Dell has started to offer optional Ubuntu Linux 7.04 preinstalled systems. Ubuntu has has continuously grown in popularity since the first Ubuntu distribution in 2004, now being the most popular Linux Distribution. While for the server market there was always the Linux option, this is the first time an important PC manufacturer ships Linux desktop systems.

From a business and marketing point of view, the move itself will probably be a boost for both companies, Ubuntu will grow in popularity, while Dell will draw positive attention on itself from the Free and Open-Source Software (FOSS) Community, therefore increasing sales, which they do need in regaining market share against HP.

Ubuntu Linux has the reputation of being very easy to install and very hardware friendly. From my personal experience I may say that the installation is simpler than a Windows installation, everything just works, including small details like volume keys with on-screen display on my Logitech multimedia keyboard and volume keys and the Wireless Card on my HP Pavillion laptop. No additional drivers required. If you’re a GUI freak, some Vista like eye-candy is included, also demo-d by my collague Marius.

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In order of appearance, here’s my link farm: I compute with Apple, make calls with Sonyericsson and Orange, record with Behringer, shoot with Nikon, drink Salitos, drive a Ford, fill up at Rompetrol, fly KLM, get online with c*free, Linksys and 802.11, browse with Safari and Firefox, sniff news and pods with RSS, call and beta-test Skype, twitt with Twitterific on Twitter, IM with Yahoo!, feed podcasting gland with Leo Laporte, Lindsay Campbell and Veronica Belmont/Tom Merrit, replace YouTube with trilulilu.ro, pretend IPtv is normal TV with Joost, tool with Dasboard widgets, chorono with Dugena, wear H&M, polarize UV with PolarGlare, stay alert with RedBull, spray Kenzo and shop with MasterCard.

To respect the rules I’ll politely ask my blogging friends Chad, Marius and Alex to post about the brands that govern their lives.
An extra tag goes to Flavia! ;)

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One of my favorite podcasts, Wallstrip, ‘a sassy investment Web show for the generation YouTube’, got sold to CBS for … $5mln. :)
This is awesome news and I’m really happy for my buddy Howard Lindzon (the creator) who started it late 2006 with initial funding of $600k.

To be honest I didn’t expect the business to move to the next level so soon and definitely did not expect so many Benjamins to fill Lindzon’s safe boxes.
But a job done right with the right attitude, the hottest chick on the block and … a little bit of magic (can’t tell what it is, but they have nailed it), Wallstrip have done it!

Good job guys! Fuck yeah, Lindzon! :)

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I saw this coming… Since Skype was taken over by different fishy direct-marketing calls and weird “this is the business for you” chats, having Twitter serve as a platform to sell quasi-spam stuff is common sense. My ass!
Well, no more is it the meeting place for techies and geeks and some of us who are more creative are taking advantage.

To pin you it takes no more than a small option left unchecked in your profile: “Protect my updates” – Only let people whom I accept as friends read my updates. If this is checked, you WILL NOT be on the public timeline.

I’m GirlsGoneWild newest friend on Twitter because seconds after my latest update I was added through the public timeline. It’s a lot harder for any bot or marketer to grab your profile data if you stuff doesn’t get on the Twitter page. So if you want to be safe check that privacy button and don’t let those bots attack. The biggest drawback here is the fact that those not logged in or those who don’t have an account can’t read your updates anymore if they use your direct link. :|

Anyhow, since twitter faces alteration the least we could do is check the little radio button. I kindof like the service!

Follow/add me there @ http://twitter.com/danberte

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Sorry, dear wirelessisfunarmada, for the lack of more frequent posts. I decided some time ago to cover less news and publish more insightful stories and food for geek thought articles.

Too bad I’ve been out of sync and totally busy lately, just scrambled enough to be scared of the idea to start an article and never make it to the ‘publish’ button with it.

Too keep it hot, Fon censorship (no, not only boards-related) and unfair competition, WiMAX and alternative LED lighting stories I’m hiding up my sleeve. Will churn them out slowly, one at a time! :)

See ya!

(if in Cluj Napoca RO you might catch me doing email and coffee at BT Cafe – pictured above)

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The Apple Store now offers three slightly more powerful versions for their almost a year old line of portables, the Macbook.

The new models include 2Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo 4MB CL2 processors (no more 1.83Ghz with 2MB CL2), 1GB RAM standard and 80GB HDD for the same $1099.

Of course, all that RAM/HDD upgrade is nothing major and, since retail prices are forever dropping, they feel natural. The only non-replaceable component is the Core 2 Duo processor, which boosts the overall performance of the Macbook by a few procents due to its larger level two cache.

This intermediate upgrade is a silent “keep your interest” move on Apple and probably outlines the fact that there will not be any new ultra-portable in Apple’s offer soon. Or quite the opposite. We’re anyway talking about Cupertino.

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Almost everyone who got a second generation iPod Shuffle complained they had to carry the bulky dock with them to be able to transfer files or charge the minute mp3 player. Apple decided to drop the big USB jack the previous version had and go for a weird 3.5 audio jack port that transfers data to USB.

If Apple would have listened to their users nobody would have liked to get a simple USB to 3.5 cable in the box instead of the shiny dock. “Oh, Apple drops costs by shipping the thing with this cheap cable”. Some, though, did consider that a small cable was a more convenient to carry around. Myself included. But instead of buying a Proporta $20 cable or alike I decided to take the time and make one myself.

Searched the net for diagrams and pin-outs and found a couple of good articles on such fabrications. Since no store had the much needed 4-pin 3.5 jack for sale I went for one of those A/V cables ($2ish) and cut the jack off. A USB cable extender one can find bundled in just about any USB WiFi adapter for example, which I have in abundance laying around, made for the actual USB link.

Past the careful soldering time and my clownish wire switch that almost fried my Macbook’s ports, the project took no longer than an hour to complete. The cable is about 2 inches long and is really convenient to carry in a pocket. It even looks good! (see the picture with the ‘baby iPod’ connected through it). And it was so much fun and relaxing. Yeah, you there! Pick up that soldering iron once in a while and mod smth! :)

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Whisher, a device-agnostic WiFi sharing startup, has been a little silent since their debut but they are about to launch the new version of their application. Everything happens in Zaragoza, Spain, at Innovate!Europe 2007 and Mike Puchol, Whisher CTO and co-founder, is blogging live from the event. Go check his updates here!
We’ll come back with updates and a full report.

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While browsing any variety of hardware reviews sites, it is sometimes hard not to drool over all the shiny new gadgets that sprawl onto the market. In the USA, folks regularly sign long contracts with expensive monthly plans just to handle a slick new smartphone. If one takes of the Apple goggles and begins to look at some of the strange new palmtop Vista devices, the spectrum opens up wider.

However, anyone who has used more than a couple of different types of gadgetry knows, devices rarely live up to the expectations placed upon them. As a power user (in a manner of speaking) of mobile devices, I personally can cite a list of issues ranging from synchronization pains, software incompatibilities, and hours of pouring over technical documents and reviews trying to find the best combination of hardware and software to provide that idyllic user experience.

I’ve recently started thinking about this differently, and have begun to visualize solutions to the thorns in the side of my digital lifestyle from an alternative perspective. I’ve been looking for solutions in the form of superior hardware and software, when in fact it is a handful of key functions that I need addressed. Looking from the perspective of function, the form seems less significant.

I use (primarily) four different devices, each fairly dissimilar from the others in terms of design and intended function. To be useful to me, each of these needs to have various elements of the same pool of information live on the hardware, synchronized in real time. For example, my mobile phone does not have all of my 300 contacts in storage, but when I add a contact or calendar entry to my phone, I need it updated on my other devices.

To add a challenge, my phone is not capable of connecting to the internet, and my handheld computer (commonly used for things such as calendaring and contact) functions better in my home than it does on the road, and I never connect it to a full-featured computer for syncing – but I want it to remind me of events added into my phone. I want to access my clients’ records on my desktop while on the road with only a WiFi’d handheld – and be able to email them important updates at a moment’s notice.

So I’m brainstorming a method utilizing some combination of FTP (to manage files), Joomla (for managing content), and Zimbra for synchronizing my personal data across devices. See? Nothing is local, the handheld or smartphone (which obviously I’ll eventually have to trade in my simple Nokia handset for), work and home computers, all act as terminals to access remote data managed on robust servers. An internet café in Thailand is no different from sitting on my Mac at home.

Does this make sense? Will this system play out better than my love-hate relationship with iPaq and Palm devices? I’ll let you know once Zimbra is installed on my hosted server. There will never be a clear separation between products/devices and functionality/services. Indeed, it is likely that the lines will blur further, and perhaps the monthly fee paid to the mobile carrier will include hardware that is never technically “mine”. Like a rental car, paying for the service on transportation rather than the obligation of owning a vehicle of my very own.

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Somebody out there in the myst of the web googled “HOW DO I FIND THE wireless channel THAT IS BEING USED BY MY NEIGHBORS” and reached wirelessisfun.com

I know this query is really relevant so I decided to quickly post a few tips on how to avoid that upsetting interference.
Current WiFi regulations allow a limited number of channels as follows: 11 Channels (USA, Canada), 13 Channels (Europe), 14 Channels (Japan) for the 2.4Ghz band.

11 channels permits exactly like the number says: eleven concurrent networks broadcasting in the same area (typical up to 300 feet with no obstacles) without interference. When there’s one single router broadcasting on the same channel another router is already tuned to, interference occurs. WiFi clients can’t tell which signal is which and that makes the connection highly unstable, if not unusable. It’s like having two people talking at the same time in a small room! More so, running more routers than the number of channels available also spells trouble. In the urban realm this is sadly an occurrence that can not be avoided.

There’s little to be done when this happens but fortunately there are some tricks to make your WiFi work again.

TIP – Pick that channel that is used less and by the faintest signal
The first trick is to scan the radio spectrum with a widget or a special utility.
For Macs a great widget is AirTrafficControl and for Windows one can use an application called Netstumbler. Once you got acquainted with what channels each neighboring network occupies note which signals are lower and less stable. It’s likely those access points are at the limit of their reach, therefore generate lesser noise for your home networks. Now set your router to chose the channel the weakest signal uses, also keeping an eye to the availability of the channel among more stronger signals.

The more expensive alternative is to buy 802.11a compatible hardware (a router and a PC card). Most latest high-end laptops come with built in 802.11a/b/g/n compatible cards so there’s no need to upgrade. Please check with the manufacturer to see if your card is compatible with these standards. Though still a flavor of WiFi, 802.11a uses the less crowded 5Ghz band and because of the double frequency compared to regular 2.4Ghz WiFi, it allows just as many more simultaneous non-overlapping signals.

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Boy, do they need wireless in India! :)

[source] via John Cioflica.

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This story was in my bookmarks folder for a few days now and I took no rush to publish it. I decided to chew up on it for a while to understand what it actually means. Since it’s all going to be in a paper you can purchase early June, I’ll get right to it and skip the details.

Mark May 1st 2007 in your calendar as the day when WiMAX changed forever. Until now it’s been merely another wireless technology that competed with WiFi. But world’s largest WiMAX-class service provider Clearwire just received FCC approval for the first 802.16e Laptop Card.

With doors to true mobility open nothing can stop Clearwire (and WiMAX) to show us the real power of the very much hyped technology. I’m watching!

Get the press report here.

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I most certainly don’t run a multinational mining company for which globalization means a ‘little’ more. It’s more like average-joe globalization. Here’s what I mean. I’d like to order another gadget for my desk to sooth my geek gland, a PowerMate USB Multimedia Controller.

Moving on…. PayPal! Nope, they don’t have PayPal in Romania! 70% of the internet payments (including donations) are inaccessible for me. Sorry Leo!

Next, iTunes Music Store. Yeah, give me a break, RIIA! First make sure e-stores are available anywhere (including EU member Romania) and I will accept all complaints about piracy.
Heh, I also have a podcast I’d like to publish to iTunes. Can’t do that. Shame on you, Apple!

Bah! Anything that’s US $10 is priced Euro 10+! How much for a brand new Macbook in US store.apple.com ? Meh, $1099? That’s 1099 U.S. dollars for exactly 810.292708 Euros!
Ok, fine! German Apple store has it for Euro 1069!!! ;)

Ah, not to forget! Artlebedev was kind to provide us a sample of their Optimus Mini Three that we will be reviewing soon. (some plugins related to our beloved wireless field are under development for the Mini)
We promised to send the sample back to Moscow. I hate it, but we’ll have to pay something around $40 to send the damn thing back. And that’s a third of the product value.

So much for globalization… It kills the geek in me!

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Apple minimalism is contagious and mind ticklish. That’s how some chaps decided to sell more than them: “nothing”

Tag-lined as the product for the person who has it all, “nothing’s” sales pitch is
What better present for the person who has everything than a poignant reminder that they want for nothing? This lovingly crafted vial of emptiness is filled to the brim with unfettered nothingness. Free from the burden of possessions, the weight of responsibility, Nothing is as idiotic as it is brilliant.

It’s a statement, an empty gesture if you will, a nod at the futility of ownership, and yet despite ‘Nothing’ being nothing, it is of course packed with millions of protons, neutrons and what have you, which is pretty good for Nothing.

The good news is it’s priced around USD $6.28 / €5.17 which is a lot better than T-Mobile’s Pay As You Go WiFi, $6.00 per login for the first 60 minutes, whether or not the minutes are fully used; $0.10 per minute thereafter or The Cloud’s rip-off 30 Minute Time Debit Pass (£2.99).
Plus, ‘nothing’ comes in a beautiful package!

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My friend Dennis from WirelessJobs.com, a prolific blogger as a matter of fact, asks a really good question:
Why do you blog?

Here are some pointers he adds:
~ Why do you blog?
~What do you prefer to blog about?
~Where do you receive your inspiration from?
~Who do you write your blog for?
~How much has blogging impacted your company’s recruiting brand?
~When do you find the time to blog?

Here are my reasons, folks:
- I blog because I got a lot of inside industry stuff to share! A blog is a wonderful platform to network, meet fellow geeks, enforce a stand point, build a personal brand and secure a wonderful career! It doesn’t get better than this mix used properly.
- I blog about what a 25 year old Romanian WiFi entrepreneur is interested in, follows or plans on doing.
- my work and the tools I use are my inspiration. I often spend a tremendous amount of time in WiFi’ed coffee shops where everything in the wireless world happens. No, it doesn’t happen in fancy glass skyscrapers offices!
- I blog for a rather small audience. It’s not being ignorant but I learned a few valuable readers are worth writing for more than having thousands of people who never come back. Among the few are fellow entrepreneurs, podcasters, bloggers, geeks and industry chaps. If my blog suddenly became mainstream I’d adapt this strategy to accommodate all my readers. But that’s maybe to far ahead.
- the companies I run have not been exposed to such extent as to cover the brand of the blog itself.
- it’s not ‘when’! it’s ‘why’! If it’s worth blogging, I’ll do it in my pajamas!

I’d like to hear what reasons my fellow bloggers have. So tell me! Why do you blog?

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My good friend Robert sent me this pica a few days ago to remind me why wireless is fun :)
The snapshot is from a new deluxe lounge downtown and it reads “Free wirless internet”. Too cool, too sad! Now laugh!

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