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Monthly Archive:: October 2006

DirectX 10 Preview

"Microsoft's DirectX application programming interface (API) was first introduced in 1995. DirectX was designed to make life easier for software developers by providing a standard platform developers could use to easily make multimedia software and game programming for the Windows Platform." More here.

Dot-Com Bubble: Why It’s So Hard to Value Social Networking Sites

Less than three years after emerging from nowhere, the hot social networking website MySpace is on pace to be worth a whopping $15 billion in just three more years. Or is it? And is the much smaller Facebook really worth the $900 million or more Yahoo is reported to have offered for it? The problem, say Wharton experts, is a dearth of information -- including data on expected revenue generation and cost structure -- to plug into the standard valuation models.

The Cell Phone Costs USD 1275 – In Love Yet?

The Web has been rife with bogus rumors of an Apple cell phone since 2004, and each ridiculous 'leak' or faked 'photo' sets off a torrent of fruitless discussion, speculation and hysteria. What does that say about current cell phones? That they're claustrophobic and oppressively complex. That the world craves a phone that conveys, like Apple's iPod, a feeling of beauty, elegance and instantaneous mastery. This week, a cell phone matching that description has finally arrived - but it's not from Apple. Its design comes from Bang & Olufsen, maker of expensive, hyperstylish stereos and cordless phones, and its guts come from Samsung.

NASDAQ Gives Apple De-listing Reprieve

The NASDAQ stock exchange will not de-list Apple, as long as the company files its overdue quarterly report with the U.S. SEC, Apple said in another filing Friday. Apple - which had appealed NASDAQ's previous de-listing notice - said the exchange will allow its shares of stock to continue trading on condition that Apple files its tardy 10Q within two months. "On October 24, 2006, Apple received a written notification from the staff of The Nasdaq Stock Market stating that the Nasdaq Listing Qualifications Panel has granted the Company's request for continued listing on The Nasdaq Stock Market, subject to the condition that the Company shall file its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended July 1, 2006, and any required restatements, by December 29, 2006," Apple said in Friday's SEC filing.

PC Maker Fumes at Vista Price Hike

"Leading PC manufacturer Acer has accused Microsoft of ratcheting up the cost of Windows by effectively forcing consumers to opt for the Premium version of Vista. Acer claims that the Vista Home Basic - the new entry-level Windows - is so poorly featured that consumers will simply reject it. "The new experience you hear of, if you get Basic, you won't feel it at all," said Jim Wong, senior corporate vice president at Acer. "There's no graphics, no Media Center, no remote control."

Configuring the .NET Framework 2.0 Using IIS 6.0

"Most developers care about application performance. Even if speed isn't the most important attribute of their software, they certainly don't want the application to be slow. But streamlining code may seem too complex, and require skills that you don't have. Relax. While code optimization certainly is the best way to improve your application's performance, you may be overlooking another option: adjusting the settings on the .NET Framework."

Hatch Python Eggs with Setuptools

Setuptools framework, a side project of PEAK, provides easier package management and distribution than distutils. Setuptools lets you package your libraries in a single-file archive called an 'egg', similar to Java JAR file, but for Python. Like the Perl CPAN and Ruby Gems tools, the ez_setup tool bootstraps the rest of setuptools. The ez_install tool that comes with it does the same thing in conjunction with 'Cheeseshop' (PyPI).

Slackware 11: Grandfather Distribution Showing Its Age

"Slackware is one of the oldest (arguably *the* oldest) Linux distributions still around today. It is the pet project of one Patrick Volkerding who, love him or hate him, has ruled his distribution with an iron fist since the beginning. This is fine if you agree with his choices, but like all dictators, Patrick doesn't always make decisions based on the good of the populace, but rather sheer unmitigated ego. Here is my experience with his latest iteration, Slackware 11." More here.

Review: Ubuntu 6.10 Edgy Eft

Another review of Ubuntu 6.10: "While using Edgy Eft during the RC series and now the final version, I can say that Edgy Eft is a sweet little operating system that gets the job done. Unfortunately there isn't anything in the standard install of Edgy Eft that will make people drool with delight or think it is truly 'Edgy'. Nevertheless Ubuntu 6.10 is noteable for its solid group of features and consistent amount of polish throughout." Update: One more review, here.