Are you a Parallels Desktop 5 user eager to jump to VMware Fusion? Or were you too cheap to move from Fusion version 1 or 2? Well now’s your big chance to upgrade from either product to a full VMware Fusion 3 license for under ten bucks!
Stephen’s HP Product Line Decoder Ring
September 29, 2010 By 7 Comments
HP has always been an alphabet soup company, assigning just about every item in their bewildering array of products a unique product number. Like Mercedes-Benz cars, even the product names are a mix of letters and numbers that can be off-putting to browsers. Now that they have grown to supersize proportions through internal expansion and acquisition, just about everyone outside the company seems to have trouble decoding the product line, so I decided to take a stab at decoding the enterprise lineup in plain english.
Review: DefaultCase, The 1¢ iPhone Case
September 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment
You know what they say about things that sound too good to be true. But when your friends start getting excited, it’s harder to ignore a deal. Such was the case (if you pardon the pun) with DefaultCase, the company selling iPhone cases for a penny. I decided it was worth my time and small change to investigate the claims of this curious product. My summary: DefaultCase cases are easily worth 1¢, but probably not the $4 you have to pay to get one.
Four Fundamental Best Practices for Enterprise IT
September 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Although many people are cynical about the whole idea of best practices, I’m a believer. I think that such beasts do exist, just that too many companies, analysts and especially consultants spend too much time applying the label to whatever works in their best interest at the time. To counteract this cesspool of non-best practices, I thought it best to put down a few ideas of my own. Following are four fundamental best practices I have distilled from almost 20 years in enterprise IT. I wonder if you agree with them.
How To Add An eSATA Port To An Intel iMac
September 23, 2010 By 2 Comments
My late-2009 27″ Intel iMac now has an eSATA port. I’m documenting how I did it here mainly for posterity. Although it works fine, I cannot recommend that others attempt to perform the same surgery on their own crazy-expensive Apple computers. eSATA mods like this won’t be satisfying to most users, and the operation is risky and destructive enough that non-crazy people shouldn’t attempt it!
Could Oracle’s Next Acquisition Be HP or NetApp?
September 23, 2010 By 8 Comments
Oracle has its sights set very high. Although the company is best-known for its namesake database software, a steady string of acquisitions has transformed the company (and its colorful leader, Larry Ellison) into an industry powerhouse. Much speculation revolves around Oracle’s next move, and a surprising meme is developing, suggesting that the company is looking at making another massive purchase. Could HP or NetApp follow Sun into the hands of Oracle?
Notes From Networking Field Day 2010
September 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment
As some readers of my blog know, I organize the independent Gestalt IT cooperative. We’re a group of folks who investigate and discuss enterprise IT technology, writing articles, running online communities, and organizing live events. Field Day is our chance to come together in various locations for face-to-face meetings with interesting product and technology companies. We’re in San Jose this week for our first networking-focused Field Day event, and things are getting interesting!
Sony NEX-5 Camera Review
September 15, 2010 By 2 Comments
The world of photography is like so many others: A vast gulf separates the amateurs and enthusiasts, from equipment to nomenclature to skills. I am decidedly in the amateur camp when it comes to photography, but I recently upgraded to a new compact interchangeable-lense camera, the Sony alpha NEX-5. It is an excellent match for my needs, allowing me to expand my skills and explore more advanced photographic techniques without sacrificing portability and ease of use.
Explore 9/11 – An iPhone App of Remembrance
September 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Nine years ago tomorrow, a group of terrorists attacked the United States. Next year, a memorial will rise in New York. Last year, I met the staff of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum and was struck by the professionalism and respect of this group, all struggling to build a fitting memorial. An iPhone app to explore 9/11 might seem odd, but as you will see it makes perfect sense.
iTunes 10 Breaks Non-Apple Streaming (Again)
September 9, 2010 By 7 Comments
Do you use an “iTunes compatible” device like an Iomega ix4 or Drobo FS or Roku SoundBridge? Have you noticed that it no longer works since you updated to iTunes 10? That’s because Apple made a simple change to their Digital Audio Access Protocol (DAAP) that causes third-party devices to fail to connect correctly. Although software patches are already appearing, there is no guarantee that older devices like that Roku will ever be updated.
