Ralph Bonnell's June 2007 Newsletter

Ralph Bonnell's June 2007 Monthly Newsletter: Hello everyone and... cool, your all still here :) Below is another installment of the BEST technology newsletter in the galaxy. Included in this issue are the answers to life, the universe, and everything. This message will self destruct in 42 seconds.

This is issue #2. Since you are on this list, please feel free to check out my last issue at: (http://groups.google.com/group/cybie )

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.-==-01-==-. My books

I buy waaaay too many technical books. Lots of manga too, but I like to stay ahead of the curve. Here is a shot of one of my bookcases: ( http://ralph.cx/temp/mybooks.jpg ). Some are signed, the Free as in Freedom is signed by Richard Stallman, the COMDEX Fall'98 guide book is signed by Bill Gates (all while Steve Ballmer lectured me on getting SQL Server certified - yeah, sure Steve), the Gimp book is signed by the Gimp maintainer, Hacking Exposed: Fifth Edition by the authors, and the Open Sources book signed by many legends in the open source community! ( http://ralph.cx/temp/opensources.jpg ). I also got Scully's autograph at a E3 video gaming convention once - I was surrounded by X-Files geeks, quite an interesting experience. I am heading to the Ubuntu Live conference in Portland next month - hoping to get Mark Shuttleworth's autograph on a Ubuntu Live CD if I can manage it :)

.-==-02-==-. The future of server-side software distribution

The other week I read about a new startup in the bay whose business model is centered around software distribution based on virtual machine (VM) technology. Although this company may not make it, as the technology they are introducing is closed and proprietary in the areas that matter, I believe the concept is going to take off and eventually take over.

I can imagine a data center where all server are just shells for running virtual machines. The new Linux Kernel Virtual Machine support is right first step towards this goal. Every process will have its own IP address and the developer of the application will have a much, much easier time troubleshooting the application as its running its own, custom Linux OS. Need to install one of these apps? Download it, start the VM, done. Keep an eye out in this space as it really is the future of server-side distribution.

.-==-03-==-. The custom, Linux-based flash appliance revolution has BEGUN!

And the first round actually goes to Palm! If you have not heard about this yet, check out: ( http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/30/palm-foleo-gallery/ ) If you read my last blog you will get the hint that I think ALL end user devices will eventually be embedded, flash based Linux devices. The Palm Foleo was announced last week and it is exactly what I had in mind. I cannot say if this actual product will take off, as Palm has mentioned the OS will be a closed platform. I hope they change their minds, as it will make a BIG difference. I am not too worried as I know I will hack mine the night I buy the first one ;)

I would recommend watching the All Things Digital online telecast event: ( http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid716692140/bclid75651356...
) There are some very interesting people talk, including Steve Jobs and Bill Gates on the same stage (that has not happened in a long time). One thing that became apparent to me after watching Bill and Steve talk about the future of technology was the impression that they both believe in the future of 'fat clients'. Of course they do, they sell Windows and OSX. I am sure the 'next big thing' will not come from Microsoft or Apple :)

.-==-04-==-. Madness!

THE 100 SCARIEST MOVIE SCENES: (but i have to admit some of these videos had me laughing out loud! nothing better than a low budget horror movie)
http://www.retrocrush.com/scary/index.html

I wasted lots of time browsing vintage advertising in this livejournal community: (please note some of these ads are quite politically incorrect, but they actually happened! - note the 'earlier' link at the bottom, there are many more pages!)
http://community.livejournal.com/vintage_ads/

Hindsight is an animated satellite map that shows where growth has occured in the last 100 years or so. Kinda neat!
http://hindsight.trulia.com/

Now this is a cool thing to do to your car:
http://pdos.csail.mit.edu.nyud.net:8080/~rsc/ahealy/pi_small.jpg

Choose your own adventure! Can you HANDLE it!?: (watch out for the killer manticore, it eats people (who use microsoft products) alive!)
http://www.atrianglemorning.com/games//flash.php

I tend to go here quite a bit as they host links to flash videos of pretty much every cool cartoon: Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Boondocks, Clone High, Drawn Together, Family Guy, Frisky Dingo, Futurama, Harvey Birdman, Metalocalypse, Moral Orel, Robot Chicken, Sealab 2021, South Park, and Venture Brothers:
http://video.glath.com/

.-==-05-==-. Ill be back!

I have a busy month coming up! Heading to Portland, OR this week and I cannot wait to browse around Powell's Technical Book store! Next weekend I am going to hike half-dome at Yosemite National Park and the week of June 18th I will be teaching in St. Paul, MN.

I plan on heading to Defcon this year in Las Vegas! Let me know if any of you are going so we can party!! :)

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Ralph Bonnell, mystical goomba-stomping security ninja