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Kindle Cloud Reader on Ubuntu

May 16, 2012 By Ulysses Leave a Comment

Amazon has Kindle eBooks for both Windows and the Mac OS. With Kindle eBooks, users are able to access purchased books for the Kindle to be read from a Windows or Mac OS computer without a need for a Kindle device.

What about Linux users? Don’t fret. Although there is no Kindle eBooks application for Linux, users can still go directly to the Kindle Cloud Reader to access their books. Just hop to https://read.amazon.com, and login with your Amazon Kindle credentials.

You can now access and read your books directly from any of the popular browsers. It’s that simple. Kindle Cloud Reader even gives you the option to download the file to your computer for offline reading.

Kindle Cloud Reader works in any platform, not just Linux. It works in Windows, Mac and just about any flavor of Linux. Kindle Cloud Reader really is an incredible tool because you have access to your Kindle books anywhere.

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Category: General, Linux Tags: amazon, kindle, Linux

Google Chrome 19

May 15, 2012 By Ulysses Leave a Comment

Google Chrome 19 is now out. The latest release give users the ability to synch their open tabs across all devices. Whether they are on their desktops, laptops or Android devices, they can now share theiropen tabs across different platforms.

The only requirement is, you have to be logged in to Google Chrome to synch your open tabs. You can download Google Chrome 19 directly from Google Chrome’s website or update to Google Chrome 19 via the Tools menu within the Google Chrome browser.

Category: General, Tech Tags: chrome, google

Gimp 2.8

May 15, 2012 By Ulysses Leave a Comment

Who needs Photoshop if you can have Gimp for free. Let’s face it. Not all of us are graphic designers. Photoshop is this all and powerful graphic editing software. But, it’s also comes at a cost. It’s very expensive.

A typical user might need a quick and dirty graphic editor to fix a photo or maybe touch up a graphic. Maybe add some text, watermark, some drop shadows or change orientation of a photo. Gimp might be for you.

Why purchase Photoshop CS6 for $650 if you can get Gimp for nothing. Gratis. Well, at least give it a try. I’ve been using it for years. It’s great. I don’t need Photoshop.

In addition, Gimp 2.8 is available in all flavors of Linux, Windows, and Mac OS. Anyways, give it a try. Download.

Category: Tech Tags: 2.8, gimp, photoshop

How Google Uses Ubuntu

May 14, 2012 By Ulysses Leave a Comment

I have been an Ubuntu evangelist for many years. I’ve been writing about Linux, and mostly about Ubuntu. The article written by Ubuntu Vibes is a confirmation that I’m not crazy after all.

One of the biggest technology companies in the world, Google, is in fact using Ubuntu. Ubuntu Vibes covered a recent Ubuntu Development Summit and had this to say about Google’s developer Thomas Bushnell.

“He starts by saying ‘Precise Rocks’ and that many Google employees use Ubuntu including managers, software engineers, translators, people who wrote original Unix, people who have no clue about Unix etc. Many developers working on Chrome and Android use Ubuntu and his cook in Google office uses Kubuntu.”

In addition, Google has a custom version of Ubuntu called Goobuntu which is based on the Ubuntu LTS or Long Term Support. You can read more about what Google is doing with Linux at Ubuntu Vibes.

Category: Linux Tags: google, ubuntu

Install Latest Gimp On Ubuntu

May 7, 2012 By Ulysses 1 Comment

Chances are, you already have Gimp installed on your Ubuntu Desktop. That’s great. Gimp is an awesome program. The real question is, do you have the current Gimp release? Currently it’s Gimp 2.8. I just did a quick check. I happen to have Gimp version 2.6. I’m two versions behind on Gimp. To get the latest Gimp release, just follow the following instructions.

Update To The Latest Gimp

We will use the PPA route to get the latest Gimp version 2.8. This will only work with Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot and the latest Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin. Older Ubuntu versions are not supported in this repository. Enter the following commands in the Terminal to add the Gimp PPA repository to our sources list. We can then update and install the latest Gimp version.

$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:otto-kesselgulasch/gimp
$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install gimp

In the future, all you have to do is run update to get the latest Gimp release. There will be no need to re-install Gimp if you already have it.

$ sudo apt-get update

Category: General, Linux Tags: gimp

Google Drive 5GB For Free

April 16, 2012 By Ulysses

Based on rumors, it looks like Google will release a new service called Google Drive in a couple of weeks. Google Drive will compete with Dropbox, iCloud, Box and host of other online storage and collaboration services.

The word on the street is, Google Drive users will receive 5GB for free, a much higher value than previously anticipated. Potentially, Google can sweeten the deal by making the integration of its other services a key selling point.

Integration with GMail and Google Docs can take Google Drive over the top above other competitors. I would pay to see Google Docs having the ability to save files on Google Drive. If Google were to allow such a thing, it would be an instant hit.

What a combo that will be.

Category: General Tags: box, docs, drive, dropbox, google, icloud, online, storage

Getting Ready For Ubuntu 12.04 LTS

April 16, 2012 By Ulysses

Ubuntu 12.04 LTS (Precise Pangolin) is just around the corner. I’ts time for an OS upgrade. I’ve been playing around with Ubuntu 12.04 Release Candidate the last few weeks. By the way, my desktop still runs on Ubuntu 10.04. I am considering upgrading my desktop to the next LTS or Long Term Support release.

This article will guide you how to prepare for Ubuntu 12.04 when it comes out in a few weeks. I will also show what to consider, what to do, what to backup, what to carry over, and what programs that you can possibly leave behind.

To Upgrade Or Not Upgade

First of all, should you upgrade or not? That is question. I thought about staying with Ubuntu 10.04 LTS as long as possible. Technically, Ubuntu 10.04 LTS is still supported until spring of 2013, but just like everything else, all good things must come to an end.

One of the things about staying with an older distribution is, you don’t get to play around with the latest and greatest. Upgrading to the Ubuntu 12.04 is an option along with many others. Ubuntu has taken such a beating the last year. In some ways, it was well deserved. Users abandoned Ubuntu by droves because they believed the changes were just too much.

A large part of the blame went to Gnome 3 and Unity. Nevertheless, staying with one distro your entire lifetime is not possible. It’s just like having a car, you will have to get a new car eventually. So, why not upgrade with a Ubuntu 12.04 LTS version. It’s a perfect time to do it.

Upgrade or Fresh Install

The next question is, should you upgrade or do a fresh install. There’s nothing like a newly fresh installed OS. Whether its Windows, Mac, or Linux, a fresh install usually breathes new life to the OS. The downside is, a fresh install usually requires a massive update. Updates usually takes an hour or so. It may require multiple reboots as well.

Upgrading an OS may break certain software that you are currently running. The transition is not always as smooth as can be. There might be some legacy software or drivers that may no longer work with the new OS. Face it, upgrades are not as clean as a fresh install. I usually prefer a fresh over an upgrade.

Backup

One of the first things you need to do before you begin the upgrade process is to make sure you have backed up all your documents in your Home folder. I like to use use an external USB to backup all my documents, for a couple of reasons, (1) they are easy to mount and unmount, (2) it’s easy to perform backup and restore. It doesn’t get any easier than dragging and dropping files and folders.

If you are running some kind of version control software such as Subversion or Git, it’s probably a wise idea to submit your commits before the upgrade. If your repository is located locally in your system, you should back it up, and consider storing your repository in a separate location other than your desktop, since you are going to be upgrading constantly.

If you are running Virtualbox, you will need to backup your Virtualbox Virtual Machines folder as well. The Virtual Machines are quite large, averaging 10GB or so, depending how you set up your virtual machines. You can easily restore VMs in your new fresh distro as long as you performed the proper backup process.

If you use bookmarks, back them up as well.

A List of Applications

Just like any other OS, whether its Windows, Mac or Linux, we all have our favorite list of applications we can’t live without. List all the software that you need to install on the new distro. Some of the software on your list, may already be in the distro that you will be migrating into, so you can cross them off the list.

Here’s my list:

Gimp, Dropbox, Filezilla, Audacity, Update to latest Firefox, Google Chrome, Virtualbox, Bluefish, Ubuntu-restricted-extas, Subversion, Update the video driver, Xorg RandRRotation, Import Bookmarks, Handbrake, Ubuntu Tweak, Printer and Scanner software, MDB Viewer, Aptana, Cheese Webcam, OpenShot Video Editor, VLC, WinFF, FFMPEG, Mixxx, Openshot Video Editor, and Pitivi Video Editor.

Expectations

Don’t expect everything to work just like before. Gnome 3 and Unity are quite stable, but they are remarkable different than Ubuntu 10.04. If you have been using Unity or Gnome 3 for a while, your transition will be a lot more smoother than mine.

Anyways, these are just several tips to consider when upgrading to Ubuntu 12.04 LTS. If you have other ideas you like to share, please share them below.

Category: Linux Tags: lts, precise pangolin, ubuntu 12.04

Windows Phone In A Horse Race

April 11, 2012 By Ulysses

Have you ever watched a horse race with two horses running neck to neck while a third horse lags far behind? Yea, that third horse is Windows Phone, trailing behind the iPhone and the Android by a wide margin.

It’s hard enough to play second fiddle. How much more a third wheel. I think the sooner the better it is for Microsoft to realize that this gap is too wide to make up to make this a competitive race.

Dropping out of the race might be a smarter option for Microsoft, but then again smart choices and Microsoft sometimes don’t belong in the same sentence. Microsoft has made many flopped ventures. Who hasn’t!

Clearly this is a two-horse race, and it’s not changing anytime soon.

Category: General, Tech Tags: android, iphone, microsoft, smart phones, windows phone

What To Do With Your Old PC

April 10, 2012 By Ulysses

There are many reasons why people upgrade their computers. It’s usually because the old hardware no longer works. Maybe it was simply too slow, or it doesn’t support any of the newer technologies. Whatever the case may be, people will usually end up with some old hardware that destined for donation or the scraps.

Run Linux

Before you part ways with your old hardware, you should really consider holding on to it a little while longer. I recommend that you install Linux on it. Why? Why not. Linux is fun operating system that has been around for almost 20 years. It’s powerful, educational, and most of all, it can breathe new life into that old crusty hardware.

Which Distro?

Linux comes in many flavors, which are called distributions, or distros for short. Which Linux distro is good for you? Well, it’s up to you. There are many, many to choose from. There are currently over 420 Linux distributions according to GNU/Linux Timeline. Most distros are active, with a few that are no longer supported.

Stick With The Popular

Debian, Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Redhat, Fedora, CentOS, and Slackware are just a few of the more popular distros. I recommend that you start with these distros. They are popular, well supported, and have thousand of users willing to help. Get familiar with the respected support forums in case you have an issue or two.

Try Before You Install

Most popular Linux distros will give you the option to try before installing it. I suggest that download the ISO images from directly from the distro websites. You will be asked to create a Live CD or DVD from the images, where you can boot from and run Linux. If you don’t like it, move on to the next one, until you find a distro you are comfortable with.

If you found one you really like, install it. Frequent the support forums for tips, solutions, suggestions, etc. Update your distros to keep up with the latest security patches and developments. Most of all, enjoy Linux.

Category: Linux Tags: distro, hardware

Validate IP Addresses in PHP

April 9, 2012 By Ulysses

Let’s say you were given a task to validate an IP address in a custom script. One approach is to use regular expressions and use pattern matching to see if user input is correct or not. In this example, we will use a regular expression below to validate IP addresses.

We assume user input is done via a form. First things first, we need to sanitize the input. Once sanitized, we can then test the input against the regular expression using a PHP function called the ereg().

// the regular expression for valid ip addresses
$reg_ex = '/^((?:(?:25[0-5]|2[0-4][0-9]|[01]?[0-9][0-9]?)\.){3}(?:25[0-5]|2[0-4][0-9]|[01]?[0-9][0-9]?))*$/';
// sanitize input from form
$ip_address = addslashes(htmlspecialchars(strip_tags(trim($_POST['ip_address']))));
// test input against the regular expression
if (ereg($reg_ex, $ip_address)) { 
   // ip address is valid
} else {
   // ip address is not valid
}

The result is, we now have a facility to check the validity of IP addresses. We can now perform additional steps when the IP address is valid, or display errors if the IP address is invalid.

Category: HTML, PHP Tags: IP address, regular expression

Ulyssesonline

Kindle Cloud Reader on Ubuntu

Google Chrome 19

Gimp 2.8

How Google Uses Ubuntu

Install Latest Gimp On Ubuntu

Update To The Latest Gimp

Google Drive 5GB For Free

Getting Ready For Ubuntu 12.04 LTS

To Upgrade Or Not Upgade

Upgrade or Fresh Install

Backup

A List of Applications

Expectations

Windows Phone In A Horse Race

What To Do With Your Old PC

Run Linux

Which Distro?

Stick With The Popular

Try Before You Install

Validate IP Addresses in PHP

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Update To The Latest Gimp

To Upgrade Or Not Upgade

Upgrade or Fresh Install

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Run Linux

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Try Before You Install

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