How to know if you're on Gnome or KDE?

If you find yourself in the situation where you don't know on which desktop manager are you working on, then this may be useful:

In a terminal, type:
echo $DESKTOP_SESSION

There you could see something like this:
gnome

HDMI Output in Ubuntu

Many of us are used to have an external monitor (or TV) attached to our laptop or computer.  If you are a windows user (windows 7 in my case), then it is a very simple task.

Last weekend I have installed the latest Ubuntu available (version 11.04, the Natty Narwhal), and me and my family wanted to watch an episode of an online series, but of course in our external TV.

To start, I must say that it is not as easy (and direct) as it is in windows. But based on the idea that we use Linux not precisely for its simplicity (although latest versions of whatever Linux available have improved a lot in this matters), then it worth trying.

First we must access the monitor preference, this is (by using the classic Ubuntu interface, not the one with the launcher or the dash or search interface) System --> Preferences --> Monitors.

Here we can see our laptop screen and our external monitor. In this case I have a Sony TV (I don't know why it recognizes as a 72 " TV, I wish it was!). If we want to activate the external monitor, then we have to click on the selected screen (for example Sony 72") and then select the "ON" radio button.

To show the movie or whatever we want to see in that screen, then we only have to drag our window towards the specified external location (in my case, the right of my laptop screen).

But here does not end the story. What about the audio?. Well, it seems that audio and video are not automatically  related in Ubuntu (or Linux). Well, to have the audio as well in the external device, we must go to the menu System --> Preferences --> Sound, go to the hardware tab and then select the proper  "profile" from the options down in the window. In this case, the one with the "HDMI" option.

Well, now it should work. If it doesn't work (the audio), then you can test your configuration with any of the options available in the profile drop down menu.

There are many options to try, for the HDMI and for the Audio. You can go and try until you find exactly what you need. I'll probe some configurations and then I will comment out the results.

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Social Networks for children

Today, if we are older than 13, we have our choices when we think about social networks: Facebook, MySpace, Orkut, Badoo and others.

But what about the younger ones?. Well, there are also options for them to choose from, such as club Club Penguin,Neopets, Moshi Monsters, etc.

Well, they were developed with children in mind. They have strong parent support options and identities control. The main idea is based on games. The (mini) users interact with others by collecting objects, taking care of a pet, exchange information about their animals, etc.

Like any other social network we know, it's free. Any user can access (after a registration process) and start playing with others friends in the network. Although there are other paid alternatives. You can purchase an extra amount of "fun" for 50$ a year.

Well, it is interesting that some people are thinking about our children. We  can't just give them access to the Internet without adult supervision. We bring the to the world, and we must take care of their proper education. Right now teaching them to  "consume" the  web it is  a must when we talk about their education.

Ref: http://america.infobae.com/notas/27323-Redes-sociales-para-ninos-la-envidia-de-Facebook

New Ubuntu 11.04

Ubuntu has announced a new version of its Operating System. Well, they mention in their webpage a lot of new features, such as easy installing procedures, services in the cloud, and compatibility with windows (?). One important (new) feature is the inter-platform Ubuntu-One service, which lets you sync data among your computers and other devices, such as phones or tablets. Interesting, ha?

Well, besides everything, it is still free. Right now I am installing it and soon I'll post my experience with this new version.

Ref --> http://www.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/features/ubuntu-one

IBM, 100 years of tech history

Well, many of us may think that we can live without IBM, not knowing that there are indeed many things in our everyday´s life that were invented by IBM. For example, the bar code used in almost every store in the world, as well as the hard disk used in our computers. Small things that greatly changed the way that we work, have fun or simply live our lives.

But not everything is in color when we first think about this giant. IBM could have been the biggest company in the field, such as Microsoft, Apple or Google. But, a series of bad decisions, or combination of bad situations forced IBM to be relegated from the firsts places. A movie (Pirates of Silicon Valley), even not proben to be a real history, showed the lack of vision of an IBM´s employee when affirmed to Bill Gates that "the important thing was the hardware" rather than the software. I believe in this moment (if ever happened) they started to lose an important piece of the tech-cake.

Their products once were the top of the line, such as the punched cards, the personal computer  or the super computer Deep Blue, which was used to play a famous chess match against Gary Kasparov. They also sent their technology to the moon, with the Apollo Mission back in 1969.

It seems that today IBM is trying to recover what it has lost over time. After selling its less profitable sections such as the PC manufacturing to Lenovo, it is trying now to make money out of other approaches. Services in the cloud, super computers, servers among others are IBM's new bet to the future.

IBM has also helped other strong technologies to grow and survive. Linux, open source projects and advances in R&D are some of the most important contributions of this giant.

Many things can be said about IBM nowadays, but what is certain is that their innovation , their patents, services and their products have being among us for a long time, and hopefully they will be a lot more.

References:
* http://america.infobae.com/notas/27280-IBM-un-gigante-que-cumple-100-anos
* http://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/index.php/tecnologia/29284-ibm-espiritu-de-la-revolucion-tecnologica
* http://edition.cnn.com/2011/TECH/innovation/06/15/ibm.anniversary.gallery/index.html

One more tech blog?

Well, when i created this blog I've thought, why should I write about tech stuff?, why become "one more" of millions that do the same thing?. Well, because I found myself again and again in the same situation where
I think "I've solved this problem before, but I don't remember exactly how I did it!!".

also, I am passionate about tech trends, and I would like to write (and why not, share?) about what I consider
something relevant in the field, to industry, academics, or just to every day work and a normal person.

Well, those are basically the main motivation, and I hope that maybe my posts will be useful to someone else
in the future.