Microsoft loves Open Source

So I am not alone in enjoying Open Source!! Microsoft says 'We love Open Source'

Some important points brought out:

• Microsoft wants the world to understand, whatever its issues with Linux, it no longer has any gripe toward open source.
• In 2010 Microsoft is trying hard not to be public enemy No. 1 to open source proponents
• Microsoft seems to be making a concerted effort to befriend portions of the open source community
• Microsoft recognizes that its customers use a mix of proprietary and open source technologies

Read on more here: http://bit.ly/9wEvNg

From today's Economic Times Mubai edition front page: A JOKE in Kerala paying tribute to the drinking competencies of Malayalis is that in most towns the only one who can stand without a wobble after 6 pm is the local Gandhi statue. Keeping to that tradition, Keralites have just completed a ‘fizzcal’ year, in terms of contribution to the state exchequer, from drinking. 

It would be unusual for any government anywhere in the world to have tax revenue from liquor as its key source of income, but glass-clinking Keralites have managed that, with sales taxes from liquor overtaking tax earnings from petroleum sales for the first time, in 2009-10. 

In other words, sales tax collection from petrol, diesel, ATF and kerosene, which contributed 2,903 crore in 2009-10, has been eclipsed by tax revenues from brandy, whisky, wine, gin, rum and other assorted spirits that brought in 3,000.2 crore. 

For a perspective of the state’s overall sales tax revenues, taxes on liquor and petroleum now contribute roughly 55%. Another statistic can be more numbing than a quick doublelarge peg that many drinkers prefer when in a hurry: While turnover of the Kerala State Beverages Corporation, or KSBC, over a 22-year period from its inception in 1984 to 2005-06, was 18,100 crore, the earnings in the past four years and four months were a whopping 19,075 crore.  

Keralites’ drinking pattern surprises President Patil
CONTRIBUTION to the exchequer in the first 22 years was 13,722 crore, while in the past four years and four months, the gross contribution to the coffers tallied 14,922 crore, said N Shanker Reddy, managing director, KSBC. And, all of this despite the state’s influential Catholic Church constantly decrying the easy availability of liquor, and even an expression of dismay by President Pratibha Patil about the drinking pattern of Keralites, when she visited the state last year.

Have you patched up your Windows?

Have you patched up your Windows systems? Well, only licensed users can do it up!

Check out: http://bit.ly/9C3E6x

 

Microsoft today issued a record 14 security updates to patch a record-tying 34 vulnerabilities in Windows, Internet Explorer (IE), Office and Silverlight.
Of the 34 flaws, Microsoft rated 14 as "critical," the highest threat ranking in the firm's four-step scoring system. Seventeen were pegged as "important," and three were labeled as "moderate."

And Microsoft site for the details:http://bit.ly/ah0NnJ

 

Today we released fourteen security bulletins

 

. Eight have a maximum severity rating of Critical with the other six having a maximum severity rating of Important. Furthermore, six of the fourteen bulletins either do not affect the latest version of our products or affect them with reduced severity. We hope that the table below helps you prioritize the deployment of the updates appropriately for your environment.

Microsoft

 

rated all those vulnerabilities with a "1" on the exploitability index.

Looks like a SysAdmin's nightmare!! In the Indian Govt context, those entrusted to take care and be responsible for huge IT infrastructures, with most machines on Windows platforms (licenses??? - who heard of them!!) can only pray! :-/

Linux Power - cross country config

This was a first one for me - and showed the amazing power of Linux - configuring Tata Photon+ of a Linux machine cross country - of a machine in Kochi and me at Mumbai (of course - on the Internet, distance doesn't matter - I could have been in Australia for that matter!).

No names - thats for later :-) - but a senior officer at SNC (much senior than me of course) - who has been bowled over by Linux wanted to badly use Tata Photon+ for portability reasons. I did pass on info for configuring it, and realised he may be not too confident on the command line.

The first challenge was to somehow get him connected to the Internet (landline Internet connectivity would have been easiest - but was not available immediately!!). Got him easily connect up to the Internet using his CoolPad Reliance Mobile (yess, it was a single shot install without much ado), than had his dymanic IP found, and had him install 'ssh' (wanted to use VNC for remote desktop - realised speeds of mobile connectivity not much), then remote logged in his machine, found out the Tata Photon+ plugged in details, configured wvdial and the 'usbserial' module - and bingo - he was connected through his Tata Photon+

Hmmmm... you bet he was surprised and impressed, not much with me, but with the Linux versatility thing!! Though I have done lots of cross country configs for few other apps, Tata Photon+ was a first cross country for me! 

Open Source giants - kiss and make up

When two giants - Greg DeKoenigsberg (of Fedora/ Red Hat Fame) and Mark Shuttleworth (of Ubuntu Fame) rant and make up showing great maturity, its time for we lesser mortals to listen and learn! Thats what makes these guys great men and successful!! A must read for all Open Source fans!

Blog of Greg

Blog of Mark

Believe me, a moment to have tears in the eyes - a la Bollywood tear jerker!! :-)