Windows Server 2008 Review

Windows Server 2008 is the most substantial upgrade to the Windows Server product line since Windows 2000, with a sweeping set of capabilities and a reengineered core that will usher in a new era of 64-bit server computing. Like its Windows Vista stable mate, Windows Server 2008 was in development an achingly long time, and some of its many features were originally slated for its predecessors, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2003 R2. Unlike Vista, however, this lengthy schedule hasn't proven problematic. In fact, it's arguably worked to the product's advantage: This is a refined, mature, and stable operating system that will no doubt power server systems of all kinds for years to come.

Though Windows Server 2008 utilizes an evolved version of the Active Directory (AD) infrastructure that first debuted in Windows 2000, many of the features of this new OS are radical and revolutionary. Key among these major advances are Server Core, which provides a lightweight version of the server aimed at specific workloads, and Hyper-V, Microsoft's hypervisor-based virtualization technology. (This latter technology is currently available only in beta form; see below for details.) As befits a major Windows Server upgrade, however, Windows Server 2008 also includes a slew of smaller functional advances as well as key gains in scalability, reliability, manageability, performance, and security.
Charting the changes: A look at new Windows Server 2008 functionality

Windows Server 2008 is feature-rich upgrade with numerous functional advantages over its predecessors. Here are some the changes in this release that I feel will have the biggest customer impact.
Componentization with a purpose

Microsoft has completely rearchitected Windows Server to be functionally componentized, a major change that has wide-reaching ramifications. At a high level, componentization allows for a more easily serviceable system, both for Microsoft and its customers. It also provides for a more secure and reliable system, because communication and dependencies between individual components is kept to a minimum.

More specifically, componentization enables some of Windows Server 2008's most exciting new functionality, such as its image-based deployment facilities, roles-based management, and Server Core.
Server Manager

While previous versions of Windows Server featured separate management consoles for all of the various roles and features in the OS and, in Windows Server 2003, a simple Manage Your Server dashboard, Windows Server 2008 provides the new Server Manager. This is a true one-stop shop for daily management needs and is the only tool that many Windows administrators will need to use on a regular basis.

The MMC-based Server Manager provides a user interface for managing each installed role and feature on the system, including Active Directory Domain Services, Application Server, DHCP Server, DNS Server, File Services, Terminal Services, Web Server, and many others. It also includes numerous valuable troubleshooting tools like Event Viewer, Services, and Reliability and Performance utilities, configuration tools like Task Scheduler, Windows Firewall, WMI Control, and Device Manager, and the new Windows Server Backup.

What makes Server Manager even more useful is that each section of the console's UI gets its own dedicated home page, each of which includes information pertinent to the role or feature at hand, along with links to fix problems, get more information, and access other tools. It's a thoughtful, well-designed application, both logical and useful.
Server Core

Unlike previous Windows Server versions, most Windows Server 2008 product editions can be installed in two modes, the traditional GUI-based server we've had since Windows NT 3.1 and a lightweight new command line-based environment called Server Core. In this new installation mode, Microsoft has stripped out virtually all the GUI, so there's no shell (Start Menu, taskbar, Explorer windows, etc.), and little in the way of end user applications; such things as Windows Media Player, Internet Explorer, and Windows Mail are all missing, though a few GUI-based applications, like Notepad and Task Manager, are still available. For the most part, the only user interface you'll see in Server Core is a single command line window floating over an empty blue backdrop. It's the ultimate anti-demo.

So what's the point? Server Core is designed to reduce the attack surface of the server to be as small as possible. As such, a Server Core install is also more limited than that of a standard Windows Server 2008 installation. It supports just nine roles, including AD, AD LDS, DHCP, DNS, File, Print, Virtualization (Hyper-V), Web Server, and WMS, compared to 18 roles in the full server.

Because Server Core is still Windows Server 2008, all of the familiar GUI-based management tools will work just fine remotely against this server. What won't work, in addition to the missing roles, is anything that requires a true GUI or the .NET Framework. This cancels out some key Windows Server 2008 functionality, unfortunately, including ASP .NET: Server Core's Web Server role is pretty much static only, supporting only older, non-.NET technologies like ASP.

My expectation is that Server Core will prove hugely popular as an infrastructure (AD, DNS, DHCP, file, print) server and as a low-cost, low-end Web server. It's a product that should compete well with Linux-based solutions.
BitLocker Full-Drive Encryption

BitLocker is a full-drive encryption solution that first debuted in Windows Vista as a way to protect data stored on easily lost and stolen executive notebook computers. It requires TPM 1.2-based hardware to store encryption keys and can be configured via Group Policy.

On the server, BitLocker is particularly valuable for machines stored in branch offices, because those servers are often less well physically protected than the machines back in the home office. If a thief walks off with a BitLocker-protected server, they won't be able to access any of the data stored on the system's hard drives. BitLocker also works really well with some of the other technologies discussed here to create a truly secure and useful branch office solution. (See the RODC section below for an example.)
Read-Only Domain Controller

Read-Only Domain Controller (RODC) is new functionality that allows administrators to optionally configure the AD database as read-only, where only locally cached user passwords are stored on the machine and AD replication is unidirectional, rather than bidirectional.

So why would you want to do this? Today, many organizations are installing servers in branch offices and other remote locations, and these servers often connect back to the home office using slow or unreliable WAN links. That makes AD replication--and even authentication--an arduous and lengthy process. With RODC, the server is typically set up and configured in the home office, shipped to the remote location, and then switched on. From then on, only the user names and passwords of users who hit the server locally--and not the administrator account--are cached locally on the server.

Like BitLocker, RODC is an excellent solution for physically insecure remote servers. Indeed, if you combine RODC with other new Windows Server 2008 technologies like BitLocker and Server Core, you can configure the most secure remote server possible. That way, even hackers who gain physical control of the server can't take over your network. And removing the stolen RODC from your AD is as simple as checking a switch: Only those users who logged on to that machine will need to change their passwords. You won't have to institute an organization-wide emergency, because most users' accounts will not have been cached on that machine.

RODC is somewhat limited in that it can only support a subset of the roles and functionality normally supported on Windows Server 2008. For example, RODC-based servers can support technologies such as ADFS, DHCP, DNS, Group Policy (GP), DFS, MOM (Microsoft Operations Manager), and SMS (System Management Server).
Internet Information Services 7

The new Web server in Windows Server 2008 is driven by a major new update to Internet Information Services (IIS). Like the server itself, IIS 7 is completely componentized so that only those components needed for the desired configuration are installed and, thus, need to be serviced. It sports a drastically improved management console, supports xcopy Web application deployment and delegated administration, and is backed by a new .NET-based configuration store, which replaces the previous, monolithic, configuration store.
Terminal Services

Terminal Services (TS) sees some major changes in Windows Server 2008. The new TS RemoteApp functionality allows admins to remotely deploy individual applications to desktops, instead of entire PC environments, which can be confusing to users. These applications download and run on user desktops and, aside from the initial logon dialog box, function and look almost exactly as they would were they installed locally. This functionality requires the new Remote Desktop client, which shipped in Windows Vista and can be downloaded for Windows XP with SP2 and above.

TS Gateway lets you tunnel TS sessions over HTTPS outside the corporate firewall, so that users can access their remote applications on the road without having to configure a VPN client. This is particularly useful because VPN connections are often blocked at wireless access points, whereas HTTPS rarely is.

TS gets a few small but useful changes as well. These include TS Easy Print, which makes it easy to print to local printers from remote sessions, 32-bit color support in TS sessions; and seamless copy and paste operations between the host OS and remote sessions.
Network Access Protection

Microsoft first planned to ship simple and easily configurable network quarantining functionality in Windows Server 2003, but it's here at last with Network Access Protection (NAP). This feature allows you to setup security policies for your network: When a client system connects, NAP examines the device to make sure it meets the requirements of your security policies. Those that do are allowed online. Those that do not--typically machines that only connect infrequently to the network, such as those used by travelling employees--are pushed aside into a quarantined part of the network, where they can be updated. How these updates happen depends on the configuration of your environment, but once that's complete, the system is given full access again and allowed back on the network. NAP includes remediation failback to Windows Update or Microsoft Update if the local Windows Server Update Services server is unavailable, and compatibility with Cisco's Network Admission Control (NAC) quarantining technologies.
Windows Firewall

For the first time, Windows Server ships with a firewall that is enabled by default. The new Windows Firewall is bidirectional and works seamlessly with all of the roles and features you can configure in Windows Server 2008. In fact, the Firewall is part of the new roles-based management model: As you enable and disable various roles and features, Windows Firewall is automatically configured in the background so that only the required ports are opened. This is a major change, and one that could hamper compatibility with third party products, so testing will be crucial.
Command line and scripting goodness

Those who prefer to automate their servers will rejoice at the new command line and scripting enhancements in Windows Server 2008, though I'm a bit concerned by the haphazard and temporary nature of some of these changes. In this version of Windows Server, we're seeing the beginning of the transition from the old DOS-like command line to the new .NET-based PowerShell environment. For now, however, you'll need to have a toe in both environments to best take advantage of the new capabilities. Server Core, for example, does not support PowerShell.

One the command line side, we get two major additions: A Server Core management utility called oclist.exe and a command line version of Server Manager called servermanagercmd.exe. Both are designed with the same premise, providing ways to configure and manage the roles that are possible under each environment.

PowerShell is a complex but technically impressive environment, with support for discoverable .NET-based objects, properties, and methods. It provides all of the power of UNIX command line environments with none of the inconsistencies. The issue, of course, is whether Windows-based administers will quickly move to this new command line interface. Sadly, Windows Server 2008 doesn't help matters much: It doesn't ship with any PowerShell commandlets--fully contained scripts that can be executed from the command line--that can handle common management tasks. Microsoft tells me it will ship Windows Server 2008 commandlets on its Web site over time, however, and it expects a healthy community to quickly evolve as well.
Hyper-V

One of the most important and future-looking technologies in Windows Server 2008 isn't even available in the initial shipping version of the product. Instead, Microsoft is shipping a beta version of its Hyper-V virtualization platform with Windows Server 2008 and will update it automatically when the technology is finalized sometime after mid-2008. Hyper-V is a hypervisor-based virtualization platform that brings various performance advantages when compared to application-level virtualization platforms like Virtual Server. Compared to market leader VMWare, Microsoft's offering is immature and unproven, but its inclusion in Windows Server 2008 is sure to garner Microsoft some attention and market share. And there are advantages to this bundling: From a management perspective, Hyper-V is installed and managed as a role under Windows 2008, just like DHCP, file and print services, and other standard roles. That means it's easy to configure, manage, and service.

Hyper-V ships only with x64-based versions of the product and relies on hardware virtualization features that are only available in the latest AMD and Intel chipsets. It supports both 32-bit and 64-bit guest operating systems, up to 32 GB of RAM in each guest OS, and up to 4 CPU cores for each guest OS. Hyper-V is compatible with virtual machines created for Microsoft's earlier virtualization products, like Virtual PC and Virtual Server.
Availability and licensing

As with Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 is available in several different product editions. These editions support different hardware platforms (32-bit x86, 64-bit x64, and Itanium), some of which include support for the Hyper-V virtualization technologies and some that do not. (Note that Hyper-V is only enabled on x64 versions of Windows Server 2008; Microsoft sells versions with and without Hyper-V included.)
Windows Web Server 2008

Availability: Separate 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x64) versions
Pricing: $469
Supported processors: 4
Supported RAM: 4 GB (x86) or 32 GB (x64)
Notes: Windows Web Server is designed specifically around the Web Server role and cannot be used as an AD domain controller. (It can, however, be configured as a domain member.) This version does not include Hyper-V, but does support Server Core installs.
Windows Server 2008 Standard, Windows Server 2008 Standard without Hyper-V

Availability: Separate 32-bit (x86), 64-bit (x64), and 64-bit (x64) without Hyper-V versions
Pricing: $999 (with five Client Access Licenses, or CALs); $971 without Hyper-V
Supported processors: 4
Supported RAM: 4 GB (x86) or 32 GB (x64)
Notes: Includes one virtual instance per license.
Windows Server 2008 Enterprise, Windows Server 2008 Enterprise without Hyper-V

Availability: Separate 32-bit (x86), 64-bit (x64), and 64-bit (x64) without Hyper-V versions
Pricing: $3,999 (with 25 CALs); $3,971 without Hyper-V
Supported processors: 8
Supported RAM: 64 GB (x86) or 2 TB (x64)
Notes: Includes four virtual instances per license. Builds on Standard edition and adds Windows Clustering.
Windows Server 2008 Datacenter, Windows Server 2008 Datacenter without Hyper-V

Availability: Separate 32-bit (x86), 64-bit (x64), and 64-bit (x64) without Hyper-V versions
Pricing: $2,999 per processor; $2,971 per processor without Hyper-V
Supported processors: 32 (x86) or 64 (x64)
Supported RAM: 64 GB (x86) or 2 TB (x64)
Notes: Includes unlimited virtual instances per license. Builds on Enterprise Edition.
Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems

Availability: A single 64-bit version designed for Intel Itanium-based servers
Pricing: $2,999 per processor
Supported processors: 64
Supported RAM: 64 GB
Notes: This version of Windows Server 2008 does not support Hyper-V or Server Core and is designed for three discrete usage scenarios: Large databases, line-of-business (LOB) applications, and custom applications.
Microsoft Hyper-V Server

Availability: A single 64-bit (x64) version
Pricing: $28 (no, that's not a typo)
Notes: The new Hyper-V Server is a special version of Windows Server 2008 that only supports the Hyper-V role, providing a near "bare metal" install option for those who wish to run extensively virtualized environments. This version of the product won't ship until Microsoft finalized Hyper-V later in 2008.

In addition to these products, Microsoft recently announced that two new Windows Server 2008-based products will debut in the second half of 2008, Windows Small Business Server 2008 and Windows Essential Business Server 2008.

Windows Small Business Server 2008, codenamed Cougar, is aimed at businesses with up to 50 PCs. It will ship in two versions, one of which includes Windows Server 2008, Exchange Server 2007, SharePoint Services 3.0, and one-year trial subscriptions to Forefront Security for Exchange Server Small Business Edition and the new Windows Live OneCare for Server. A Premium version of the product adds a second copy of Windows Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008 Standard Edition and can be installed on two servers.

Windows Essential Business Server 2008, previously codenamed Centro, is a new product aimed at medium sized businesses with up to 250 desktops. This product is installed on three separate servers and includes Windows Server 2008, Exchange Server 2007, Forefront Security for Exchange Server, System Center Essentials 2007, and the next version of Internet Security and Acceleration Server. A Premium edition of the product will also include SQL Server 2008. Windows Essential Business Server requires at least three physical servers.

Both products will be sold only in 64-bit (x64) versions.
Final thoughts

This review only touches the surface of the new functionality in Windows Server 2008, highlighting but a subset of the improvements Microsoft has shipped in this release. There is a lot more to say about this impressive update, and of course my Windows IT Pro Magazine compatriots and I will do just that over the coming months. Though familiar on the surface, Windows Server 2008 enables so much new functionality, and comes with so many changes, that you will need to dedicate some time to understanding how these changes will benefit your own requirements and needs. This effort is worthwhile: Windows Server 2008 is a solid and impressive upgrade that should meet the needs of virtually any business customer. I see no serious downsides to this product at all. Highly recommended.

Virtual Box

Out of the many virtualization software, VirtualBox is my personal favorite. It is lightweight, run fast and support a great deal of OSes (including Mac Snow Leopard). The latest release of VirtualBox 4.0 brings even more changes to the already useful software. This is a major release and it added plenty of new features as well as improvement for existing functions. Let’s take a look at what’s new in this release.

VirtualBox works in all platforms, including Windows, Linux and Mac.

First, make sure that you have removed all your previous installation of VirtualBox. For Windows and Mac, simply download the installer (.exe and .dmg files respectively) and install them in your system.

In debian based Linux, you can add the following repository to your sources.list file:
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sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

Add the following line to the end of the file
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deb http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian maverick contrib

Save and close the file. Next, type
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wget -q http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian/oracle_vbox.asc -O- | sudo apt-key add -
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install virtualbox-4.0

New GUI

The most notable changes to version 4.0 is the new user interface. From the dashboard, you can now view a screenshot of your saved VM. It is a nice to have feature, though I don’t find it very useful.

virtualbox-vm-manager

You can also drag to reorder your VM now.

When you right click on the VM, there is a new option to create a shortcut on your desktop. Clicking on this shortcut will start your VM.

virtualbox-create-shortcut
Extensions

Almost every new applications nowadays come with extension support. In VirtualBox 4.0, they have also added the support for extensions, though there is one extension currently available for installation. The extension pack provide supports for USB 2.0 devices, VirtualBox RDP and PXE boot for Intel cards. Rather than calling it an extension pack, I think it is more appropriate to call it a mandatory install (unless you can do without the USB support).

To install the extension pack, first download it from here.

In your VirtualBox Manager, go to “Files -> Preferences“. On the left pane, click on the “Extensions” entry. On the right, click on the “Add Package” icon. It will then prompt you to choose the extension pack file to install.

virtualbox-install-ext-pack
New disk file layout for VM portability

In the past, Virtualbox stores all the VM setting files in one folder and the virtual hard disks in another. This make portability a difficult task since the files are scattered around. In version 4, all the files (.vbox and .vdi) are now stored in the “VirtualBox VMs” directory in your Home folder.

In addition, when you delete a VM, you can now choose to delete all files related to the VM, including the settings, snapshots and saved states.

virtualbox-remove-vm
Improved RAM support

VirtualBox 4.0 now supports more than 1.5/2GB of RAM allocation for your VM on a 32-bit hosts.
Support for new virtual hardware

VirtualBox 4.0 now supports Intel ICH9 chipset with three PCI buses, PCI Express and Message Signaled Interrupts (MSI). For those of you who are not sure what chipset is, It is the IC chip in the motherboard that determine the OS capability. Older chipsets don’t come with support for 64-bit system, HD graphics and audio etc. With this newer chipset support, you can now install a modern operating system (like 64-bit OS) and run it without any hiccups.

In addition, you can now choose between 1 – 4 CPU resources to allocate to the VM. (Note: You will need a physical quad-core CPU to be able to allocate up to 4 CPU resources).
New scale display mode

Virtualbox 4.0 can now run within a window in scale mode. What this means is that when you resize the window, the VM display will get resize as well. This allows you to check out other application while keeping your VM window in view.

From the screenshot below, you can see my Windows XP running in a a small tiny window and still has the full-desktop view.

virtualbox-scale-mode
Better upgraded guest addition

The guest additions for Linux now support multiple virtual screens in Linux and Solaris guests. Also, the shared folders can now be marked as auto-mounted on Windows, Linux and Solaris guests. Best still, for Linux guest, the shared folders now support symbolic links. On Windows guest, automatic logon on Windows Vista/Windows 7 is now able to handle renamed user accounts.
Importing/Exporting

Importing and exporting of appliances now support OVA format. This will bundle all the files and settings in a single archive file.
Conclusion

Without a doubt, VirtualBox 4.0 is a much better build than its previous version. Most of the changes are geared toward its usability and all are welcome changes. It will not be capable of running an resource intensive 3D game yet, but for daily matters like web surfing, run office programs etc, it is more than sufficient to meet your needs.

Hacking Noob Guide

Five Best Laptop Computers Ever
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One of my criteria for buying a laptop computer is the likely life span. I use a laptop for work. To a major extent, it is a tool and one of the most important things for me is how long it will last. I know I end up being a little behind the times fashion wise, but that’s not why I buy them. I buy them because they are cheap if you buy the right one that will last a decent length of time.

Who cares if there is a slightly faster version available? If you picked the right laptop in the first place, it should make no difference. I just do not see the point of “keeping up with the Joneses,” just to be able to say I have the latest whatever. The problem is, the manufacturers of both the hardware and the software are very well aware that they need to keep advancing so they can sell you a new computer every year. How many times do you find the battery or the screen or some other part fail, only to discover it is so expensive to replace that you might as well buy a whole new computer?So, here are my recommendations for the “Five Best Laptop Computers,” based on the fact that they will not need replacing very soon.
Apple MacBook Pro 17"
Apple MacBook Pro 17"
Number one – The Apple MacBook Pro

I have had one of these since the day it was released. I had to buy a new one when my PowerBook was stolen. Admittedly, the first releases had a few problems. Mine had to have a variety of internal parts replaced when it kept overheating. Having said that, Apple were great – they replaced all the parts free of charge within 24 hours of me complaining. I recently upgraded the software to Leopard and I must say, the good thing about Apple is the fact that they don’t manage to make your machine obsolete every time a new OS comes out. These are well built, solid pieces of equipment – I fully expect to get a minimum of six years use out of this one which is more than double what is normally expected. My old PowerBook was 4 years old when it was stolen and worked just fine. And if you look at it from a life expectancy stand point, that actually makes it cheap. They sell for around $2,000 - $3,000 (depending on the specs) which means the yearly cost is about $350 - $500. If you choose to buy one, I recommend the 3 years AppleCare Warranty – Then you know exactly how much it’s going to cost to fix for three years.
Apple MacBook Pro MC700LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop Apple MacBook Pro MC700LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop
Amazon Price: Too low to display
List Price: $1,199.00
Apple MacBook Pro MC721LL/A 15.4-Inch Laptop Apple MacBook Pro MC721LL/A 15.4-Inch Laptop
Amazon Price: Too low to display
List Price: $1,799.00
Apple MacBook
Apple MacBook
Number Two – The Apple MacBook

This is another long life laptop. I had one of these which I used for nearly five years and then sold to a friend – he still uses it to this day. So far, it is working just fine for him and nearly 8 years old. At the current price of around $1,000 - $1,500 that means a yearly cost of around $150 if you can get that long out of it. Once again, these are solidly built pieces of equipment and it is not vital to upgrade to the latest software. The one I sold is still running the first version of OSX and is working perfectly. These are perfect if you are heading off to college – they will last the length of your course. (Unless you are planning on becoming a particle physicist.) Once again, the AppleCare warranty is worth the money.

Apple MacBook MC516LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop Apple MacBook MC516LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop
Amazon Price: $994.99
List Price: $999.99
Apple MacBook Pro MC700LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop Apple MacBook Pro MC700LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop
Amazon Price: Too low to display
List Price: $1,199.00
Sony Vaio
Sony Vaio
Number Three – The Sony Vaio

I have also had and used in the past, Sony Laptops. If you need a PC rather than a mac, Sony also make very well built pieces of equipment. Their customer service has gone way down hill in the last few years, but if you are lucky, you will not need to use it ☺ Sony are one of the top laptop makers in my book – they learn a lot from all the other products they make.

I won’t go into too many details because the range of different models is ridiculously large. Unnecessarily so in fact. PCs in general are almost designed to be obsolete as soon as you open the box. The longest I have managed to get a useable PC is four years – After that time, it is practically impossible to keep the things running well – My best advice to get the longest life from one of these is to buy the best specifications you can afford – the higher the specs, the longer before it becomes un-useable.

Sony VAIO VPC-EE42FX/BJ 15.5-Inch Widescreen Entertainment Laptop (Black) Sony VAIO VPC-EE42FX/BJ 15.5-Inch Widescreen Entertainment Laptop (Black)
Amazon Price: $575.49
List Price: $629.99
Sony VAIO VPC-F13YFX/B 16.4-Inch Widescreen Entertainment Laptop (Black) Sony VAIO VPC-F13YFX/B 16.4-Inch Widescreen Entertainment Laptop (Black)
Amazon Price: $1,136.12
List Price: $1,199.99
Number Four – Toshiba Qosmio and Satellite

Once again, I have used these and they are tough. Anything I get a decent lifespan from is by definition well-built. Toshiba has a very good reputation and my own personal experience has taught me that they will look after the customer. These are not exactly the prettiest laptops on the planet – they never have been. But I don’t buy them based on how pretty they are, I buy them based on how well they will do the job I want them to do and how long they will probably last. Toshiba’s are built to last and are unlikely to fail because of a hardware issue.

Qosmio X505-Q8104 18.4-Inch Gaming Laptop (Omega Black) Qosmio X505-Q8104 18.4-Inch Gaming Laptop (Omega Black)
Amazon Price: $1,779.99
List Price: $1,899.99
Qosmio X505x-Q8100 18.4-Inch Gaming Laptop (Omega Black) Qosmio X505x-Q8100 18.4-Inch Gaming Laptop (Omega Black)
Amazon Price: Too low to display
List Price: $1,299.99
Asus eee 4G Galaxy
Asus eee 4G Galaxy
Number Five – The ASUS eee 4G –Galaxy

I will be honest and say I have not actually owned one of these. But I have had a look and I must say, I like the idea of a PC that comes with pre-loaded, free Linux based software. It’s nit top of the range, all-singing, all-dancing stuff, but if you don’t start with the fastest, spiffiest software, you will not see the need to keep on top of the “latest and greatest.”

Every one who has reviewed them has had nothing but praise for them and if the hardware is as well built as it seems to be, I see no reason why it should not be possible to get the same sort of life span from these as a Macintosh.

ASUS Eee Pad Transformer TF101-A1 10.1-Inch Tablet Computer (Tablet Only) ASUS Eee Pad Transformer TF101-A1 10.1-Inch Tablet Computer (Tablet Only)
Amazon Price: Too low to display
List Price: $399.00
ASUS A53SV-XE1 15.6-Inch Versatile Entertainment Laptop - Black ASUS A53SV-XE1 15.6-Inch Versatile Entertainment Laptop - Black
Amazon Price: $799.99
List Price: $899.99
Death of a Computer
Death of a Computer
Computer life spans

One thing you never see Apple do is sell their computer range on the basis that it will last longer than a PC. NEVER have I seen them sell them in this way - NEVER. Why not? You would think that this would make a fantastic selling point.

And it does, but they also wish to sell you a new one every couple of years. Even the latest MacBook Air. It looks good, but it’s just a thinner version of the MacBook Pro. Big deal! Does it really matter if it weighs a few ounces less? This is not a good reason to buy a new computer. The makers are trying very hard to sell computers on the basis that they are fashionable – Computers are a tool. With the possible exception of serious game players and a few professional video editors and the like, by far and away the bulk of computer buyers should have no need to buy a new one every two years, but the typical lifespan of a laptop is about 2.5 years. Why?

Call be a cynic if you will, but there are two things that force people into buying a new one:

The operating system takes over the hardware completely. Constant updates and improvements to the OS mean that sooner or later, your hardware will be unable to cope. And I can honestly say, I do not see a great deal of difference between this year’s OS than that of five years ago. Microsoft word is still the same bastard to use as it always was.
Anti Virus software. One of the things that killed my last PC stone dead was the incredible amount of Anti-virus software it needed installed.

And it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if it later comes to light that the computer manufacturers and software companies are creating these viruses THEMSELVES. You heard it here first. I refuse to believe that there are enough private individuals out there with the resources to waste this much time creating this many viruses just to piss every one off.

This is one of my main arguments for buying a Macintosh – The OS will not eat your machine next year. Sure some of the programs I use have had to be discarded since I updated to Leopard, but on the whole, it actually works faster with the same hardware than Tiger did. You will not see me throwing out my current model for a new thinner one.

Do you want to add to the junk pile?
Do you want to add to the junk pile?
Consider buying used

It is certainly worth considering a used Laptop. At around two years old, a used MacBook should have a good three to four years life left in it and a two year old PC will probably last another two before the software eats it. There are plenty of people who can’t live without having the latest model, so why not take advantage of their actions? Try buying a used one. I bought my dad a used Powerbook three years ago. It cost me less than $900 and he is still using it every day. It is now five years old and going strong.

Motion gaming review: Xbox vs. Wii vs. PS3
PlayStation Move and Microsoft's Kinect for Xbox square off against the Wii



LOS ANGELES — The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) has come and gone once more, but this year brought a bigger emphasis on motion-sensitive gaming than ever before. You couldn’t walk five paces on the floor without running into some variation of a dancing, sporting or racing game that required hand, foot and body movements.

That’s not to say it’s a bad thing, unless you’re a player who’s not in the greatest of shape.

Having been on the market for more than three years now, the Nintendo Wii is an old favorite. But with Sony gearing up to enter the market with its PlayStation Move, and Microsoft readying the Kinect (formerly known as Project Natal), consumers will soon be faced with some interesting new choices.

So which one is best? TechNewsDaily breaks down the positives and negatives of each. Let’s start with the one that’s already out…

Nintendo Wii
Nintendo released its Wii console in late 2006, just in time for the holiday rush. It utilizes motions based on player movements to interact with characters on-screen. Some are simpler than others, depending on what the on-screen character needs to do. The system sold tremendously well in its first year, to the point that availability was bleak until Nintendo was able to catch up in manufacturing. It comes packaged with a Wii remote and analog-based Nunchuk controller, which can be connected together for dual-hand play on specific titles. It also comes packaged with a sports-oriented game called "Wii Sports," which is still the pack-in for today’s black Wii console (along with Wii Sports Resort and a WiiMotion Plus accessory, which reads motion activity even more accurately than before).

Nintendo
Nintendo's Wii console was the first of the current three consoles to come equipped for motion-capture gaming.

Positives
Controllers are easy to use for all ages – Both the Nunchuk and Wii remote are fairly simple to use. There are times you’ll need to perform calibration actions or make adjustments with the Motion Bar that’s packaged with the system, but it’s a cinch — for adults or kids — to hook up the system, plug in your controller, sync it to your unit (two simple button presses) and get to playing.
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Some outstanding games – Nintendo doesn’t disappoint when it comes to creating spellbinding games, as you could probably figure out from its previous console releases. The Wii has a number of great first-party titles, including "Super Mario Galaxy 2," "Mario Kart Wii" and "Metroid Prime Trilogy." The holiday season will bring even more addictive new titles to stores, including "Goldeneye 007" (a favorite on the Nintendo 64) and "Donkey Kong Country Returns." If $50 a pop is too pricey for you, downloadable games are also available through the Wii Shop Channel for $5-$10 a game. Some of them, particularly "Cave Story" and "Excitebike," simply can’t be beat.

The cost is a little better – While the Kinect accessory for the Xbox 360 will go for a whopping $149.99 and the Move accessory for the PlayStation 3 will set you back around $100 or so (after everything’s bought), Nintendo has everything you need for a mere $200. That price includes the console, a controller and Nunchuk, accessories, and two hit games – Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort. Granted, buying extra controllers is not cheap ($40 per remote and $20 per Nunchuk), but most games allow you to pass the controller around, like the Sports games and Super Mario Galaxy 2.

Negatives
Too many lackluster games – When you have a “hot system” on your hands, developers will really make anything for it that will sell in a hurry. This usually results in a lot of shovelware, games that are better left on the shelves. The Wii is the biggest recipient of bad games to date, surpassing the PS2’s stinky library with lackluster efforts from Zoo Games, Conspiracy Entertainment and other studios. There are great games to purchase out there, but be on the lookout, because bad ones are just as easy to stumble upon.

Online play is questionable – While we applaud Nintendo for incorporating online play into some of its bigger games (including "Mario Kart Wii" and "Super Smash Bros. Brawl"), getting into a match is half the battle. You constantly have to register Friend Codes in order to add your friends to a list, a 12-digit combination that can take some time to enter. It’s a lot harder than entering a simple name like you could on the PlayStation Network or Xbox Live. You can go into random matches, but to some people, racing against strangers isn’t as much fun as going up against friends.

The WiiMotion Plus should’ve come out in 2006 – The Wii remote reads movement pretty well, but it’s not perfect. We’ve run into a number of games that didn’t read your actions precisely enough, resulting in falling off a race track or performing a specific thing the wrong way. The WiiMotion Plus, a plug-in device that goes into the back of your Wii remote, improves sensitivity significantly, but you need to pay extra for it (whether it’s bundled with a game or sold separately). Furthermore, Nintendo should’ve perfected the technology beforehand, when the system was still fresh in 2006.

Microsoft Kinect for Xbox 360
Introduced officially this past week at the E3, the Kinect is a sleekly designed motion bar that plugs into your Xbox 360 console. It's compatible with the new slimmer Xbox 360 model, as well as older Xbox 360 units. Instead of utilizing controllers for on-screen movement, it actually reads your body with its sensor, so you are basically acting as the controller. Two players can take part in games at once, playing competitively in sports games or working together in unison to control a raft. The device is currently set for release Nov. 4 for $149.99, although a game library isn’t yet fully confirmed (should be soon).

Image: Microsoft Kinect accessory
Microsoft
Kinect is Microsoft's soon-to-be-released Xbox 360 accessory, formerly demonstrated under the codename "Project Natal."

Positives
No more sore hands from holding a controller – Using your body to play a video game without holding onto anything? Unheard of. And yet, here’s Kinect, enabling you to do just that. We have to admit, it was pretty nice being able to play a game without having to grip tightly to a controller. You can let your body do the work through such games as EA Sports Active 2 and Sonic Free Riders, without having to worry about pounding on buttons and hurting your thumbs. You’ll still want to make sure you have plenty of space so you don’t trip over yourself. Solve that problem and you’ll love this new approach.

The menu system is futuristic and cool – Using a new touch-based menu system, Kinect changes the way you use your Xbox 360. That may be a good or bad thing, depending on well you take to it. However, we finally get to interact with a device doing the same exact thing that Tom Cruise did in "Minority Report" – by grabbing and dragging. It may not be the flying cars we wanted, but it’s still pretty.

Some of the games look spiffy – Okay, so the game library of dance titles and workout routines may not impress us, but some of the other original games coming out for the Kinect certainly do. "Child of Eden" is a mesmerizing shooting experience where your hands are the cursors, and you obliterate objects to a musical beat. "Kinect Joy Ride" looks like a ton of fun with its racing action, and "Your Shape: Fitness Evolved" tricks you into thinking that exercise is fun. Bring it.

Negatives
The price – $149.99 is a steep price to pay for a gaming device, especially considering that the console isn't included.

Not all the games are winners – Even though the Kinect will have a variety of games to choose from this holiday season, that doesn’t mean they’ll all be successful. When we played "Deca Sports Freedom" from Hudson Soft, for example, our movements could barely be read, even though we did exactly what it told us several times. Furthermore, titles like "Kinectimals" (a virtual pet simulator) and "Michael Jackson: The Game" look incredibly dorky, aimed more at the kiddie-teen market than the “hardcore” crowd that Microsoft usually goes for with the Xbox 360.
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PlayStation Move for PS3
Introduced at the Game Developers Conference back in March of this year, Sony finally unveiled retail plans for the gaming controllers at E3. It’s set for release on Sept. 19 in the U.S., with the motion controller set to go for $50 and a secondary navigation controller going for $40. You’ll need a PS3 Eye camera as well, although you can score a bundle with the regular controller, camera and "Sports Champions" game for $100. The Move controller, which has a glowing ping-pong-bal-attachment at one end, reads your motions via the camera and executes actions on-screen. Sony is also working to incorporate Move features in forthcoming games, including "LittleBigPlanet 2" and "The Sly Cooper Collection."
Image: Sony Move game controller
Sony
Sony's Move controller for the PlayStation 3.

Positives
Some of the games have hardcore appeal in mind – Unlike the Kinect with its family friendly approach, Sony is going the more hardcore route with its PlayStation Move. Even though some games will appeal to all ages (like the hero-centric "Heroes On the Move" and "Sorcery"), others should draw in older gamers, such as "Time Crisis: Razing Storm" and "Killzone 3." There’s something here for everyone, really.

The PlayStation Move controller reads efficiently – Unlike the questionable connectivity with some Kinect titles, the PlayStation Move seems to read well enough with the games we tried. From bowling with "Brunswick Pro Bowling" to taking care of our EyePet to taking out enemy robots in "The Shoot," we found little problem reacting to what was happening on-screen using movements.

Multiple packages to choose from – Whether you want to buy the controller by itself or in a package bundle, there are multiple options to choose from when it comes to picking up the PlayStation Move. If that isn’t enough, Sony is also talking about introducing a new bundle specifically made with the Move in mind, including a 250 GB PlayStation 3 system, a regular DualShock 3 controller, the Move controller set-up and a possible pack-in game, such as "LittleBigPlanet 2," for around $350. Considering the Xbox 360 and Kinect will set you back that same price, that’s not too shabby a deal. (Sadly, it has yet to be confirmed.)

Negatives
There’s a lot to set up – Where the Kinect is one single unit and the Wii only has a couple of things to put in place, the PlayStation Move requires several components. You’ll need the PS3 system, the Move controller, the Navigational controller, the PS3 Eye, and the proper software to read whatever you’re doing. Based on what we’ve seen, it will take the longest to put into play.

The ping-pong ball thing is dorky – Although it does help read your movements, we feel a little out of place using a controller that looks like a high-tech ping pong paddle. With a multi-colored ball attached to the end of it, it almost feels as if you’re conducting with a high-tech lollipop. Some of you will have no problem getting used to that, but others will feel a little out of place, as if you’re holding a karaoke microphone. And trust us when we say that some people do not like that feeling.

Some features take time to access – Even though the PlayStation Move controller feels comfortable and is mostly easy to use, it’ll take some time to get used to its numerous functions. The first few times we gripped it, it took a while to handle the randomly placed Home button and the on-top multi-shape buttons. Syncing it up with the navigational controller takes a few extra seconds as well – and, again, at a party, that’s not the greatest thing in the world. It works, but you’ll need a little patience to get through it.

Top 10 AntiVirus 2012

Top Ten Antivirus 2012

Antivirus software companies are working round the clock to improve their software to combat with virus and malicious codes over the internet. It is about time when antivirus firms are about to roll out their latest 2012 version of antivirus software. We are already testing the beta software to come up with our latest article on top ten antivirus 2012 so that you can install the best software and protect your computer. Since the numbers of viruses and malicious codes is increasing with a high pace, we will be testing all the leading antivirus and internet security programs aggressively to come up with our list of the top 10 antivirus software. In our top ten antivirus 2012 review we will be showing the test results of 20 different security software. By mid of 2011, most security software providers will launch their 2012 version of antivirus and security software. These are the antivirus programs we have short-listed for our review.
Top Ten Antivirus 2012

Here is the list of the best antivirus and security software of all times. Among the top are BitDefender, ESET, Norton, F-Secure, Kaspersky, TrendMicro, AVG, Avira, Zonealarm, Panda security and more. We will be running comparisons between different versions of the same security software, for eg., 2011 version vs 2012 version. We will be also comparing between the capabilities of different security software, for eg., BitDefender vs Norton. Based on the performance of various different antivirus security software, we will give them scoring. The factors on which we will score antivirus software: Speed, stealth, detection, link scanning, removing virus, updates, blocking bad websites, blocking phishing attempts, technical support and lots more factors. These are the antivirus programs we will be testing to come up with our top ten antivirus list:
Top Ten Antivirus 2012

BitDefender Antivirus 2012
McAfee Antivirus 2012
Kaspersky Antivirus 2012
ESET Antivirus 2012
Norton Antivirus 2012
F-Secure Antivirus 2012
Vipre Antivirus 2012
TrendMicro Antivirus 2012
ZoneAlarm Antivirus 2012
Panda Antivirus 2012

Other Antivirus Programs

Avira Antivirus 2012
Avast Antivirus 2012
Avanquest Antivirus 2012
G Data Antivirus 2012
Webroot Antivirus 2012
PC Tools Antivirus 2012
Comodo Antivirus 2012
CA Antivirus 2012
Norman Antivirus 2012
AVG Antivirus 2012
Sophos Endpoint Security 2012
Quick Heal Antivirus 2012
Microsoft Security Essentials 2012

Top Ten Antivirus Ratings

Most of these antivirus software have been tested extensively for their performance. The old versions have received ratings based on the performance to quickly detect viruses from infected systems and stop new viruses from infecting the computers. There is a very strong criteria that will be used to provide points to various antivirus software 2012. Another interesting factor that we are considering is the antivirus coupons, we will give scores to antivirus software companies that offer discount coupons from time to time. Although this is not a major factor, but many users value coupons because it is a good way to save money on security software. Although this factor will not inflate the original ratings, we are including it only to help people save money. These are the factors that will contribute to the scoring:

Speed: When it comes to computing, speed is an important aspect that we can’t neglect. It has been reported that some antivirus software are much slower in comparison to other antivirus software. Which means, some antivirus programs slow down a computer. Computer users (specially gamers) like using antivirus software that does not degrade the performance of a computer system. They enjoy using the fastest antivirus software.
Stealth: Many viruses and spyware are designed to deactivate antivirus programs so that they are not detected. Antivirus software should quickly detect such a threat and stop the virus from harming the system files. Those antivirus software will receive higher score that can not only defend against known viruses but also protect a computer system from new and unknown virus and spyware.
Detection: A good antivirus program will quickly detect infection and will take the necessary steps to quarantine the infected files in order to stop the virus from spreading to other system files. Only if security software has the capabilities of detecting infection, it can stop a virus/spyware. So this is a major aspect of security software. Many poorly designed security software cannot detect all forms of threat. However, only those antivirus software will be included in our top ten antivirus 2012 list that are capable of detecting all sorts of threats.
Technical Support: We will also provide scores depending upon the type of technical support and customer service provided by the antivirus software manufacturer. Only those programs will receive higher ratings that are bundled with quality support. We will also count on the type of support available: phone, chat, email, etc. When your computer system is infected with virus, spyware or other forms of malware, you need quick assistance. That’s when you need to contact someone who is technically equipped to assist you. Based on the quality of technical support, scores will be provided to various security software and hence will win a rank in our top ten antivirus 2012 list.
Price: Antivirus software should not be too costly, it should be reasonably priced. We will be comparing the price of antivirus software and will be providing scores based upon how cheap is the antivirus software. The cheapest and the best antivirus 2012 will receive higher rankings. People love saving money, so the cheapest antivirus software will receive higher scores.

These are some of the major factors we will be using to rate the best antivirus software of 2012. We will also include other factors like real-time scanning, frequency of updates, blocking phishing attempts, link scanning, IM protection, parental lock and lots more factors. However, we will majorly focus on the 5 key-points mentioned above. Based on these factors, we will provide our lab test reports that will show you which antivirus software is best for your computer in the year 2012. Most antivirus manufacturers will release their 2012 antivirus software sometime in May or June this year. If you have any questions or suggestions about this report of top ten antivirus 2012, please leave your review below by leaving a comment.

Top 10 Operating Systems

After a wave of operating system releases, it's easy to become somewhat bored with the software side of computing.

Windows 7 is here and looking like the "real" Vista for many; Mac OS X 10.6, meanwhile, adds spit-shine to Leopard and gives its engine a good tuning too. In the Linux camp, distributions are taking regular steps forward in usability.

But it's all become rather routine; a case of incremental improvement rather than revolution. So where's all the real fun happening? Where are the radical new ideas, the Wild West code commits and the geekery and hackery that really drive innovation?

Well, it's all going on in the alternative operating system world. There are hundreds of projects in varying stages of development, from small, one-man-band shows to serious attempts at mounting an assault on the desktop.

We're going to look at 10 of the most intriguing open-source operating systems in this brave new world. In most cases these are available as CD ISO images that you can burn to CD-Rs and boot up for testing if you fancy it.

Alternatively, a simpler approach is to use a PC emulator such as VirtualBox or Qemu. With these and similar tools you can use '.iso' image files (or '.flp' floppy disc images) as virtual drives, so there's no need to write any physical media.

1. ReactOS
Goal: Run Windows apps on an open-source OS
Web: www.reactos.org



Out of all the operating systems we looked at, ReactOS is the one most likely to have Steve Ballmer tossing chairs. Originally named FreeWin95, the developers' original goal was to create a completely open-source clone of, you guessed it, Windows 95.

As time went on, however, there was little serious code to show and it was clear that the NT code base was the future for Microsoft. In 1998, ReactOS rose out of the ashes of FreeWin95.

Early progress was slow, but in 2004 version 0.2.0 arrived with a usable desktop and respectable, albeit very limited, Windows compatibility. Today, ReactOS is based around a home-grown kernel, but the project makes heavy use of the WINE libraries that are popular for running Windows applications on Linux.

ReactOS is available as a Live CD or as an installable OS. Right now, it looks and feels much like Windows 2000. Chunky widgets abound, and the Start menu, taskbar, window buttons and so forth are where you'd expect to see them.

So, is it compatible? Chasing Microsoft's vast APIs is no easy job, especially with so many undocumented calls to fathom out, but ReactOS does an impressive job. Firefox (with Flash), MSN Messenger, OpenOffice.org, StarCraft, Diablo 2, Quake III arena and many more apps run acceptably well, albeit with the occasional crash. Newer versions of MS Office and Visual Basic have troubles, though.

It's an ongoing job. At this point you may be asking: 'Why would Microsoft be worried about an OS that still needs a lot more work?'

Sure, right now ReactOS is no threat to Redmond. But for the tens of millions of people on the planet who use Windows as a springboard for a web browser, word processor and Solitaire, ReactOS could one day be a completely free drop-in replacement. If the project receives commercial backing in the future, Microsoft's response will be interesting to watch.

2. Haiku
Goal: Be a free reincarnation of BeOS
Web: www.haiku-os.org



Sadly, BeOS never made the mainstream desktop impact that its supporters so passionately hoped for. This multimedia-focused operating system peaked in the late 1990s, but Microsoft's stranglehold on the desktop prevented it from attaining anything more than relative obscurity.

Those days are gone, but the spirit of BeOS lives on. Haiku is named after BeOS's error messages, many of which were quaintly fashioned in Japanese poetry format.

Like BeOS, Haiku aims to be compatible with the small range of native BeOS programs. It's available in raw hard drive image format, suitable for Qemu; CD-based versions are due out in the coming months.

Haiku's interface is refreshingly minimal. Window title bars are reduced to small yellow tabs with a single close button, while the leaf button at the top-right of the desktop opens up a pseudo Start menu containing applications and settings. Even in an emulator, it runs at an impressive speed – see how many GLTeaPot demos you can run before the OS starts to stutter.

Even in its pre-alpha state, Haiku is shaping up well, with a wide range of included applications and utilities for desktop usage. When you open up a command line you may be surprised to find the Bash shell, although Haiku is in no way a Unix flavour.

Of all the alternative OSes currently undergoing development, Haiku is the closest to achieving a stable, fully featured 1.0 release, although that day may still be a way off .

3. AROS
Goal: Recreate the glory days of AmigaOS
Web: http://aros.sourceforge.net



Astoundingly, AmigaOS lives on, despite Commodore's bankruptcy 15 years ago. To its fans, the Amiga was revolutionary, offering graphics and sound in the late 1980s that put PCs to shame.

It wasn't without its problems, though: the lack of memory protection resulted in colossal crashes when a single app misbehaved. 'Guru meditation' error messages still haunt the memories of many.

AROS's aim is to provide an lightweight Amiga compatible OS for modern machines, with source code compatibility with AmigaOS 3.1: in other words, if you have the source code for an old Amiga app, you can recompile it to run natively on AROS on an x86 chip.

Many versions of AROS are available, and you can even run it from inside Linux. For the best experience, though, grab the 'pc-i386-boot-iso' CD-R image and boot it.

If you're a former Amiga fan, you'll probably well up when Wanderer, the Workbench replacement, loads up: aside from the modern lick of paint, it feels just like the glory days of AmigaOS. The filesystem layout is the same, right-clicking activates the menu at the top, and in the Extras/Demos folder you'll find heaps of toys.

While AROS is undoubtedly attractive to those who pine after the great days of the Amiga, it's an impressively swift and polished desktop OS in its own right. We don't expect it to become massive overnight, but it'll always have a hardcore army of fans.

4. Aranym
Goal: Keep the Atari ST/TT/Falcon alive
Web: http://aranym.sourceforge.net



Atari ST fans have their own equivalent in Aranym. It's a virtual machine that emulates a 68040 CPU and various Atari hardware components, on top of which sits AFROS, an open-source version of the TOS/GEM operating system.

You can download it as a program that runs on top of your normal operating system, or alternatively grab the Live CD. AFROS is – to be blunt – supremely ugly, but then GEM was never known for its looks. Nevertheless, it's a sprightly performer, and Atari users will have no problem finding their way around.

A Windows-esque program menu has been shoe-horned into the bottom side of the screen, and on the whole it faithfully recreates Atari's 16-bit machines: if you were an Atari fan in the '90s and still have some old floppies lying around, you might be able to get your old apps running.

5. Syllable
Goal: Provide a user-friendly desktop OS
Web: www.syllable.org



Thus far, all of the OSes we've looked at have been based on other OSes. Syllable, however, has been engineered from the ground up as a unique OS, with some inspiration from BeOS and AmigaOS.

Originally known as AtheOS, the project development was forked after the lead developer effectively abandoned his work, and Syllable was born.

After booting from the Live CD, you can log in as the user 'root' with password 'root'. The desktop is playfully colourful and clean: click the 'S' button at the top left to peruse the installed software. T

here's the usual collection of desktop utilities, including a media player and WebKit based browser. It's impressively fast and has the potential to be an excellent desktop OS for breathing new life into older machines.

At version 0.6.6, Syllable is one of the most advanced alternative OSes around. Unfortunately, though, there's a distinct lack of native software, and development on the project has slowed down in the last couple of years.

6. KolibriOS
Goal: Extreme performance and compact code size
Web: www.kolibrios.org



Without a doubt, KolibriOS wins the award for the most ambitious project in this feature. It's a fully fledged OS written entirely in assembly language. The KolibriOS team has managed to squeeze pre-emptive multitasking, a graphical desktop, TCP/IP networking, USB support, media playback and many other features onto a 1.44MB floppy disk.

Booting 'kolibri.img' brings you to the desktop in just a couple of seconds. There's a Windows-like Start menu and taskbar along the bottom of the screen, and the desktop is littered with small utilities.

It's all tremendously impressive, and while KolibriOS will never challenge the main OS trio's desktop supremacy, it shows what can be achieved with careful coding, especially as we're so used to bloatware nowadays.

7. Plan 9
Goal: Research beyond Unix
Web: http://plan9.bell-labs.com/plan9



After Unix had flown out of the Bell Labs nest in the 1970s, the developers kick-started a new research project to scratch their programming itches.

Plan 9 aimed to expand beyond the Unix philosophy of representing almost everything as a file: in Plan 9, even network connections and the user interface can be manipulated via the filesystem. Additionally, a communication protocol named 9P was developed to allow Plan 9 machines to share resources.

Ultimately, Plan 9 hasn't achieved anywhere near the same level of success as Unix. However, it's still undergoing development and is a source of new ideas for OS programmers.

The desktop feels quaintly old fashioned today – somewhat akin to the old-school X setups of the late '80s – but then, it's designed primarily to satisfy the needs of Plan 9 programmers. This is not an OS that's going to appeal to many users, but it's an interesting piece of research.

8. FreeDOS
Goal: Maximum compatibility with DOS software
Web: www.freedos.org



While ReactOS's ambitions are seriously lofty, FreeDOS has a considerably simpler job: running DOS programs. That still involves plenty of work, of course, but DOS has essentially been fixed in place for the last decade, so there aren't new APIs to chase around and implement.

Two CD ISOs are available: Fdbasecd, a small 8MB base system with limited functionality; and Fdfullcd, a 153MB beast packed with software and drivers.

The full version boots into an installer or Live mode. In use, it feels just like the DOS of yore: navigating around directories is the same, there's an excellent EDIT clone and you can even use the mouse with certain text mode apps.

Enter menu to launch the supplied programs and games (there's even a version of FreeDoom included). If you want a graphical desktop, start up OpenGEM.

9. Visopsys
Goal: Small OS focused on disk partitioning
Web: www.visopsys.org



All of the projects covered so far have been the work of many people. Visopsys, however, is particularly striking because it's almost entirely the work of one developer, Andy McLaughlin.

Since he wrote the first lines of code in 1997, McLaughlin has focused on "cherry-picking the best ideas from other operating systems" and produced a compact OS with powerful partition management tools. It even has some spin-off software.

Currently there's little in the way of native software – it's mostly small utilities and desktop tools. Still, Visopsys squeezes onto a single floppy disc, and demonstrates what can be achieved with time and determination.

10. Minix
Goal: Small Unix variant and a learning tool
Web: www.minix3.org



Minix is famous within the alternative OS world for two reasons. First, it was the platform on which Linus Torvalds developed the first version of Linux; and secondly, its code is covered extensively in Operating Systems: Design and Implementation, a book written by the Minix author.

While the first versions of Minix were designed exclusively as learning tools, Minix 3 expands the boundaries further, with low-spec and embedded machines being the main hardware target.

Compared to Linux and the BSD family it's not the most featurerich Unix flavour on the planet, but as a code and design resource for OS developers, it's fantastic.

CPALead Review

wed, July 20th, 2011 at 1:18 pm

cpalead review

cpalead review: if you are looking for an unbiased and honest review about the Las Vegas based company Cpalead.com, let me talk about my experience with them.

I’ve been a publisher for cpalead for almost a year now, and having experience other CPA companies as well. i’ll be hopefully able to provide a good and detailed analisys of cpalead pros and cons of this network.
On the whole, I can anticipate that I’m still making money with them and i wouldn’t be doing it, if for any reason I wasn’t confortable doing it.

(if you know already what’s good about cpalead and want to know how to sign up without having to be approved manually by a staff member, CLICK HERE)

WHO AM I?
Legitimate question… I’m an internet marketer from a non-english Europe country. I’m 23 years and as a lot of other (young) people I got into IM to bank and live the dream…
I’m not a internet millionaire, yet I’m very grateful for the money I’m making, I’ve been really lucky to get into this Internet thing.
On my way to riches, I found Cpalead and after having heard positive opinions about them on forums, I’ve decided to sign up and give it a try.

WHAT IS CPALEAD EXACTLY?

Cpalead is a incentivised CPA network, as you can read on their official website. What that means? It means that advertisers pay CpaLead to run their offers, while publishers show them on their websites. When a visitor land on sites monetized with cpalead, they are required to fill/complete a survey/offer in order to unlock the content and actually enjoy it. You may already have heard if not stumbled upon the infamous cpalead content-blocker gateway, that’s what it’s meant for. People fill offers/surveys to gain access to your site content, advertisers are happy and pay Cpalead, Cpalead pays you the publisher, how much depends on the offer payout and its complexity, they vary). Content and publishers are an important ring of the cpalead chain: good content lead more people to fill surveys; and motivating publishers willing to keep working with cpalead is a major concern for the company. The way they deal with its publishers base is one-of-a-kind among the many CPA networks in the US in tried and it deserves to be reviewed on its own.

CPALEAD SUPPORT:

This is probably the best aspect of Cpalead: they are there to help you succeed and their staff is quite fast in dealing any issue you bring their attention to. I remember when I first sign up (in August 2009) that my appplication was denied (now things are changed, I will explain more later how to get into it without the need of their approval, and automatically) What the heck I said. I wrote an email to Jeremy asking why. After a couple of hours, i got my reply where it was explained what details I had not include in the application. I took care of them, reapplied and I was in. Finally.

Since August 2009 they have been working on adding new cool features and improve their publishers expierence: they added a chat where, once logged into your account, you can chat with other publishers and with cpalead staff in real time. You can “shout” how much money you have earnt that day/month or the day/month before; there is a lottery and once a day you can scratch your lotto ticket and win up to 20% of the earnings of the day (it’a always nice to make more money doing nothing:) )

Recently they added a videogallery and CPAlead marketplace

Top 10 Web Browsers Worth Trying

After the release of Mosaic in 1993 and Internet Explorer by Microsoft in 1995, browser war was initiated. These days most people uses Internet Explorer as it is inbuilt with Windows OS, apart from that Mozilla Firefox is widely used with more than 30% of browser market share. Google’s web browser Chrome , Apple Safari and Opera are other majorly used browsers. These browsers have almost everything needed for secure, smooth and faster browsing, but there exists few more browsers for specific browsing purposes.

Here we are going to publish 10 most featured rich and widely used web browsers that are worth a try.

1. Internet Explorer: Most widely used web browser in market, as it comes free with Windows operating system. According to web researches in october 2010, Internet explorer losses its browser market, still it covers about 50% of browser market. IE(Internet Explorer) is enrich with Accelerators, search suggestions, visual suggestions, increased performance, batter page finding. IE 8 is the current stable version of IE family. IE 9 beta version is released which have the capabilities of displaying HTML 5 elements, DOMParser, CSS3 support, web slices, web font and Pinning functionality and lot more.

Platform support: Windows family only.
Download latest version from Here

2. Firefox: Widely used Open Source web browser, Firefox has standout features of great community Add-ons support, customizations, private browsing mode, greater security, fastest browsing, open video and audio, instant website ID, built-in spell checker, one click bookmarking, personas, smart location bar and many more. Firefox is now available for mobile devices also. Firefox is better than Internet Explorer in every department, probably it is the best browser in the world.

Platform support: Windows, Mac, Linux
Download latest version from Here

3. Google Chrome: Chrome was developed by Google in December 2008 and based on the WebKit layout engine and framework. Chrome is basically known for its faster start-up speed, fast loading time, simplicity, better security, extensions, inbuilt translator, Incognito mode(Private browsing) and theme supports. Chrome shares about 11% of browser market.

Platform support: Windows, Mac, Linux
Download latest version from Here

4. Safari: Safari, a web browser developed by Apple Inc. and included as a part of Mac OS X operating system. It was first released in Jan 2003 and became default browser for Mac OS. Safari is well-known for its elegant design, seeing favorite sites at a glance, faster, secure, innovative web kit, private browsing, HTML 5 and CSS3 support . It works on Windows, Mac, iPad, iPod touch and iPhone.

Platform support: Windows, Mac, Linux(as Konqueror)
Download latest version from Here

5. Opera: Opera browser is developed by Opera software in December 1996. Opera supports downloading files via BitTorrent, chatting on IRC. Opera is the fastest web browser on Earth. Opera has all the main stream features of web browsers like tabbed browsing, page zooming, speed dial, bookmarking, integrated download manager, built-in phishing and malware protection, strong encryption and ability to delete private data. It has unique features of Opera Turbo, Opera Unit, mouse gestures and Geo-location support.

Opera is the first web browser which comes for mobile phone devices.

Platform support: Windows, Mac, Linux
Download latest version from Here

6. Flock: Flock web browser specializes in providing social networking and Web 2.0 features built into its user interface. Apart from traditional browsers Flock integrates social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube, Flickr, Blogger, Gmail within the browser. When logging into these services, Flock can track updates from friends: profile, updates, uploaded photos, videos and lot more. It also have twitter search and integrated Facebook chat in browser. If you are a social media addict flock is worth trying.

Platform support: Windows, Mac, Linux, FreeBSD
Download latest version from Here

7. Maxthon: Maxthon is a china based web browser, basically works on Internet explorer platform. It was renamed from MyIE2 to Maxthon in 2004 and now second most used web browser in China. It has fully customizable features, mouse gesture support, powerful cache system, accelerators, third-party tools support, feed reader and skin rich user interface. Maxthon is fully compatible with internet Explorer, with enhanced customizable features.

Platform support: Windows family only.
Download latest version from Here

8. Avant: Avant browser is an ultra-fast web browser. It’s user-friendly interface brings a new level of clarity and efficiency to your browsing experience, and frequent upgrades have steadily improved its reliability. Apart from common features of browsers, avant has anti-freezing, no adware/malware, mouse gesture support, multi processing, private browsing, flash filter facilities and better than Internet Explorer.

Platform support: Windows family only.
Download latest version from Here

9. PhaseOut: According to its publisher: phaseout is an ultimate web browser for outer space exploration. Browse the web from your starship navigation panel with all the latest protection shields. Pop-up Blocker and CleanUp tools with extended options, Integrated Advanced Search Tool Bar and Tabbed web windows with Floating Preview on mouse over, SideBar History and Favorites extended tools, Skin Database for swapping interface Layout, Full Screen Real Mode with Controller for maximum area display, great for on-line gamers.

Platform support: Windows family only.
Download latest version from Here

10. Deepnet Explorer: The world’s first browser with RSS news reader, P2P client integration and phishing alarm. The browsers superior security, functionality and usability. It is completely free, no adware/spyware or third-party software. It uses underlying rendering engine as employed in Internet Explorer, that’s why have full compatibility towards IE.

Platform support: Windows family only.
Download latest version from Here

Before using web browsers look for these criteria : Features set, Security,Ease of use, Speed and compatibility, technical help and support. We have made a great list of top ten browsers, but still hungry to know about your choice of top 10 browsers.

How to Enhance Your Site Content

Enhancing your site content is vital to making sure that you rank high in a Google search.One way you can enhance your site content is to constantly update and maintain it.  If you have content that discusses outdated technology, update it with the newest version that’s out.  For example, if your site only includes information about the Playstation 2, you’re not going to get a lot of clicks or conversions from that information because it is old.  Update it with information about the Playstation 3, the new Move feature, or some of the latest games like Black Ops in order to help optimize your content.
Additionally you’ll want to have unique content.  That means that you didn’t use software and you didn’t copy and paste your content from anywhere else.  Google’s algorithms are built to be able to tell the difference, and will rank you lower if you don’t provide original, quality content.
You also need to provide fresh content continuously.  You can do this through a blog or by posting articles filled with the latest information about your products and services.  Fresh content helps Google to recognize you as an authority on your topic, which in turn ranks your site higher in a search index along with quality backlinks.
You can also enhance your site content through the appropriate use if images and graphics.  Make sure that the images are appealing and attractive and users will be more drawn to read the content therein.
Your site should also include a search option to help enhance your content.  Searching within your website helps users find what they need, increase functionality and navigation, and creates useful links within your site which will help you to rank.  Creating a user-friendly site should always be a top priority when you’re trying to enhance your site and its content.  If it’s not user friendly, people aren’t going to click through it, no matter how great your content is.
Additionally, your content should be relevant and informative.  If your site is about cars, your content should also be about cars.  You could write about makes, models, years, new cars versus used cars, parts, service…the list goes on.  Your content should not be filled with fluff that the average user would already know.  It should be helpful information that’s relevant to what they were searching.  That way you’re more likely to gain a conversion from that user because they will see you as an authority on the subject matter, and trust you to provide good service or products.

5 Web Files That Will Improve Your Website

The amount of code that developers encounter regularly is staggering. At any one time, a single site can make use of over five different web languages (i.e. MySQL, PHP, JavaScript, CSS, HTML).
There are a number of lesser-known and underused ways to enhance your site with a few simple but powerful files. This article aims to highlight five of these unsung heroes that can assist your site. They’re pretty easy to use and understand, and thus, can be great additions to the websites you deploy or currently run.

An Overview

Which files are we going to be examining (and producing)? Deciding which files to cover was certainly not an easy task for me, and there are many other files (such as .htaccess which we won’t cover) you can implement that can provide your website a boost.
The files I’ll talk about here were chosen for their usefulness as well as their ease of implementation. Maximum bang for our buck.
We’re going to cover robots.txt, favicon.ico, sitemap.xml, dublin.rdf and opensearch.xml. Their purposes range from helping search engines index your site accurately, to acting as usability and interoperability aids.
Let’s start with the most familiar one: robots.txt.

Robots.txt

The primary function of a robots.txt file is to declare which parts of your site should be off-limits for crawling.
By definition, the use of this file acts as an opt-out process. If there are no robots.txt for a directory on your website, by default, it’s fair game for web robots such as search engine crawlers to access and index.
While you can state exclusion commands within an HTML document through the use of a meta tag (<meta name="robots" content="noindex" />), the benefits of controlling omitted pages through a single text file is the added ease of maintenance.
Note: It’s worth mentioning that obeying the robots.txt file isn’t mandatory, so it’s not a good privacy mechanism.
This is how the robots.txt file interacts between a search engine and your website.

Creating a Robots.txt File

To create a robots.txt file the first and most obvious thing you will need is a text editor. It’s also worth pointing out that the file should be called robots.txt (or it won’t work) and it needs to exist within the root directory of your website because by default, that’s where web robots look for the file.
The next thing we need to do is figure out a list of instructions for the search engine spiders to follow. In many ways, the robot.txt’s structure is similar to CSS in that it is comprised of attribute and value pairs that dictate rules.
Another thing to note is that you can include comments inside your robots.txt file using the # (hash) character before it. This is handy for documenting your work.
Here’s a basic example telling web robots not to crawl the /members/ and /private/ directory:

User-agent: *
 Disallow: /members/
 Disallow: /private/

The robots.txt exclusion standard only has two directives (there are also a few non-standard directives like Crawl-delay, which we’ll cover shortly).
The first standard directive is User-agent. Each robots.txt file should begin by declaring a User-agent value that explains which web robots (i.e. search crawlers) the file applies to.
Using * for the value of User-agent indicates that all web robots should follow the directives within the file;  * represents a wildcard match.
The Disallow directive points to the folders on your server that shouldn’t be accessed. The directive can point to a directory (i.e. /myprivatefolder/) or a particular file (i.e. /myfolder/folder1/myprivatefile.html).
There is a specification for robots.txt, but the rules and syntax are exceptionally simple.

Robots.txt Non-Standard Directives

Of course, whilst having a list of search engines and files you want hidden is useful, there are a few non-standard extensions to the robots.txt specification that will further boost its value to you and your website. Although these are non-standard directives, all major search crawlers acknowledge and support them.
Some of these more popular non-standard directives are:

• Sitemap: where your Sitemap.xml file is
• Allow: opposite of Disallow
• Crawl-delay: sets the number of seconds between server requests that can be made by spiders

There are other less supported directives such as Visit-time, which restricts web robots to indexing your site only between certain hours of the day.
Here’s an example of a more complex robots.txt file using non-standard directives:

Allow: /private/public.html
 Comment: I love you Google, come on in!
 Crawl-delay: 10
 Request-rate: 1/10m # one page every 10 minutes
 Robot-version: 2.0
 Sitemap: /sitemap.xml
 Visit-time: 0500-1300 # military time format

Whilst not a standard, there is an extension for robots.txt which has mainstream support.

Favicon.ico

A favicon (short for "favourites icon") is a small image (like a desktop application’s shortcut) that represents a site.
Shown in the browser’s address bar, the favicon gives you a unique opportunity to stylise your site in a way that will add identity to browser favourites/bookmarks (both locally and through social networks).
The great thing about this file is that every major browser has built-in support for it, so it’s a solid extra file to provide.
This is how the favicon.ico file affects your site visually through the browser such as IE.

Creating a Favicon.ico file

To create a favicon, you’ll need an image or icon editor. I am a fan of Axialis IconWorkshop, but there are free editors like IcoFX that do the job well.
You can also find quite a few free online favicon tools by viewing this list of web-based favicon generators.
You need to have a 16x16px icon (or 32x32px, scaled down) that matches what you want to see in the browser.
Once you are done creating your icon’s design, save the file as "favicon.ico" in the root directory of your web server (that’s where browsers look for it by default).
Note: It’s a good idea to use the .ico file type, as some browsers don’t support PNG, GIF or JPEG file types.
To make this file work properly, refer to the location of your favicon in the <head> tags of all your HTML documents, as such:

<head>
 <link rel="shortcut icon" type="image/vnd.microsoft.icon" href="favicon.ico" />
 <head>

The rel attribute values of "shortcut icon" or "icon" are considered acceptable and the MIME type of "vnd.microsoft.icon" (as of 2003) replaced the older type ("image/x-icon") as the official standardized favicon MIME type for .ico files on the web.
Note: While Internet Explorer (and some other browsers) will actively seek out your favicon in the root directory of your site by default (which is why you should have it there), it’s worth adding the above code into the <head> of your HTML just to make it explicitly known by other types of browser agents.
There are multiple online tools which can create a favicon from existing images.

Favicons in Apple Devices

Another standard (of sorts) has appeared in light of Apple’s iPod, iPad, and iPhone. In this situation, you can offer a 57×57 PNG, ICO or GIF file (alpha transparency supported) that can be displayed on the devices’ Home screen using the web clip feature.
Apple also recommends that you use 90-degree corners (not rounded corners, which the devices will do for you automatically) to maintain the "feel" of such icons.
To make this file work properly, place the following code into every page within your <head> tags:

<head>
 <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="images/icon.png" />
 </head>

For users of Apple devices, a specially produced "favicon" can be produced.

Sitemap.xml

One thing website owners worry about is getting their website indexed correctly by the major search engines like Google.
While the robots.txt file explains what files you want excluded from results, the Sitemap.xml file lists the structure of your site and its pages. It gives search engine crawlers an idea of where things are on your site.
This is how the Sitemap.xml file interacts between a search engine and your website.
As always, the first recommended course of action to produce a Sitemap is to create the XML file that will contain its code. It’s recommended that you name the file as "sitemap.xml" and provide it within the root directory of your website (as some search engines automatically seek it there).
It’s also worth noting that while you can submit your Sitemap file location directly to search engines, adding the non-standard Sitemap directive to your robots.txt file can be useful as it’s widely supported and gives spiders a push in the right direction.
Below is a basic example of how a Sitemap looks like.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
 <urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
 <url><loc>index.html</loc></url>
 <url><loc>contact.html</loc></url>
 </urlset>

Each Sitemap file begins with a Document Type Definition (DTD) that states that the file is UTF-8 encoded, written in XML, and uses the official Sitemap schema.
Following those formalities, you simply produce a list of your URLs that exist within your website’s structure.
Each URL must be contained within two elements: <url> and <loc>. This is a very simple specification to follow, so even less experienced developers should be able to replicate this basic mechanism with little effort.
To reference your Sitemap inside your HTML documents, place this code between the <head> tags:

<head>
 <link rel="sitemap" type="application/xml" title="Sitemap" href="sitemap.xml" />
 <head>

Just like most XML-based schemas, there is a protocol and specification to follow.

Other Sitemap Tags

While you could limit yourself to simply listing every file, there are a number of other meta-information that can be included within the <url> tag to help further define how spiders deal with or treat each page in the site — and this is where the Sitemap’s true power lies.
You can use <lastmod>, for example, to state when the resource was last modified (formatted using YYYY-MM-DD). You can add the <changefreq> element, which uses values of always, hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, and never to suggest how often a web page changes (for example, the front page of Six Revisions has a value of daily).
There is also the <priority> tag, which uses a scale of 0.0 to 1.0 that you can utilize to indicate how important a web page is to a website.
Here’s an example of using the above tags:

<lastmod>2010-05-13</lastmod>
 <changefreq>monthly</changefreq>
 <priority>0.8</priority>

Google Webmaster Tools allows you to submit your Sitemap to initiate its analysis of your site structure.

Dublin.rdf

Ensuring you provide metadata has become big business among SEO professionals and semantics advocates. The appropriate use of HTML, metadata, microformats and well-written content improves the chances of appearing in the right search results. They also allow an increasing number of browsers and social networks to aggregate and filter the data so that they can accurately understand what your content represents.
The Dublin.rdf file acts as a container for officially recognised meta elements (provided by the DCMI specification) which can augment the semantic value of the media you provide.
If you’ve ever visited a library and tried to locate a book, you know that you will often have to flick through the library catalogs to find books based on their subject, their author, or perhaps even their title. The aim of the DCMI is to produce such a reference card for your website that will help search engines, social networks, web browsers, and other web technologies understand what your site is.
This is how the Dublin.rdf file interacts with supporting social networking mediums.

Creating a Dublin.rdf File

To begin, you need to produce the file itself (which we shall name "Dublin.rdf"). In order to maintain consistent meta details about the site (as opposed to individual DCMI meta tags for specific pages and resources), we shall create an RDF file (formatted as XML) with a reference within the HTML document to indicate that the information is available. While you can embed DCMI meta tags within HTML, RDF allows you to cache the data.

When a supporting spider or other resource that acknowledges the DCMI core sees the file, they can cache and directly relate to the information.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use traditional meta tags, but the file can serve as a useful supplement.

<?xml version="1.0"?>
 <rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#" xmlns:dc= "http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">
 <rdf:Description rdf:about="http://www.yoursite.com/">
 <dc:contributor>Your Name</dc:contributor>
 <dc:date>2008-07-26</dc:date>
 <dc:description>This is my website.</dc:description>
 <dc:language>EN</dc:language>
 <dc:publisher>Company</dc:publisher>
 <dc:source>http://www.yoursite.com/</dc:source>
 </rdf:Description>
 </rdf:RDF>

Like most XML files, this RDF document has a DTD — and within that, you have the description element (which links to the resource being referenced).
Within the description, as you can see from the above, there are several elements (beginning with the prefix of dc:) — these hold the metadata of the page.
There’s a whole range of terms you can add (see this list of DCMI metadata terms), it’s simply a case of adding the term’s name, then giving a value as denoted by the DCMI specification. You’ll end up with a library of useful data that can improve your site’s semantics and interoperability with other sites and applications!
To make this file work properly, place the following code into every HTML document within the <head> tags:

<head>
 <link rel="meta" type="application/rdf+xml" title="Dublin" href="dublin.rdf" />
 <head>

The Dublin.rdf file makes use of the DCMI specification to provide meta information.

OpenSearch.xml

The ability to search a website is one of the most important ways people locate content.
The OpenSearch file allows you to add a custom search engine listing (on your own site) through the search feature that appears in all modern browsers. All of the major browsers can take advantage of OpenSearch; it’s pretty durable.
While you will still want to provide a search mechanism on your website, this core enhancement complements the user’s in-browser search capabilities.
This is how the OpenSearch file interacts with your site through the browser.
Like with all things we’ve discussed thus far, we need to produce the file for the code to be placed in.
As this particular type of file doesn’t have assumed name reservations like robots.txt or sitemap.xml, we could call the file whatever we like. However, the convention for OpenSearch files is to name the file, "opensearch.xml".
You’ll want to include the code below as your starting template, then proceed to customising the required tags such as <ShortName>, <Url> and <Description> (they are case-sensitive) to describe your site.
The example used below is for Six Revisions using Google Search.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
 <OpenSearchDescription xmlns="http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearch/1.1/">
 <ShortName>Six Revisions</ShortName>
 <Description>Search this website.</Description>
 <Image>favicon.ico</Image>
 <Url type="text/html" template="http://www.google.com/search?sitesearch=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sixrevisions.com%2F&amp;as_q={searchTerms}"/>
 </OpenSearchDescription>

The tags included above are:

• ShortName: the title you want for your search extension
• Description: explains the purpose of the search box
• Image: this isn’t required like the others, but I recommend referencing your Favicon with it so the search feature has a unique icon
• Url: requires a MIME type and a template attribute which links to the search terms

To make this file work properly, place the following code into every page within the <head> tag:

<link rel="search" type="application/opensearchdescription+xml" title="Website" href="opensearch.xml" />

Other OpenSearch Tags

There’s a range of additional tags we can provide. Among these are:

• AdultContent: if the site has adult material needing to be filtered, set to false
• Attribution: your copyright terms
• Contact: an email address for the point-of-contact of your site
• Developer: who made the site?
• InputEncoding and OutputEncoding: The MIME type used
• Language: i.e. EN for English
• Query: for more detailed search terms
• Tags: keywords, separated by a space
• SyndicationRight: The degree to which people can request, display or send results

Example usage of these other tags:

<AdultContent>false</AdultContent>
 <Attribution>Copyright, Your Name 2010, Some Rights Reserved.</Attribution>
 <Contact>None@none.com</Contact>
 <Developer>Your Name</Developer>
 <InputEncoding>UTF-8</InputEncoding>
 <Language>en-us</Language>
 <OutputEncoding>UTF-8</OutputEncoding>
 <Query role="example" searchTerms="terms" />
 <Tags>Example Tags Element Website</Tags>
 <SyndicationRight>open</SyndicationRight>

Simple, Small and Effective

While this guide represents a crash course in producing these useful files, it’s worth pointing out that taking the time to understand the syntax of any language is important in order to determine what the impact of these files on your website.
These files represent a truth that there’s more to a website than HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and while producing these files will certainly not act as a replacement for your existing code workflow, their inherent benefits make them worthy of consideration to supplement your projects. Give them a try for yourself!