Cygwin: GNU + Cygnus + Windows

Cygwin is a Linux-like environment for Windows. It consists of two parts:
A DLL (cygwin1.dll) which acts as a Linux API emulation layer providing substantial Linux API functionality.
A collection of tools which provide Linux look and feel.
The Cygwin DLL currently works with all recent, commercially released x86 32 bit and 64 bit versions of Windows, with the exception of Windows CE.

What Isn't Cygwin?
Cygwin is not a way to run native linux apps on Windows. You have to rebuild your application from source if you want it to run on Windows.
Cygwin is not a way to magically make native Windows apps aware of UNIX ® functionality, like signals, ptys, etc. Again, you need to build your apps from source if you want to take advantage of Cygwin functionality.

Check it out at http://www.cygwin.com/

Microsoft Office substitute is not free anymore...

The new version of Sun StarOffice 8 is not free anymore. You can download and use it as trial but at end you have to pay US $69.99 for the permanent key:

http://www.sun.com/software/star/staroffice/index.jsp

Now, does it worth the money? Or is better to put extra bucks and buy a Microsoft Office Home or Student 2007 license? You can also try it free...

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/suites/FX101674081033.aspx

No wire, no wireless, no worries...

I found a neat piece of hardware that uses your home electric as network backbone. You can connect two or more computers on a home network using power outlets.
You can extend your home network without re-wire or stringing Ethernet cables or dealing with bad wireless signal. This is called power-line network.
Pros.: Easy setup, no configuration no IP address plug-and-play for any platform.
Cons.: Still little pricy.

http://www.cnet.com/4520-7390_1-6274537-1.html?tag=tab

Organize your digital picturte collection

Yes, yes with more than 10,000 of digital pictures, definitely you will need a good software to organize, edit and share them.

Try the free Google Picasa at

http://picasa.google.com/#utm_source=en-us-more&utm_campaign=en-pic&utm_medium=et

DVDs to iPod

My son got a new iPod Video for Christmas, the first thing he wanted was to transfer DVDs to his device to watch movies on the go.

Since Apple does not ship any software to convert DVDs to mp4, I found a nice guide on the web:

http://www.videora.com/en-us/Converter/guides.html

Remember, only rip DVDs that you own, piracy is a crime and I do not support it.

Welcome!

This blog is dedicated a computer community. I will post computer related information and also answer questions about technology.