Dr. Bill.TV #278 – Audio – “The Celebration of Random Edition!”

A ZeroPC Cloud Desktop update, MiiPC, GSotW: PDFCreator! Microsoft to force Messenger users to Skype starting April 8th, a near miss of an asteroid inside the Earth/moon system! A second GSotW: 7Zip! Imagine a computer that never crashes! Is it Linux?

Links that pertain to this Netcast:

TechPodcasts Network

Blubrry Network

PDFCreator Web Site

7Zip Web Site


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Imagine a Computer That Never Crashes!

A computer that never crashes and just runs and runs! It’s called “Linux!” No, wait, it is something else… but, just sayin’! This article from New Scientist, explains it!

The computer that never crashes

“A revolutionary new computer based on the apparent chaos of nature can reprogram itself if it finds a fault. Out of chaos, comes order. A computer that mimics the apparent randomness found in nature can instantly recover from crashes by repairing corrupted data.

Dubbed a ‘systemic’ computer, the self-repairing machine now operating at University College London (UCL) could keep mission-critical systems working. For instance, it could allow drones to reprogram themselves to cope with combat damage, or help create more realistic models of the human brain.

Everyday computers are ill suited to modelling natural processes such as how neurons work or how bees swarm. This is because they plod along sequentially, executing one instruction at a time. ‘Nature isn’t like that,’ says UCL computer scientist Peter Bentley. ‘Its processes are distributed, decentralised and probabilistic. And they are fault tolerant, able to heal themselves. A computer should be able to do that.’

Today’s computers work steadily through a list of instructions: one is fetched from the memory and executed, then the result of the computation is stashed in memory. That is then repeated – all under the control of a sequential timer called a program counter. While the method is great for number-crunching, it doesn’t lend itself to simultaneous operations. ‘Even when it feels like your computer is running all your software at the same time, it is just pretending to do that, flicking its attention very quickly between each program,’ Bentley says.

He and UCL’s Christos Sakellariou have created a computer in which data is married up with instructions on what to do with it. For example, it links the temperature outside with what to do if it’s too hot. It then divides the results up into pools of digital entities called ‘systems’.

Each system has a memory containing context-sensitive data that means it can only interact with other, similar systems. Rather than using a program counter, the systems are executed at times chosen by a pseudorandom number generator, designed to mimic nature’s randomness. The systems carry out their instructions simultaneously, with no one system taking precedence over the others, says Bentley. ‘The pool of systems interact in parallel, and randomly, and the result of a computation simply emerges from those interactions,’ he says.

It doesn’t sound like it should work, but it does. Bentley will tell a conference on evolvable systems in Singapore in April that it works much faster than expected.

Crucially, the systemic computer contains multiple copies of its instructions distributed across its many systems, so if one system becomes corrupted the computer can access another clean copy to repair its own code. And unlike conventional operating systems that crash when they can’t access a bit of memory, the systemic computer carries on regardless because each individual system carries its own memory.

The pair are now working on teaching the computer to rewrite its own code in response to changes in its environment, through machine learning.

‘It’s interesting work,’ says Steve Furber at the University of Manchester, UK, who is developing a billion-neuron, brain-like computer called Spinnaker (see ‘Build yourself a brain’). Indeed, he could even help out the UCL team. ‘Spinnaker would be a good programmable platform for modelling much larger-scale systemic computing systems,’ he says.”

Geek Software of the Week: 7Zip!

7ZipYes, I have TWO GSotW’s this week! I have replaced IZarc, my former favorite unZip utility, with 7Zip! IZarc has too much crapware in it these days, it is harder and harder to install it with avoiding the junk! And, 7Zip is Open Source, has no crapware bundled, and works great!

“LZMA compression algorithm is very suitable for embedded applications. LZMA is released under the terms of the GNU LGPL. LZMA is also available under a proprietary license for those who can not use the GNU LGPL in their code.

7-Zip also supports encryption with AES-256 algorithm. This algorithm uses a cipher key with a length of 256 bits. To create that key, 7-Zip uses derivation function based on SHA-256 hash algorithm. A key derivation function produces a derived key from text password defined by user. For increasing the cost of exhaustive search for passwords 7-Zip uses big number of iterations to produce cipher key from text password.

7Zip Web Site

The main features of 7-Zip

  • High compression ratio in 7z format with LZMA and LZMA2 compression
  • Supported formats:
    • Packing / unpacking: 7z, XZ, BZIP2, GZIP, TAR, ZIP and WIM
    • Unpacking only: ARJ, CAB, CHM, CPIO, CramFS, DEB, DMG, FAT, HFS, ISO, LZH, LZMA, MBR, MSI, NSIS, NTFS, RAR, RPM, SquashFS, UDF, VHD, WIM, XAR and Z.
  • For ZIP and GZIP formats, 7-Zip provides a compression ratio that is 2-10 % better than the ratio provided by PKZip and WinZip
  • Strong AES-256 encryption in 7z and ZIP formats
  • Self-extracting capability for 7z format
  • Integration with Windows Shell
  • Powerful File Manager
  • Powerful command line version
  • Plugin for FAR Manager
  • Localizations for 79 languages

7-Zip works in Windows 7 / Vista / XP / 2008 / 2003 / 2000 / NT / ME / 98. There is a port of the command line version to Linux/Unix.

Can I use 7-Zip in a commercial organization?

7-Zip is free software. You can use it on any computer. You don’t need to register or pay for 7-Zip.

How can I set file associations to 7-Zip in Windows 7 and Windows Vista?

You must run 7-Zip File Manager in administrator mode. Right-click the icon of 7-Zip File Manager, and then click ‘Run as administrator.’ Then you can change file associations and some other options.”

Microsoft Forces Customers to Move to Skype

The Evil Empire speaks… it is done!

Microsoft is forcing Messenger users over to Skype starting April 8th

“Microsoft is planning to force existing Windows Live Messengers users to upgrade to Skype from April 8th. In an effort to phase out its Messenger service, Windows Live Messenger clients will be restricted from signing into the service gradually starting in early April. Microsoft will be migrating users depending on their language, starting with English first and ending with Portuguese no sooner than April 30th.

Contrary to Microsoft’s confusing email to some Windows Live Messenger users, and other reports, Windows Live Messenger will not cease functioning on March 15th for everyone. Microsoft has been testing its migration plans with a test cell, so a very small number will move over on March 15th, but 99 percent of users will start shifting across from April 8th onwards. “The upgrade process itself has been going really well, we’ve had millions of customers move over,” says Skype’s Parri Munsell.

Existing Windows Live Messenger users will be greeted with an upgrade notification from April 8th onwards that will prevent them from signing into the service. Microsoft is pre-caching the Skype installer to existing machines to allow users to simply accept the notification and switch over to Skype, while the installer removes Windows Live Messenger.

Munsell says Microsoft is upgrading other apps that access the Messenger service on a case-by-case basis, including mobile apps. ‘On products like Xbox, we’ll make announcements at a later date when we have dates to actually announce to customers.’ The software maker has also notified third parties about its plans to retire the entire Messenger service. ‘They do have end of life dates that we’ve given them privately,’ says Munsell. The dates vary by third-party, but official documentation suggests that existing clients using the XMPP protocol will end in October, while MSP clients will cease functioning in March 2014.

We reached out to several popular third-party Messenger apps, but developers seem to be confused over Microsoft’s retirement. Trillian’s Scott Werndorfer says ‘we’re not sure how the shutdown will occur or what additional steps Microsoft has planned.’ Adium, a popular client for Mac, says communications have been ‘pretty fuzzy’ and that it hasn’t heard anything directly regarding an official date. Microsoft says only official licensees of Messenger will get specific end dates.

Microsoft’s own Windows 8 and Windows Phone clients will continue to function, and the company says April 8th is strictly focused on phasing out the Windows Live Messenger desktop client. The switch over to Skype does present a few issues for Windows 8 and Windows Phone users though. Windows 8 uses a Messenger Windows Store client that triggers notifications for Messenger messages. If you install a Skype client then you’ll run into an issue with dual notifications. Munsell admits this is a possibility, but that “the customer just needs to configure those clients so that they’re doing pop-up notifications on the one that they want to reply on.”

It’s not an ideal situation, and if you have linked Facebook contacts to your Skype account then you could end up with three contact entries for the same person: Messenger, Skype, and Facebook. The company doesn’t have any immediate plans to link these in the client, so it raises questions over an upgrade that also removes functionality for Windows Live Messenger users. Skype does not currently support mail notifications, Messenger status updates, and the ability to add additional Messenger contacts. Microsoft is helping users transition with a set of online tutorials.

Still, Microsoft is pushing ahead and this marks the first major change to the Skype and Microsoft relationship since the $8.5 billion acquisition. If this first sign of integration helps move Microsoft towards Skype in every product to compete against services like WhatsApp, iMessage, Google Talk, and others then it will benefit all who rely on Microsoft’s ecosystem of software and services in the long run.”

Geek Software of the Week: PDFCreator!

PDFCreatorThis is actually one of TWO GSotW to make up for last week! Check it out!

PDFCreator Web Site

Easy to use! Create professional PDFs with a few clicks!

PDFCreator is free. Now and forever. At home and in the office.

Security and Control using encryption, digital signatures, etc.

  • Disallow printing and modifications on your documents
  • Protect your documents with a password
  • Encrypt your files with AES and up to 128 Bit
  • Digitally sign your documents to verify you as author and protect the file against modifications

Professional Features:

Merge Documents, send emails, and much more!

Key Features:

  • Create PDF files from virtually any document
  • Use different profiles to quickly switch your settings
  • Control the size and quality of the resulting file

Professional Features:

  • Server mode provides a network PDF Server for your users
  • Use the COM object to control PDFCreator from your application
  • With auto save, you can create PDFs without user action

ZeroPC Update!

ZeroPC

I got this email today from the ZeroPC Team. Looks like some good stuff!

“When we look back on the fantastic journey ZeroPC has embarked upon last year, we’re very pleased that we have added and improved so many features for ZeroPC Desktop and ZeroPC Cloud Navigator. We are also very grateful for our supportive user community that provides constant feedback to help us improve our services.

Today we’d like to introduce another set of new features to help you stay even more productive in the ZeroPC cloud workspace:

1. ZeroPC Cloud Desktop Workspace (www.zeropc.com)

* Web Editor: We have included a new HTML text editor that brings common word processor features directly to your ZeroPC. You can create beautiful documents with many styles and insert images from any connected cloud services in ZeroPC. Save it as DOC, PDF, TXT, ODT, MHT or create your beautiful personal blog or web pages directly from our Web Editor.

* Quick Share with Commenting features: You can easily share folders, files and photo albums with the ZeroPC Quick Share feature. Now you have the ability to enable the new commenting feature so your colleagues can comment on the work project files that you shared and your friends & families can post comments to your vacation photo albums. You can also track how many times your Quick Share has been viewed. Collaborate and engage your audience with your Quick Share content. Click here:
(https://c1.zeropc.com/os/qshare/d/cb09f53fa3764232b7cce5c1ddb30179/5656f4ab) to view a sample ZeroPC Quick Share.

* File/Folder shortcuts from any cloud service: Navigating to cloud content from different services can often require many steps and clicks. Now you can easily create a ZeroPC desktop shortcut so it is only one click away. Create a shortcut to your frequently accessed Dropbox folder, a shortcut to your Picasa album, or a shortcut to a file which you have been frequently accessing.

2. ZeroPC Mobile Workspace (ZeroPC Cloud Navigator)

ZeroPC Content Navigator mobile app just got a lot more powerful with many additional features. We have included several new File I/O features so you can manipulate your cloud content on the go.

* Universal cloud uploader – upload local documents, photos, videos or music files to any connected cloud service (e.g. Dropbox, Flickr, Picasa, Google Drive, SkyDrive, Sugarsync, Box, etc.) directly from the mobile app.

* Easy content upload from 3rd party apps – use “Open With” in iOS or “Share via” menu in Android to upload content from 3rd party apps directly to your connected cloud services in ZeroPC.

* Cloud Copy/Rename/Delete – copy your files from Dropbox to Google Drive, photos from Facebook to SkyDrive; manage all of your files on-the-go.

* Download Folder – aggregate all of your cloud download in one convenient place

3. ZeroPC Lab Update

* MiiPC (Coming soon!) – Our designers & developers are working on a new project called MiiPC™. MiiPC is a personal computing device that you can connect to a monitor or TV and instantly turn it into a media, learning and entertainment station. See a sneak preview of the MiiPC initiative. ( https://www.miipc.com )

We hope you enjoy our new features and have more productive year of 2013!

Thanks,

The ZeroPC Team”

Dr. Bill.TV #277 – Video – “The WiFi Everywhere But Here Edition!”

Will there ever be free, universal WiFi? LibreOffice 4.0 is out! Dial-Up Internet still accounts for most of AOL’s profits, is Microsoft Surface Pro a hit or a miss? Dr. Bill has a very crazy and busy week! Accent on CRAZY!)

Sponsor: Try GotoMyPC free for 30 Days!

Links that pertain to this Netcast:

TechPodcasts Network

Blubrry Network

LibreOffice 4.0


Start the Video Netcast in the Blubrry Video Player above by
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Available on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/MKJWye08Ndg

Available on Vimeo at: https://vimeo.com/59376791


Dr. Bill.TV #277 – Audio – “The WiFi Everywhere But Here Edition!”

Will there ever be free, universal WiFi? LibreOffice 4.0 is out! Dial-Up Internet still accounts for most of AOL’s profits, is Microsoft Surface Pro a hit or a miss? Dr. Bill has a very crazy and busy week! Accent on CRAZY!)

Sponsor: Try GotoMyPC free for 30 Days!

Links that pertain to this Netcast:

TechPodcasts Network

Blubrry Network

LibreOffice 4.0


Start the Video Netcast in the Blubrry Video Player above by
clicking on the “Play” Button in the center of the screen.

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Available on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/MKJWye08Ndg

Available on Vimeo at: https://vimeo.com/59376791


So Is Surface Pro a Hit, or a Miss?

Microsoft tried mightily to spin the outages that they are having on Surface Pro as a runaway success. But, was it just that they didn’t build enough?

Surface Pro Demand: Don’t Believe The Hype

“Headlines over the last week have been abuzz with claims that 200 million global workers are clamoring for a Windows 8 tablet, if not for a Surface Pro in particular. The figure is an extrapolation of data collected for Forrester’s 2013 Mobile Workforce Adoption Trends, which surveyed almost 10,000 information workers in 16 countries and found that 32% of respondents want Windows running on their next work tablet.

The figure easily outpaces the proportion of people who said they want an iPad (26%) or an Android device (12%). It has prompted speculation that Microsoft is pushing enterprise mobility across a new Rubicon, one defined by not only touchscreens and thin form factors but also true multitasking, legacy application support and laptop-level computing power. Does this demand mean that Surface Pros will fly off the shelves when they go on sale this weekend, restoring Microsoft to its place atop OS world and erasing memories of the lackluster Surface RT launch?

Probably not.

To be clear, Surface Pro isn’t likely to flop either. But there’s little evidence that Redmond’s new device will achieve more than a modest launch, let alone turn tides industry-wide. Notably, Gartner’s numbers were collected in September and October — before either Windows 8 or Surface RT were commercially available. Microsoft has since sold 60 million Windows 8 licenses but failed to galvanize Ultrabook sales or position its Surface RT as a BYOD favorite. Given these developments, it’s conceivable that Forrester’s respondents liked the concept of a Windows 8 tablet in theory but lost enthusiasm as they investigated actual options.”

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