Suramya's Blog : Welcome to my crazy life…

April 2, 2005

Wrote a guide on How to compile and Install GIMPShop

Filed under: News/Articles,Tech Related,Website Updates — Suramya @ 9:44 AM

One of the most common complains that most graphics artists have when they try switching to GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation program) is that the user interface for GIMP is clunky and is hard to use. I have faced the same problem but over time I got used to the GIMP interface so didn’t do anything about it.

On the other hand Scott Moschella; actually decided to do something about it and spent a lot of time hacking the GIMP source to create GIMPShop where the tools, options, windows, and menus closely resemble Adobe Photoshop’s menu structure and naming conventions. This modification makes it really easy for Adobe Photoshop users to switch to GIMP threreby saving a lot of money.

He initially created GIMPShop for the Mac OS and the original package with a Mac Installer is available here;. He also made his ;modified source available so that others can port it to different OS’s. I downloaded it to my computer and got it to work on my Debian Linux machine.

Check out my Guide on How to compile and Install GIMPShop; and let me know what you think.

– Suramya

March 18, 2005

Google opens Codebase

Filed under: Computer Related — Suramya @ 4:24 AM

In a stroke of genius, Google won a lot of appreciation from the open source community by launching the public version of Google Codebase today. Google will be releasing source code and lists of API services on this site. This makes it a lot easier for external developers to create products related to Google. The projects are currently released under a BSD licence though future releases may be under the GPL, Apache or MIT licence.

This is a smart move by google. They have created an interest in thousands of opensource developers who will create applications that google might have never thought about on its own and maybe google might incorprate some of them in future releases.

This adaptability is what makes google so special. If you cant beat them join them. 🙂

– Suramya

March 3, 2005

PHP is so good even MS sites prefer using it

Filed under: Funny News — Suramya @ 2:01 AM

Apparently PHP is so good even Microsoft uses it instead of ASP. According to CNet a recent screenshot taken at the MSN Brazil site showed that its running on PHP with a MySQL database backend. The screen shot is available: here

I feel sorry for the guys who designed the site. Someone is going to be pretty upset about this lapse…

– Suramya

February 26, 2005

Its desirable to want a cool case

Filed under: Funny News — Suramya @ 3:41 AM

I know its highly desirable to want to keep your computer cool, but this is ridiculous . Why would anyone want to make a computer case out of cooling fans is beyond me. On the other hand people have also made computer case’s out of lego’s, bricks etc so… How loud do you think this particular case would be and how much power would it consume just to run the fans?

cooling_tower.jpg
A ‘cool’ Cabinet case

Site Url: http://www.peteredge.orcon.net.nz/casepics.htm

– Suramya

February 22, 2005

Windows updates blocks WINE

Filed under: Computer Related — Suramya @ 2:38 AM

Just read this article on Betanews which tells about a special function in the Microsoft’s Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) validation program that seems to check for a registry key used by WINE (An open source implementation of Windows API’s). If the program encounters the key it shows an error message and exits.

This on its own is not that bad, but if this is not stopped here whats to stop MS from using the same detection procedure on other programs and prevent them from running on wine? Their main target would probably be the MS Office Application suite which a lot of people run on Linux using Crossover Office. Soon they might decide that its against the EULA to run MS Office on a non-windows platform. Apple did the same thing with the OS X, by making it illegal to run it on non apple branded hardware.

I personally don’t care that much ’cause I run Linux and don’t run Wine on my system. I have a seperate windows machine where I run the Windows only software I use [Warcraft, Diablo etc etc] and all the MS software I have is legal and licenced. (For a change)

On the other hand its pretty disturbing. Lets see if the courts decide that this is a breach of law.

Original Story: BetaNews

– Suramya

February 20, 2005

SCO faces ejection from Nasdaq

Filed under: Computer Related — Suramya @ 10:59 PM

The infamous SCO has been threatened to be delisted from the Nasdaq by the Nasdaq Exchange. I guess they should have paid a bit more attention to deadlines than on their lawsuites. If SCO doesn’t make a meeting with the Nasdaq officials it will disappear from the market on Feb 25th.

Considering that SCO stock dropped to $4.06 when the news of possible delisting spread, if the stock is delisted, the company is finished. ‘cant say I will miss them much. Never liked their high handedness is accusing the entire Linux community of stealing their work and then refusing to show the proof. They deserve whatever comes to them.

Complete Story: The Register
Another Version: computerweekly.com

– Suramya

SHA-1 Broken by Crytography Team

Filed under: Computer Related — Suramya @ 3:40 AM

I was catching up on all my unread email when I saw an email telling Bugtraq on how the SHA-1 encryption algorithim has been broken by a research team of Xiaoyun Wang, Yiqun Lisa Yin, and Hongbo Yu (mostly from Shandong University in China). These guys have published a semi-private paper describing how they broke the crypto.

Now that even this algorithim is broken, we have to move to a new hash function that is harder to break. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) already has standards for harder-to-break hash functions: SHA-224, SHA-256, SHA-384 and SHA-512. They’re already part of government standards and can be used. Though I don’t know how fast people with switch to the new hashes.

A pretty good introduction to secure hashes is available here to help put all this in context.

Original Story: SHA-1 Broken, Schneier.com

– Suramya

January 29, 2005

web surveillance cams exposed by google

Filed under: News/Articles — Suramya @ 9:24 AM

Since google started it has given people tremendous power to search for data. This is a good thing but sometimes it returns data which the author didn’t intend to share like passwords, confedencial data etc.

A while ago I had read about people using google to search the web for scanners that were publically accessable and read the data being scanned. This is even better, you can now search on google for some specific strings and find webcams that havn’t been secured and look at its surveillance videos live. Using it I found cam’s at construction sites, computer labs, traffic lights etc. These people have no idea that their vidoes are available for free on the web.

Unless someone notifies the person running the cam its possible that he/she would never know that he/she is providing entertanment to some wierdo sitting in a dark computer room staring at people who actually have a life unlike them.

Here’s the story on Theregister.co.uk

Using the searches I used I didn’t find any sites that here showing really private views like someone’s bedroom though I did see one person’s living room. So I am debating whether to post links to the google searches I used. Feel free to post your comments and let me know if I should or not. The info is already out there, should I make it easier to find or not?

Well this is all for now. More later.

– Suramya

Quickest route the MS way

Filed under: Funny News — Suramya @ 12:29 AM

Microsoft does it again. Now to goto a place in Norway from a place in Norway you have to cross 4 countries and this is supposed to be the ‘quickest route….

Here’s the URL: MSN Maps

Way to go MicroSoft…

– Suramya

December 20, 2004

After Mobile Clubbing comes Pillow fights

Filed under: Funny News — Suramya @ 2:55 PM

Ok, this is starting to get silly. First there was Flash mobbing. Then came MobileClubbing now to top it people in UK are planning to have a giant pillow fight in front of The National Gallery.

To participate all you have to do is show up with a pillow and at 18.09pm start hitting anyone with a pillow. It should be fun but I think its silly. What’s next? Public flashing….

Source: The Register

– Suramya

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