ScreenStudio is getting more and more popular. I'm quite happy about that as the project is getting more followers,
If you are following me on Youtube (http://youtube.com/patrickballeux), I often release screenscasts recorded with ScreenStudio. Today, I've moved to a dedicated Youtube channel for those videos made with ScreenStudio.
You can find the new ScreenStudio channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdddEE-W0AFRkhlPq1L1IQA
At the same time, if you are also featuring videos related to screencasting on Ubuntu (Linux), share the link with ScreenStudio's G+ page and your channel will be featured on ScreenStudio's Youtube channel.
Have a Merry Xmas!
Monday, December 22, 2014
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Make money with Ads
If you own a blog or a website, you may have integrated banners and ads to make a bit of money from your content.
Everybody knows about Google Adsense (adsense.google.com). Did you know that there are other alternatives?
I've created a website where I collect Ads Services and compare them with each other. As I found out while registering with them, they may have requirements that may prevent you from using their services.
Often the type of website is a major issue. The traffic generated by your content may also be another hurdle as some providers to require more than a thousand visits per day.
Visit ads.crombz.com to view the ads providers that can be easily integrated in your website.
Patrick Balleux
Everybody knows about Google Adsense (adsense.google.com). Did you know that there are other alternatives?
I've created a website where I collect Ads Services and compare them with each other. As I found out while registering with them, they may have requirements that may prevent you from using their services.
Often the type of website is a major issue. The traffic generated by your content may also be another hurdle as some providers to require more than a thousand visits per day.
Visit ads.crombz.com to view the ads providers that can be easily integrated in your website.
Patrick Balleux
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Is Open Source secure?
There was a time when "Open Source" meant nothing more than something geek. Times have change and the expression is more common in the world. Nevertheless, what is exactly Open Source?
It's more than a free software. It's more than having access the to source code of a project. It's a philosophy embraced by people who thinks that any software should be shared and worked on, in a common goal.
It all started with closed source softwares. Your enterprise would rely on a software solution and would be struggling with bugs and lack of features. Worst, the company providing the software solution would stop supporting it, making your enterprise forced to "upgrade" and migrate to another software, to a new provider. That "upgrade" process do cost a lot of money...
For individuals, it's the same issue. Your favourite app will not be supported anymore and you are stuck with bugs and lack of feature unless you move on to "The Next Big Thing".
An Open Source project do not have this issue. Bugs get fixed by the community. New features are added by the users, for the users. Some projects may have a short life as others will split into many different flavours. It's a natural evolution where demands drive the development.
Basically, an open source project will make its source code available over the web so anyone can browse it, download it, modify it. You can do whatever you want with the source code, as long as you comply with the original licence. That means keeping it open, most of the time.
Since the source code is available to all, it's it secure?
Of course, security flaws can be easily identified by pirates. But they can also be identified by others as well. The thing is that as soon as a vulnerability is identified, developers will patch it, share it and provide a new updated version faster than any commercial company can do it. Often, it's a matter of hours between the discovery of a vulnerability and the available secured version.
We've all heard of vulnerabilities in commercial softwares that were never fixed or dormant for decades. This is something that cannot happen in Open Source software as the code is being analyzed and reviewed by thousands of hackers, coders and users.
If anyone can contribute, does that mean that someone could inject malware code into the project? Mostly no as serious open source projects do have a team that is reviewing any contribution, ensuring quality and security for the project. Think about the Apple Store that is reviewing apps against potential malware. The same process is happening on Open Source projects.
Would you eat a meal without knowing its ingredients if you care about your diet? That's what "Open Source" means: you have a choice, you have a voice.
Patrick Balleux
It's more than a free software. It's more than having access the to source code of a project. It's a philosophy embraced by people who thinks that any software should be shared and worked on, in a common goal.
It all started with closed source softwares. Your enterprise would rely on a software solution and would be struggling with bugs and lack of features. Worst, the company providing the software solution would stop supporting it, making your enterprise forced to "upgrade" and migrate to another software, to a new provider. That "upgrade" process do cost a lot of money...
For individuals, it's the same issue. Your favourite app will not be supported anymore and you are stuck with bugs and lack of feature unless you move on to "The Next Big Thing".
An Open Source project do not have this issue. Bugs get fixed by the community. New features are added by the users, for the users. Some projects may have a short life as others will split into many different flavours. It's a natural evolution where demands drive the development.
Basically, an open source project will make its source code available over the web so anyone can browse it, download it, modify it. You can do whatever you want with the source code, as long as you comply with the original licence. That means keeping it open, most of the time.
Since the source code is available to all, it's it secure?
Of course, security flaws can be easily identified by pirates. But they can also be identified by others as well. The thing is that as soon as a vulnerability is identified, developers will patch it, share it and provide a new updated version faster than any commercial company can do it. Often, it's a matter of hours between the discovery of a vulnerability and the available secured version.
We've all heard of vulnerabilities in commercial softwares that were never fixed or dormant for decades. This is something that cannot happen in Open Source software as the code is being analyzed and reviewed by thousands of hackers, coders and users.
If anyone can contribute, does that mean that someone could inject malware code into the project? Mostly no as serious open source projects do have a team that is reviewing any contribution, ensuring quality and security for the project. Think about the Apple Store that is reviewing apps against potential malware. The same process is happening on Open Source projects.
Would you eat a meal without knowing its ingredients if you care about your diet? That's what "Open Source" means: you have a choice, you have a voice.
Patrick Balleux
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Coding hard boiled eggs
How would a software coder describe the recipe to make hard boiled eggs?
The procedural coder:
The object-oriented coder:
The delegate-oriented coder:
Which one are you?
Patrick Balleux
The procedural coder:
- Take a saucepan
- Put water in the saucepan
- Put the saucepan on the stove
- Turn on the stove to maximum
- Wait for the water to reach boiling temperature
- Put three eggs in the boiling water
- Wait 3 minutes
- Turn off the stove
- Take the saucepan
- Empty boiling water into the sink
- Take the first egg, be careful full it's hot
- Roll the first egg on the kitchen counter to crack the shell gently
- Remove completely the shell from the first egg
- Put the first egg on a serving plate
- Take the second egg, be careful full it's hot
- Roll the second egg on the kitchen counter to crack the shell gently
- Remove completely the shell from the second egg
- Put the second egg on a serving plate
- Take the third egg, be careful full it's hot
- Roll the third egg on the kitchen counter to crack the shell gently
- Remove completely the shell from the third egg
- Put the third egg on a serving plate
- Voilà, enjoy!
The object-oriented coder:
- On a stove, in a saucepan, put water
- Turn on the stove to maximum
- When the water is boiling, on the stove, in the saucepan, in the water, put three eggs
- After 3 minutes, turn off the stove
- Empty the water, from the saucepan, on the stove, into the kitchen's sink
- For each egg, in the saucepan:
- Be careful, it's hot
- Roll it on the kitchen counter
- When the shell, on the egg, is cracked, remove completely
- Put it on a serving plate
- Voilà, enjoy!
The delegate-oriented coder:
- You need a stove, a saucepan, water, a kitchen sink, a kitchen counter, a serving plate and three eggs
- Turn on the thing that can heat to maximum with the thing that was filled with stuff that can boil
- When the event where the result of boiling has been reach, add the items that can be cooked in the stuff that is hot enough to cook them
- After a while, set to 3 minutes, remove the stuff that was boiling and put it in the thing that can dispose of it
- For each item, in a container, roll it on the thing that is hard enough to crack the external stuff of the item. At the same time, be careful as a warning message and it has been set that it can be hot.
- In the event that the item is cracked enough, remove the outer thing completely and put the item in something that can be used to serve for a meal
- In the event that that everything is done, Voilà and at the same time, Enjoy!
- When the items are cooked, turn off the heat source
Which one are you?
Patrick Balleux
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Love iOS, Android? Why not Ubuntu?
With the release of each iOS/Android version, users around the world will get the upgrading fever as soon as they hear the news. Some will even install the beta version to get the latest and greatest before everyone else...
How come it's not the same for Windows? Sure, there are a few enthusiasts around the world who will go the extra mile to get their hands on the beta version, but it's far from a general worldwide phenomenon.
Basically, some won't want to upgrade. Most will wait to buy a new PC. Others will download an illegal copy, taking the risk of exposing their personal stuff to the "World Wild Web"...
As those Windows users are probably also iOS and Android users, they should crave for the next Windows... And this is not the case.
Assuming that Windows users were able to adapt to the new environments proposed by iOS and Android, could they consider the fact that an alternative to Windows would be as useful and fun on their PC? Have they heard about Ubuntu (and friends)?
They will hack and crack MS Office to get it free, they will install many tools to get Windows more useful, they will fight against viruses and adwares and spywares with the latest anti-virus available. Managing a Windows PC does require a lot of personal time.
With iOS or Android, you simply do nothing. Load it up, upgrade all your apps from the store. Get free OS upgrades when available and enjoy your device without thinking about it. What if I would tell you that you can get the same experience with Ubuntu?
Don't believe me? Try it out for yourself as you can download Ubuntu for free (ubuntu.com)
Nothing illegal here. It's free simply because it is open source stuff.
Don't like Ubuntu? Try out one of its derivatives like Mint or Kubuntu. The choice is yours.
Maybe it's time to start using your computer instead of managing it. Get Ubuntu!
How come it's not the same for Windows? Sure, there are a few enthusiasts around the world who will go the extra mile to get their hands on the beta version, but it's far from a general worldwide phenomenon.
Basically, some won't want to upgrade. Most will wait to buy a new PC. Others will download an illegal copy, taking the risk of exposing their personal stuff to the "World Wild Web"...
As those Windows users are probably also iOS and Android users, they should crave for the next Windows... And this is not the case.
Assuming that Windows users were able to adapt to the new environments proposed by iOS and Android, could they consider the fact that an alternative to Windows would be as useful and fun on their PC? Have they heard about Ubuntu (and friends)?
They will hack and crack MS Office to get it free, they will install many tools to get Windows more useful, they will fight against viruses and adwares and spywares with the latest anti-virus available. Managing a Windows PC does require a lot of personal time.
With iOS or Android, you simply do nothing. Load it up, upgrade all your apps from the store. Get free OS upgrades when available and enjoy your device without thinking about it. What if I would tell you that you can get the same experience with Ubuntu?
Don't believe me? Try it out for yourself as you can download Ubuntu for free (ubuntu.com)
Nothing illegal here. It's free simply because it is open source stuff.
Don't like Ubuntu? Try out one of its derivatives like Mint or Kubuntu. The choice is yours.
Maybe it's time to start using your computer instead of managing it. Get Ubuntu!
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Making movies for fun!
Last week-end, the kids and I decided to make a movie. Not just any kind of movie, a "for-real" movie.
I used what was available to record movie shots and I got quite a good result for an amateur.
I used what was available to record movie shots and I got quite a good result for an amateur.
- Asus Memo FHD 10 tablet (Most used for recording, Android)
- iPhone 6 (for special shots and effects)
- Macbook (2009) for creating the main video with iMovie
- iPad 4 for adding music and sound effects with iMovie
I could have used only to Macbook to stitch together all the shots and apply effects but since the kids were eager to see the results, I finished with the iPad in the living room while the kids were watching the result on the main TV (with the Apple TV Airplay mirroring).
It was really fun to create and kids are already planning a sequel...
Magic Fight: The Trailer
Magic Fight: The Movie
No kids were harmed during the shooting of this movie... Don't worry, it was just for fun.
Enjoy!
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Free music on Google Play!
Android and Google friends, rejoice as Google is offering free music to download.
Simply open your Google Play Store and look for the free albums and free tunes.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
ScreenStudio 1.4.0 is available
I know, it's been a while since the last version ScreenStudio. Don't worry, I just released a new version (1.4.0).
A single new feature: Record/Stream only your webcam
You can now record only your webcam by selecting the Screen source "None" and a Webcam from the available list.
The overlay will be applied over your webcam instead of your desktop.
An easy and quick way to record your vlogs.
Get it at http://screenstudio.crombz.com
A single new feature: Record/Stream only your webcam
You can now record only your webcam by selecting the Screen source "None" and a Webcam from the available list.
The overlay will be applied over your webcam instead of your desktop.
An easy and quick way to record your vlogs.
Get it at http://screenstudio.crombz.com
Monday, October 20, 2014
Playing music over Bluetooth in your car
I own a Kia a Rondo 2012 and I can connect my iPhone to the sound system using Bluetooth. It does work great to take a phone call but I've been struggling to play my music on my car radio over the Bluetooth connection.
Sometimes it would work by activating Siri and then pressing Play right after cancelling Siri. It was a real disappointment as my iPhone was seeing the bluetooth connection but nothing was coming out of my car radio.
That is until tonight. I finally figured it out. The issue was not my phone but my car radio. In the sound settings, there is an option to turn "On" the "BT MP3". For some reasons, it was turned off.
After activating the setting, I just start my music on my iPhone and it works as it should have been from the start.
If you are facing the same issue where you can't play your music on your car radio over a Bluetooth connection, just have a look in your car audio settings (Balance, Bass, Treble). You may have to enable Bluetooth MP3.
Patrick Balleux
Sometimes it would work by activating Siri and then pressing Play right after cancelling Siri. It was a real disappointment as my iPhone was seeing the bluetooth connection but nothing was coming out of my car radio.
That is until tonight. I finally figured it out. The issue was not my phone but my car radio. In the sound settings, there is an option to turn "On" the "BT MP3". For some reasons, it was turned off.
After activating the setting, I just start my music on my iPhone and it works as it should have been from the start.
If you are facing the same issue where you can't play your music on your car radio over a Bluetooth connection, just have a look in your car audio settings (Balance, Bass, Treble). You may have to enable Bluetooth MP3.
Patrick Balleux
Sunday, October 19, 2014
10 questions before creating an app
Creating softwares is great. It's an art, it's a gift, it's tough.
If you have an idea in mind about creating an app, here's 10 questions that you should ask yourself before spending hours and hours on your new project:
1- Does it already exists?
It's not about reinventing the wheel or not. Have a look. Do some research. Find what has been already done. Can you make it better? Can you offer something valuable not found in other solutions?
2- Who will use it?
Who are your users? Knowing your target audience will help you define your app for your users, not for your own glory.
3- What technology should be used?
Any software is bound by the technology used. If you are planning on a mobile app, a webapp or a native software, the required technology will be crucial.
4- How much free time do you have?
You may start coding on one evening, working on your project for many hours. What about next week? Next month? Plan ahead and make sure that you will have dedicated time to your project. Many softwares are started, never to be completed...
5- Do you need a team?
Can you handle the work on your own? If you're planning on creating the next Facebook or Twitter by yourself, it may not be enough. Make sure that you'll be able to handle the tasks. Otherwise, the developpement will last forever.
6- Are you good enough?
Thinking about it is one thing. Having the skills is another. Validate that you fully understand the technical challenges before embarking on this journey.
7- Do you have the means?
Coding is one thing. Will you need a website? A server? A domain name? Will you be able to financially support required components once the app is available on the market.
8- Are you ready to make some compromises?
Once your app is released into the wild, users will ask for features. Comments will pour in and you may be asked to change available features. Are you ready to meet the needs of your users or just your own?
9- Will you listen?
The end-user may be harsh sometime. Keep in mind that he is your customer and will provide your with great insights if you listen carefully.
10- Are you ready to support it?
Think about support. Users will report issues and if they have paid a fee to use your app, they are entitled to get fixes. Sometime, you will spend more time fixing bugs then releasing new features. Don't think that once released, you can just sit and wait on money to pour in.
All of that can be summarized as planning ahead...
If you have an idea in mind about creating an app, here's 10 questions that you should ask yourself before spending hours and hours on your new project:
1- Does it already exists?
It's not about reinventing the wheel or not. Have a look. Do some research. Find what has been already done. Can you make it better? Can you offer something valuable not found in other solutions?
2- Who will use it?
Who are your users? Knowing your target audience will help you define your app for your users, not for your own glory.
3- What technology should be used?
Any software is bound by the technology used. If you are planning on a mobile app, a webapp or a native software, the required technology will be crucial.
4- How much free time do you have?
You may start coding on one evening, working on your project for many hours. What about next week? Next month? Plan ahead and make sure that you will have dedicated time to your project. Many softwares are started, never to be completed...
5- Do you need a team?
Can you handle the work on your own? If you're planning on creating the next Facebook or Twitter by yourself, it may not be enough. Make sure that you'll be able to handle the tasks. Otherwise, the developpement will last forever.
6- Are you good enough?
Thinking about it is one thing. Having the skills is another. Validate that you fully understand the technical challenges before embarking on this journey.
7- Do you have the means?
Coding is one thing. Will you need a website? A server? A domain name? Will you be able to financially support required components once the app is available on the market.
8- Are you ready to make some compromises?
Once your app is released into the wild, users will ask for features. Comments will pour in and you may be asked to change available features. Are you ready to meet the needs of your users or just your own?
9- Will you listen?
The end-user may be harsh sometime. Keep in mind that he is your customer and will provide your with great insights if you listen carefully.
10- Are you ready to support it?
Think about support. Users will report issues and if they have paid a fee to use your app, they are entitled to get fixes. Sometime, you will spend more time fixing bugs then releasing new features. Don't think that once released, you can just sit and wait on money to pour in.
All of that can be summarized as planning ahead...
Friday, October 17, 2014
Ello World!
There is no typo in the title... A new social network is emerging called Ello
I just got my invitation today and currently exploring this new medium. Elli is really elegant and looks great. It's simple and quite intuitive.
Since there is no app on my iPhone for Ello, I simply added the link to my home screen, making it into a web app. The Ello team has done a great job as it does render beautifully on a mobile display.
As of writing this post, I still have 9 invites that I can send. Leave a comment on this post and I'll pick randomly 9 users to send an invite too. Of course, I will select people that are active on social networks and that I find interesting.
You can find me here: http://ello.co/patrickballeux
I just got my invitation today and currently exploring this new medium. Elli is really elegant and looks great. It's simple and quite intuitive.
Since there is no app on my iPhone for Ello, I simply added the link to my home screen, making it into a web app. The Ello team has done a great job as it does render beautifully on a mobile display.
As of writing this post, I still have 9 invites that I can send. Leave a comment on this post and I'll pick randomly 9 users to send an invite too. Of course, I will select people that are active on social networks and that I find interesting.
You can find me here: http://ello.co/patrickballeux
Monday, October 13, 2014
Because I can get it for free...
Lately, I posted a video on my YouTube channel about Netflix running natively in Ubuntu using Chrome.
Comments were made about that video and one of them got my attention: Why pay 8$/month when you can get the same thing for free with XMBC?
I've heard that same comment many time, in many cases. Why pay for something when you can get it for free somewhere else? The issue here is not about saving some money. People are confusing stealing with "for free"...
When I buy a song on iTunes, friends will tell me that I should have downloaded it from some torrent because it's free. The same goes for any movies bought on Google Play. I've also heard that Android is better over iOS has it's easy to find any app for free by installing the APK from some obscure website. Obviously Windows is much better than Ubuntu as any major software can be downloaded for free. Why bother...
This is a statement I'm really not comfortable with.
If you a considering that getting stuff "for free" is not s big deal, talk to your boss about your it. He/She will probably be really interested knowing that you consider that any work does not need to be rewarded as "it's not a big deal".
You should then accept that once in a while, you won't get paid for your work. Your employer will be able to get some jobs done "for free" and that will be good for the company. No? Are you thinking that it would be unfair? Are you currently running a "for free" version of Windows or listening to the latest "for free" album of your favourite band?
How can you consider that 8$/month is a steal when your asking for a salary of 25$/hour?
From now on, every time I will hear "for free", I'll reply back: No, you mean "steal" as in "I stole that product and I'm proud of it".
Patrick Balleux
Comments were made about that video and one of them got my attention: Why pay 8$/month when you can get the same thing for free with XMBC?
I've heard that same comment many time, in many cases. Why pay for something when you can get it for free somewhere else? The issue here is not about saving some money. People are confusing stealing with "for free"...
When I buy a song on iTunes, friends will tell me that I should have downloaded it from some torrent because it's free. The same goes for any movies bought on Google Play. I've also heard that Android is better over iOS has it's easy to find any app for free by installing the APK from some obscure website. Obviously Windows is much better than Ubuntu as any major software can be downloaded for free. Why bother...
This is a statement I'm really not comfortable with.
If you a considering that getting stuff "for free" is not s big deal, talk to your boss about your it. He/She will probably be really interested knowing that you consider that any work does not need to be rewarded as "it's not a big deal".
You should then accept that once in a while, you won't get paid for your work. Your employer will be able to get some jobs done "for free" and that will be good for the company. No? Are you thinking that it would be unfair? Are you currently running a "for free" version of Windows or listening to the latest "for free" album of your favourite band?
How can you consider that 8$/month is a steal when your asking for a salary of 25$/hour?
From now on, every time I will hear "for free", I'll reply back: No, you mean "steal" as in "I stole that product and I'm proud of it".
Patrick Balleux
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Netflix is working on Ubuntu!
This week, Ubuntu users were really happy. Netflix now works natively on Ubuntu just by using the latest version of Chrome!
Yep! This is not the Year-of-the-Linux-Desktop, but it's a great news.
Yep! This is not the Year-of-the-Linux-Desktop, but it's a great news.
See a preview on my Youtube channel:
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Windows 10, late to the party...
Microsoft has released a preview of its next Windows this week: Windows 10. Lots of goodies and as usual, moving back to what was working well in previous versions...
We've all seen Microsoft pushing new features and reverting to a more classic view in the following release of Windows. With Windows 10, we're moving back to something more like Windows 7 while keeping a bit of Windows 8.
I've watched the preview video on Windows 10 on YouTube and my first impression revolved around this: I've been able to do this in Ubuntu for the last 10 years...
I'm not saying that Windows 10 is copying Ubuntu. I'm just saying that Windows 10 is really late to the party.
This is a tech preview of Windows 10 and as stated in the video, it's an unfinished product. I do feel that Windows, since Windows XP, is an overall unfinished product,
Maybe Windows 10 will finally nail it this time. Until then, I'll keep using Ubuntu as my main operating system. At least, upgrading to the next release is free...
Patrick Balleux
We've all seen Microsoft pushing new features and reverting to a more classic view in the following release of Windows. With Windows 10, we're moving back to something more like Windows 7 while keeping a bit of Windows 8.
I've watched the preview video on Windows 10 on YouTube and my first impression revolved around this: I've been able to do this in Ubuntu for the last 10 years...
I'm not saying that Windows 10 is copying Ubuntu. I'm just saying that Windows 10 is really late to the party.
- Snapping windows: Been there for ages in Ubuntu and other distros
- Multi-Desktop views: Been there for the last decade in Ubuntu (and other distros)
- Online Store: Repositories were laughed at 10 years ago by the Windows community
- Apps can be run in a resizeable window view: Isn't it what as been possible in all OSes for the last 20 years?
- Community involvement: Does open source ring-a-bell?
- Start menu "Search is back": As in Windows 7, as in Unity?
This is a tech preview of Windows 10 and as stated in the video, it's an unfinished product. I do feel that Windows, since Windows XP, is an overall unfinished product,
Maybe Windows 10 will finally nail it this time. Until then, I'll keep using Ubuntu as my main operating system. At least, upgrading to the next release is free...
Patrick Balleux
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Shut up! I'm trying to stay alive...
Have you experienced someone texting you over and over again until you answer back? What's the rush? I can understand if you're warning me about the serial killer waiting in the dark corner... Actually no, I'll be distracted by reading the messages and I won't see the creepy dude moving towards me with a hockey mask and a machete...
On my iPhone, every app is asking me to enable the notifications. Almost all of them wants me to know that something happened as it happened. We are currently overwhelmed with information and losing focus on what we are doing at that time.
Of course, I want to be notified when I get a new message (iMessage/SMS) or when I receive a call from someone. Is it really necessary to know by the second that someone has posted a picture on Facebook or that I got a new follower on my Twitter account?
I always refuse to be notified. I will check if there is something new when I have the time to do it. I just keep it to a bare minimum as I prefer not being distracted when I do some important stuff like working at the office, driving my car or simply watching a movie.
Usually, when I sleep at night, I don't care about reading the last Walking Dead joke (Carl, you get it Carl?) or about my Candy Crush's lives that are full. That's why I enable the "Do not disturb me" feature. I so grateful to have that feature. If you're on Android you may have it also depending on your model and version. Otherwise, there are plenty of apps in the Google Play Store that will take care of the issue.
I just wonder why people want to know ASAP like their life may depend on it. Think about it, what's the benefit of knowing right now? Are you a journalist? In some cases, it may make sense.
For 99.9999999% of the population, you are just losing precious seconds of your life. Sometimes, it' just enough to make a difference...
Patrick Balleux
On my iPhone, every app is asking me to enable the notifications. Almost all of them wants me to know that something happened as it happened. We are currently overwhelmed with information and losing focus on what we are doing at that time.
Of course, I want to be notified when I get a new message (iMessage/SMS) or when I receive a call from someone. Is it really necessary to know by the second that someone has posted a picture on Facebook or that I got a new follower on my Twitter account?
I always refuse to be notified. I will check if there is something new when I have the time to do it. I just keep it to a bare minimum as I prefer not being distracted when I do some important stuff like working at the office, driving my car or simply watching a movie.
Usually, when I sleep at night, I don't care about reading the last Walking Dead joke (Carl, you get it Carl?) or about my Candy Crush's lives that are full. That's why I enable the "Do not disturb me" feature. I so grateful to have that feature. If you're on Android you may have it also depending on your model and version. Otherwise, there are plenty of apps in the Google Play Store that will take care of the issue.
I just wonder why people want to know ASAP like their life may depend on it. Think about it, what's the benefit of knowing right now? Are you a journalist? In some cases, it may make sense.
For 99.9999999% of the population, you are just losing precious seconds of your life. Sometimes, it' just enough to make a difference...
Patrick Balleux
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Bendgate: Have we lost simple notions of physics?
In our virtual online daily lives, we have lost something very important: Common sense.
Since the launch of the iPhone 6/6+, everybody is talking about the Bengate. If you haven't heard about it, it's time to crawl out from under your rock... Or maybe you have a real life... Who knows?
Anyway, someone, somewhere figured out that the iPhone should have been indestructible. You can sit on it, you can burn it, you can bend it as much as you want. The device has to be indestructible no matter what.
I've seen a few videos putting the device and also other brands of smartphone to the test. It's actually amazing to see that the hardware design can withstand such torture and still be functional. The iPhone did bend as others cracked, made strange noises or the glass display popped out a bit.
Nevertheless, none of them broke. I was shocked.
When I was young, a long time ago, I was careful with my stuff. By pure instinct, I would never put my calculator in my back pocket for the simple fact that I knew that I could sit on it and break it. It was just common sense then. The same rule applied to my glasses, my pens, my Walkmen...
In school, we learned that to any action, there would be an equal opposite reaction. This simply means that if you bend it, it may break. This basic law of physics seems to have disappeared today.
BREAKING NEWS! Nope...
(Pun intended)
Throwing it on the table, dropping it in the toilet, sitting on it on the couch, falling to the ground while holding a coffee, scratching it in a purse with keys... People are getting mad at their device for breaking after being uncareful with it. Have we lost touch with reality?
I bet that these would bend also by applying the same amount of force on them:
- fork, knife and spoon
- mirrors
- toothbrush
- computer keyboard
- plasma TV
- microwave oven door
- TV remote control
- sunglasses
- guitar
- "add your own..."
For sure, I won't put them to the test because I know they will probably bend and probably break. I am careful with my stuff as I am careful with my iPhone. Amazingly, they last for many many years.
The Bengate illustrated a design flaw from "The Hulk" point of view. Just use common sense folks...
Saturday, September 27, 2014
Goodbye iPhone 4s, welcome iPhone 6
This week, it was time for me to upgrade my loyal iPhone 4s to something else. I made my choice on the iPhone 6 with a few apprehensions as I wasn't sure that bigger was better.
You have to know that I do not use my iPhone for gaming and watching movies. I mostly use it for listening to my music, taking pictures and as a phone. Having a bigger display was more of an annoyance than a feature as I wear my phone on my belt and not in my pocket.
After a few days of experimenting with my new device, I think that I like it. The larger display is not that big. In fact, I do enjoy the larger keyboard and everything is easier to see and read. Beside that, new features, better photos, smoother experience, you know the drill.
What I like so far:
- TouchID, I just love it! It works, it's fast, it's brilliant
- Photos and Videos, integrated filters, slow/fast movies, more options
- Battery life a better
- Edge-to-edge display
- LTE, it's so fast compared to 3G. Too bad it's not unlimited data plan
- With the larger display, it's easier to read and navigate
What I dislike so far
- Clicking sound of the buttons. Even the home button makes more noise and my 4s
- It's so slim and light, it's easy to drop it if you're not careful
- Sound, when playing music, feels like plastic or having less bass
- Larger display, it's hard to reach the to of it with only one hand. And I do have large hands...
Overall, I do enjoy it and I will get used to the little "annoyances" as they are caused by the fact that I was used to a smaller display. Next step is playing around with the videos features, mostly with the slomo videos.
The novelty will wear of in a few days but I can say that upgrading was worth it. This device will follow me everyday for the next two years and it should be fun.
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
iOS 8 and Ubuntu
Last week, iOS 8 was released from Apple for my iPhone and iPad. As I am also an Ubuntu user, it was time to test the compatibility with the new update.
Each time there is a major update on iOS, Ubuntu won't be able to connect to your iDevice. The main reason is that the new iOS changes its encryption key and the library, libimobiledevice, needs to be updated with that new key. This is not is not a big issue as it will eventually be updated in the weeks following the iOS release.
Nevertheless, it's annoying and there is nothing that we can do about it. If only Apple would provide the key to the developers...
Anyway, tonight, without much hope, I did the test by connecting my iPad 4 on my Ubuntu computer. Normally, you'll get two mount points: one for the photos and one for the shared documents.
It was not a complete success... Nor a complete failure. The photos mount point did work and I was able to access my photos, music and other stuff. The Documents mount point failed, sadly.
It's the first time I've seen a new iOS release work partially and to me, that's good news.
Now we have to wait a few weeks until the developers of libimobiledevice can figure out the new key and we'll be in business in no time.
Until then, you can always exchange documents using a NAS or a file sharing-app-over-wifi on your device.
Sunday, September 21, 2014
200$/year for a smartphone?
Following my last post, one of my Twitter follower (@sinedioMD) replied back that spending "200$ a year for a smartphone is ridiculous anyway..."
He's got a point. Assuming the cost of the device, whatever the brand, it can come around 200$ a year considering supported life time. Adding the cell plan that goes along with the device, the real cost is (60$/month) 720$/year. For a grand total of 920$/year.
We are spending almost a thousand bucks each year to be able to send a few messages, read some stuff on the web, call someone when needed and listen to some music. Isn't it a bit much?
If we compare to a cheap cellphone (the flip one) with just a simple plan of 20$ a month, get a decent MP3/Media player and wait at home to browse the web, it would be cheaper.
A flip phone will cost around 75$ and a decent MP3/media player can cost 80$. The first year would round up to 120$+75$+80$=275$
The next year, it would go down to 120$/year.
That's insane when you think about it. For sure, we don't get all the mobile internet access but if you get a cheap Android tablet at 75$ and use wifi when available, you will almost get the same functionalities.
Smartphones are making us dumb...
The iPhone's price is too much!
Over the war raging against Apple products, one of the most popular complaints is the price. I was curious and started investigating the cost issue everyone is talking about.
If we consider the price of the iPhone 6 (16 gigs) to a Nexus 5, there is no doubt that it does cost more. The iPhone 6 goes around 650$ compared to the Nexus 5 at 350$. That's a 300$ difference in price. Of course, you can always get into a 2 years contract with your cell phone provider for an easier way to acquire a smartphone. But let's consider the raw cost, without any contracts...
There is more than the initial cost to consider. How long will your device be supported with updates and upgrades? In general, the iPhone does get support for 3 years. My current iPhone 4S was acquired 3 years ago and received the latest iOS 8 this week.
With an Android smartphone, it all depends on the brand acquired. The Nexus series is probably the most up to date regarding updates and new upgrades. The Google policies for supporting older hardware is around 18 months. This means that devices older than 18 months may not receive the next Android L on release day.
iPhone 4s was released on October 2011 and was updated to iOS 8. The Nexus 4, released on November 2012 may not get the next Android L. People a speculating on this issue... The Nexus 5 was released on November 2013 and should be supported for about another 12 months.
If we do the math:
- iPhone: 650$/3 years of supported life = 217$/year
- Nexus: 350$/1.5 years of supported life = 233$/year
Overall, assuming that Google keeps its current policy, the iPhone is cheaper in the long run.
That's something to consider...
Thursday, September 18, 2014
YouTube Analytics in realtime
As I was reviewing my YouTube channel, I saw that youtube has added a new feature to YouTube Analytics: Real Time.
This could be interesting to see how viewers are visiting my YouTube channel. The realtime feature was already available in Google Analytics and I always wonder why it was not available in YouTube.
You can access it right under the Analytics link in your channel account.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
What's lost with iOS 8
I was eager to update my iPhone and iPad tonight with the new iOS 8 from Apple. A lot of new features but also a few disappointments...
Before upgrading, if it's not too late, you may want to know about these:
- iPhoto is not supported anymore. Your pictures will be imported into the Photos app but nothing is replacing the brushes and effects you had in iPhoto. That's a 5$ down the drain...
- iBook is now installed and cannot be removed
- Podcasts is also installed and cannot be removed
- Tips, a new app is also installed and cannot be removed
- Health... You know the tune...
Not much can be done and it's not a matter of life and death. Nevertheless, I will miss iPhoto and its brushes...
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
A copyright claim is pissing me off! (SOLVED!)
UPDATE3: Finally, the last claim was removed.
UPDATE: After having a few tweets exchange over Twitter with +AdRev (@adrevnet), they released the claims after I sent them the link to the videos. It took around 20 minutes from the 1st contact in Twitter till the final issue. See comments below for more...
I have many Youtube videos that I've created and some of them (Kill a Sheep!) do have a sound track that I have created using GarageBand for iOS. As I am not a professional musician, I used available loops to create a neat jingle to play as a sound track. You can hear it in the next video:
Nothing fancy there I it is based on the sample loop "Front Porch Dobro 01" and "Front Porch Dobro 02" essentially that I play over and over with drums and a few other samples provided by GarageBand.
Those samples loops are provided for free and are royalty free as stated by Apple:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2931?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US
The statement is quite clear.The GarageBand software license agreement says:
"GarageBand Software. You may use the Apple and third party audio loop content (Audio Content), contained in or otherwise included with the Apple Software, on a royalty-free basis, to create your own original music compositions or audio projects. You may broadcast and/or distribute your own music compositions or audio projects that were created using the Audio Content, however, individual audio loops may not be commercially or otherwise distributed on a standalone basis, nor may they be repackaged in whole or in part as audio samples, sound effects or music beds."
So don't worry, you can make commercial music with GarageBand, you just can't distribute the loops as loops.Last Modified: Aug 27, 2008
Last week, I received 3 copyright claims against my "Kill a Sheep" videos by AdRev for Rights Holder.
AdRev for Rights Holder
I finally found the ALIBI song here: http://alibi.sourceaudio.com/#!explorer?s=ALIBI%20wwwalibimusiclibrarycom-ALIBI-Barnyard%20Stomp%20Holiday%20Mix%20
On the first claim, I replied back that the music was in fact from Garageband, in the samples loops available for free.. They rejected my reply and re-instated the claim. I replied back with more content, the direct link to Apple website and hope to put an end to this.
After a few searches on Google, it became clear that this company is making money by invoking false claims on Youtube users.
I do not care about that jingle. It was for fun and as a sound track of my videos. But I am really pissed off as I may loose this battle simply because I am only one guy against a company probably having all required resources.
Thinking about it, Apple do provide GarageBand and those sample loops. I wonder if I could ask for some help. Basically, AdRev is hurting GarageBand users by false claims... Apple should sue them for copyright infringement...
Yes, I am really pissed off!
Saturday, September 13, 2014
ScreenStudio 1.3.0 is online
A new version of ScreenStudio has been uploaded to http://screenstudio.crombz.com
The new version is now at 1.3.0 and contains small bug fixes and a new feature: Refresh Sources
From the "Options" menu, I added a new entry called "Refresh Sources" that will reload your audio and video devices to update the list of the available sources. This should be handy when you connect a device while ScreenStudio is running. Prior versions had to be stopped and re-launched for the sources list to be updated.
Enjoy!
The new version is now at 1.3.0 and contains small bug fixes and a new feature: Refresh Sources
From the "Options" menu, I added a new entry called "Refresh Sources" that will reload your audio and video devices to update the list of the available sources. This should be handy when you connect a device while ScreenStudio is running. Prior versions had to be stopped and re-launched for the sources list to be updated.
Enjoy!
Vingle, very community
We all have many online accounts: Twitter, Facebook, G+, Instagram, etc...
As a blogger and Youtuber, I use those tools to promote my work over the web. The main issue is that my posts get lost into thousands and thousands others and getting some exposure is really hard.
Last week, I was exploring the web to find some place where it was a bit less crowded and where the community would be friendly. I've found one called Vingle.net (http://www.vingle.net/patrickballeux)
There is an iOS app and also an Android app which makes it easy to share on the go. The interface is nice and the basic idea is that you create cards having pictures and links to share with the others. I'm slowly building my account with Vingle. Of course, Vingle.net is also available in your favourite browser.
I like the card idea where you can join pictures with you link and some text. It's then easy to share the card with others, Twitter and Facebook.
It's a perfect mix of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Come join us an don't forget to friend me!
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
I hate Apple!
With the event of Apple this week, the iPhone and the Apple Watch are the main subject on the web. This will last for a few days before things return to normality. Of course, as an Apple user at home, I was following closely what the big fruit had to say.
This post won't be about the new iPhone or the Apple Watch... There is already enough of that everywhere. I wanted to talk about people, mainly iOS users and Android users...
"Let's get ready to rumble!"
I know, I know, this is a subject that can easily fall into an epic flame war and that's my point: Why?
In the last few days, I've hear all kind of things, all kind of comments. Those who already own an iPhone wonder if the larger display can be a good thing or a bad thing. They wonder if the Apple Watch is worth the 350$ price tag. They wonder if they'll wait or move on with the latest and greatest. Nothing fancy, just regular users looking at what they have and considering if upgrading is worth their money.
On the other hand, Android users are at war. I mean that they are arguing about anything and everything against Apple, iOS and the iPhone. What I've heard so far:
This post won't be about the new iPhone or the Apple Watch... There is already enough of that everywhere. I wanted to talk about people, mainly iOS users and Android users...
"Let's get ready to rumble!"
I know, I know, this is a subject that can easily fall into an epic flame war and that's my point: Why?
In the last few days, I've hear all kind of things, all kind of comments. Those who already own an iPhone wonder if the larger display can be a good thing or a bad thing. They wonder if the Apple Watch is worth the 350$ price tag. They wonder if they'll wait or move on with the latest and greatest. Nothing fancy, just regular users looking at what they have and considering if upgrading is worth their money.
On the other hand, Android users are at war. I mean that they are arguing about anything and everything against Apple, iOS and the iPhone. What I've heard so far:
- Lot of noise for nothing
- It was about time Apple did that, Android had these features for years
- Finally, Apple understood that bigger is better
- Yeah, right, like I'm gonna pay that price for a smartphone.
- Apple users are sheep! They'll buy anything
I'm intrigued and confused at the same time. Why is it so critical that Android users put emphasis on how cheap Apple devices are?
What about the new features? What about the implementation of the Apple Watch compared to Google Gear or Pebble or Metawatch? What about the fact that this is not a religion! Nobody's right, nobody's wrong...
I personally prefer iOS devices to Android devices. The reason is quite simple: Apple does deliver what they advertise. Like they once said: It just works! Remember that I am a software developer. I am also an Ubuntu user and an open source advocate. And yes, I am also an Android user... But for my mobile devices, I do prefer Apple's product.
There is nothing to argue about that.
Here's a few example of Android users arguing back at my reasons for choosing Apple:
- I like the simplicity: You mean you're stuck and cannot change the look, icons, etc...
- The integration between my iPhone, iPad and Apple TV is just great: Android has that also, nothing new here, we can even access the AppleTV.
- The quality of the Apple apps are amazing: You're just a sheep and believe everything Apple says.
- There is far more less crap in the Apple Store: But the Google Store is more open to all kind of apps...
- It's fast, smooth, fluid, stable: Oh, you are comparing with cheap Android devices!
I could go on and on. You get the picture. Whatever is said, will be replied with sarcasms, negative comments or just plain insults. Never I have heard an Android user asking about more details on iMovie or what's available in the Apple Store. Never have I seen an Android user taking the time to compare, side by side, the devices, the apps... They are just arguing about the price, the fact that music is stuck in iTunes or that there is not slot to add a SD card.
Android is great, but from my point of view, for my needs, iOS is better. Not just iOS... The devices available (iPhone, iPad, Apple TV...) are great. The Apple ecosystem is great, the iTunes Store and the Apple Store are great. The sum of all this makes Apple's solution a better choice for ME!
If you are an Apple user and get stuck in a flame war, just say: I like to buy a device that will be supported for many years. I like the fact that I can upgrade my device on the day Apple releases a new version of iOS. I also like to access the Apple Store and not wonder if the app is crapware. I like good quality apps, made specifically for my device. If this is the price to pay to get quality on all levels, than my money well spent.
Don't get me wrong, I do like Android. There are neat features I would like to see available on iOS. But there are also some features that I am missing on Android. For me, Apple's offer has more benefits than Google's offer. That's it, that's all...
I've used Windows, Ubuntu, OS/2, Palm devices, Blackberry's, OSX, Android and iOS. I know them all as I've used them for work and personal use. I can see the qualities for each and everyone of them. My current favourites: Ubuntu on a PC and iOS on mobile... At the opposite side of the spectrum would you say. There must be a reason. It's my choice.
And with this, let the war begin! :)
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Are you using an illegal copy of Windows?
Why do people will install an illegal copy of Windows on their computer? I'm not talking about the legal aspect as it is wrong to use an unpaid version of any software but about the troubles they get into just to make it work.
As everyone is shouting about privacy issues with social networks, smartphones and the web in general, why would someone take the risk of introducing the biggest Trojan Horse ever known, an illegal copy of Windows.
A downloaded copy may contains more than expected like key loggers, viruses or spywares. SerialKey generators are even worse and they too may get you more than a working copy of Windows. Then you will have to do the "hunt-for-drivers" and hoping that your hardware will be supported as it was with the original copy that came with your PC.
The process of getting a fully functional version of Windows may end up in a privacy nightmare that you really do not want to experience. Let's not forget that once Windows is installed, many users will repeat the process with MS Office, Photoshop and other great softwares that are the reference in their field.
A bit of story time...
At home, we have three laptops that came with Windows originally. Mine is a Samsung RV515 and came pre-installed with Windows 7 Home Edition. There is also an old MSI netbook, pre-installed with Windows XP and a more recent laptop, an Asus, that one of my step-daughter got from her dad. It was pre-installed originally with Windows 7, "upgraded" to Windows 8.
The MSI netbook got into many troubles over the years and was on life support. Actually, we were considering trashing the little devil as it became unstable and deadly slow. We did not know how to reformat the machine as there is no CD/DVD on the device and we just dont remember if we had some way to re-install Windows XP on it.
The Asus laptop was used and originally came pre-installed with Windows 7. My step-daughter's dad had installed Windows 8 on it and the laptop was not handling the latest version of Windows very well. Eventually, she asked if she could have Windows 7 instead. Technically, it was just putting back the original operating system which was already paid for this machine. The issue was that we did not have the original installation disk nor the original serial number... So a friend helped out by providing an OEM copy of Windows 7 but we were stuck on the activation process that would not work. To make a long story short, my step-daughter (an 11 year-old) became tired of Windows constantly asking to activate it.
For the MSI and the Asus, we were stuck in a dead-end and I was not willing to use any software that would crack and activate (probably) Windows. There are too many security risks involved and too many issues that could arise.
You guessed it, I proposed installing Ubuntu 14.04...
My girlfriend was a bit scared of moving into unknown territories with her MSI and my step-daughter did not want to lose her "Plants versus Zombies" game that she had bought for the Asus laptop.
The Samsung laptop
This is my personal laptop. Windows 7 was well supported on it, but I wanted Ubuntu 14.04 for development purpose. Nothing special, move along...
The MSI netbook
It was slow, unstable, freezing all the time. Battery was dead as it could not hold a charge more than 5 minutes. My girlfriend agreed that as a last and final step, I could format the hard disk and install Ubuntu 14.04 on it as "an experiment" before trashing the device.
After the installation process completed, 45 minutes later, the MSI booted up into Ubuntu... It was running smoothly and very well. Then we realized that Ubuntu was reporting that the battery charge was good for more than 1 hour... Strange as we knew that it could not hold the charge for more than 5 minutes...
My girlfriend and I took a tour of Ubuntu where I was showing her how it was working, where Firefox was and so on... She actually liked it as it was simple and easy. She was impressed to discover that her netbook was running so smooth and was actually feeling like a brand new machine.
Surprise, surprise! We also discovered that Ubuntu was not lying. The battery was in fact able to hold the charge for more than an hour.
The Asus laptop
Yesterday, as of writing this post, my step-daughter agreed to try out Ubuntu 14.04 on her laptop. Since Windows was so annoying, Avast wanted to update all the time and nothing was working smoothly, why not give it a try. As I explained to her, she's 11, it's a bit like a Mac but not the same.
She is using her laptop to do her homework from school, playing "Plants versus Zombies" and browsing the web. Nothing fancy, she just wanted her laptop to work. The installation process took overall an hour, including making a small backup of her files on an external drive. Everything was supported "out-of-the-box' including the webcam that never worked in Windows...
We spent the afternoon together discovering her "new' computer. She was simply amazed to find out how easy it was to use. She loved the Ubuntu Software Centre as it is like her iPod App Store. Everything she needed was already installed and functional. She was actually expecting that we had to hunt for hardware drivers, download a few softwares so she could do her homework and that we had to configure many things. In her mind, the laptop should have been ready only on the next day, after many hours of downloading, installing, updating... Nope! It was ready, after only an hour.
As a bonus, we installed PlayOnLinux to try to run her game "Plants versus Zombies". As I explained to her, there was a good chance that it would not work. And... It worked perfectly!
Her comments:
Everyone is happy! I always liked Ubuntu so for me, it's not a surprise. My girlfriend has a "brand new" netbook and she loves it. My step-daughter now has a fully functional laptop as it should have been and she can finally do her stuff.
Struggling with your Windows? Maybe it's time to try something else, maybe it's time for Ubuntu!
Go get it: http://www.ubuntu.com
Wanna see Ubuntu in action? Check out my Youtube channel: http://youtube.com/patrickballeux
As everyone is shouting about privacy issues with social networks, smartphones and the web in general, why would someone take the risk of introducing the biggest Trojan Horse ever known, an illegal copy of Windows.
A downloaded copy may contains more than expected like key loggers, viruses or spywares. SerialKey generators are even worse and they too may get you more than a working copy of Windows. Then you will have to do the "hunt-for-drivers" and hoping that your hardware will be supported as it was with the original copy that came with your PC.
The process of getting a fully functional version of Windows may end up in a privacy nightmare that you really do not want to experience. Let's not forget that once Windows is installed, many users will repeat the process with MS Office, Photoshop and other great softwares that are the reference in their field.
A bit of story time...
At home, we have three laptops that came with Windows originally. Mine is a Samsung RV515 and came pre-installed with Windows 7 Home Edition. There is also an old MSI netbook, pre-installed with Windows XP and a more recent laptop, an Asus, that one of my step-daughter got from her dad. It was pre-installed originally with Windows 7, "upgraded" to Windows 8.
The MSI netbook got into many troubles over the years and was on life support. Actually, we were considering trashing the little devil as it became unstable and deadly slow. We did not know how to reformat the machine as there is no CD/DVD on the device and we just dont remember if we had some way to re-install Windows XP on it.
For the MSI and the Asus, we were stuck in a dead-end and I was not willing to use any software that would crack and activate (probably) Windows. There are too many security risks involved and too many issues that could arise.
You guessed it, I proposed installing Ubuntu 14.04...
My girlfriend was a bit scared of moving into unknown territories with her MSI and my step-daughter did not want to lose her "Plants versus Zombies" game that she had bought for the Asus laptop.
The Samsung laptop
This is my personal laptop. Windows 7 was well supported on it, but I wanted Ubuntu 14.04 for development purpose. Nothing special, move along...
The MSI netbook
It was slow, unstable, freezing all the time. Battery was dead as it could not hold a charge more than 5 minutes. My girlfriend agreed that as a last and final step, I could format the hard disk and install Ubuntu 14.04 on it as "an experiment" before trashing the device.
After the installation process completed, 45 minutes later, the MSI booted up into Ubuntu... It was running smoothly and very well. Then we realized that Ubuntu was reporting that the battery charge was good for more than 1 hour... Strange as we knew that it could not hold the charge for more than 5 minutes...
My girlfriend and I took a tour of Ubuntu where I was showing her how it was working, where Firefox was and so on... She actually liked it as it was simple and easy. She was impressed to discover that her netbook was running so smooth and was actually feeling like a brand new machine.
Surprise, surprise! We also discovered that Ubuntu was not lying. The battery was in fact able to hold the charge for more than an hour.
The Asus laptop
Yesterday, as of writing this post, my step-daughter agreed to try out Ubuntu 14.04 on her laptop. Since Windows was so annoying, Avast wanted to update all the time and nothing was working smoothly, why not give it a try. As I explained to her, she's 11, it's a bit like a Mac but not the same.
She is using her laptop to do her homework from school, playing "Plants versus Zombies" and browsing the web. Nothing fancy, she just wanted her laptop to work. The installation process took overall an hour, including making a small backup of her files on an external drive. Everything was supported "out-of-the-box' including the webcam that never worked in Windows...
We spent the afternoon together discovering her "new' computer. She was simply amazed to find out how easy it was to use. She loved the Ubuntu Software Centre as it is like her iPod App Store. Everything she needed was already installed and functional. She was actually expecting that we had to hunt for hardware drivers, download a few softwares so she could do her homework and that we had to configure many things. In her mind, the laptop should have been ready only on the next day, after many hours of downloading, installing, updating... Nope! It was ready, after only an hour.
As a bonus, we installed PlayOnLinux to try to run her game "Plants versus Zombies". As I explained to her, there was a good chance that it would not work. And... It worked perfectly!
Her comments:
- Ubuntu is looks great
- It's so fast and smooth
- It's like a Mac, but free
- The "AppStore" is great, there are a lot of free games
- Everything is updated, all apps, all games... Like her iPod
- There is so much to discover... It's so cool!
In the end...
Everyone is happy! I always liked Ubuntu so for me, it's not a surprise. My girlfriend has a "brand new" netbook and she loves it. My step-daughter now has a fully functional laptop as it should have been and she can finally do her stuff.
Struggling with your Windows? Maybe it's time to try something else, maybe it's time for Ubuntu!
Go get it: http://www.ubuntu.com
Wanna see Ubuntu in action? Check out my Youtube channel: http://youtube.com/patrickballeux
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