Jonathan Schwartz’ (Chief Executive Officer and President of Sun Microsystems) announced yesterday from his blog that Sun has acquired Mysql AB, the company behind the widest used open sourced database platform, Mysql.

It was reported that the open source database was bought for approximately $1 billion. A price suitable for Mysql.

Imagine all the Mysql users out there! Imagine your Wordpress blog running Mysql. Imagine all those Web hosting company using Mysql… Imagine the power of Sun Microsystems now backing up the most powerful open source database!

We are all waiting for the next big break through for Mysql under the Sun.

I’ve been reading a lot of blog posts about Asus’ cute little notebook called the Eee PC. I even have an office mate who bought one couple of weeks ago. Though I heard there’s a pink one, she bought the white cute little one.

There are lots of hacks and programs and things you can do with the Eee PC. But let’s talk about the hardware and specs…

All the units have a 900MHz Intel Celeron processor. They also have 802.11b/g wireless LAN. It has an Intel GMA 900 graphics processor (integrated) that I’ve heard can run quiet number of games or videos.

The screen size is 7-inch 800×480 LCD with LED backlight. I haven’t tried using it in different lighting, word of mouth says that it does a pretty good job too.

It also has a built-in webcam, microphone, and stereo speakers. It’s like really having a desktop or a real ‘grown up’ laptop.

For other hardware connectivity, Asus EeePC has several ports and outlets into the right and left sides of the unit. It has three 2.0 USB ports, VGA out (for projectors and stuff), Ethernet and modem ports, microphone input and headphone jacks, and an MMC/SD card reader.

To sum it all up, the Asus Eee PC has the following cool specs:

• 7-inch 800×480 LCD display
• Intel mobile CPU (Intel 910 chipset, 900MHz Dothan Pentium M)
• 512MB RAM Memory.. but there is a choice for a laptop memory upgrade
• 8GB flash HD
• 300K pixel video web camera
• 3 hours battery life using 4-cell battery
• 2lbs: weight
• Dimensions: 8.9 in x 6.5 in x 0.82 in - 1.37 in (width x depth x thickness)
• 3 USB ports, 1 VGA out, SD card reader, modem, Ethernet, headphone out, microphone in

So, what do you think guys and gals? For a price range of Php 16K to Php20K, should I consider buying one or should I just spent my hard-earned, bucket-of-sweat-earned money of an equivalent priced desktop PC?

Considering also that a 16GB Asus Eee PC is on the way this year….

Smart Communications recently launched their Smart Bro Plug It. Now you can bring your internet connection anywhere you go… (Sure, sure.)

Anywhere Broadband is their tag line and is what they claim. I say, change to Anywhere Internet.

Since this technology uses 3G, I think this broadband thing will only be available for those places with 3G signal. Take our home town for example, video (3G) call is not possible. Walang signal sa bundok na probinsya namin. :D

Anyway, here’s another catch for Smart’s Plug It, wireless internet:

Qouting Smart

The plan includes Internet usage of 40 hours per month, and P10 every 30 minutes in excess thereof.

40 hours per month internet for P799! Do the math bro (or don’t just look at the numbers).

In order to maximize the P799 consumable (or in order to budget yourself in using just the P799 worth of internet) you only have to use IT for, what… 1 and a half (no, less than that.. 1.3333 hours) a day! If you exceed, say goodbye to your allowance or extra money because the P799 monthly bill will grow to who knows how much!

For me, I’m only at least 6 to 10 hours a day! This service from Smart is definitely not for everybody (if not anybody).

I’d rather subscribe to the P999 unlimited SmartBro thank you very much.

Di ba? Tama ba? Kawawa naman maloloko ng Smart.. (oopss, sorry sa nag avail neto.. :D)

This is the next best thing to KITT, (Knight Industries Two Thousand), that speaking car David Hasselhoff drove in the now defunct TV series ‘Knight Rider’.

America’s car company, Ford and America’s technology leader, Microsoft, when they join forces all things are possible.

Here are some of the cool things that the new Ford cars (released Fall 2007) can do with the power of Microsoft:

• Bluetooth streaming audio
• Audible Text Message
• Conference Calling
• Contact listing
• Voice activated hands-free music
• Compatible with most media player
• Dial by voice
• Caller log
• Caller ID
• Multilingual
• Automatic Phone book transfer

Also, check out this nice video advertisement from yutube after the jump…

Have you tried using Remote Administrator? or any variant of VNC? or Windows’ own Remote Desktop (mstsc)? It’s great to control remote computer doesn’t it?

Well, good news to you! Here’s another cool application that you can add to your favorite remote access softwares! RemotePC!

RemotePC  is one of the leading remote access solution for PCs. You can access your home and office PCs from anywhere as long as you have internet access.

This is perfect for System Administrator who are always on call and need to access their computer or server from home… and vice versa of course.
Remote PC works on all windows operation system including Vista.

yun lang.

I have been a Linux fan for some time now, starting from (then free and open source) Red Hat Linux 6. When Red Hat Linux 9 was released in 2004 it was the last Red Hat version to be distributed by Red Hat (company) giving way to Red Hat Enterprise Server.

The end of life of Red Hat 9 was the beginning of the Fedora Legacy Project. It is a community-supported open-source project to provide security and critical bug fix errata package updates for versions of Red Hat Linux and Fedora Core no longer officially supported by Red Hat

For those who are not aware Fedora is the spin off of the infamous Fedora Core project from Red Hat.

Fedora 8 Project

And now, after the released of Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon, here comes the new Fedora code named Werewolf (with a ‘Thriller’ Announcement), the latest and most robust free and open source software available.

Fantastic Fedora Features

Linux Slashdot has mentioned the following features:

• PulseAudio sound daemon,
• Nodoka visual style,
  
• PolicyKit authentication system - New authentication system

There are lots of features mentioned on linuxupdate and in LinuxScrews. If you’re interested and into Linux (Fedora) right now, go check it out.

Release Schedule

24 July 2007 - F8 Test1 freeze
7 August 2007 - F8 Test1 release
28 August 2007 - F8 FEATURE freeze
28 August 2007 - F8 string freeze
28 August 2007 - F8 Test2 freeze
13 September 2007 - F8 Test2 release
25 September 2007 - F8 translation freeze
25 September 2007 - F8 Test3 freeze
4 October 2007 - F8 Test3 release
4 October 2007 - Development freeze. Only critical bugs fixed
17 October 2007 - Final Development freeze. Only Release Blocker bugs fixed
8 November 2007 - F8 final release

Direct Download Links:

1. DVD images: i386, x86_64 (torrents), i386, x86_64 (via HTTP).
2. Gnome CD images: i386, x86_64 (torrents), i386, x86_64 (via HTTP).
3. KDE CD images: i386, x86_64 (torrents), i386, x86_64 (HTTP).

More Reading

Thought you might like to read some other stuff about Fedora, Redhat and linux in general. I hope that this new Fedora release made you curious enough to want to know more about Linux.

• History (timeline) Fedora Development
• Linux Distro Watch

The Joint Photographic Experts Group, those people who created the JPEG image standard has already approved the new JPEG format for images called JPEG XR - and it’s from Microsoft.

Since 2006, Microsoft has been promoting HD Photo, the image format that they would like to be the future image standard format that people will use in digital photo. Back then the format was called Windows Media Photo.

Looks like Microsoft got what it wants hen the JPEG Group announced that the new JPG format is based on their High Definition Photo format, which by the way is built into Microsoft Windows Vista.

The XR in JPEG XR stands for “extended range,” a reference to the format’s ability to show a wider and finer range of tonal gradations and a richer color palette.

Features of JPEG XR

• Better image fidelity
• Higher image compression efficiency
• Flexible editing features

The ubiquitous image manipulation software from Adobe System - Photoshop - will soon have an online version.

Photoshop Express online photo-editing tool will be completed in 2008. But you wont have to wait that long. The Beta version is set to be released before the year ends!

Here are some of what Photoshop Express can do (for now as Beta):

• Removed red-eye,
• Cropping,
• Adjust Color Tones
• Hues

The demonstration showed the relatively limited set of features available in Photoshop Express. There were three top-level menu options: quick fix, tuning, and fun.

Cool eh? Though I’m not a hard core Photoshop user, I think this will become handy from time to time specially with the probability of having a partnership with Photobucket - the one I use for my online storage of photo and for the assorted attachments I put here in my blog.

Just want to share it with you guys… Read more of it here..

Here’s additional information..

Before launching your web business over the internet you need a fully working website. You can make a website yourself easily. Many free web templates are available over the internet. You can get according to own choice ranging from flash templates to asp or php web templates.

The web design layout should be attractive as well as simple. Many web design tutorials are available over the internet to help you design your own website. Many companies offer complete packages having free logo design software, along with the templates. Such companies offer powerpoint templates and letter templates as well.

Google really wants to, dare I say it… Rule The World! Or at least leave their presence everywhere we go.

We know that Google in the leader in online search, that Google owns Feedburner, Blogger, Jaiku and others (see a list of Google Services and Application), then there’s the Google Phone (gPhone) and the latest post I shared about you guys is the Linux OS with Google Applications - the gOS.

And if that’s not enough, here’s the newest venture of Google - Google at Gas Stations!

Google Maps at Gas Stations

This is the latest project that Big Search Engine is cooking up.

Google will be giving driving directions at gasoline pumps across the United States (Philippines?, nah!). They will be starting this sometime early next month.

The gas pumps will have an internet connection enabling lost drivers (who are embarrassed of asking for directions) to search Google’s mapping service - Google earth/maps.

Users will be able to search for local landmarks like hotel in Vegas or just hotels, restaurants, hospitals etc.

The gas pump has the ability to print out the direction after the user selects his destination, the reference point of course is the gasoline station where the user is at.

This is going to be a big help, like I said, for those “who are too stubborn or embarrassed to pull over and ask someone for help”.

Here’s one cool video that I found on Yutube. Head to head combat between Windows and Linux!

Watch the video after the jump and choose your pick!

Both are jaw-dropping! (not counting the blue screen blooper at the end)

Which will I install on my computer?

Windows Vista (full product) for $399 ($259 for upgrade)

or

Ubuntu Linux for FREE!!

Choose now! :)