Dr. Bill | The Computer Curmudgeon

The “workhorse” Open Source database MySQL got the “thumbs up” from the U.S. General Services Administration.

MySQL Wins Goverment Support!

“As it is, MySQL already hums under thousands of federal, state and local government entities, including Los Alamos National Labs, the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Geological Survey, NASA and the Department of Defense.

With the GSA contract, GS-35F-0131R Schedule 70, government customers will be able to purchase and deploy MySQL through Carahsoft Technology Corp. The GSA schedule is effective Dec. 20, 2005 through Nov. 19, 2009.

The win comes at a time when governments are increasingly turning to open source, much to the chagrin of Microsoft Corp. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, for one, has set a deadline of Aug. 31 for storing all executive branch documents in OpenDocument Format.”

Apple iPod rival Creative isn’t so happy that the word “Podcast” is perceived to be a combination of “iPod” and “Broadcast.” So, it decided, in a “post”-emptive strike, to redifine the word to mean “Personal On Demand Broadcast.” OK. I must say, I do, personally, have a Creative Muvo and NOT an Apple iPod… but come on, guys! Let’s “take it on the chin”… OK?

Creative Redefines “Podcast”

“The change comes alongside the launch of ZENcast, the company’s beta application for downloading video blogs and podcasts. ‘Podcasts, short for Personal On Demand broadCast, are audio files you can download into any MP3 player or computer. These audio files are broadcasted over the Internet automatically to subscribers of specific podcast channels,’ Creative says.”

Microsoft is doing another of their bogus “comparison studies” again. This time, it supposedly tests the “claim” that Linux runs better on legacy hardware. First of all, I challenge anyone to find a copy of Windows XP or Windows 2003 Server that will run on a 386. I can run Debian Linux on a 386 easily. Anyway, why is Microsoft “testing” this claim anyway? Do they REALLY want to be known as the OS that can run on legacy hardware? I doubt it!

MS Tests Legacy “Claims” of Linux

It is just another effort to smear the rep of Linux… and, if you ask me, it seems that as much time as they are spending trying to do it, they are PLENTY worried!

OK, so probably no one but me cares… but I have finished upgrading to WordPress 2.0. Success smells so sweet! Rock on!

This type of color and clarity in a video is what will make IPTV work! Check it out! You will need Macromedia Flash Version 8.0 installed, the link for that is here:

Free Macromedia Flash Player

Then, once you have it installed, close and re-open your browser and go to this link:

Amazing Video!

Very nice! Nice, soothing music, too!

Good News! (I just saved some money on my car insurance!) No, really… I just got all the missing Dr. Bill Podcasts restored! Now I can go to bed. After all it IS 11:13 PM! Night, all!

Well, as some of you may have noticed, the Blog has been down over night and part of yesterday afternoon. The web site files got deleted by an overly aggressive, curmudgeon-ly system admin that was jumping up and down and screaming as he pressed the wrong button (it other words, me!) I have restored the basic functionality, but the stream audio of the podcasts are still off-line until I can reclaim them later (probably this evening.)

Until then, refrain from snickering at me. OK, I heard that!

Sony announced a list of movies it will release on the new high definition Blu-ray format that may replace the DVD. No consensus has been reached as to whether this is the format that will replace the DVD… but they are releasing these anyway.

First Sony Blu-ray Movies

“Released first will be The Fifth Element, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Desperado, For a Few Dollars More, The Guns of Navarone, Hitch, House of Flying Daggers, A Knight’s Tale, Kung Fu Hustle, The Last Waltz, Legends of the Fall, Resident Evil Apocalypse, Robocop, Sense and Sensibility, Stealth, Species, SWAT and XXX. Four Blu-ray titles will be released each month starting this summer, ramping up to 10 per month by the end of 2006.”

Now, the question I have is, even if I were to want them, do I trust Sony not to have a rootkit infection on their disk? Ah… no.