DREAMCOAT Software tech blog by Milan Vrekic

10 1 tip for optimizing website for speed (or how to keep yo

2008-05-06T12:31:00.001-07:00

10+1 tip for optimizing website for speed (or how to keep your visitors from hating you)

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Does Ballmer Need To Go?

2008-05-04T18:57:00.001-07:00

Milan Vrekic:Microsoft’s dramatic decision this weekend to withdraw its offer for Yahoo and not pursue a hostile bid raises a whole host of questions. What happens to Yahoo now? What happens to Microsoft? Or is this just a tactic to drive down the price of Yahoo’s shares so that Microsoft can go hostile with a lower offer? does ballmer need to go?

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Google Video Gets a Makeover

2008-04-21T14:19:00.001-07:00

Milan Vrekic:Google Video has given itself a redesign, adding some nice search tweaks and a fresh new look. Now when you search for a video, results can be viewed through a regular list, a grid, or a TV view that lets you watch a video while you scan through other results.

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From Win32 to Cocoa: a Windows user's conversion to Mac OS X

2008-04-21T14:18:00.001-07:00

A hardcore PC user finally jumps ship and discusses how Windows lost its "wow" and Apple gained a customer.

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Milan Vrekic:Google talks up Android: open ecosystems lead to innovation

2008-04-15T20:14:00.001-07:00

At LugRadio Live in San Francisco, Google developer Robert Love gave a presentation about the Android mobile platform and described some of the ways that it will empower users and developers. Google still has some work ahead of it before Android is ready for prime time, however.

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224 Mbps for $1.58 a Month!

2008-04-04T17:39:00.003-07:00

“This project will offer 60 million users unlimited high speed Internet connection of 224Mbps (megabits per second) at a cost of only around RM5 (US$1.58) per user per month, which is the fastest and cheapest in the world,” he said. BPL modems use existing electrical power lines to deliver high speed Internet access and data transmission.

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Why I Let My 9-Year-Old Ride the Subway Alone

2008-04-04T17:39:00.001-07:00

For weeks my boy had been begging for me to please leave him somewhere, anywhere, and let him try to figure out how to get home on his own. So on that sunny Sunday I gave him a subway map, a MetroCard, a $20 bill, and several quarters, just in case he had to make a call.

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Hackers Assault Epilepsy Patients via Computer

2008-03-29T11:14:00.001-07:00

In what might be the first physical attack over the Internet, hackers bombard an epileptic patient forum with images intended to trigger seizures.

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Windows XP: Going, going ... gone?

2008-03-24T17:53:00.001-07:00

Will there be any way to get a copy of Windows XP after June 30? If you want to continue using XP, what problems will you face? If you buy a PC with Vista installed and decide you want XP instead, what are your options?

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Stanford researchers developing 3D camera with 12,616 lenses

2008-03-20T19:43:00.001-07:00

If adigital camera saw the world through thousands of tiny lenses, each a miniature camera unto itself", you’d get a 2-D photo, but you’d also get something potentially more valuable: an electronic “depth map” containing the distance from the camera to every object in the picture, a kind of super 3-D.

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5 Tools to Track How Much Time you Waste while Online

2008-03-19T00:04:00.001-07:00

Here are four neat Firefox extensions and 1 desktop app that help you track the time you spend online. They even give you reports so you can watch out and make efficient use of your time by cutting down on wandering around sites that are of no use.

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Scientists identify 25 new longevity genes

2008-03-13T15:40:00.001-07:00

Scientists at the University of Washington and other institutions have identified 25 genes regulating lifespan in two organisms separated by about 1.5 billion years in evolutionary change.

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How Bluetooth got its name

2008-03-09T06:21:00.001-07:00

In 1996 a number of companies were looking to standardize the industry around a short-range radio link for doing a number of things which seem obvious today (not so obvious in 1996).

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Wanna protect Windows from Hackers?...Set NO Password !!

2008-03-06T07:16:00.001-08:00

I didn't know about this...and its actually recommended by Microsoft

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Office Live vs Google Docs: Feature-by-Feature Comparison

2008-03-05T13:23:00.001-08:00

excellent comparison..I was actually waiting for such a comparison after release of Microsoft office live to public

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Post by Milan Vrekic :Ethics of Outsourcing

2008-03-01T20:24:00.000-08:00

Many times, business organizations encounter the dilemma of ethical decision making. “If a CIO says ‘I've never faced an ethical issue’, they're not living in the real world," says Larry Ponemon, chairman and founder of the Ponemon Institute, a security and privacy research think tank based in Arizona.

Though business relationships are more economic in nature, their moral and ethical dimensions have an equal impact on profitability. When it comes to the ethics of outsourcing, matters become more complicated, as parities involved are continents away. A judicious choice between the right and the wrong person to do business with will determine the future of your outsourcing venture. Why is it important to do business with organizations that are ethical?

Ethical compliance presents a strong public image and upholds the integrity and character of an organization. Whether personal or professional, not many of us will want to associate with unethical individuals. It makes a lot more sense to do business with ethical organizations as it has a direct influence on the overall functioning of a business.

When things go wrong!

This is the acid test. The way your outsourcing partner reacts during a crisis is the best indicator of whether it is ethical or unethical. When there is mutual trust and responsibility towards each other, a crisis management mechanism will automatically evolve. Ethics creates a space for itself and in ensuring the smooth running of businesses.

Legal aspects

Legal perceptions may differ from one nation to the other and ambiguity could arise when a dispute occurs, leaving both parties in a fix. The association becomes easier when the parties have a legal, moral and ethical obligation to comply with the agreement, with due respect to international law.

Information Security

The core concern of outsourcing ethics is confidential information security. Privacy and security fall under the ‘no compromise zone’. Sujoy Chohan, a consultant at IT research specialists, Gartner Company, says, “If there is any industry which is investing in security tremendously, it is the offshore industry, whether it is India or elsewhere”.

Chief Privacy Officers are highly concerned about proper information security practices. If your outsourcing partner does not have adequate information security measures, it might be wise to stay clear of them.

How does an outsourcer identify organizations which are doing ethical business?

Everyone claims to be ethical. Though a clear definition of the parameters for identifying organizations with ethical conscience will be a difficulty, some factors are vivid.

Vendor reliability

It is nothing but trust that makes someone want to outsource. Weigh the dependability and reliability of the organizations to which you want to outsource.

A clear definition and practice of the ethical rules and privacy policies of the organization like non-disclosure of trade secrets, secrecy and non-disclosure contracts with staff, third party service providers and visitors is a prerequisite. This will reassure the outsourcer that it is safe to do business with a partner who is miles away. Employee Credibility

Information security will largely depend on the people who handle the information. Organizations that implement tough employee credibility measures have a direct implication on its outsourcing ethics.

Communication

Clear and open communication channels are another sign of an ethical company. When a project does not go the right way, an ethical partner will always keep you informed of the problem and possible solutions and time needed.

Inquiry

A thorough enquiry should be made about the organization and their nature of work management. Talking to the employees and references will give a clear idea about the professional approach of an organization. Check if the following requirements are met by your outsourcing partner:

•Proper information security systems

•Appropriate quality certifications such as ISO 9000 or SEI CMM

•Appropriate programs to protect the trade secrets of its clients, partners and their customers

•Infrastructure

•Training and upgrading the security skills and awareness of employees.

•Safety of electronic data storage

•Presence of a whistleblower

•Proper arrangement with third party service providers

How does being ethical help in reducing the risks of offshore outsourcing?

You can always find companies that offer services at very low costs. An ethical concern might seem to be a costlier choice. However, the price difference could be deceptive as the variation will only be in the initial cost. In the long run, the overall cost will prove to be much lower when you are working with an ethical partner.

Ethical vs. Unethical partnership

Unethical partnership:

•The cost of maintaining the project and the relationship will be high

•Lack of trust

•Strained relationship

•Non disclosure of facts

•Lack of transparency

Ethical Partnership:

•Reduced costs

•Reduced risk

•Common focus

•Relationship equilibrium

•Knowing the risks and managing them together

•Proper management systems

Client responsibilities

Before making an outsourcing decision, the outsourcer should also be clear about the responsibilities that he should share. This will help in building a healthy relationship base.

•willingness to discuss

•manage expectations

•last agreed document should be the basis

•build flexibility to contracts

•openness to intermediate scope and price review

Make sure that all the loop holes which can disrupt the outsourcing process are dealt with. The benefits of outsourcing are sure to show up with safe outsourcing practices.

Paramount to Release its Final HD-DVD Titles on Tuesday

2008-03-01T19:47:00.001-08:00

'Things We Lost in the Fire' and 'Into the Wild' will be Paramount's final releases in the HD DVD format. After that, the studio that released Transformers, will switch over to Blu-Ray. That announcement came after Toshiba Corp. said it would no longer develop, make or market players and recorders in HD DVD, the standard it invented.

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Facebook in 50 Years - Pensionbook [Hilarious]

2008-02-29T04:35:00.001-08:00

A vision of how Facebook will look in 50 years..."3 of your friends just got poked with a walking stick, poke back?"

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Google to ISO: Say no to OOXML

2008-02-27T23:27:00.001-08:00

Google has called for ISO member bodies to reject Microsoft's Office Open XML document format during the upcoming voting period. According to Google, OOXML is unnecessary and suffers from technical flaws.

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Get a Custom MP3 Horn for your Car

2008-02-25T22:46:00.001-08:00

HornTones allows you to customize your car horn with a MP3 file. "Gotta Digg" anyone?

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Google to Store Patients' Health Records

2008-02-24T09:29:00.001-08:00

For 18 months, Google has been working to come up with a product offering and a strategy in the promising field of consumer health information. Until now, the search giant hasn’t had anything to show for its labors other than bumps along the way—delays and a management change.

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Firefox hits 500,000,000 downloads

2008-02-22T01:36:00.001-08:00

The Mozilla community is celebrating 500 million Firefox downloads by earning 500 million grains of donated rice, enough to feed 25,000 people.

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What the Social Web Looked Like in the 1990s

2008-02-19T19:01:00.001-08:00

An interesting post which compares the current social media climate with life and technology in the 1990s. Before Digg, there was your local newspaper's "Top Stories of the Year" issue. ou used to have to wait until December to find out hottest story of the year. Now there's an infinite stream of uncensored content and entertainment online..

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First Look: The Smurf’s Movie

2008-02-18T16:39:00.001-08:00

With Hollywood running short on ideas, Paramount greenlit a computer animated movie based on the classic trippy 80’s cartoon series The Smurfs (Truth is that the Smurfs are actually 50 years old, having first appeared in comic strips).

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9 Useful Websites You Should Know About, But Probably Don't

2008-02-17T23:55:00.001-08:00

The following is Nine Websites You Should Know About, But Probably Don't. There were still some extremely useful websites that were left out, so I'm writing a continuation article to cover these sites.

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Music using ONLY sounds from Windows XP and 98

2008-02-17T23:52:00.001-08:00

Pretty Interesting! Actually sounds good considering the source

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China bans horror movies, WTF?

2008-02-16T00:06:00.001-08:00

According to an article on Reuters, the Chinese censors have decided that horror movies are verboten. 'Offending content included "wronged spirits and violent ghosts, monsters, demons, and other inhuman portrayals, strange and supernatural storytelling for the sole purpose of seeking terror and horror," the administration said. This is apparently a sort of Chinese version of the Jack Thompson effect, as the "mental health of adolescents" is cited as one of the reasons for the ban. Presumably, this ban — much like the spitting ban — is intended to improve China's image in the rest of the world before the Olympics open; but given the Streisand effect, would this ban perhaps unintentionally spur a surge of horror movie popularity in China?"

HD DVD deathwatch: we're making it official

2008-02-15T15:21:00.001-08:00

HD DVD fans, we hate to do this to you, but it's time we called it. HD DVD is now officially on Engadget deathwatch. We haven't put anything important on deathwatch since TiVo in 2005 (which, as you may recall, still stands); but just as then, we have to step back from our personal preferences and investments in media and gear, ignore the rumors an

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Anatomy of a Slashdot Post -- NetQoS Netcosm

2008-02-15T06:10:00.001-08:00

Ever wonder what a coveted Slashdot mention on a high profile Web site will do to your network? NetQoS's Netcosm network monitoring experiment can show you.Netcosm shows you what network traffic looks like in a new video game-like audiovisual paradigm.The data used for Netcosm is real and was compiled from NetQoS's application performanc...

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Company takes first $150,000 order to clone pet dog

2008-02-15T06:00:00.001-08:00

South Korea's RNL Bio is cloning a California woman's pitbull. The work will be carried out by a team from Seoul National University, where the first dog was cloned in 2005.Think 150 grand is ridiculous to spend on a cloned dog? The woman's pit saved her life after she was attacked by another dog that "bit off her arm."

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Olbermann says Bush a fascist who uses terrorism

2008-02-15T05:56:00.001-08:00

"You are a liar, Mr. Bush, and after showing some skill at it, you have ceased to even be a very good liar," he declared.

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Trace Email Senders and see their location on a google map

2008-02-15T05:54:00.001-08:00

Is it possible to find the origin of an email? Yes, it is! This new amazing tool will pinpoint you the location of the senders IP address.

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