Teknovis

I want to buy a new laptop for myself. I need it! My old one is too big and heavy, the screen is losing its contrast, and the battery lasts for approximately 30 seconds :(

In the past I tended to buy high-end laptops on the basis that they would last for longer. This worked to a certain extent, but this time I want to try a new approach. I am going to buy a relatively low-end laptop, but replace it more frequently. The disadvantage of this approach is that it is very time consuming to setup a new computer.

Last year I started experimenting with using Ubuntu within VMware as my main desktop operating system on and old computer. I was very impressed with its speed and stability. So I have decided that I am going to virtualise my entire desktop on the new laptop. The advantages of this approach are:

• Moving my computer from one piece of hardware to another becomes trivial. This is useful for when I want to upgrade my laptop in the future. It also means that I can put my computer onto an external hard disk.
• Backing-up my computer also becomes trivial. I am thinking about backing it up automatically every night!
• Snapshots can be taken before I install any software on a test basis. I can then roll-back my computer if I do not like the new software.
• It provides my computer with a lot of extra security from network based attacks.

My overall requirements for my new laptop are that it supports three different virtual machines:

• I want to start using the Ubuntu based virtual machine as my main computer. I am waiting for Lucid Lynx 10.4 LTS.
• I am currently using Windows 2000 as main my operating system. I think it is great ;)
• Unfortunately, I have one program that I need to use regularly, and this program requires Windows XP (or later) :(

I will use NAT to network all three virtual machines most of the time. However, sometimes I will need to use the Windows 2000 virtual machine in bridged mode so that it can be a first class member of my domain.

Therefore, the overall architecture of what I am trying to achieve should look like this:

Now that I know what I want to achieve, I just need to find the best way to realise this!

Hardware

I am currently considering buying either a Dell Inspiron 1545, Inspiron 15 Intel Core i, or a Studio 15. I am a Dell fan, and a 15″ screen is the best size for me. I will get 4GB of RAM, and either a 350GB or a 500GB hard disk.

I will get one of the cheapest processors available. I am currently considering either the Intel Pentium Dual-Core Processor T4400 or the Intel Core i3-330M. I will probably choose the latter, because it seems to have better support for virtualisation because it supports VT-x according to its specification. In practice I do not know if this will provide a noticeable benefit.

In terms of form-factor, I dislike the idea of a number keypad on a laptop. Therefore, I will probably go for a Studio 15.

I am going to have to buy an external card reader, because none of these laptops support Compact Flash cards :( My cameras all use Compact Flash :o

I wonder how the host operating systems sees the integrated web camera. I hope that it appears as a standard USB device, so that it can easily be shared with the virtual machines.

Host Operating System

My requirements for the host operating system are:

• It must be very secure, because I will use my laptop in a lot of public networks.
• It must be easy to connect to file servers. This is important, because I will need to back-up my virtual machines.
• It must have a software based firewall that is very easy to configure precisely.

I think that the clear winner here is Ubuntu with Firestarter. If my Linux skills were better I would use Debian instead :o

The only question I have is whether I should use the 32bit or the 64bit version of Ubuntu?

Virtual Machine Software

The two options that I am considering for this are VMware Workstation and VirtualBox. My main requirements are that the virtual machine software is secure, and that it supports VT-x. I think that both do!

However, there are still some issues that I have not resolved:

• Should I use the 32bit version or the 64bit version?
• Which offers better performance?
• Will they both support my hardware equally well?
• Is there a risk of becoming locked into one of these products?
• How is Hyper-threading supported? Presumably, the virtual machine software would think that it has four cores to distribute to the virtual machines. However, in reality it would only have two. This makes me think that I should disable Hyper-threading.
• Does the virtual machine file format change with each new release of the virtual machine software?

Cost is not really an issue here.

Guest Operating Systems

As I wrote above, I will use Ubuntu, Windows 2000, and Windows XP on my virtual machines.

My questions relating to the guest operating systems are:

• Should I choose the 32bit or the 64bit version of Ubuntu?
• Will the OEM version of Windows XP that I got with a previous Dell computer install into a virtual machine without lots of registration issues?

If anybody has any opinions, experience, advice, or answers relating to any of this then I would love to read them!

Thanks!

Tags: Debian, Dell, Firestarter, Firewall, Microsoft, Ubuntu, VirtualBox, VMware, Windows 2000, Windows XP

I had a very interesting discussion with somebody recently about infrared photography. I never understood why there were two very different types of infrared photos. It transpires that this is due to the differences between near infrared and far infrared.  For more about this see About infrared photography. The Coke bottle image is very impressive!

I also thought that How to make a webcam work in infra red was very interesting, and I am tempted to try it! The photo of the 5€ note is very interesting!

Tags: Infrared

Boston Dynamics have developed a really impressive two-legged robot called PETMAN! To read more about it take a look at First Video of Boston Dynamics PETMAN Biped.

To see a video of it “walking” see PETMAN Prototype. To see a video of one of the previous robots, known as Big Dog, see BigDog Reflexes. Both videos are best watched in high quality!

Tags: Boston Dynamics

I just finished a conversation with a relation who lives abroad. I used Skype on my computer, and the she used her new RTX DUALphone 3088. I bought this phone for her, and it is actually the third RTX DUALphone 3088 that I have bought in the last few weeks for relations abroad :o

The relations that I bought these phones for are all competent Internet users. For example, they would know how to find, download, install, and use Skype, but they would not know how to configure a home broadband router. All three of them with able to use their new phones within a few minutes of opening the boxes!

All three relations are absolutely delighted with the phones to date, and two of them are now using Skype for calls to landlines also!

Perhaps the biggest advantage of these phones is that they plug straight into a broadband router, and that they do not require either a computer or a WiFi connection.

My only complaint with the phone is that it does not support Skype chats. However, the phone automatically updates its firmware, so hopefully this functionality will appear soon!

I found the RTX Skype Dualphone 3088 review - part I review very useful when I was deciding to purchase this phone.

Tags: RTX DUALphone 3088, Skype

I bought a Dell Inspiron 10v last week because I was really impressed with its weight and size. It came with some version of Windows XP, but I removed this and I installed Ubuntu Netbook Remix 9.04 instead. I decided to try this because I liked the user interface, and I thought that it might extend my battery life.

Everything appeared to installed correctly, except the display driver :( The maximum resolution that I can specify is 800×576. However, the 10v has a native resolution of 1024×576!

This is driving me mad! I posted a comment on the Ubuntu form (see Ubuntu Netbook Remix Display Resolution on Dell Inspiron 10v), but I have not got any responses yet :( I would love to know if anybody has got a 10v to work at this resolution! At least then I would know it is possible!

Unfortunately, if I do not find a solution soon I will have to revert to Windows :(

I will keep my blog updated with any progress that I make.

Tags: Dell, Ubuntu, Windows XP

I read an article during the week describing how several of the major mobile phone manufacturers have agreed to develop a standard mobile phone charger for use throughout the EU! I think that this would be very useful, and I am surprised that I never thought about this before now! The original article that I read is All change for mobile chargers.

I wonder what other aspects of consumer electronics could be standardised. The most obvious one that I can think of is laptop chargers.

Tags: Mobile Phone

I was delighted to read that the first Galileo contracts were awarded during the week in Contracts give impetus to Galileo. There should be plenty of business opportunities for companies working in this area as the work progresses and sub-contractors are required.

However, I think that the most significant business opportunities will arise when the system is operational. In my opinion there are two significant benefits of Galileo compared to GPS:

• Galileo will be under civilian control, and the system operators will be able to provide guaranteed levels of service. This contrasts with the GPS system being under the control of the US military, and therefore it has no guaranteed levels of service.
• Galileo will provide more detailed location information, and its signals are more resilient.

It certainly should be an interesting space in which to work in the near future!

Tags: Galileo, GPS

I read earlier in the week that General Electric has developed a 500GB optical disk! Wow! I remember being really impressed when 700MB CDs became available! That seemed huge at that time! I have since learned that when considering data storage whatever number seems huge at any given time will quickly become small :o

To read more about this see Optical disc offers 500GB storage.

Tags: General Electric

Is it a pen? No! It is a dictaphone? No! Is it a mobile phone? No! Is it a Bluetooth hands free headset that also functions as a pen? Yes!

According to the French manufacturer Gsm-Earpiece, the device is intended for the following purpose:

The Gsm Pen was specially designed for students who need some help at their examinations. During their exam or test they can get the necessary information from their friends over the cell phone. Keeping the phone in their pocket they can talk to the pen that they are using for writing and listen to the correct answers with the micro earpiece in their ear.

Some other more general uses for Gsm-Earpiece’s products are also described in Spy Earpiece - What is it for?.

If you really are interested in learning more about this headset, then visit Gsm Pen - What is it for?. (Note the interesting spelling sell phone while you are there ;)

Tags: France

I heard a friend of mine use the term weaktop during the week to describe a netbook. Perhaps his view is due to the fact that he is an intense gamer, and hence a netbook simply is not of much use to him. Either way, I thought that the term was very humorous :D

Unfortunately, I quickly discovered that my friend was not the first person to create or use this term. For example, there are many articles such as Linux weaktops poised for death by smartphone that already use it :o