Yearender: Favorite Podcasts for 2011

Once the darling of the media, podcasts have been supplanted by streaming video and Youtube instead.  Podcasts work hand-in-hand with RSS, but is most commonly accessed via Apple iTunes in Windows and Mac OSX.  In Linux, podcasts can be downloaded using Rhythmbox and Banshee.Transferring podcasts to my Creative Zen was a laborious affair when I first got started with audio news. I quickly realized, however, that listening to podcasts is...

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QuickFix: Create ePub files in two steps using Lyx and Calibre for eReaders and Tablets

With the proliferation of tablets and smartphone, everyone is now eager to create their own ebooks.  Writers who make use of Lyx can directly output to PDF, arguably the most popular format for ebooks.  Writers may also want to output to ePub, a format accepted in a variety of ebook reader applications including the popular iBook on the iPad.  The advantages of EPUB are reflowing text and a smaller file size compared to PDF. ...

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Linux on Film: Revenge Episode 9-10

It's always awesome to see Linux on film.  One of the more popular TV shows of 2011, Revenge, actually showcased an unmistakable Linux desktop (on a laptop with a Windows sticker). One of the characters, a self-made tech founder, Nolan sports a high-powered system which he uses to monitor portable webcams and break into networks.  It's difficult to isolate which Linux distribution is installed but its definitely a customized distribution.  The...

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Getting Started with Docbook using Lyx

Docbook is a document structure standard that is widely used and a useful tool for the technical writer.  The complexities of learning the markup isn't a big difficulty when using WYSIWYM (what you see is what you mean) document processing applications such as Lyx (Free and Cross-Platform) and Adobe FrameMaker.  Its open source roots allows users to edit and work with Docbook across various platforms. Getting started with Docbook using...

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Linux Public Wi-Fi Compatible: Manila Peninsula Hotel

Linux Distribution: Fedora 15 (Gnome 3)Portable: Asus EEEPC 1000H*Login with room number and name via browser required**Speed is average to g...

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Happy Holidays - Don't let Hardware get in the Way

Holidays aren't about tablets, media players, and high-end lapto...

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Linux Tips for Connecting to Wireless Networks at Airports

Smartphones, tablets, and media players are excellent devices to have around in airports for connecting to the Internet.  However, there's nothing like having a portable or Linux netbook around for entertainment or booking a hotel or another flight.  Today, Linux distributions shouldn't have any problems connecting to public Wi-Fi especially in airports like Chicago O'Hare, Kuala Lumpur International Airport, JFK, and Suvarnabhumi Airport...

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Xfce vs. LXDE vs. Gnome(2,3) vs. KDE4 vs. Unity Part 2

Gnome (Classic) Linux distributions: previous releases of Ubuntu, Mandriva, Linux Mint, Fedora, openSUSE, SolarisDistinguishing Characteristics: Gnome menu, Panel on top, lower-right hand corner Pager   Quick Overview1. Gnome will forever be associated with the classic Linux desktop.  In fact, most users introduced to Linux via Ubuntu would always remember Gnome's clean interface and mounted icons.  If KDE was incorrectly compared...

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MIT Open Course: Intro to Tech Communication

One of the best-kept secrets of Online Education is Masachusetts Institute of Technology's Open Courseware web site.  The site offers an extensive list of free course materials online.  The fields included are surprisingly expansive though the material available varies. The course Introduction to Tech Communications only provides a downloadable list of readings, online resources, and course syllabus.  It's a good overview and...

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Xfce vs. LXDE vs. Gnome(2,3) vs. KDE4 vs. Unity Part 1

Surprisingly, graphical environments make a huge difference in productivity when running an Operating System.  The variety of desktops available in Linux is one of the benefits of running any of the hundred Linux distributions available today.  To understand the desktops in Linux, Lifehacker.com has an informative article about the how these environments work.  This article, on the other hand, is a personal review of the different...

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