Box Cloud Storage App Updated & Offering 50GB Free Space to New Users

If you’re looking for a good cloud storage and file sync service that will work well on the iPad, then right about now is a great time to look at Box – as they’re offering 50GB of free space to new users and have just done a major update to Version 3.0 of their iPad and iOS app.

Box has been one of the leaders in the cloud file sync and storage area for many years now, and has had a strong presence on iOS for as long as I can remember. I’ve been using it for years along with Dropbox and Google Drive.

I’ve only had a quick run around the newly updated Box app this morning, but I’d say it looks quite nice and has some cool new features.

I especially like some of the swipe gestures to bring up options for files and folders.

Here are a few of Box’s key features, as per its App Store page:

・High-quality rendering of 100+ file types
・High-fidelity PDF, PowerPoint…

Read the whole entry…‘»

(Via iPad Insight.)

Raspberry Pi in demand

Just to get a brief idea on how much the Raspberry Pi computer was in demand, here is a statistic that you might be able to identify with – we are talking about 700 units per second. That amounts to 42,000 each minute, and it is no wonder that the demand for the Raspberry Pi during its recent launch actually led to the website crashing. This is truly a phenomenon, where a British-designed system that costs a mere £22 is in such high demand, at least according to one of its main distributors in the UK. Meant to make programming a snap as well as accessible for children, the Raspberry Pi also picked up plenty of envious glances over from a Middle East country that is outlining plans to furnish each schoolgirl with a Raspberry Pi. This is one unique case study that goes to show how the most powerful hardware necessarily “wins” in the long run, giving people what they want and need tend to ensure victory instead.

(Via Ubergizmo.)

Raspberry Pi launch so popular that retail partners collapse under load

Raspberry Pi, an innovative $35 GNU/Linux box in a tiny package, launched yesterday — sort of. Demand was so hot that all the company’s retail partners collapsed under load. From Ars Technica’s Ryan Paul:

The product is a bare board with a 700MHz ARM11 CPU and 256MB of RAM. It’s roughly the size of a deck of playing cards and has a powerful GPU that is reportedly competitive with that of modern smartphones. Developer prototypes of the product have been shown running impressive graphics demos and decoding high-definition video…

At the time of publication, the Farnell website is still spitting errors. The RS site has been partially restored and is intermittently available, but isn’t currently allowing users to purchase the Raspberry Pi. Instead, it displays a screen where users can register to express their interest in the product. The Raspberry Pi foundation managed to withstand the traffic by temporarily replacing the contents of its official website with a static page.

 

Alongside the launch, the Raspberry Pi foundation also announced that the cheaper $25 model, which will be launched at an undisclosed future date, got a spec bump and will have 256MB of RAM, just like the $35 model. The $25 board was originally expected to have only 128MB of RAM. The cheaper model will still lack several of the features found in the $35 model, such as the built-in ethernet controller.

(Via Boing Boing.)

(Via Tybee Guy.)

Ubuntu Remote Desktop: Built-In, VNC Compatible & Dead Easy

Sometimes it’s nice to connect to your computer remotely. Hardcore Ubuntu users typically see SSH as their remote connection tool of choice, but if you prefer graphics to the command line don’t worry: Ubuntu provides an option for you as well.

Using Ubuntu Remote Desktop you can have total control over your desktop from any other computer: Linux, Mac or Windows. You’ll see what’s on that screen and be able to move the mouse and even type. Best of all, the feature is built into the operating system by default, so you won’t have to install a thing.

Let’s check it out!

Turning Ubuntu Remote Desktop On

Simply put, turning on Ubuntu’s version of Remote Desktop could not be easier. You don’t need to install a thing: everything you need is built in. Simply click ‘Settings,’ then ‘Preferences,’ then ‘Remote Desktop.’ You’ll be presented with a simple window of options.

Just check the ‘Allow other users to view your desktop’ button. If you want other users to be able to control your computer, also click the ‘Allow other users to control your desktop’ button.

This window also provides you with a couple of security options. It’s highly recommended that you enable a password, but at the very least you should set it so that anyone connecting to your machine needs your permission before continuing.

As soon as you enable remote connection you’ll be told your IP address on the local network. Write this down.

Ubuntu’s remote desktop technology is based on the existing VNC standard. This means you can connect to a Ubuntu remote desktop using any VNC client. There are more than a few VNC clients around, so if you have a favorite on any platform you can use that to connect to Ubuntu already.

If you don’t have a favorite keep reading; you’ll find one by the time you’re done.

Connecting From Ubuntu/Linux

Ubuntu, and most Linux distributions, comes with an excellent VNC-compatible remote desktop viewer by default: Vinagre. You can find this program by clicking ‘Applications,’ then ‘Internet,’ then ‘Remote Desktop Viewer.’ Open this up and you’ll see all the desktops you can open on your current network. If not, you can always enter the IP you want to connect to directly.

Use this tool to connect to other Ubuntu desktops on your network and you’ll be controlling your computer remotely. Nifty, right? The tool can also be used to control any computer with a VNC client installed.

Connecting From Windows

Want to control your Ubuntu computer from a Windows computer? Don’t worry; it’s more than possible. You’ll just need to install a VNC client, such as TightVNC, on your Windows computer. Then you can connect to your Ubuntu machine just by entering your IP address. Varun wrote all about this in his article about establishing a remote desktop connection to Ubuntu from Windows.

Connecting From Mac

Mac users wanting to connect to their Ubuntu machines should check out Chicken of the VNC. Again, connecting to your Ubuntu machine is a simple matter of entering your IP address, but if you’re looking for some in-depth information about using VNC on a Mac you should check out Jackson’s article on easy remote desktop support on the Mac.

Away From Home

Want to connect to your Ubuntu machine while away from work? This is a little more tricky, but not totally impossible. You’re going to need a static IP, or a dynamic address from a service such as DynDNS. I could get into it here, but I’ve already written an article about using DynDNS to connect to your computer from anywhere with more than enough information to get you started. Best of all, that article already deals with VNC in a couple of examples.

Conclusion

There you have it: everything you wanted to know about Ubuntu’s remote desktop feature but were afraid to ask. Do these tricks work for you? Do you have a preferred VNC client that I failed to touch on? Do you have any tips to share with the crew? Don’t be shy; comment away!

(Via MakeUseOf.com.)

20 Linux System Monitoring Tools Every SysAdmin Should Know

Need to monitor Linux server performance? Try these built-in command and a few add-on tools. Most Linux distributions are equipped with tons of monitoring. These tools provide metrics which can be used to get information about system activities. You can use these tools to find the possible causes of a performance problem. The commands discussed below are some of the most basic commands when it comes to system analysis and debugging server issues such as:

1. Finding out bottlenecks.
2. Disk (storage) bottlenecks.
3. CPU and memory bottlenecks.
4. Network bottlenecks.

Read More

Songbird 1.2 Integrates into iTunes and iPods

Windows/Mac/Linux: Songbird is a powerful, clever music manager, but iPod/iPhone integration is its Achilles’ heel. The latest version aims to halfway heal that weakness by integrating tightly with iTunes playlists, while adding custom library management and Last.fm radio.

Full import and export functionality from Songbird to iTunes does, in a way, make it possible to manage your iPod touch or iPhone music (and other iPods you could already could sync) from Songbird—you just have to actually sync the device through iTunes and set it to grab those Songbird-managed playlists. Whether that’s an acceptable or convenient hack depends on how you regard iTunes, but it’s at least a nice gateway for those using more than one media player and Apple’s more locked-down devices.

More useful for the serious music collector is Songbird’s new folder and file management features, which definitely scores over iTunes’ one-size-will-fit-you-all option. It’s not quite boolean, but you can get specific on how your album folders and track titles are named. Last.fm radio works just like you’d think it does, and there are a good number of speed boosts and bug fixes included and explained at the Songbird blog linked below.

Songbird 1.2 is a free download for Windows, Mac, and Linux systems.

Songbird 1.2 is here [Songbird Blog via ReadWriteStart]

(Via Lifehacker.)