June 2008

Wow. Just wow.

Despite Microsoft’s efforts, the majority of developers still aren’t writing with Windows Vista in mind, a new study by Evans Data says. Only eight percent of software firms surveyed were specifically coding with Vista in mind, while additional data brought together by CNET indicates that 49 percent are still writing for Windows XP; 13 percent are programming for Linux, according to reports.

Source: electronista

There is a great article on Times Online about how the use of technology changes our overall views and behaviours.

Friedrich Nitzsche used a typewriter at some point in his writing. A friend noticed the change his style of writing, which poses one interesting question:

If a typewriter could do this to a mind as profound and powerful as Nietzsche’s, what on earth is Google now doing to us?

Regarding the ever-faster way we need to adapt to new impressions and the ever-increasing workload most of us have to deal with, the following except grabbed my attention:

The experience of reading only one good book for a while, and allowing its themes to resonate in the mind, is what we risk losing. When I was younger I would carry a single book around with me for days, letting its ideas splash around in my head, not forming an instant judgment (for or against) but allowing the book to sit for a while, as the rest of the world had its say – the countryside or pavement, the crowd or train carriage, the armchair or lunch counter. Sometimes, human beings need time to think things through, to allow themselves to entertain a thought before committing to it.

This is exactly what I have been missing for years now. To have the time to just dwell and reflect on things, without having to commit to anything. To have access to the luxury of being alone with one’s thoughts. Whenever there is even a small amount of time to do this, I find myself more relaxed and with a mind way more clear than before.

Google is gaining more and more sympathies as they continues to be very vocal about net neutrality. Recently, Richard Whitt (Senior Policy Director at Google) informed the public that Google will be providing a toolbox to allow end users to check if their broadband service is throttled, capped or in another way neutered. Check here for the full article.

Although, quite a few commenters over the net seem to have their difficulties accepting this to be a somewhat selfless act from Google.

Recently I tried to get the above configuration to work. Here’s what I found.

Information for everyone looking to accomplish the same: since firmware version 1.1 there is no way to successfully set up a usable VPN connection between a Mac and a WRVS4400N. This is due to two problems:

1. The router does not support IPsec client-to-host connections, only gateway-to-gateway. So if you’re looking to connect two networks through a VPN tunnel, you’re in luck. If you want to be able to check in to your home network while on the road, you are not.

2. The only client-side VPN functionality currently working is QuickVPN, which is a proprietary method of eastablishing a secure connection with the router. This software is Windows-only.

Interesting fact on the side: when I spoke to a Linksys technical sales representative, he told me that this particular router is aimed primarily at the home user market, although it is listed under “business” products. To use IPsec as intended on a Mac, you’d better stick to the RV082 and hook up a n-Wireless access point to it.

Wow, it’s quite unreal to see what the power of money and the apparently unstoppable lust for it does to people.

When looking for a way to connect VPN Tracker to a Linksys WRVS4400N router, I came across the vendors’ support site. There is a diagram on the right top side showing which department is available right now. Well, what can I say – it pretty much speaks for itself.

Sadly, this has pretty much become the “usual and accepted situation” for most vendors.

Update: I have been successful in reporting an incident via email and have been given a reply within 2 hours. Wow! The helpful tech support girl(!) even offered me to check the router via remote access. I removed all networking connections instead of the internet and let her work her magic. Unfortunately the router is just not capable of what I want to accomplish – back to the drawing board it is. Now I’m seriously impressed with their service!