File Compression - 7-zip

7-zip is a file archiver with a high compression ratio. It's just like winzip or winrar, but has new own compression format called 7z.

7-Zip is open source software. Most of the source code is under the GNU LGPL license. The AES code is under a BSD LICENSE. The unRAR code is under a mixed license: GNU LGPL + unRAR restrictions. Check license information here: 7-Zip license. (ref: from the 7-zip webiste)

(ps: even compression formula also has a license!!! this is real world is all about!!!!)

The main features of 7-zip:

• High compression ratio in new 7z format with LZMA compression
• Supported formats:
  • Packing / unpacking: 7z, ZIP, GZIP, BZIP2 and TAR
  • Unpacking only: RAR, CAB, ISO, ARJ, LZH, CHM, Z, CPIO, RPM, DEB and NSIS
• For ZIP and GZIP formats, 7-Zip provides a compression ratio that is 2-10 % better than the ratio provided by PKZip and WinZip
• Self-extracting capability for 7z format
• Integration with Windows Shell
• Powerful File Manager
• Powerful command line version
• Plugin for FAR Manager
• Localizations for 63 languages (got malay)

Get the software from its main site http://www.7-zip.org/. Choose the non-beta version at the top at the home page. Then install as usual...

Screenshots

1. To compress a folder/file, right-click any folder/file, then choose choose 7-zip->add to archieve...



2. Then.. u get several options as shown in the screenshot below. Just press "ok" to get the default option, otherwise you can press "help" for further reading.




Ok.. i'm quite busy next month (vacation: london+berlin+venice), will update as soon as I get back... happy holiday!!!

OpenOffice

OpenOffice is open source alternative to Microsoft Office. OpenOffice.org aims to compete with Microsoft Office and emulate its look and feel where suitable. It can read and write most of the file formats found in Microsoft Office, and many other applications; an essential feature of the suite for many users. OpenOffice.org has been found to be able to open files of older versions of Microsoft Office and damaged files that newer versions of Microsoft Office itself cannot open. However, it cannot open older Word for Macintosh (MCW) files. (Ref: Wiki)

OpenOffice.org is a collection of applications that work together closely to provide the features expected from a modern office suite. Many of the components are designed to mirror those available in Microsoft Office. The components available include:

• Writer — a word processor similar in look and feel to Microsoft Word and offering a comparable range of functions and tools. It also includes the ability to export Portable Document Format (PDF) files with no additional software, and can also function as a WYSIWYG editor for creating and editing web pages. One important difference between Writer and Microsoft Word is that in Writer, many functions and number formats from Calc (below) are available in Writer's tables.

• Calc — a spreadsheet similar to Microsoft Excel with a roughly equivalent range of features. Calc provides a number of features not present in Excel, including a system which automatically defines series for graphing, based on the layout of the user's data. Calc is also capable of writing spreadsheets directly as a PDF file.

• Impress — a presentation program similar to Microsoft PowerPoint. It can export presentations to Adobe Flash (SWF) files allowing them to be played on any computer with the Flash player installed. It also includes the ability to create PDF files. Impress suffers from a lack of ready-made presentation designs. However, templates are readily available on the Internet.

• Base — a database program similar to Microsoft Access. Base allows the creation and manipulation of databases, and the building of forms and reports to provide easy access to data for end-users. As with Access, Base is able to work as a front-end to a number of different database systems, including Access databases (JET), ODBC data sources and MySQL/PostgreSQL. Base became part of the suite starting with version 2.0.

• Draw — a vector graphics editor comparable in features to CorelDRAW. It features versatile "connectors" between shapes, which are available in a range of line styles and facilitate building drawings such as flowcharts. It has similar features to Desktop publishing software such as Scribus and Microsoft Publisher.

• Math — a tool for creating and editing mathematical formulae, similar to Microsoft Equation Editor. Formulae can be embedded inside other OpenOffice.org documents, such as those created by Writer. It supports multiple fonts and can export to PDF.

• QuickStarter — a small program for Windows and Linux that runs when the computer starts for the first time. It loads the core files and libraries for OpenOffice.org during computer startup and allows the suite applications to start more quickly when selected later. The amount of time it takes to open OpenOffice.org applications was a common complaint in version 1.0 of the suite, and Quickstarter was a solution of sorts. Substantial improvements were made in this area for version 2.0.

• The macro recorder — is used to record user actions and replay them later to help with automating tasks, using OpenOffice.org Basic

Ok, all above writing is copy and paste from wiki!!! I don't have to explain how to install or configure it since the program function is almost similar to Microsoft Office. Let me just show you some screenshots.

1. Writer (similar to ms word)



2. Calc (similar to ms excel)

Sun Debuts JavaFX As Alternative To AJAX

This news is few days old already (was lazy to post on the day my rss bandit notified me)

r7 writes,

"Internetnews is reporting on Sun's introduction of JavaFX at JavaOne today. Looks like a combination Applet, Flash, Javascript, and AJAX with a friendly programming interface. Does this really spell the end of AJAX? I sincerely hope so. Nothing built on Javascript will ever achieve the security, cross-platform reliability, and programmatic friendliness that Web 2.0 needs. Proprietary solutions and vendor lock-in are also dead ends. JavaFX has the potential to satisfy this opportunity even better than did Java over a decade ago. Along with AJAX, let's hope JavaFX also puts paid to Microsoft's viral Active-X and JScript, and, more importantly, that it really is a web scripting language that developers can grok." (Ref: SlashDot)

Read More:
http://www.internetnews.com/dev-news/article.php/3676226

Tablature Editor - TuxGuitar

TuxGuitar is an open source software program written in Java. It is a tablature editor, score writer and player targeted at guitarists (Ref: wiki).

I don't want explain much on this program since this program is an open-source alternative (still need to improve!!!) to Guitar Pro. I think the main difference is Guitar Pro output sound is based on midi library, but TuxGuitar is taken from Java soundbank.

TuxGuitar Functions:

• Tablature editor
• Score Viewer
• Multitrack display
• Autoscroll while playing
• Note duration management
• Various effects (bend, slide, vibrato, hammer-on/pull-off)
• Support for triplets (5,6,7,9,10,11,12)
• Repeat open and close
• Time signature management
• Tempo management
• Imports midi, tg, ptb, gp3, gp4, gp5 files
• Exports midi, ascii, gp3, gp4

This time I'm lazy to put detail screenshots on how to configure the program.

Steps:
1. Download TuxGuitar
- choose the installer base on your operating system

2. Download Java SoundBank
- choose the deluxe one

3. Install TuxGuitar
- after installing, launch the program and go to the program Settings->Configure TuxGuitar

- then go to Sound as shown in the screenshot below and target the directory's path to the java soundbank file.



4. At this stage, the program is almost configured, and you need is a file sample to play. Download CanonRock by JerryC (or can google any supported files to play) and try to play it.



Ok, happy practising guitar!!!

Virtual Machine - VirtualBox

Ever thinking of using different operating systems (OS) that you have never tried before? Maybe using linux distro (e.g. ubuntu, debian), windows (e.g. win2000, vista), or even mac OS, and so on. If you only have one desktop/laptop, I think you might thinking twice before experimenting with those OS because you need to reformat your hard disk, backup necessary files and you might face few technical difficulties during the OS installation.

Here is the solution, get a virtual machine!! A virtual machine is software that creates a virtualized environment between the computer platform and its operating system, so that the end user can operate software on an abstract machine (Ref: Wiki).

One of Virtual Machine softwares is called VirtualBox. Ok, lemme tell you how to use this software. I assume you know how OS installation work, but if not... experiment it since VM won't do any harmful (I guess so) .. because it's all virtual!!!

Here are the steps

1. Download the software



2. Install it using the wizard provided (should be easy). After the installation, run the program. Click "New" as shown in the diagram below.



3. Click Next, then you'll see the window as below. I chose to install windows xp. It doesn't matter whether it's home edition or professional series.



4. Choose the Virtual RAM size. My physical RAM is 1GB and I chose 256MB RAM for my virtual machine RAM (1/4 of the physical one). I don't really recommend to have VM RAM size greater than the host machine.



5. Create VM hard disk.



6. Choose Dynamic size hard disk (since I like it)



7. Choose the directory you want to store the image file, and the maximum size you want. 2GB is enough for this experiment.



8. After the above steps finish, you'll be taken to the main window again. Choose your CD/DVD ROM where you boot the OS.



9. I chose mine, V



10. Start the VM machine



11. This image down here should be look familiar to some of you. I was running windows XP on my laptop, and was running windows XP on my Virtual Machine as well... quite a boring experiment.



Conclusion,
Virtual Machine allows you to run OS (guest) inside an OS (host). So before migrating to new OS like Vista (yeah it's not open-source OS), you can try it safely in Virtual Machine!!! Until then... maybe I like to share to you on how to run Mac OSX inside Windows. Bah.

(p/s: never believe what ppl say until you try it urself. Reading without trying is useless.)