The Thoughts Bubble

Switching to Fedora

2012-02-11T20:05:00.001-05:00

I have been using Ubuntu or some derivative of it since 2004. Today I finally made the decision to switch to Fedora after a lot of contemplation. I think watching the video from Karen Sandler really inspired me to give Gnome 3 a solid chance. I don't think it is possible to do so under Ubuntu since they do not have the latest version. Also I wanted to use a distribution that did not treat Gnome like a second class citizen. Out of the various distributions that have adopted Gnome 3, I feel that Fedora 16 has embraced it completely.

So far I have been very impressed with Gnome 3. I used it briefly when it first came out but I think that since it was such a huge shock to see how completely revolutionized Gnome 3 was compared to Gnome 2 that I didn't really give it a fair chance.

I have been so used to the APT package management system that I was quite reluctant to switch to YUM, but so far it does not seem to have a very steep learning curve, and after doing a quick review of the basic commands, I feel like I have a solid grasp.

Ubuntu has a great software center that really makes it very simple to find and install new Applications. This is probably one of the best features for users who are new to Linux, or are not interested in learning how a package manager works and simply want to use applications. Fedora's software center is very similar to the old Synaptic package manager. I do not think that it is very newbie friendly and I found it easier to install applications from the command line.

Gnome 3 looks just like OS X Lion's mission control. In fact, if apple moved the dock from the bottom to the left, and made the icons slightly more bubbly then you would not be able to tell the difference. I don't know who copied who, and quite frankly it does not matter. After using the new interface for a couple of hours, I am actually beginning to like it. I am notorious for having a couple dozen windows open at a time and I actually enjoy being able to move my mouse to the top left part of the screen and see every single window that I have open. You can move windows around and create new desktops from the activities window. The search bar is also very responsive and allows you to find applications, files, and even search the internet similar to Spotlight on OS X.

If you have been using menus for a long time, opening programs can take some time getting used to. I found that I only use a handful of programs all the time, so I simply placed those in my favorites and do not think that navigating through the applications screen is very cumbersome anymore since I do not do it as much.

All in all, I am very impressed and happy with Gnome 3. I have read so much bashing about it all over the internet but never really gave it a fair chance. Compared to Unity, it has many of the same features so if you do not like Unity you will not like Gnome 3 and vice versa.

The reason why I switched is because I believe that Gnome is the future of the Linux desktop not Unity. No matter what Canonical thinks of itself, it is one company and Ubuntu is one distribution in a sea of others. I think Ubuntu made a mistake when they adopted unity – I think it would have been more productive and beneficial to the entire community if instead they pooled their resources with the gnome folks and created a truly amazing modern desktop environment. Instead Gnome 3 is going in one direction, and Unity is going to stop allowing you to use a mouse. I understand that Canonical probably wants to distance itself from the other distributions and create a recognizable image for Ubuntu. There is nothing wrong with that, but I think that if Ubuntu stuck with Gnome 3 then the future would have been a little bit better for everyone.

Gnome is going through a growing phase right now, but it is on the right track. Within a year or two it will be the most advanced desktop environment on the market, and I believe that it will remain the default desktop environment on a majority of distributions just like Gnome 2 was for years. Gnome 3 is not perfect, but the only way to make it better is to use it. If people spent the same amount of time filing bug reports, doing documentation, and helping out with G3 development as they do bashing it on internet forums, then perhaps a significant portion of the issues would have been fixed by now. Say what you want about Gnome 3, like it or not it is here to stay, and it is the future of the Linux Desktop. I do not foresee any other distributions adopting Unity as their default desktop environment of choice, so I think that it is imperative that those of us who want to see Linux grow and Gnome 3 become better need to use it, advocate for it, and make it better as a community. Gnome 3 has the potential to not only be a beautiful desktop environment, it can also be the rock solid staple of the Linux Desktop that Gnome 2 was for the last decade. Gnome 3 needs your help! Try it out today, and give it a fair chance – I do not think that you will be completely disappointed.

RSS Feed is up for Bump House

2012-02-11T19:29:00.001-05:00

I finally sat down, brushed off my humble XML skills and wrote an RSS feed for the Bump House Podcast. Now you can subscribe to the RSS and stay up to date on all of the podcasts that come out. I am still working on submitting it through itunes, but you should be able to subscribe through your favorite RSS reader, or music management application and get all the episodes when they come out.

Check out the main page to subscribe, or you can click here.

If you are making a podcast for the first time and making your own RSS feed I want to share a couple of tips for making the process smoother.

1. When you are declaring the size of the music or video file you need to do it in bytes. This site lets you enter the amount of MB that the file is and it will tell you how many bytes there are. Do not enter any decimal places! Ignore the trailing decimal and the file size will be correct on the RSS feed.

2. When you are finished making your RSS feed go to Feed Validator to ensure that you do not have any glaring errors in your code. This is a good practice, and essential if you are going to be submitting it to itunes.

3. If you want an easy template, feel free to use my source. It is pretty straightforward, let me know if you have any questions about it.

The main thing I love about computers is when you make something and it works. I know that making a simple XML RSS feed is not the most complicated thing in the world, but it gives me a small amount of satisfaction to know that those files in the picture are being downloaded in Rhythmbox because of something I did. :)

The Software in Your Medical Devices

2012-02-11T14:25:00.000-05:00

This is one of the most fascinating and thought provoking keynotes that I have ever seen. Karen Sandler, the executive director of the GNOME foundation discusses the implication of proprietary software in our medical devices. She tells a personal story about her own experience with a defibrillator.

She also wrote a paper about this called Killed By Code . This is a really interesting topic to me since I am a free software advocate and planning on becoming a physician in the future. Really opens my eyes to a concept that I have never really thought of before.

Excellent Talk on UEFI and what it means for Linux users.

2012-02-11T13:59:00.002-05:00

Matthew Garret, a Red Hat Kernel developer, gives an excellent talk about UEFI secure booting and what it means for the future of Linux.

The Raspberry Pi in Action

2012-02-11T13:37:00.001-05:00

There has been a lot of buzz about the exciting new device which is coming this year. The Raspberry Pi is a $25 computer that is going to revolutionize the way that schools have to think about computing. In the past computer labs were filled with clunky desktops with overpriced windows licenses and students accepted this as the norm. Or, like in my school the labs were filled with "old world" macs running OS 8 in 2004.

All that is about to change. Other then the fact that many school IT departments are filled with over zealous, close minded IT "professionals" who have bought into the windows dream and are never letting go, those few who believe in a better way will be able to fill their computer labs with these wonderful new devices and allow students to have freedom in their computing.

For the price of one dell desktop (roughly $300) you can purchase 12 raspberry Pi's. For the price of one iMac ($1200) you can purchase 48 raspberry pi's. You get the idea. Schools will have absolutely no excuse , in our budget conscious society it seems that Linux is no longer the alternative, its imperative.

One computer science teacher is going to be deploying these machines when they finally hit the market, and he is going to document his journey on the Raspberry Pi blog. I am looking forward to reading his story, and I hope that if it is successful then it will inspire other school IT departments to give this new idea a shot, they will save money, be released from the shackles of proprietary software, and allow the students to have complete control and ability to innovate, explore, and learn.

Bump House Episode 2 - Happy Valentines Day

2012-02-11T00:49:00.000-05:00

Just in time for Valentines day, I am pleased to announce the release of Bump House Episode 2. This podcast features all of the best cheesy love song house music out there. Hopefully this will get you in the mood to spend this special day with the one you love. And if you are unable to spend it with that special person, hopefully this will bring your spirits up until you see them again. This one goes out to my sweet pea. <3 Lev

Disconnected

2012-02-10T20:15:00.000-05:00

I love documentaries, and ever since snagfilms came out I have been spending what little free time I have quietly watching documentaries on all sorts of topics. The latest one that I would like to share is called Disconnected.

Three students from Carleton College stop using their computers for several weeks. This film really showcases how dependent we are on computers in our every day lives, specifically when it comes to our education. I got an entire degree online, and even now that I am taking courses at a brick and mortar university I still do more work online then I do in class.

I could not imagine being without my computer. Could you do it?

You know you want to click it.

2012-02-06T19:44:00.000-05:00

Since The Thoughts Bubble is all about freedom and choice, I have added a like and a dislike button to the bottom of each post. I do not expect everyone, or anyone for that matter, to actually care about what I have to say. But now you have the opportunity to tell me to STFU and go back to studying by clicking on the dislike button.

Go ahead, you are finally free to do what facebook has not allowed you to do for years. Click it.

Microsoft Kills the Start Button

2012-02-06T18:10:00.002-05:00


The Iconic Start Button is on the Chopping Block

I read this great article that talks about the upcoming windows 8 metro. I am laughing to myself because a few days ago I wrote a post about Ubuntu's New HUD and how Microsoft and Apple would more than likely do something similar in the future. It is ironic that they seem to take the features that Linux users hate the most, and incorporate them into mainstream software where they become instant hits and the next best thing in computing.

Unity has not had a "start button" since last year - they pretty much invented the annoying notion of flicking your mouse to the far left corner of the screen before you could actually do anything. It will be interesting to see if there will be the same type of outrage over the removal of the beloved start button as there was about the removal of the gnome panel.

4 Day Sale, Online Only from Sprint

2012-02-06T18:01:00.001-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sprint for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Sprint is holding an online sale for a limited time. You can get the Nexus S™ 4G for free when you open a new line of service or add a line to your current account. Or you can get the HTC EVO™ 3D for only $49.99 when you open a new line of service or add a line to your current account. In addition they are going to waive the activation fee for new lines and offer free shipping when you order from sprint.com.

The Nexus S 4G comes with the latest version of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The latest version offers a brand new look and feel to the android operating system. In addition to the updated user interface, Android 4.0 has a variety of new features including:

Improved Multitasking
Home screen folders and a favorites tray, so you can get access to your favorite apps quicker.
New Lock Screen Actions
Realizable Widgets
Improved Text input interface and spell checking
Powerful voice input engine
And many more features!

The HTC EVO 3D is also a great phone that comes with Android 2.3 and is a rock solid smart phone with proven reliability from HTC.

Sprint offers a variety of data plans to meet any budget, and unlike the other big name cell phone companies, will give you truly unlimited data so you can use your new Android smart phone to its fullest capacity. Don't miss out on this excellent opportunity.

New Hampshire will Require Open Source to be Considered.

2012-02-06T13:24:00.004-05:00

A recent bill that has passed in New Hampshire will require open source software to be considered when purchasing new software or upgrading old software by state agencies. Hopefully more state and local governments, and public universities, will adopt similar practices in the future.

Whether or not Open source is "better" than proprietary software is debatable. However, for the most part you are able to accomplish the same tasks regardless of which software you choose to use. I think that this is good for governments because using open source software will save money on licensing fees and most of all promote open standards.

We are at a crossroads in the digital age where we really need to consider the consequences of not adopting open standards for all forms of media. Form videos and photographs, to music and text documents. It is imperative that everyone has access to these documents and files regardless of what type of computer they use. The only way to accomplish that is to promote open standards and encourage proprietary software companies to include computability with open standards in their software as well.

"Microsoft and Apple should be selling software not file extensions. "

A .doc file is no better than a .pages file and is no better than a .odf file. The difference is that you can install OpenOffice on any computer running Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD, Solaris... the list goes on. The file that you have in .odf will work on any one of those computers and look exactly how you left it. The same cannot be said for the other formats and it is a shame. Microsoft and Apple should be selling software not file extensions. Hopefully soon they will realize that closing off their file extensions and software does not benefit anyone, and only creates more problems in the business and education sectors.

I hope to see more State, Local, and even Federal Agencies follow suit.

*Edit 2/6/12 5:30 PM EST - This post has stirred up some very interesting discussions on Reddit/r/Linux check it out, there are some very good viewpoints and ideas.

**Edit 2/6/12 7:47PM EST - Just remembered that New Hampshire's License Plate Slogan is "Live Free or Die" ... How Appropriate.

HIV Vaccine Enters Testing Phase in Humans

2012-02-06T13:13:00.000-05:00

This is really exciting news. There have been a lot of developments recently in HIV/AIDS research and it seems like a "cure" or at least a vaccine is right around the corner. It has been almost 30 years since HIV reared its head around the world, and it is exciting to see that in the 21st Century we are able to swiftly control and combat terrible diseases like this one.

The results from preliminarily testing have been very positive, hopefully within a few years after the clinical trials have been completed this vaccine proves to be successful and we can eradicate HIV around the world.

Social Media Explained

2012-02-04T20:11:00.001-05:00

This is too funny :)

Thanks favorite person. :)

Welcome to Bump House

2012-02-04T18:51:00.001-05:00

If you look at the top of the page you will see there is a link titled "Bump House" next to the home page. In 2007 I decided that I was going to start a podcast. I worked on it on and off for a couple of years, but never really committed to anything.

I am pleased to announce today that the first episode of bump house is available for download now, and will be available on iTunes later on this month. I finally have my own host, and am able to host the large mp3 files on a dedicated server.

Experience Something New
Bump House is a celebration of music. The music that you will hear on this podcast is not top 40, and there is a high probability that you have never heard of it before. That is the whole point. The music that is on the podcast is all licensed under creative commons, the majority of the artists are unsigned, independent, and hoping to get their name out. My goal is to facilitate that process by showcasing some of the best house music available for free in the creative commons. Bump House will be a conduit for expression, an aggregation of high quality music, and a platform where you will be able to experience something new.

I truly hope you enjoy the music.

Rest in Peace G*Love

Bump House is dedicated in the memory of Gerald Diamond Supper. In early 2009 I was talking to Gerald on IM and discussing this podcast with him. He inspired me to keep working at this and create something beautiful. Gerald was full of life, he loved good music, and introduced me to more amazing music than I can think of. A few weeks later I received a phone call that he had a stroke and passed away. Gerald had sickle cell anemia, and unfortunately was taken from us at the very young age of 19. Every single episode of Bump House will be dedicated in his memory. I miss you Gerald, thank you for bringing the joy of music into my life, I hope you like the mix, and if you can hear it - surely you will be dancing.

Francisco Tárrega album on Jamendo

2012-02-03T23:56:00.000-05:00

Francisco Tárrega was a 19th Century guitar player and composer who wrote some absolutely beautiful music. You can listen and download some of the music performed by mauriziooddone for free on Jamendo. I was very lucky to have run into this album. It is the perfect music to study and relax with.

The album has some very moving pieces in it, but also contains some more playful ones such as Fantasia su motivi della. I love Francisco Tarrega's music because it showcases the power of classical music to be able to tell a story without using any words.

Mauriziooddone also has a very unique album of Bach's Cello suites which he plays on his guitar. I own the Yo Yo Ma album in which he plays the same suites, and it is absolutely wonderful. It is very unique to hear the music being played on guitar, but it is still enjoyable. Although hearing it on the Cello is slightly more comfortable.

The Atomium

2012-02-03T23:45:00.000-05:00

We were discussing the various arrangements of the crystal lattice today and after calculating the number of atoms that were inside of a cubic, body-centered, or face-centered lattice, he shared a couple images of the atomium with us. It is absolutely fascinating.

The atomium was built in 1958 for the world's fair to highlight the advances in science thanks to the atomic age. It is a huge replica of the body-centered crystal lattice that you see on the left, and you can even go inside.

If I ever make it to Brussels, this will surely be on my things to see list.

Ubuntu's New Heads Up Display.

2012-02-03T23:34:00.000-05:00

Ever since the release of Unity earlier last year, Ubuntu has been stirring up controversy in the Linux community. When it comes to desktop environments and user interfaces, many computer users have been exposed to the traditional desktop paradigm in which you use a mouse, keyboard, icons, and windows in order to navigate your way around your computer.

No one likes the idea of change, but it seems that the future is upon us and the next level of user interfaces is going to completely change the way that we use computers. Enter the HUD (Heads Up Display), which will be featured in the upcoming Long Term Support release of Ubuntu 12.04. Traditionally the LTS has not been the place to introduce any sort of experimental or new technology, let alone a user interface that completely changes the way that users have been interacting with their computers since the Mac came out.

It seems like the latest trend is to replace the traditional desktop with a tablet-like interface. For instance Unity would run great on a tablet, Windows 8 Metro is designed for a tablet, and Apple's OS X 10.7's Launchpad is strikingly similar to the iPad interface. The HUD requires the use of a keyboard, so perhaps this is the next level of interaction on the desktop environment. A simple tablet like interface with intuitive keyboard shortcuts and controls that in theory will allow you to breeze through your desktop and increase productivity.

Surely there will be outrage and tons of forums filled with nasty comments about how Mark Shuttleworth is ruining linux, blah, blah, blah. The future is upon us. I am almost certain that in a few months or years Apple and Windows will copy this too. Check out the video below to see the HUD in action.

It is debatable weather or not this upgrade is truly an improvement. However, it is undeniable that this is going to change the way that we think about how we are supposed to interact with our computer, and I think that's a good thing. Luckily, there is a fallback mode so users are not going to be forced to use the HUD. But I would not count on that, because like Apple, once Ubuntu makes an "improvement" you either live with it - or find something else.

Sell Your Mobile Phone

2012-02-01T07:59:00.000-05:00

Let’s face it, every six months or so a new phone comes out that you just have to have. But constantly buying a new smart phone and trying to find a way out of your contract can be expensive and not very smart. There is a great site that allows you to sell your mobile phone at the best possible rates. With the latest and greatest phones coming up on the horizon, there is no better time to sell your phone so that you can get the latest technology and get the most bang for your buck by retrieving a portion of your investment by selling your phone online.

There are many places where you can go and sell your phone online but this website allows you to compare the best rates and get the best deal. You shouldn't have to deal with the uncertainty of selling your phone on craigslist, or the outrageous commissions charged by eBay and PayPal. You can get the most from your property by comparing prices and getting the best rate from sell your mobile.

If you are thinking about buying a new phone in the future, then you owe it to yourself to check out this website!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sell Your Mobile for Payperpost. All opinions are 100% mine.

Meet Preston

2012-01-30T15:52:00.000-05:00

My books this semester weigh over 50 pounds, it is pulling a number on my back. Up until a few weeks ago in addition to the books I was also lugging around a 15" Lenovo laptop. I half jokingly wrote an email to my favorite person in the world :) ... and said "Save my back" buy purchasing a macbook air that Apple had at a steep discount.

Well, to my surprise within a week I was acquainted with my second favorite person in the world - Preston the Macbook Air. (We named him preston because it sounds sophisticated, and he is very classy :-) )

For the first time in a long time the advertisements were correct. See the line "everyone should have a notebook this advanced." I agree 100%.

This little macbook air is without a doubt one of the best computer that I have ever owned in my life (and thats saying something because I go through laptops faster than most people get their oil changed).

It is so perfect in every single way. The 11" screen is just the right size for what I am trying to do. Its not unusable like a netbook (10") and not as hefty as the traditional 13" notebooks. Its battery lasts me most of the day at school. The keyboard is responsive and a joy to use. It has a solid state drive, so as soon as I open it up and press any button my entire desktop is ready to roll. No loading, no lagging, no delay. And best of all.. it weighs a handful of pounds and is literally thinner than my spiral notebooks.

I am in love. :)

I am going to start a new series called "reasons why I love my macbook air" I am kind of late, so I am going to list the first three from here and go from there.

1. It is always on and ready to go. When I use it - it almost inspires me to do a better job and focus. It is the first time that I have used a computer the "just works" the way that I want it to. From the layout of the hardware to the responsiveness of the software, everything is simply perfect.

2. It is quiet as a mouse, the fan rarely if ever turns on.

3. I can make graphs for calculus in a fraction of the time it takes me to do it on my TI-83, and they look beautiful.

More to come soon, if you are looking for a great ultrasmall notebook - go ahead and splurge a little and get this instead of a netbook. You will not regret it.

Eben Moglen's talk on the cloud.

2012-01-30T15:39:00.000-05:00

This is a great talk by Eben Moglen about the state of networking, the internet, and the cloud in the 21st century. Its an hour long and has an additional hour of Q&A. If you have a little bit of time to spare I would recommend listening to the whole thing.

Its a very though provoking speech and gives you a whole new perspective on how we use the internet, and how it was meant to be used.

Eben Moglen is the founder of the Software Freedom Law Center, and a professor of Law at Columbia University.

Changing Program Defaults in Mac OS X

2012-01-21T19:10:00.000-05:00

I thought I would share this rather annoying method for changing your program defaults. I love Mac OS X I think its a solid operating system and is a joy to use. However, I am not a huge fan of Safari, Mail, or iCal - So I use Thunderbird + Firefox instead. In order to make sure that when you click a link in Thunderbird or Firefox that you do not mistakingly open it in Safari, you need to do a couple of things to change the program defaults.

All you have to do is open up the mail or safari application and click on preferences.

From there you choose Firefox, or whatever other browser you prefer. You can do the same thing with
Mail.

This is kind of counter-intuitive to me, since I am used to having some sort of utility to make system wide default application changes. This is not too big of an inconvenience, and after you make these simple changes you no longer have to see Safari or Mail jumping up and down in your dock. :)

Walgreens and Express Scripts

2012-01-19T18:00:00.001-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

The Express Scripts program has been a convenient way for patients to get their medication. At the end of 2011 Walgreens Pharmacies which serve a significant portion of patients throughout the country was unable to continue the Express Scripts program. This has become quite an inconvenience for patients and Walgreens pharmacy is working hard at ensuring that patients are not forced to change pharmacists by implementing several programs.

During the contract negotiations, Walgreens did not attempt to increase rates or reimbursement from the Express Scripts program. However, the program was unable to meet contract terms and was unclear on what it considered a generic or a brand name drug. Express Scripts also currently holds contract with Tricare, the insurance that serves our nations military. Walgreens made several attempts to negotiate contracts that allowed patients better access and more choice, but Express Scripts was unable to meet the terms of the contract. The relationship between Walgreens and Express Scripts has deteriorated and this has the potential to have a significant impact on patients.

What does this mean for Patients?

The best way to find out how this affects you is to go and speak with your local Walgreens pharmacist. In the interest of patient safety, and economic factors Walgreens is doing its best to make the transition from express scripts as painless as possible. Many people rely on their medications in order to survive, so it is important to be informed as a patient so that you will not be surprised by new policies that may affect you.

What is Walgreens Doing?

Walgreens is doing everything it can to ease the burden on patients. The Prescription Savings Club at Walgreens is now being offered at a significant discount. During the month of January it will be $5 for individuals and $10 for families. This card saves you money on over 8,000 medications and you are able to get a monthly supply for less than a dollar a week. (Regular membership is $20/individual $35/family).

Express Scripts is a middle man that does not care about patients. They care about the bottom line. Their attempts to get everyone to use their mail order pharmacy service could have a negative impact in your community by destroying the close relationships that many patients have with their pharmacist.

If you are a Walgreens customer make sure to verify your insurance benefits and find out how this will affect you. Walgreens is committed to providing excellent service at a competitive price and is determined not to let the contract with Express Scripts get in the way of their patients or their prices. You can follow Walgreens on Twitter or Like Walgreens on Facebook to stay up to date on all of the latest news.

Special Offers

2012-01-19T00:20:00.000-05:00

I removed Special Offers from my Kindle because I think that it destroyed our relationship. I use my kindle only for entertainment, relaxation. We have a special bond and a special connection. I love my Kindle.

I hated to see it branded. It didn't seam natural and it took all of the joy out of reading. It felt like it was infested with bed bugs and was crying out for help. It was the best $30 I ever spent.

Installing an XP Virtual Machine on Mac OSX Lion

2012-01-18T17:49:00.000-05:00

One of my professors insists upon using the Windows version of Office 2010 for all of our projects. I thought he was full of crap so I decided to risk it and use the Mac version of Office 2011 with the hopes that since its newer and better (mac Fanboy comment)... that everything would be ok. Well I was wrong.

I HATE HATE HATE... how Office for Win and Mac are still incompatible to this day. Its so frustrating and unnecessary. Luckily, I only paid $8 for my version of Office thanks to a wonderful agreement with UC and Microsoft, but still.

So my solution to this problem was to install a virtual machine of Windows XP (since it would be light on resources) and then install Office 2010 inside of there. That way I should no longer have any issues with compatability. However, I wouldn't put it past Microsoft to find some sort of glitch between XP and Vista and 7.

Keep in mind that for most projects you will not see a difference in the two versions and certainly will have better compatability than with iWork. But my particular situation uses obscure formulas in Excel and a blinding format in Word - so everything has to be perfect in oder to carry over.

Although I have installed dozens of VM's over the years - apparently this is the first time I installed windows XP and it was pretty challenging. I have the installation disk, but am required to use a disk image for installation. I tried to make one with a handful of shady looking programs on Windows 7, but it didn't work. Then I tried to do it by putting the CD into my emac upstairs and accessing the CD drive remotely through my macbook Air. Although this was neat - it still didn't work. After about an hour of messing around I finally opened up Apple's disk utility - made an image and boom - problem solved. I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner.

I am not sure how VirtualBox handles .dmg files so make sure to convert it into an .iso -- open up a terminal and type:

hdiutil convert XP.dmg -format UDTO -o XP.iso

The file will be XP.iso.cdr -- change that to JUST .iso by entering the following command:

mv XP.iso.cdr XP.iso

Now that I have a working VM of windows XP - I have to wait for the SP3 update to happen and I can installed Office 2010. Now I have effectively four separate tools to do the same job.. Office 2011 for Mac, Office 2010 for Windows, iWork '09 and good old OpenOffice.org I dream of the day when I can use just ONE office suite.

Science Sims

2012-01-17T23:32:00.002-05:00

University of Colorado has some really neat science simulations that can help you visualize complicated topics in fun and interesting ways.

While most of these seem like games to help kids learn chemistry and physics, they are all based on scientific research and theories and are a great learning tool.