December 20, 2009

This year, 2009, seems to be the year that many celebrities have passed away. Many of them were expected but some we were kind of prepared for. However, nothing could have prepared me for the news this morning that Brittany Murphy has passed away at only 32 years old.
My wife and I love Brittany Murphy and she is probably one of our favorite, if not our favorite actress. We especially loved her in Just Married playing opposite of Ashton Kutcher as their portrayal of newlyweds in that film mirrored our own relationship and helped us laugh at the little things.
Brittany, you will be sorely missed my many but especially by myself and my wife. You were taken too soon and thank you for making us laugh and cry at life and ourselves.
And, one of my favorites lines she ever had was from the hilarious Drop Dead Gorgeous:


"You know what dad, you know what? Peter's gay! ..... GAY!!!"
We love you Brittany.


~Matthew

December 5, 2009

I was emailed this picture and it was pretty funny so I thought I'd share it real quick. Enjoy. :-)

~Matthew



November 30, 2009


Dear Peter Mandelson... Dan Bull Sings His Opposition To Kicking People Off The Internet


I watched this video over at TechDirt.com and it is freakin' awesome...especially if you're familiar with the U.K's equivilent to our RIAA and what their practices are. Enjoy the video and click HERE to find out more.









Cheers,

~Matthew

November 23, 2009





I am personally a Beavers Fan. But this month I am on the Ducks' side....at least some of their fans. 
A video was posted to You Tube by some Oregon Ducks fans under the group name “Supwitchugirl” and it is a rap song called 'I Love My Ducks.' It's hilarious and went viral quickly. (I was personally 'Tweeted' it a dozen times.)


But the marketing arm of the UO athletic department asked the students to take it down earlier this week because the Duck mascot appears repeatedly in it, and the rights to the mascot are a copyright of the Walt Disney Co. — an agreement between the UO and Disney that dates back to at least the early 1940s. The Duck, after all, is based on Donald Duck.


Apparently Disney hasn't made an official complaint, but the marketing department doesn't want it to go that far.


“There is a misconception that the athletic department is opposed to the video,” UO athletic department spokesman Dave Williford said. “And that’s not true. We’re opposed to the Duck being in the video. It’s a great piece. We just would like the Duck removed from the video, then we don’t have an issue.”
This story has even gone viral to some degree and even TechDirt.com posted a story about it.
I agree with Tech Dirt and think that it's silly as the video is doing no harm to Walt Disney and...it's a great video and song is freakin' awesome! So forget Disney and the marketing department. Here's the video below:







Cheers,


~Matthew

November 17, 2009


NASA launches Web resource for 2012 predictions





Over the past few weeks, we've heard more and more about 2012 when, according to some,the world will end. Responding to all that talk with a healthy dose of skepticism, scientists at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration have launched a Web page to dispel the myths surrounding the momentous occasion.
On an FAQ page called, "2012: Beginning of the End or Why the World Won't End?" NASA wrote that much like the Y2K scare a decade ago, the end of the world won't come in 2012.
"Impressive movie special effects aside, December 21, 2012, won't be the end of the world as we know," NASA scientists wrote on its 2012 page. "It will, however, be another winter solstice."
According to NASA scientists, "nothing bad will happen to the Earth in 2012." The scientists wrote on the page that "our planet has been getting along just fine for more than 4 billion years, and credible scientists worldwide know of no threat associated with 2012."
But it's further down on the page where the scientists bring out the big guns. They said although the myth surrounding 2012 contends planets will align and crash into Earth, "there are no planetary alignments in the next few decades, Earth will not cross the galactic plane in 2012, and even if these alignments were to occur, their effects on the Earth would be negligible. Each December the Earth and sun align with the approximate center of the Milky Way galaxy but that is an annual event of no consequence."
In the end, it was a simple comment from NASA senior research scientist Don Yeomans that might sum up the agency's feelings on 2012: "There apparently is a great deal of interest in celestial bodies, and their locations and trajectories at the end of the calendar year 2012. Now, I for one love a good book or movie as much as the next guy. But the stuff flying around through cyberspace, TV, and the movies is not based on science."
Originally posted at Cutting Edge







November 6, 2009


from the nice-try dept Via TechDirt.com

Back in September, we wrote about Glenn Beck's misguided attempt to gain control over the domain name used as part of an internet meme that is critical of Glenn Beck,GlennBeckRapedAndMurderedAYoungGirlIn1990.com (it's a dead site now, keep reading). If you're unfamiliar with the meme, it's mocking a favorite tactic of various cable news talk show hosts, to "ask questions" that are accusatory in nature, whether or not there's any substance to back them up. Glenn Beck didn't accuse the site of defamation or anything, but filed a domain name complaint, saying that it violated his trademark. As we noted at the time, the trademark claim was really questionable -- and, of course, only served to draw more attention to the site and the internet meme. 

The site brought on lawyer Marc Randazza who filed one of the most brilliant responses(pdf) to a legal threat that you'll ever see. It's quite amusing. Randazza takes the old "moron in a hurry" test up one level, using the "abject imbecile" test. And then there was this:
We are not here because the domain name could cause confusion. We do not have a declaration from the president of the international association of imbeciles that his members are blankly staring at the Respondent's website wondering "where did all the race baiting content go?" We are here because Mr. Beck wants Respondent's website shut down. He wants it shut down because Respondent's website makes a poignant and accurate satirical critique of Mr. Beck by parodying Beck's very rhetorical style. Beck's skin is too thin to take the criticism, so he wants the site down.
Apparently, Randazza's letter worked wonders. The WIPO Arbitration Panel has rejected the attempt to take the domain, saying that it was a legitimate use of Beck's name:
In the present context, this Panel considers that if Internet users view the disputed domain name in combination with a visit to Respondent's website, the "total effect" is that of political commentary by Respondent, capable of protection as political speech by the First Amendment under the Hustler Magazine standard. Respondent appears to the Panel to be engaged in a parody of the style or methodology that Respondent appears genuinely to believe is employed by Complainant in the provision of political commentary, and for that reason Respondent can be said to be making a political statement. This constitutes a legitimate non-commercial use of Complainant's mark under the Policy.
Either way, now that the site's owner has prevailed, he apparently feels he has made his point, and has agreed to voluntarily hand over the domain (pdf), along with an explanation in the First Amendment and how not to respond to internet memes:
It bears observing that by bringing the WIPO complaint, you took what was merely one small critique meme, in a sea of internet memes, and turned it into a super-meme. Then, in pressing forward (by not withdrawing the complaint and instead filing additional briefs), you turned the super-meme into an object lesson in First Amendment principles.

It also bears noting, in this matter and for the future, that you are entirely in control of whether or not you are the subject of this particular kind of criticism. I chose to criticize you using the well-tested method of satire because of its effectiveness. But, humor aside, your rhetorical style is no laughing matter. In this context of this WIPO case, you denigrated the letter of First Amendment law. In the context of your television show and your notoriety, you routinely and shamelessly denigrate the spirit of the First Amendment....

Although the site is Dead as mentioned above, it is still available through the magic of Google Cache: So here's a link: http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache:http://glennbeckrapedandmurderedayounggirlin1990.com/

And here's a link to the comments section back at TechDirt and a BIG thank you to them for being so cool!
~Cheers~


I just read this and was really surprised that Bradley's Estate would have the courts file against his former band mates & friends. 


October 25, 2009


Okay, you know I'm a totally Android guy but this latest tidbit has me bummed.
According to Reuters (and Boy Genius Report), the Nokia N900 is delayed until November! :-( WHISKEY FOXTROT TANGO, dude?
I was one of the masses that hoped & prayed that it would be a release tomorrow as 'Project Dark' by T-Mobile.



  Although this handset [tablet?] doesn't sport Android out of the box (but I bet it can sure as shit run it!), it is amazing eye-candy that myself and other fan-boys/tech-geeks can drool over and can't wait to get their hands on. I suppose we'll just have to wait and find out as per usual. Hit the jump for the Reuters' Article and HERE for the BGR article and here's a video of some hackers showing some pretty amazing stuff this device can do!

Nokia PUSH N900 example hacks




More to come so keep coming back, it works if you work it!

~Matt

October 15, 2009

Thanks to one of my co-ninjas in the tech/mobile world, I have received an invite for the long anticipated Google Wave Beta. I am beside myself with excitement and I will be posting the review/results here later tonight. In the interim, here is a loong video about Google Wave from the Google I/O 2009





And here's a shorter one that sums up what it is and why it's cool.




Stay tuned for screen shots, my review and more!

Matt

October 14, 2009

So, lots of stuff happening today...where do I begin...

  • We will be utilizing a different format within the week.
  • More videos will be uploaded at YouTube.com/Krum303
  • There will be many more updates because...well...I got fired today.
Yes, unfortunately I wasn't able to keep my new position for more than a month. The training there was to last six months and while in training, they have a strict 'no absence or tardy' policy. I agreed to this policy thinking I could make it. Heck, I needed the money and I really liked the job. But, as fate would have it, I slept through my alarm this morning and I was an hour late to work. So they canned me and I am now unemployed once again. So I'll be posting Linux news & happenings, lots of Android stuff, new videos and articles & stories about Patent Reform & Copy Left issues.

One last thing, ya'll know about my Twitter account & @Krubuntu and all that but now we have a Qik account too. So head on over to Qik.com/Krubuntu to see some vids and watch my Twitter account for live shows starting soon!
Love you all and thanks for reading,

~Matt

October 9, 2009

Phoenix Cop Shoots Homeowner Instead of Intruder
Tony Arambula Was Shot Six Times After Calling 911 For Help

October 3, 2009

Okay, so we're not moving yet and I have a good explanation; I am now employed again! Yay! So our home will remain on Blogger.com for the time being and I will again be writing articles about Ubuntu and Android as well as re-posting any Linux/Android/Mobile Device News. Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @Krubuntu and of course there's always my YouTube Channel, YouTube.com/Krum303.

Thank you for visiting and comeback soon!

~Matt

August 31, 2009

Good afternoon!

As the title of this post suggests...we're moving.
Not my family, but our blog. This is in no way due to Blogger.com or Google...it's just time for a change. Also, I'm paid up for two years of hosting at another provider so I figure I might as well use it!
I haven't used Blogger for even a year but they are a great tool and I love the ability to integrate third party apps/widgets as well as the ease of using Google Ad-Sense.
In moving, however, I will be able to add the forums I wanted to easier as well as update the blog more often. So, a HUGE thank you to Blogger and Google for having me and I of course will always retain my account over at http://www.YouTube.com/Krum303

The move will take approximately two weeks and the domain won't be changing. So mark your calendars for the 14th of September and we will see you then with a new look and more content.

As a final thought, here's the most popular video on my YouTube Channel:




Cheers,

Matt

If you use Linux in conjunction with Skype at all, you probably have said many expletives, beat up your PC or even woke up in cold sweats from nightmares.
I'm exagerating of course but it can be a pain just to get it to work. Audio out works but voice in doesn't; calls drop; your CPU starts to sound like an oldskool RAID drive or....an Apache Helicoptor. Well, over at
ctsdownloads on YouTube they Matt Hartley has posted two great videos for beginner and Guru alike. Rather than go into the details and steal their thunder, I've embedded the videos below. So if you're a Skype fan and you use the latest version of Ubuntu, (or Xubuntu like myself.) then check 'em out and give them some five star love! ;-)

Cheers,

~Matthew









August 12, 2009

It's my Dad's birthday and what a gift he's going to get, [he hates Microsoft] when he hears that Judge Leonard Davis of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas has declared that Microsoft cannot sell a product called Microsoft Word. [via PC World]
Apparently, MS Word violates a Toronto Company's Patent on reading XML. i4i.com
I was always curious about how M$ got away with locking down their DOCX format from being edited by other software since it uses XML which is open to everyone.
For example, OpenOffice.org is able to open the DOCX format but once you edit it, you must save it in a different format. Microsoft apparently has 60 days to complie so that explains why MS Word is still for sale on their website. I personally recommend OpenOffice.org as an alternative for any of you that are/were looking to purchase Word after the next sixty days. It's free, smaller footprint, open source and runs on multiple platforms. It can do pretty much everything that Word and MS Office can do and, oh yeah, did I mention it's free?
So, does anyone have other alternatives to Word that they use, free or not? Leave a comment and let our readers know what options are out there!

August 11, 2009

Okay, I know this isn't very Linux oriented, but, if you use Windows 7 (or dual boot like I do w/ Linux) and updated to the new Windows Live Tools...you may have noticed by now that Windows Movie Maker got an update and...well...frankly it totally sucks.
Great News, however...

Sarah Perez over at On10.net has an article on how to get the old version back!

Check it out here or just follow the link below if you don't need any instructions!

July 31, 2009

I know at first glance, a sequel to Tron [1.0], a film made the year my wife was born, doesn't have much to do with computers & technology. But it has more to do with it than anyone realizes.
First off, I never would have found an interest in computers or even my current career and lifestyle if it wasn't for seeing, and loving, that movie back in 1982, I never would have thought one could be "cool" and be a computer programmer. This film not only showed amazing innovation in the CGI industry but it captured the imagination of myself, and a whole generation of kids that went on to be geeks, cool or not, that helped the digital world become what it is today.

So it is with great joy & excitement that I bring to you the real trailer for TR2N (AKA Tron 2.0) from You Tube. Watch it while it's there because a recent article over at TechDirt.com entitled

Great Moments In Marketing: Disney Pulls Movie Trailer Off YouTube For Copyright Claims

Where Mike Masnick writes:
"The purpose of a movie trailer is that it's a commercial. It's a pure advertisement with the math being simple: the more people you get to see it, the more likely you are to get people interested in shelling out cash to see the actual film."

(LINK TO TECHDIRT.COM ARTICLE HERE and it's a great read)

Which makes total since but apparently Disney has sent a Take Down Notice for their Alice In Wonderland trailer. (Directed by Tim Burton and it looks RAD!)

So before they bull it down, check it out and it will be released in 2011 and Jeff Bridges is reprising his role as Kevin Flynn. WOOT! As an added bonus, I have added the ever-popular Tron Guy's video (Jay Maynard) as well because...well...I love the guy and I never get tired of him! More to come...
Cheers,

Matthew






July 19, 2009

If you dual boot as I do with multiple Operating Systems, you are familiar with the GRUB Loader that loads right after the BIOS. This loader lets you choose wether to load Ubuntu Linux or Windows. When I installed the Windows 7 Beta, I noticed I had no choice but Windows 7 afterwards. After a quick search, I found this article at the How To Geek on how to restore it and I was reminded of it recently as I installed Windows 7 RC and the same thing happened. Here's a link to the article if, like me, you dual boot and got stuck wondering, "Where did Ubuntu go?"


Now, if you're a N00b, or just want a quick fix, here's a link to Super Grub Disk .org and they have created an app that you can download and help you get over any Terminal fears!

Hope these help some out there and remember that our contest for a Free 2GB MP3 Player is going on until the end of the month. All you have to do is either donate through our PayPal link, our post a comment on any of the last three posts!
Good luck!

Cheers,

~Matthew

July 16, 2009

Good morning, readers.
UPDATE: We were able to get enough money for my wife's doctor's visit today but we are still short for her medication. If there are any of you that are able, please use the donate button below. My wife is bearing it so far but still practically immobile and unable to move. As an added incentive, we will be choosing a donater at random and giving away a Free 2GB MP3 Player as a thank you for your kindness and again, any donations will be paid back within 60 days. Thank you again and God Bless.

~Matthew

----------------Original Post 7/14/2009
I have bad news this morning... We are experiencing another family emergency to our dismay;

As some of you may or may not know, my wife is disabled due to a condition know as Pudendal Nerve Entrapment
and she is always in a state of discomfort if not full blown pain. Due to a recent crisis, we have literally ZERO dollars right now and she needs to see her Doctor today as well as pay for her medications. The total amount is a little under $800.00 and we currently have $0.00...actually less than that as our bank accounts are overdrawn at the moment.

Now, I'm sure you have an idea what I'm getting at, but this IS NOT as scam and we are honest, hard working people that have been affected by this condition that she received while giving birth to our daughter. With out her medications and her doctor's visit, she is completely immobile and miserable. She usually can barely lay still and just cry.

All of our other resources have been used up at this point. All of our parents are broke, relatives, all we have left are friends or kind strangers.

So, I have set up a PayPal Donation button below that anyone with a credit/debit card or PayPal account can use to donate any amount of money to us....here's the catch...we will pay everything back that is given to us within two months.
I have recently found a job opportunity that was made for me and I know I'm going to get it and our problems will be sated for a moment. I hate doing this but I can't stand to see my wife suffer. If anyone out there could spare anything, I know it's hard right now, but anything at all, we will send it back to you via Pay Pal within the next two months. If you're uncomfortable using my Donate Button, we accept donations under my email, matthew@krubuntu.com and again, anything and everything helps. Now if you can't, won't whatever the reason, that's fine. Like Cheech & Chong once said, "Things are Tough All Over," so we don't blame anyone for not donating.

But if anything, please at least try and spread the word to someone you know that can help, or comment here some words of support or Tweet some kind words for my wife and family at Twitter.com/Krubuntu

We just need some help & we're asking for it.
Now not to close on a totally depressing note, below the Donate button are some wicked funny You Tube videos just for the heck of it.

Thank you for reading,

God Bless and have a great week.

Matthew

















July 2, 2009

As some of you may or may not know, I dual-boot with Ubuntu on one partition and Windows 7 Beta on the other. I am usually using Ubuntu to do the most of my work but alas, at times I do need to use Windows for applications I use that will only run on Windows. If WINE would run these apps, I would be much happier but certain programs like, Photoshop CS3, Dreamweaver CS4 and the like, refuse to play nice with WINE or even an amazing program called Crossover.
Short & the long of it is, I need a Windows machine at times and I prefer speed over using a Virtual Machine.
So, imagine my disdain when I was reminded a few days ago that the Beta version of Windows 7 I was running was expiring on July 1st.
Well, July 1st has come and gone and thankfully the expiration hasn't done anything too drastic.
So far the changes are pretty benign; you get an annoying pop-pop that tells you ," This Beta version of Windows 7 will expire in '0' days. Please install any version of Windows 7 Ultimate', then after approx. two hours, the machine will shutdown trashing any unsaved work, messing with the registry, yadda-yadda-yadda.... From what I've read, the PC is only supposed to reboot every two hours but mine has been shutting down.
So this presented me with a problem; it tells you to "install any version of Windows 7 Ultimate...which won't be out until October.

So, I have a long-term [1 year] solution thanks to John Baker over at John Baker's Brit Blog. He points out that Microsoft is still offering free downloads to the Windows 7 RC [Release Candidate] version until August 15th!

What this means is that anyone with a Windows Live ID, [MSN, Live.com, Hotmail, etc.] can download the RC ISO, burn it to a disc and replace the beta version. The good news is that this version is good until June 1, 2010 which gives users like myself time to decide what to do.

Bad news is, if you already have a version of Windows 7 installed, you have to back up all of your data because the upgrade will perform a full format of your hard drive. This frustrates me to no end as Ubuntu, ever since I first installed it back in 2005, releases an upgrade, for free, every six months like clockwork.
When you perform the upgrade, you never have to back anything up as Ubuntu just works and makes sure all of your important data won't be destroyed.

Anyway, here are my options;

  1. Keep using Win7Beta & keep an eye on the clock so I know when it's going to shut down. [This isn't really viable as I hear that it will completely cease operation on August 15th.]
  2. Back up my 455+GB of data, then perform a full wipe while installing Win7RC.
  3. Giving the "finger" to MS and performing a complete install of Ubuntu 9.04 -Jaunty Jackalope knowing that my data will be safe.
Well, I'm more than likely going to go with number 2 as I have the means to do it and also due to the programs I mentioned above. [I know there are Open Source alternatives like GIMP and Kompozer but I'm very good with the Adobe products...plus...I actually paid for these apps instead of boot-legging them like some other "unsavory types." As a software developer, I realize that we "gots to get paid" so if software is meant to be purchased, I buy it rather than downloading keys or cracks. Now it the software is offered for free...then heck yeah I'll use the free option and if I like it, I'll donate a few bucks to the cause.

So if you're in the same boat as I am, or something similar and you were wondering, "WTF! Expired!? What do I do??."

Just head on over to Microsoft's Windows 7 Release Candidate page and follow the instructions to back up your data and install Win7RC over the Beta.

Also, I am indebted to John Baker's very informative article and without it, I would have been caught off guard, stuck & Googling from my Android device attempting to find a solution, so jump on over there after reading this and make sure I haven't missed anything. ;-)

He also has an article regarding the release dates of the Official Windows 7 versions including pricing and it's definitely worth the read.

So until next time, post any questions as a comment or send them on over as an email to qanda@Krubuntu.com and if we have or can find a solution/answer for you, we will not only send you the solution, but if it's a good question or solution ro a previous one, we will use it in an article!
Thanks for reading as well as you re support and watch soon for our series on Getting Android to run on an OLPC XO-1 Laptop! Should be interesting!

Cheers,

~Matthew Krum


June 16, 2009

I know, I know, this blog rarely gets updated as it is and I have to take a hiatus due to having no job. I don't know if that's good or bad for the three people that read my updates but the good news is, I will still be updating, just not about Android or Linux.

I am going on a trip with my mother-in-law to Eastern Oregon, Eastern Washington and Western Idaho. What she does for a living is kind of weird, she collects Barn Owl Pellets. So we will be driving into places in the middle of nowhere and climping cliffs to get into caves to get pellets and going into old barns and climbing old (and new) silos and graineries. You know, places that barn owls frequent.

The good news is, I will be posting my progress here and also at Twitter.com/Krubuntu.
So please check it out, it can actually be something interesting to read and we will be back to our normal discussions in a week.
Now Open Source Sundays will still happen so stay tuned for our review of Microsoft Word 2007 vs. OpenOffice.org v. 3.1 and why I find myself using Open Office more & more eveyday.

Well thanks for reading and please continue to come back!

~Matthew Krum

May 2, 2009



Aaand.... we're back.


All apologies to anyone that may have checked out our site in the last five months but we had a number of issues to clear up in our social circles, financial circles and dealing with a family pet's death. :-(


But we're back and we're ready to rock!


So as I stated in the first post as well as other places in the blog, we are dedicated to teaching people about alternative Operating Systems for computers as well as Open Source or free software options for various functions, businesses, devices and people. During our hiatus, my wife and I discussed what direction we wanted to go in with Krubuntu and what we felt we were best at teaching people and had the most resources to educate users.

What we've decided is a little off the path we had intended to follow but we feel this blog, (forum coming soon!) will still benefit users that have inquiries regarding their computers.


But...mainly we know that we will be a super-useful resource for individuals that need help with their mobile devices like; cell phones, smart phones, BlackBerry's, Internet tablets and even netbooks.

If you have a question about a mobile device or industry, we can answer it, regardless of OS.


On that note, I'm happy to announce that my wife and I recently purchased two G-1 Touch Screen Phones running the Android OS.


This device was billed by many as the iPhone killer when it was released in September. Now I can't judge the iPhone without being biased. I've never owned an iPod let alone an iPhone, I hate that it's a GSM device and you have to jump through hoops to get it unlocked and use it on network other than AT&T and I don't like the idea of being required to use iTunes to activate and sync your device. So, we won't be comparing this device to the iPhone.

What we will be doing is a video review of the G-1 that's more thorough than the ones that are currently cruising the blogs and a Weekly Review of Apps downloaded from the Android Market.

Now this doesn't mean that we won't be covering new distros of Linux or setting up the forum to answer questions so watch for those updates. Also, tune in every Sunday as they will be Open Source Sundays and we will be posting an article about a popular program or application that is commonly used with Windows or OS X, [like MS Word] and going over the Open Source equivalent or options [like Open Office.org Writer.]

But, as stated previously, we feel this is a better path for us to take and use our expertise on.


So, if you don't know what the G-1 is, check out http://www.t-mobileg1.com/ and if you don't know what Android is, check out www.Android.com and come back for Video Reviews of the G-1 and apps as well as Linux Distros and again, we are a not-for-profit organization and if you'd like to donate using PayPal, send any amount to Matthew@Krubuntu.com with Donation selected and type in Krubuntu where it asks what the payment is for.


Cheers,


Matthew Krum


Blog Archive