africa, to help the people there that are suffering from AIDS/HIV.

The new nanos are nothing like the old ones, they've actually become video iPods, but with mediocre capacity ( up to 16 GB ). They're very thing, but only a few centimeters smaller than the iPod classic ( more on later in the article ). The new and amazing thing in them is that they can now FINALLY play videos ! The screen also is much better, approximately 65% brighter.

The iPod classic, is the successor to the iPod Video, it now boasts much larger capacity ( up to 160 gigs ), but other than that it's the same old heavy-duty iPod it used to be.

All the new devices I talked about a moment ago have the same scratch-resistant aluminum casing, and a new user interface with the "Cover-Flow" technology.

But the most important new device is the iPod "Touch". In short, it's a phoneless iPhone. They have the same Mac OS X powered software, the same internet browsing capabilities, and the same touch screen. They just look a liiiiittle bit different, the iPod is slimmer than the phone by the way.

Apple also introduced another product, a Wi-Fi enabled iTunes Store, for wireless content downloads.

And the all-awesome-big piece of news was that Apple is now cutting away 200$ of iPhone's original price, it will now be selling only the 8 GB version, for a good 399$.

Let's go SHOPPING shall we ?!

Lebanese Army Declares Fatah Al Islam Defeated

2007-09-02T19:04:00.000+03:00

Finally the Lebanese Army defeated that pesky Fatah Al Islam mafia. The news were announced this afternoon on several leading Lebanese TV Networks such as LBC and FutrueTV.

The news brought relief to the Palestinians who were abruptly taken out of the Nahr Al Bared refugee camp. As much as 40000 of them went down to the streets and celebrated the army's victory.

Unfortunately the gang's leader, dubbed "Chaker al Absi" escaped from capture. Although the army's still looking for him, and is burning down all buildings once occupied by Fatah Al Islam to now allow any other terrorists to resist.

Long Live Lebanon, Long live the Lebanese Army.

Peace out.

Ubuntu 7.10 shaping up pretty well

2007-08-27T00:02:00.001+03:00

I've been reading about the new version of Ubuntu, 7.10, codenamed "Gutsy Gibbon", and it definitely seems to be a quality release, just like Mark Shuttleworth said it would be.

The new release will have many awesome long awaited features, here's an overview of them.

Xorg.org 7.3 won't be included, but new utilities derived from it will offer the ability to configure screen propreties way more easily. And from now on X will be failsafe, which means if u mess up your graphics driver, X will still load a basic version to let u reconfigure your system without the need to use the Terminal.

A new welcome addition is also the out-of-the-box support for winmodems -or software modems-, those little pesky built-in modems that rely completely on Windows to work and slow down your PC because they do no work themselves.

In addition to the latter, the new Ubuntu will now be much smarter when dealing with disk space, when the disk is full it will automatically delete unnecessary files, of course notifying the user when doing so.

Canonical also announced that Gutsy will be the most stable and performing release to date, due to significant improvement in the bug tracking system.

Many useful applications were updated to the latest versions, like Banshee, Pidgin ( formerly "Gaim" ), F-Spot , and - the app I'm waiting for- Wammu ( Cellphone synchronization software ) .

Also, there will be a verison of Ubuntu for mobile devices, like Windows Mobile ( though surely 10 times better ). I'm interested in how this mobile version turns out, especially knowing that nowadays major mobile phone manufacturers are switching to Linux. For now we know Intel will release some smartphone models based on Ubuntu, but i suspect Nokia to jump onto the wagon too, cause Nokia is well know to using Linux, from it's N800 Linux based internet tablet, it's a Linux-friendly company, just like Intel.

Let's keep our fingers crossed, just 1-2 months left.

New iPods coming this September

2007-08-26T13:45:00.000+03:00

Rumors are saying that September holds as many as 4 new iPods, all of which will have flash memory.

Apple will hold an event on September 5th, during which Steve Jobs might announce these new models. The iPod nano is especially believed to be waiting for a complete overhaul, to the extent of adding video playback to it's feature set.

Several mock ups of the new nano have appeared throughout the Internet, but I believe those are just the works of Photoshop. Here's one of these pictures:

There are also news of a much anticipated 6G iPod, with an iPhone-like interface built on the Mac OS X technology.

Despite iPhone's enormous success, iPods are said to be to this moment on high demand, and the Video iPod hasn't been really updated since, well EVER ! ( actually 2 years ), so it's a product begging for an overhaul.

And Apple has strong reasons to release these new iPods in September, mainly to benefit from the Back To School season. But they might also leave a new iPod release for the Holidays, no one knows.

Let's just wait and see.

Zenobia Play

2007-08-19T21:22:00.000+03:00

I recently went to see "Zenobia", the musical play by Mansour Rahbani. It was awesome.

The story begins in a scene where Cleopatra talks with Zenobia about the latter's dream of becoming a known famous female figure in history. Then the play depicts Zenobia's attempt to accomplish that dream by challenging the Roman Empire in order to bring independence to the east and the Arabs. But the young queen is quickly derailed and taken over by greed to become just like the Romans, despite her good intentions. Her rise to power made her think of herself as a Goddess.

The play features many fantastic musical scenes, as usual with the works of Rahbani.

The story ends with the capture of Zenobia by the Roman Cesar, during her escape journey to the Persians, who were her enemies, but whom she thought could help her against the mighty Roman Empire when it finally succeeded in encircling Zenobia's kingdom.

Apple releases new thinner iMac

2007-08-12T00:29:00.000+03:00

Apple recently updates their , Macintosh line with new shiny, silvery iMacs. The news were announced.

The new iMacs feature thin Aluminum cover, with a big LCD covered in transparent protection with black edges. These new design wonders also feature super slim laptop-like keyboards, lol i cannot describe all of it so here's a picture :

Now on the performance side, the new iMacs didn't change that much, it appears that this update was only preparation in front of October's Leopard release.

But be wary, and do not let the good looks fool you, buying a mac right now is kinda wasting money, cuz the OS update is only 1 month away, have a little patience a buy a new more robust OS that is Leopard.

It sure looks sexy. Peace out.

A good scenery picture

2007-08-04T22:55:00.000+03:00

Take a look at this, it's taken in the Miramar Resort in Tripoli, and YES it IS taken with my cellphone hehe

I bought my first cellphone

2007-08-04T22:37:00.000+03:00

I finally bought a cellphone ! And i got a cool phone number to go with it too ;)
It's a Nokia, 6120 Classic to be precise. It's an advanced but still a small factor smartphone, it's even said to be the smallet and lightest smartphone in the world.

I know i said i wanted an iPhone, but i'm gonna use this for like 2 years then get the iPhone cuz it will probably get much better by that time.

For now, here's a screenshot of my new all-shiny CellPhone:

I finally upgraded my internet connection to 256 Kbps DSL !

2007-07-31T23:46:00.000+03:00

Wow ! I finally know what "fast internet" means.

I haven't been able to post lately because of the transition, but i sure can now !

iPhone is out ! Really !

2007-06-30T01:23:00.000+03:00

Those living in the US can now finally buy one, lol the Apple Stores opened their doors for the first iPhone buyers just 25 minutes ago.

Gosh i'm dying to get my hands on one ! hehe i have to wait though ...

Al Gore for president !

2007-06-25T14:23:00.000+03:00

Wouldn't be great if Al Gore finally accepted to run for president ? I'm talking about the upcoming American presidential elections just in case you don't know the guy.

Al Gore is an American Politician, a democrat, that was once the vice president of the US, during Bill Clinton's' era. His job is now fulfilled by Dick ( lol who named him that ! ) Cheney. He ran for president in the year 2000, but failed.

The remarkable thing about Al Gore is that he is an environmentalist, he cares about the health of our planet, and that's why i like him so much. I am a democrat too. I mean come on! We've been torturing this planet like HELL for a century ! Isn't it time to let rest ?! The way i see it: we've got nowhere else to go ! So let's be conscious and not destroy ourselves.

Al Gore has been teaching the world about global warming for quite a while now. And he is right, we need to act, because of we don't we will simply have no home in 40 years from now, maybe even less. This is no joke guys, this is serious.

And I happen to like the democrats' poltical views quite a lot. I'll picture it like this: the republicans are the people who don't don't care about anyone else, just themselves, and about money; the democrats on the other hands, just want to live WITH the others, and care about the world as a whole. To further clarify this, George Bush is a republican.

I really hope that AL will run for president this time, the whole world really needs him, because he is working for the better of all mankind.

The traces of the fight appear in the sky above Tripoli

2007-06-25T14:08:00.000+03:00

You see that cloud of dust above the city ? This is the result of the fight raging between the Lebanese army and "Fatah al Islam". It's always nature that pays the price.

You can see the pollution in the middle of the picture, at each side of the trees.

I just hope for all this to stop.

Peace out.

New martyrs walk up to heaven

2007-06-13T18:40:00.000+03:00

They didn't stop. They just continue, like if it was nothing...

WE ARE NOT BUGS you know, you cannot just squash us and expect the "noise" to come down. Anyone who had the slightest love for Lebanon can see that it's you, syria, who's responsible for all of this. And we will always know, you have your dirty stinking homsy fingerprints all over it.

God will never forgive you. You're not human, you're animals.

Walid Ido is a good man, and anyone who kills a good man will have his punishment.
Walid Ido was a defender of Lebanon.
Walid Ido has become a martyr.

Join Rafik Hariri in his eternal paradise, and tell him that we will always follow his path.

Apple WWDC 2007

2007-06-12T15:08:00.000+03:00

Steve Jobs addressing developers at WWDC 2007
Courtesy of CNET News.com

Apple yesterday held the WWDC conference, and Steve Jobs talked about Leopard and a bit about the iPhone, and here's what he said.

He first started by saying that the Intel transition has done much to help Apple. and he invite Intel CEO with him in stage. Then he slated out that EA will bring it's games back to the Mac, a move which proves the return of the interst in mac gaming.

Jobs then shifts his keynote to talk about the planned Mac OS X release, Leopard. He talked about 10 new features in it, I especially liked the new Cover flow intetgration, which lets you preiew files in finder in a way that resembles Cover flow in iTunes. There's also a new improved dock. Leopard is also fully 64-bit, unlike windows vista, which makes it capable of using far more memory than 4GB. Software called Boot Camp will also let you install windows itself on your mac. It also appears that Leopard has a new graphics capability called "Core animation" which lets developpers create graphics-rich application for the Mac. Also Timne Machine, the new backup feature announed at Macworld 2007 was discussed. Steve said that all in all, the system will boast 300 new features over Tiger, the older version.

Steve has also informed developers that they would be indeed able to develop third party applications for the iPhone, in the form of Web 2.0 apps, that run on Safari, and can look and feel as they were actualy iPhone apps.

There was "one more thing" of course, and that was Safari, Apple's web browser. Jobs announced that their web browser will be available for windows, as a move to broaden it's user base. The windows version is still however in Beta stage right now. What's interesting in this announcement is that it shows that Apple wants to work better with other operating systems, so this makes me wonder if they will soon consider Linux to be a good platform for them to port their software to. I sure hope so.

Steve then ended the his keynote, by showing a huge picture of the San Francisco Golden Gate bridge, to be swarmed by tons of reporters who were eager to ask him many questions.

Apple developer conference coming along, iPhone hype

2007-06-09T12:20:00.001+03:00

Apple will soon hold it's annual WWDC in San Francsico, speculation points that the event will mostly focus on Leopard, the new Mac OS X system due to arrive in October - or will it not? There's a chance that it will also reveal some secret iPhone features.

Leopard is turning out to be good Vista killer, it's most touted feature is "Time Machine" which let's you recover files that have been deleted accidentally, and backup others; it keeps several versions of the same file so that you can revert to an older version if you choose. But the big news here is that Apple might drop it's HFS+ filesystem for the new more powerful ZFS filesystem developed by Sun Microsystems.

And boy the stock is soured ahead of the iPhone launch, scheduled for June 29th, it has risen 50$ in just 2-3 weeks! I wish i had bought some ;). This much anticipated gadget has also been lucky, because most of the competition around it ( 3G Phones ), has been cleared - At least in the USA - because the US government banned the importing of 3G phones that use a certain ship made by Qualcum, arguing that the chip infringes on patents, and i tell you MANY of the new 3G phones use that ship. One lucky Apple !

Lol but since it's a developper conference, i hope they annoucne a linux version oif iTunes, i'm so dying for it! :)

Peace out

Lebanese Army enters refugee camp

2007-06-01T21:41:00.001+03:00

They finally made the decision to enter the camp and clear out all those terrorists.

You know, looking at the fight going on, seeing all those troops, hearing about all those martyrs, it makes me feel so proud of the army.

I hope they meet no problems.

Steve Jobs meets Bill Gates

2007-05-31T18:00:00.001+03:00

So... Breaking news!

Apple CEO Steve Jobs and Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates shared a stage recently to talk about IT, it's past, present, and future. The good news is that they caused no third world war :P.

Check it out here.

Dell unveils three Ubuntu Linux PCs

2007-05-25T15:26:00.000+03:00

The Dell Ubuntu-powered PCs are finally here! These are 2 desktops, and one laptop.

The first desktop is a Dimension E520 N, featuring an Intel Core 2 duo chip (1.86 Ghz), 1 GB of DDR2 RAM, and a 250GB hard drive, a CD/DVD reader, and a 256MB nVidia graphics card. It's price starts at 599$.

The second desktop is a powerful XPS 410 N, much the same as a Dimension E520 N but comes with a 19 inch LCD screen instead of a standard 17 inch one, and that it can write CD/DVD and not just read them. The pricing starts at 849$.

There's also a Inspiron E1505 N, that comes with an Intel Pentium dual core processor, 512 MB or RAM, and an 80 GB hard drive, but unfortunately comes with no high-end graphics card. The price starts at 599$.

The surprising thing although is that these PCs are not that cheaper than Windows PCs, they would logically be cheaper because Ubuntu is free while windows costs money. This proove Ubuntu's Founder's point that "Linux is not a cheap windows, and people should want it not because it's cheap but because it's good".

Anyway, let's hope some new Windows users switch! Congrats Canonical and Dell.

Go beyond windows

2007-05-24T00:22:00.000+03:00

Well i saw a really great picture that can be used as an advertisement for Ubuntu, actually i found it on my friend's blog.

This drawing really speaks for me. It speaks for the truth. Ubuntu is much more sophisticated and has more potential than windows, windows is just slowing down the pace of IT development. Ubuntu is really a step further than windows.

Lebanese Army and Pelestinian terrorists clash

2007-05-20T16:17:00.000+03:00

Yesterday at 2 AM, the terrorist Palestinian group called "Fatah al Islam" raided several army positions.

They are still fighting, they've been that way for 12 hours. I really hope the army defeats them, they are nothing but terrorists, probably funded by the Syrian government.

This isn't Islam. Islam is a religion, not a cult, not a terrorist organization which aims to kill people to satisfy personal interests. They are a shame, a spot of dirt on a wide sheet of soft white sheets, called Islam.

Shame on you.

I don't even understand what killing Lebanese people has to do with liberating Palestine!

Some politician have to think again about some topics after this ends, I think it's logical that we should have no more arms out of the army's control in Lebanon from now on.

Sarkozy officialy President of France

2007-05-16T17:44:00.000+03:00

Jaques Chiraques stepped down, leaving his position to the newly elected Nicolas Sarkozy. The latter had recently won the presidential elections by 6% over Royale.

So congrats to the new President, even though i would have rather liked Royale to win. But he Is proving to be a very fair president afterall.

Soon will be the legislative elections, let's wait and see what happens :)

I received 3 Ubuntu Cds !

2007-05-16T10:49:00.000+03:00

I ordered some Ubuntu CDs from Canonical last month, precisely 16 April, and i actually did receive them ! On 15 March ! That was only 4 weeks! And the great thing about this is that i didn't have to pay a penny!

I didn't really think they would be able to send them here, to Lebanon.

Anyhoo, thanks a bunch Canonical, keep up the good work. And BIG thanks to Mark Shuttleworth for the funding!

Terrorism strikes Lebanon

2007-04-27T14:31:00.000+03:00

Yesterdat the police discovered the bodies of the recently-kidnapped Ziad and Ziad, killed and thrown on the road between Beirut and the south. This is pure terrorism, the idiots who did this will never be forgiven by God.

It's very clear who did it, but I'm not gonna directly say it, I'm gonna be a hypocrite just like them and say it in an indirect way:

Hezbollah, go away, you don't belong here anymore.

French Presidential Elections

2007-04-24T22:40:00.001+03:00

So, let's sum up what happened: almost all the French population went down and voted in the first round of the elections, the near Nazi Jean Marie Le Pen got dumped with only 11% of the votes, and Ségolène Royal is now facing Nicolas Sarkozy in the second round due to occur in the very near future.

Let me talk to you a bit more about each of the two contestants. Ségolène Royal is a leftist candidate, her ideology involves taking care of all the French whatever was their gender or race, to take care especially of the poor, and to be eco-friendly. Well, Sarkozy agrees with her on being eco-friendly, but he is appearing to think the opposite in all the rest.

The first time i saw Sarkozy i had a feeling he a lot like George Bush. The way he talks, his style, he's much like an American republican. I'm not saying he's a total USA sucker, I'm just saying he appears not to be wanting to govern with the others, but actually govern the others. He seems to be a typical modern day capitalist. But there's more to him than what appears to the naked eye. I told you at first i noticed he was a lot like Bush. He doesn't seem to be to be very open-minded when it comes to the other's opinion. He has a project, either take it or leave it. And this project happens to be largely in favor of some American interests.

When he was spreading his ideas in his response speech, i noticed that he talks like bush, dresses like Bush, and thinks like Bush in many different ways. And Bush is probably the worst thing that happened to America. He pretended at first that he was open-minded and all that phony stuff, but after he won, his economic plan crumbled, there wer more poor people, there were also more American Control over the world and probably some more conspirancies ( Iraq rings a bell ? ). I am afraid the same thing will happen to France in case Sarkozy wins. Again, maybe this is just a hunch, but the guy just looks evil to me! LOL !

On the other hand, Royal is very open and wants to work for the sake of France, not for the success of others. She actually visited Lebanon, whereas Sarkozy didn't take the effort to maybe even think about it. Lebanon is very close ( not geographically but the two peoples are close ) to France you know, and if any peril happens to spread in France, Lebanon won't be spared.

I would surely like a French President who cares about my Country, wouldn't YOU ?

But, let's tackle another issue. Let's think again, Sarkozy is a republican, not a democrat ( in the sense of American politics ), but what could he possibly do wrong now ? I mean heck the American people overthrown the reign of the republicans recently in their own elections. So Sarkozy couldn't possibly get a helping hand from America in pursuit of his project, because his friends don't even rule there anymore.

At last, i just want to say I may be wrong and the guy might turn out to have good will. May God help the french decide, and may He protect us from all perils.

Ubuntu Feisty Finally Released!

2007-04-19T20:35:00.000+03:00

Here's Feisty! And it's feistier than any previous Ubuntu. NOW we can start converting.
Gentlemen, start your penguins, and GO!

Thanks for the best-est Linux distribution ever made.

Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn: The True Vista Killer

2007-04-12T12:24:00.000+03:00

I have been using Ubuntu 6.10 for quite a while now, and i'm well pleased with it, but there's some quirks that drive me crazy sometimes. I wish some release would solve those pesky problems, like codecs, easy to use Desktop Effects, newer applications, bugs...

Well, the new version of Ubuntu, codenamed "Feisty Fawn, is aiming to do just that: being fully amazing and bug-less. It's release date also happens to be when major applications like Java, Banshee ( iTunes alternative ), Gaim or Pidgin ( Instant messenger like MSN messenger ), and many other programs and games; are being updated into newer, more stable and far better versions. With Feisty a new user can use Ubuntu right away, without any introduction, codecs for playings MP3's and others are now automatically installed at need.

Another great and long-awaited addition is a Migration assistant for people switching from Windows, that transfer the user's data like Internet Explorer's Favourites and Firefox's bookmarks directly to the system.

The only thing i do not like about Feisty is the new partitioner, it's totally ugly-lookings, unimpressive, and inferior to "GParted", the one used in 6.10. But, it will do the job well even if it doesn't have an interface as awesome as GParted's.

Now, anyone willing to spread the word about Ubuntu can do it painlessly, because it is getting more and more user friendly, and tends to work more and more out of the box.

Let me put it simply, Feisty Fawn is to Edgy Eft (6.10) like Windows 2050 is to Windows XP. I am surprised, they have come such a long way in only 6 months. This is mainly why i still use Ubuntu, because they're so fast-growing. The First version of Ubuntu emerged in 2004, 3 years later it has become 10 times more stable, beautiful, easy, and ready for primetime.

You're probably now asking yourselves what i mean by Primetime. Well, i mean the Linux Avalanche that we've been all waiting for, the change that's gonna put some fairness in the Operating system market. Yes, i am talking about what will finally be the uprising of Linux, and maybe some of it's Unix brothers like the Macintosh. Feist Fawn is, non arguably, a Windows Vista killer. What RedHat, Novell, Apple, and Google haven't succeeded in acconplishing is finally being achieved by Ubuntu, the Linux for Human Beings.

I bet you're asking:"So what ? What do i get if Linux gets some Attention?". Well, i can only say it one way, you will have some choice, and a lot of Liberty. Let's admit it, Windows is not the perfect system. It brakes down and needs to be reinstalled every 3-4 months, it's slow, it's vulnerable to viruses and malicious spyware, and it's only eating off your Liberty. Does DRM ring a bell here? I bet you don't like it... heck nobody does, even the guy who most used it, Steve Jobs Apple's CEO, who is calling now for abandonning DRM. Well with Windows Vista, you have no choice, either you accept DRM, or you don't use your computer, it is built into the heart of the system because they think everyone is a pirate. Vista also isn't as secure as Microsoft says, it hasn't been 1-2 months since the release and there's a highly critical flaw with the way it handles cursors, and don't think this is simple and nothing, it could very easily allow a hacker to take full control of your computer. Vista isn't also so fast, you have to pay around 1000$ for hardware just so that it runs normall. And to make it run fast you need at least 2GB of RAM, while on Linux 1GB will make your PC a supercomputer. Try it, I'm not joking.

All of this, heh. It seems to me that Vista is just another mess Microsoft is trying to push on it's users.

Well i think it's time for a change, if you're not confortable with Linux you can just keep reading about it now and then, later you will know enough to install it and see for yourself the wonders of Linux.

I would recommend you start here .

Confirmed: iPhone to go public on June 11th

2007-03-31T13:11:00.000+03:00

Apple just confirmed that iPhone is gonna be publicly released on June 11th. Let's see if it flies off the shelves shall we ?! I'm sure it will.

For you who still don't know, iPhone is a new cell phone device from Apple, Inc that conbines a video iPod, an internet device, a camera, a PDA and a tablet. It may be a little pricey, but trust me it's worth it!

Dell to release laptops and desktops with pre-installed Linux

2007-03-29T22:43:00.000+03:00

It's true! Dell is finally going to pre-install Linux on some of it's laptops! If this continues with other companies windows will be dead in no time.

If i don't manage to buy a mac later, i will SURELY consider DELL after this move.

iPhone soon

2007-03-28T15:00:00.000+03:00

Yay! the iPhone's June release is getting close! I already know many who are waiting for it here in Lebanon. Sadly the Lebanese will have to wait till January. I know I would want one!

In other news, Windows Vista is "said" to be better selling than XP. But i don't believe that, i already switched people to Linux and many others seem to just hate Vista, especially for it's built in DRM.

I'm sorry i haven't been writing much about things other than Ubuntu, but forgive me when you see something as promising as that you just have to talk about all the time! ;)

Ubuntu Gets a new Website

2007-03-18T22:19:00.000+02:00

Go check it out at www.ubuntu.com, though it's currently still being implemented so you might not see any changes. Here's a screenshot of it!

French Parliament Rocks!

2007-03-13T19:48:00.000+02:00

Lol i came across a pretty interesting piece of news last day, the French Parliament if officially ditching Microsoft Windows for Ubuntu Linux! Now the Parliament, tomorrow the whole country! :)

Amazing Classic: "High Hopes"

2007-03-12T20:41:00.000+02:00

Here's a great classic, "High Hopes" from the album "The Division Bell" by Pink Floyd. Here's the cover:

How good looking can Ubuntu get?

2007-03-10T00:33:00.000+02:00

Well, see for yourself...

My Experience with Ubuntu 6.10

2007-02-25T14:27:00.000+02:00

As i have promised, i am doing a full review of the Linux distribution Ubuntu, version 6.10. I'll be splitting my review into 5 sections just like CNET does, they are in this order: Setup and installation, Features, Performance, Support, and Conclusion. I'll rate the whole of the system at the end on a 10 star scale.

Setup and Installation (2 stars)

I used the LiveCD's installer to get Ubuntu running on my PC, i found that in general it was quite easy. First the Installer asked me for my preferred language, then after a while it asked me to partition my disk for Ubuntu. I wanted to preserve Windows so chose to manually partition. So, i was brought up to GParted. I resized my FAT32 parition ( i did get an error out of nothing though it didn't affect the installation it was probably because of the need to defragment ). I created my partitions very easily because of the intuitive interface of GParted. The real installation then began. It took about 20-25 minutes for it to be complete, it was very fast, and pain-free. I especially liked the grapghical interface, it was making the process seem very familiar even though this was the first time i ever installed ab operating system.

When i first entered Ubuntu, i was surprised to see that all the problems i've been having in the LiveCD have vanished, my windows partitions were availavle, the sound was working even better than in Windows, and the startup was very fast. The first thing i did after the installation is setting up my 3D accelerated nvidia driver. I did have a problem with it though but it was because of my connection not beeing so able to download 34MB fast! After a while i upgraded my driver to the newer version, and that corrupted my Xorg file (responsible of the display settings), i don't know why, the good thing is that i had a backup and my handy Ubuntu LiveCD to replace it! Then i installed a program called Beryl that adds these wonderful 3D effects to the interface and i was amazed! Here is a picture of my desktop:

Features (2 stars)

The system, by default, has some pretty amazing features out of the box, the one i most liked is the multiple desktops, you can switch between virtual desktops as if you have multiple screens! That way you can for example open amusic player in one desktop and Firefox in another and an image editor like GIMP in a third one! Amazing no? OpenOffice.org is also cool enough for me lol it's the best office system i have ever used, and it's free, and Firefox doesn't even need to be explained :). The GIMP is also famous to be a Photoshop killer, with it's very wide array of features. I also found that the system can be tweaked to the user's taste quite a bit! You can change the icons, the window borders, the login screens, heck everything! Synaptic, the package manager, is also fantastic. Gone are the days where you don't know why your software isn't working and why it has limited features, Synaptic itself fetches all the things a program needs. Ubuntu also supports the addition of some small programs, like widgets in Apple's dashboard. System updates are totally pain-free in this wonderful system, everything is gathered into one single system-wide update manager and notifier. Unlike windows, where each application has to be downloaded and updated manually. In general Ubuntu is a great choice for a home user, and even for business because it is very secure, reliable, fast, and just cool. Themes support is noticeable too, it's free and very easy to use. Though Ubuntu lacks proprietary codes like MP3 out the box, you can install them easily. The only problme i had with Linux is moving away from iTunes, that's really the best Music Player and Jukebox you'll find on any Operating System. For chatting with your Friends Gaim Instant Messenger is really solid but this version of Ubuntu ships with a beta of it so it's a little buggy. Lastly, i didn't like the default media player at all, i used another one called "Banshee" instead, i wonder why they wouldn't include it as the default one.

Performance (2.5 Stars)

Here's where the strength of Linux lies, it's very fast, even when running very complex 3D effects and some RAM eating programs. You can dedicate a portion of your disk space to be used as RAM but it's still not as good as actual RAM, though it helps quite a bit! I don't know why, it consumes not much less RAM but it's just fast! and i also liked the fact that, yet, no matter how many times i reset my system i get no errors in the system itself. And also, according to my damaged geForce, the graphics acceleration is very acceptable. The bootup doesn't take too long, the disk checking doesn't take too long ( disk checking happens when the system needs to check the hard drive's integrity ). I bet if there was an iTunes for Linux it would run a lot faster than on Windows.

Support

The IRC channels provide the most support for me, though i later found out that they were mainly for big tasks and issues like configuring 3D acceleration and software. You can also visit the website and get some great support. Or, for simpler tasks, just consult the included. There's also an excellent step-by-step installation guide at the website.

Conclusion

I found out that Ubuntu is a good operating system out of the box, and a GREAT one after some little configuration and personalization. If people would adopt it a bit more like Firefox i'm sure the world will see a new generation of fast reliable PC's, and some amazing new kinds of applications. I give this promising system 8.5 stars over 10!!

Just to show you where a little personalization can take you:

Good song: A Spaceman Was Travelling

2007-02-20T18:50:00.000+02:00

This is really a great song, check it out. It's from the alnum "Lady in Red - The Very Best Of Chris de Burgh":

Will 2007 be the year of Linux and Macintosh?

2007-02-19T22:31:00.000+02:00

Windows Vista has been released in the beginning of the year. Ubuntu 7.04, which is expected to be a whole lot better than any previous version, will be finalized in April 19. Coincidence? I think not.

It is obvious that several big names like Apple, Google and Novell are trying to bite at Microsoft's windows market share. But will they ever succeed? I do hope so but i also know for a fact that it won't be easy. Windows has already won the operating system wars, are people really ready for a change?

Some may not notice this but Windows is the worst Virus IT has ever caught. Because of it 90% of users know nothing about tech, and as a result nothing about using computers. People abuse this to treat the average consumer as a "patsy" to take the most advantage out of him, so when will the user's interest be considered? When will big corporations start to worry less about their money and more about users? I tell you when, never. Unless the people take action and start to see where their interest lies. And a good start of that is by starting to pay attention to the oher choices than Windows.

I'm not saying we should all switch to Linux this exact night, all i'm proposing is to have some choices in front of us, to have some liberty in choosing. I do NOT want Linux to have the monopoly Windows has now, because that would be just as bad. But i feel the time has came for us to realize the truth, our liberty is beeing taken away from us.

So tell me, why did you start using Windows in the first place? I know why, because you really did not have any other solid choice. Developers won't release software for Linux or Macintosh as much as they do for Windows, that's just a matter of economics. The only way we can get them to change is by adopting a bit of that and a bit of this, to spread the work on the 3 platforms. That's when we will be freed from the limitations we are living in today.

You're probably asking why am I using Linux not another system, the reason is very simple, I've had a horrible experience once with windows, i was fooled and abused by many people because of that system's monopoly. I switched to Linux to take control, to be the boss of myself. And i'm not just sticking to this, in 3 years i'm going to buy a Mac and enjoy Apple's well-maintained environment.

I try to be of influence and spread the knowledge about Linux and Macintosh, but i can only achieve so much.

Some have compared Open-Source to real life Communism, well i say Communism really works in IT.

Aaron Stanton has an idea for Google!

2007-02-18T21:25:00.000+02:00

Did you hear about this? Someone named Aaron Stanton had a great idea for Google to implement, so guess what he did? He flew over to them!!! Really!

It seems that his idea is about a tool for writers, for further explanation check out Google system.

In some info about the dude, he was born in Massachusetts , USA. He is an Apple Fan too (like somebody i know!).

Firefox reaches 300 million downloads!

2007-02-14T22:09:00.000+02:00

Congrtatulations Mozilla, you're one step closer to beating IE.

14 February...

2007-02-14T20:14:00.000+02:00

You Will Always Live In Our Hearts ...

Greatest song ever!

2007-02-06T19:03:00.000+02:00

You might not know this about me, but i have a song that i listen to everyday at home or on my iPod. It's the best song i have ever heard yet. Truly, they don't make songs like this anymore. It's "Another Day In Paradise" by Phil Collins. Here's the album art:

Google to release a Presentation tool?

2007-02-06T18:15:00.000+02:00

I've been hearing about this for a week or so, they say Google is going to release a presentation tool called "Presently". If so, it is expected to directly rival Microsoft PowerPoint, because it has featured which aren't present in PP.

For example, Presently is said to be able to convert your documents into Presentations, which i think is a great feature.

I would also prefer Google's Web basis on Microsoft's operating system basis. Google allows you to really access your digital life from anywhere, whereas Windows locks you into it's environment.

The only problem i have with online software is my connection's inability to run them, because it's too damn slow!

I also would like to see Google unlink it's web ware from windows because as i have understood some of it's applications won't run for example on Linux. In my opinion, web applications should be platform independent.

I'm gonna install Linux On my computer!

2007-02-05T18:41:00.000+02:00

Now is the preparation...Friday is the surgery!

I'm going to install Linux on my computer this week! I can't wait! I'll start downloading Google earth for Linux right now.

I'm gonna post my full and detailed review of the system (lol the last one wasn't so full) a while after the installation.

Vista released: worth upgrading?

2007-01-28T21:52:00.000+02:00

Tuesday was the official launch Windows Vista, millions of users worldwide have waited impatiently. But is the new "overhauled" system worth the wait?

I think not, CNET also pointed out that Vista Home basic -the version which the majority of users will upgrade to- is only a warmed up version of XP SP2. Novell, the well known Linux leader, is proposing to the mainstream to skip Vista, and instaed go Linux. I myself am asking the question, will the aero graphics (which is kinda cool actually) be worth paying 500$ in hardware? Well heck! Home basic doesn't even provide an Aero interface!

Microsoft said that the new operating system will run fine on a machine with a 1Ghz processor, 1Gb of system memory and a graphics card with support for DirectX 9 graphics, a WDDM (Windows Display Driver Model) driver, and 128 MB of graphics memory. Plenty of people tested this and they found found out that Vista does not run -in a way you can accept- on those kind of machine. Good lie huh!

I have tried Ubuntu, one of the most famous Linux distributions, i admit that it doesn't look as good as Vista -which for it's look costs you an extra big pile of $-, but it sure acts better. I also admit that Linux might not be such an easy for mainstream folks, but i also recognize that when you install windows it's even more a pain in the ***. It seems that the whole concept of installing an operating system on a computer -whatever that system was- it kind of hard.

Windows Vista has a bunch of things that work different from XP, not for the best though. It will probably take you less time learning Linux ( when you learn Linux you automatically learn computers ) than learning Vista, so why not move? I am convinced of the superiority of Linux (and Mac OS X is proving to be much more powerful than everybody though too), that's why i am going to install Ubuntu, fill it up with the necessary software -although it already has the basics and way more- and use it from now on. Later, when i become 18 and go out to buy a laptop, i'm gonna buy a Mac notebook, the mac has become a universal machine, it can run Mac OS X and Linux and windows.

I noticed quite an interesting article last day, check it out. It's not complete yet, but it completes my opinion.

Finally i want to say that even though 90% of people use windows, that doesn't mean they all had the choice or that they tried the other systems.

Strike turns into chaos

2007-01-24T17:22:00.000+02:00

...What happened?

Tires were being burned, the sky was getting black, Lebanon was being destroyed.

That's what they called "a civilized and peaceful strike". Who are they? The opposition. They just want to topple the government, they just want the third. Why? Ask them! Ask them why they want to destroy us! Ask them why they are burning our country! Ask them why they are such terrorists! Ask them why we can't live in peace!

We're tired of all this mess, we can't keep on ignoring, it's too much, they're burning us alive.

Let us live in peace...

Courtesy of www.annaharonline.com

Good Songs

2007-01-13T13:53:00.000+02:00

I discovered two great songs, the first is a new one, and the other is older but very good too.

The Song "Say It Right" from the Album "Loose"
The Song "The Power Of Love" from the Album "The Colours Of My Love"

iPhone released!!

2007-01-11T18:34:00.000+02:00

Apple Recently released the long awaited Apple Cell Phone! I must say i am truly VERY impressed, although it is a bit pricey ( it should be seeing that it's a video iPod+ a great phone ) it definitely brings a lot of innovation.

Steve Jobs is getting Genius-er everyday, first the iPod, now the iPhone, what's next?

The Phone has a gorgeous widescreen, and a multi-touch based interface, meaning you can do stuff you never could had done so simply. The device also feature a Mac-like operating system, and includes a lot of mind-blowing applications, it also has the ability to be extended with "Widgets", small applications that can do various sorts of stuff. iPhone also boasts sensors that make it easier than every to view videos widecreen. I also liked very much the idea of syncing with iTunes, just like your iPod. iTunes would make it a snap to transfer your videos, music, and photos tou your phone. I also saw a photo of how iPhone syncs with iTunes and i saw that you can update it's software and restore it in case something goes wrong! Goodbye to those pricey and hard re-installations that make you suffer, YOU are in control!

I have a little request for Apple though: Make it international! And don't stick with one phone service provider!

Steve you did an awesome job, thanks for the phone!

Ubuntu Linux Review

2007-01-04T13:48:00.000+02:00

I've used Ubuntu a couple of times now and i have my final verdict on it. I'll be splitting the review into 5 parts: Features, Look, Extensibility, Speed, Reliability. Please note that this is a review is based on the LiveCD version, Ubuntu can perform higher when installed onto the hard drive, and the CD version also limits reliability since it cannot save preferences. Each part of the review will be on one star (we have the full 5 star rating at the end).

Features (1 star)

When i first inserted the LiveCD and rebooted my computer, i got a screen with five options: Start or install Ubuntu--Start Ubuntu in safe graphics mode--Check CD for defects--Memory Test-Boot From First Hard disk... And there was also 6 other options at the bottom accessed with the F* buttons, they were: Help--Language--Keymap--Accessibility--Other Options. What i really liked is the "check CD for defects options" it really saves you a lot of trouble, it's helpful to know if the CD has any burning errors.

I started Ubuntu and got into the desktop to find a easy to use interface that you can start using right away. Ubuntu is easy and yet has many features that differentiate from other systems, it uses "workspaces" to keep your desktop clean by providing several virtual desktops, it's like you have 4 monitors! The interface is divided into three parts: Applications, Places, and System; it was also organized in sub-categories, I think that this is very convenient. Ubuntu came with several Applications installed, like the Popular Firefox web browser, Evolution mail client, GIMP image editor, the excellent OpenOffice Suite and other programs like Games and Multimedia.

I found the bundled software to be excellent and covering all sorts of things, i especially admired Firefox and the GIMP. Ubuntu is such a great system for internet, it's so fast, mainly because of Firefox, but also because of the absence of Internet Explorer, which is slow and unfortunately dominates everything Internet-ish on windows (even if you try blocking it). I did though find that some proprietary music formats need additional plug-ins to run on Ubuntu, but that's also the case in windows so NO PROBLEMS, this is actually what makes Ubuntu legally free to redistribute. I can confidently say that Ubuntu is Feature-Complete.

Opening Web pages in Ubuntu

Look (1/2 star)

Ubuntu does actually looks good, unlike some people think of Linux. It also has the capability to be skinned, all for free. It may not be as gorgeous as Mac OS X but i think it's little bit better looking than Windows XP. It comes with some beautiful wallpapers and, of course, allows you to add your own. Though i have to say that it needs more work on it's Looks or it's gonna be boring soon, windows is getting a face lift with Vista, so why shouldn't Ubuntu get one too?

Extensibility (1 star)

Here's where Ubuntu shines. You'll be amazed at how extensible this system is. Although windows is famous for it's software arsenal, much of it is hard to get or unneeded and most of it isn't free. In Ubuntu all that changes, nearly 16000 free software for you to choose from, imagine that!! It can even run windows applications using a translation layer called "Wine", which is as you've guessed it, also FREE. Open source Linux is in my opinion the most extensible platfrom on the planet, mainly because of it's community driven development.

Speed (1 star)

I've been told that running Ubuntu on LiveCD is much slower than running it from the hard drive, and i think it's right. When using the CD i experienced some performance sluggishness, for example when i enter a preferences window or lunch an application i see a bit of slowness, but this is CD for crying out loud! If Ubuntu on LiveCD is nearly as speedy as Windows on HD, than Ubuntu on HD must be really speedy, for that reason i consider Ubuntu a good operating system in terms of performance and speed.

Reliability (1 star)

Here's where i need a talk a bit. The first time i ran Ubuntu, sincerely, i thought it was plain CRAP: I couldn't access my HDs and there was no sound coming out of my speakers. I later found out that Ubuntu "Mounts" the drives before you can use them. Although it recognizes them immediately it relies on a configuration file called "pmount.allow", and that file is usually edited one time to be able to be mount the volumes, then the process becomes pretty much automated, but remember that I'm running LiveCD? This means i have to edit the "pmount.allow" file everytime i boot, which is simply a pain is the a**. But this didn't affect my take on Ubuntu afterall because it's not the system's fault, for usual users it just needs to be configured once and for all.

I also found that in the 6.06 LTS release that I'm using, there's a bug present in the GAIM Instant-Message software that makes it quit everytime I connect to MSN, the system should really be shipped with bug-free releases, i know i can just update GAIM, but i'm using liveCD and again i CANNOT save the update so when i reboot in Ubuntu GAIM will go back to the old version like nothing had happened.

But nonetheless, Ubuntu on HD solves most of my problems so the system deserves much of thankfulness.

* * *

SO, what's the Final Rating?!

Ubuntu clearly deserves 4 and a half out of 5 stars, what would really make it 5 stars is a more easy way to install it. The system did come though preloaded with comprehensive Help documentation, and there is free help for it on IRC channels and on Web Forums. A new look would also be welcome.

Macworld Conference Soon

2007-01-04T12:47:00.000+02:00

SO, we're getting close! The conference is like only 4 days away! I can't wait for Steve's Keynote... I bet he'll be saying something about the phone.

I'll be covering everything Macworld in the upcoming days, we'll be seeing some awesome products.

Also, if you want some Podcast coverage, i advise you to visit the Macworld Podcast at the iTunes store.

Sure looks like Apple has some quiet exciting product up it's Steve, lol.

Courtesy of www.apple.com

Microsoft bribing bloggers?

2007-01-01T22:44:00.000+02:00

I am shocked of the news: Microsoft sent Acer Ferrari laptops for free to 90 bloggers.

Isn't that called "bribing"? I am shocked of the degree Microsoft's insolence has come to. Bribing?! Bribing?! I don't see Apple or Google or even Yahoo do that! What is this?
Have we become so naive to even get tricked by that? Wake up bloggers!

I can't wait till the day you close your company, and rid the world of your shameful ways.

Shame on you.

I'm using Ubuntu Linux!

2006-12-30T20:32:00.000+02:00

Hello everyone, guess what? I downloaded Ubuntu Linux!

I though i ought to try it out, so i did! This system is great for internet needs, it's so fast you'll be blown out. I liked Linux, i mean sure it's difficult for first timers, but when you get your hands on it... LOL.

I especially like the FREE software, i urge anyone to at least try linux on LiveCD, it won't affect your system in any way. And if you don't like it you are free to drop out, it won't cost you a dime, Ubuntu is and will always be free.

As far as i'm concerned, i will always keep my LiveCD, you never know when it comes in handy.

2006-12-24T21:41:00.000+02:00

New Version of Blogger is Here!

2006-12-20T22:42:00.000+02:00

Finally! Blogger got updated! The new version is light years ahead of the old one! Let's see what it holds:

First of all, and most importantly, the new version offers much improved publishing. Remember those times where you post then click on that "republish" link and don't get any result? Or wait forever till your connection runs dry? All that has changed, now, every update you do to your blog is automatically added, this makes the whole publishing experience easier and faster, because you don't have to republish all your blog every time you post.

Second, there is a new template system. Say Goodbye to the old -hard-to-work-with- HTML editing, now you can play around with a Layout! You can now EASILY add a custom picture, link list, feed, a avatar, or whatever you want. The HTML editing is still present but now there is a workaround for it to please users less experienced with HTML, like me.

Did you ever feel like writing something that only your friends and family can see, or maybe even NO ONE? Well now you CAN! A much awaited new feature is Private blogs that are totally feature full like every other blog. I'm thinking of using that myself actually.

And finally, you will notice that in the new version the Dashboard got an overhaul, making it a much easier an more efficient tool.

Overall, this new version of the already great service Blogger.com is simply THE BEST. I urge everyone upgrade! A big THANKS for the Blogger team!

Gebran Tueni's Memory

2006-12-12T18:11:00.000+02:00

In memory of the assassination of the An-Nahar newspaper editor Gebran Tueni.

Solution to Crisis on the horizon

2006-12-10T22:44:00.000+02:00

I heard that the arab league and hezbollah's leading figure Hassan Nsrallah have agreed on a solution project to the current political crisis in Lebanon. Let's Keep our fingers crossed!

Protests supporting Seniora

2006-12-10T22:09:00.000+02:00

Today was a great day, a gathering of supposedly 500 thousand Lebanese was held today at the Rachid Karami international fair, the view was astonishing, the event lasted about 4 hours, and was really a joy to watch.

The protest was truly a big one, a reminder of the popularity of the 14th March movement. People from all over north Lebanon Came, from Tripoli, Akkar, Zgharta, Batroun, and even Mount Lebanon.

MP Saad Hariri (God bless him) didn't manage to show up but he did leave a speach for the crowd, he thanked them for beeing once again loyal to the martyr Rafik Hariri
and to the cedar revolution.

Lebanon is passing through some of the most dangerous times in it's history, we are at the brink of war, and we're still suffering from the consequences of the July war, our economy is crumbling in front of our eyes, but our hope a free independent and sovereign Lebanon is persistent. A civil war now would really be the cherry on top of the pie, thanks god the military is always on the look for any bastard trying to cause havoc. From this blog i salute every Lebanese soldier that stood for hours to protect Lebanon from the unknown.

iPhone is imminent!

2006-12-09T12:11:00.000+02:00

Now I'm pretty sure that iPhone is imminent, the buzz about it has gotten so loud and clear that you cannot NOT hear it about it, rumors are saying it will be a new kind of music phone, one which will be the heir of iPod potentially.

I'm hearing that it will have 2 batteries, one for music and one for calls, which save you some trouble if you spent all your day listening to your favorite songs. It is also said that it will have great integration with iTunes, Apple's media center application and music jukebox. I will also probably have astonishing sound quality, like iPod, because Apple said that Music experience is their top priority and that they wouldn't do anything to compromise it.

However, the iPhone I'm talking about is an iPod with cell phone capabilities, not a Cell Phone with iPod capabilities, which means you might not find all cell phone features in the version, though you will probably have a camera. The iPhone which will carry Wi-Fi capabilities is set to lunch later in 2007, it will be the real feature packed Apple Cell phone but might be directed to business. So the resumé is that there is two versions of the iPhone; one for people who want a cell phone that can be as good as iPod nano in music and as good or better than other phones in usual cell phone features; and one for people who want a true feature packed cell phone with AMAZING music features just like iPod. That second version might even have a mini Mac OS installed on it, and a slide-out keyboard, though that doesn't mean it will look ugly, usually evreything made by Apple looks gorgeous.

I personally think that Apple is gonna be the leader in the consumer electronics market, because it understands what people want and makes like easier for them, i am personally becoming more and more an Apple Fan.

So, if you want to learn more about iPhone, check out the blog made for it.

Here's a depiction of iPhone taken from T3 magazine.

P.S: This illustration is not guaranteed to be true and is only an imagination.

Independence Day

2006-11-22T15:03:00.000+02:00

Long live Lebanon! Long Live Lebanon! Long Live Lebanon!

This day marks our independence, we're still shocked by yesterday's assasination, but we will always remember this day: Lebanon's Day, and Pierre Gemayel's day, and all the other martyr's day.

Pierre Gemayel: ASSASINATED

2006-11-21T18:51:00.000+02:00

I was in school, celebrating my country's Independence day with my friends, we were happy, and proud to be Lebanese, nothing could have ruined the moment. Exept One thing: Death. The Cowards who killed Rafik Hariri, Jebraan Twayni, and all the other have overwhelmed us with their love today, by KILLING Pierre Gemayel, the leanese Minister of Industry.

I want to yell loud and clear, LEAVE US ALONE! It it's you Hezbollah then drop your arms, if it's you Syria then stop fucking killing us and go take care of your already poor people. We're not gonna surrender to you! Nor we're gonna get crazy and start a second civil war!

Damn you Syria! Damn all of you! Killing every hero, every leader, every apprentice...
You can't stand the fact that we are free now, free of your oppression and dictatorship, free of your envy and your control.

Long Live Lebanon, long live the cedar rovolution. Pierre Gemayel you will not be forgotten.

iPhone on the way

2006-10-31T19:29:00.000+02:00

I have some pretty darn evidence that Apple is gonna introduce a cell phone based on iPod, they have applied for the trademark, talked with major phone services, and recently rumors have been circulating that the company itself said it intends to introduce two iPod cell phone models in the near future, let's keep our fingers crossed!

The new Apple cell phone will probably resemble the iPod, though it will not work through a touch screen, as some have speculated about the new video iPod ( i think they are right ). I think the two initial models would be the traditional black and white. It will likely have a camera, and since this is Apple it will likely also be a very good cam. Also, there's no doubt that the device will have an astonishing sound quality for music just like iPod, though it will probably not support gigantic space like 60Gb , or 80Gb, or hey, maybe it will, there's nothing impossible with Apple!

As of looks, I'm pretty confident that it will beat all others, just like iPod has dwarfed any other portable music player, the iPhone is expected to be very popular.

Firefox 2 Released!

2006-10-25T17:16:00.000+03:00

The whole internet was shaken today by a great event, the excellent browser Mozilla Firefox just got a major update, and let me say, it's a total success, it's introduced many new features ( it's not just copying the other like SOME are doing lol ), it's now faster, more secure, and prettier, thanks to all those passionate developers that are in majority volunteers, who believed in the revolution Firefox raised.

This new version immediately earned CNET's editor's choice award, they literately "It's not perfect, but it does beat the newly released IE 7 on security, features and overall cool factor." I advise EVERYBODY to use Firefox instead of Internet Explorer, they have the right to choose, and to know that there is an alternative, even if they decide later that they don't want to switch.

I really hope Firefox gains at least 50% of the market share, and i'm sure it will not die, because of it's Open source nature, personally, i will always remember it as the browser which started the second browser revolution, and brought quality to everybody.

Go Get It Now!

Waiting On The World To Change

2006-10-23T17:07:00.000+03:00

What a great song! John Mayer you really got it right this time! Congrats on the new hit, i love it.

Happy Birthday, Google!

2006-09-27T23:29:00.000+03:00

Today is Google's 8th birthday!

Apple surprises the world: It's Showtime

2006-09-12T21:16:00.000+03:00

"It's showtime" in San Francisco today, that's for sure, Apple just unveiled several product updates. Steve Jobs surprised the audience of today's "Special Event" with a new video iPod, a new Nano, and a new iTunes. Rumours have been confirmed, iTunes will soon host Movie downloads, plus it's going to have some new features including one which attaches album Artwork for your "less attractive" songs.

The popular iPod nano has been updated to bring back the joy of the colours of it's predecessor, the mini. It's going to be available in many colours, including silver. The video iPod also got an update, there's now two models, a 30Gb, and a stunning 80Gb! Prices have cooled down too! The 80Gb model is 50 dollars cheaper then the old 60Gb one, same thing for the 30Gb model.

Jobs also announced iTunes 7, which will host new features, and certainly some bug fixes. A new feature will get album artwork for the songs that don't have it, though it requires an iTunes account. There's also a update to the viewing system, which according to Jobs "Allows you to rediscover music".

Apple had some exciting stuff up it's sleeve, but let's wait for the new Mac OS X Leopard event, it might also hold other new products.

Lebanese army sent to the south

2006-08-18T12:24:00.000+03:00

In these couple of days, the Lebanese army will be nearly fully established in the south, backed later by the multi-national force ( the UNIFEL re-enforced ). Here in Lebanon, questions are beginning to rise about the nature of the job the army is meant to do there, and concerns about hezbollah's army.

Earlier this week the Lebanese minister of defence noted that there will be no other military force in the south other than the goverment's ( excluding UNIFEL ). However, many rumours say that hezbollah is not gonna let go it's military force, and that the Lebanese army will just "co-exist" with the resistance. Head of Socialist party Walid Joumblat aksed yesterday Hasan Nasrallah, chief of Hezbollah, to make it clear if he wants to blend into the goverment, or if he even supports the Taef.

On the other side, sources at the israeli foreign ministry said that israel would relaunch it's war on Lebanon in case Hezbollah kept it's force.

I think myself that it would be better if Hezbollah gave it's arms, because it just seems unfair to me that one portion of the Lebanese people should have the right to declare war on another country without even informing the others, and because right now there is a very big danger if they didn't do that.

I am worried about the people of the south, on one side they do support hezbollah because it's their own resistance, but they also want to finally live their life without going through war every few years, some families have lost their homes, some have lost their businesses, and some have just lost the faith in peace.

I think if the army now really takes control of the south, and if hezbollah gives it's arms, we will have a very good opportunity to finally enjoy peace.

Mideast crisis: what's the aftermath?

2006-08-08T19:34:00.000+03:00

While calls for a cease-fire increase, israeli airstrikes on Lebanon's infrastructure and citizens continue, causing more and more damage to the already war ravaged country. The loss has reached devastating proportions, since the beginning of the war, more than 900 Lebanese, most of which are civilians, have died; and more than 3000 have been injured.
But beyond the material consequences of the war lies problems that are far more important, the first thing the Lebanese aren't really understanding is how Lebanese dignity can be so easily torn apart, why is the Lebanese blood so cheap now to the extent that anyone could waste it? Throughout the decades, the Lebanese have survived the two world wars, the civil war, the syrian oppression, the numerous israeli attacks, and one begins to wonder when will the bloodshed ever stop. Doesn't this nation deserve peace, so that it may thrive?
Several politicians are now expecting a UN resolution that calls for a stop of violence soon, but what about the aftermath? Can Lebanon rise from the ashes again like it always did? The truth is that there is just so much damage, more then 75% of the Lebanese population is now unemployed because of the frozen economy , and tens of thousands of citizens have fled the country escaping the attacks. A very large number of bridges connecting different Lebanese regions have been destroyed, the economy has been nearly totally frozen, thanks goodness that the Lebanese Lira didn't get a major hit. I wonder if this time we can build it all again, but I think with hard work, and preservence, we can manage to do a large scale resurrection, hoping that Lebanon would have a peaceful future, clear of wars, oppression, and conspiracies.

Panorama Pictures

2006-06-27T21:33:00.000+03:00

Here are some awesome scenery pictures,
i took these images myself when i was traveling.
!! Enjoy !!

Pictures from Beirut-Lebanon

2006-06-27T20:22:00.000+03:00

Here are some pictures form Beirut, Lebanon.
! Enjoy !

2006-06-24T00:43:00.000+03:00

Hello, this is my first post ever in Blogger! I see this is a very cool service i'm looking
forward to using it.

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