Google Chrome Ad - Dear Hollie

Windows 7 brings the worst about me

Yes, it's true. It gets to my nerves when updates and service packs are equal to slowness!

Same financial crisis, another chapter

“Are the derivatives regulated? No. Are you still getting growth in derivatives? Yes.”

Via Financial Post

Lightning strike hits CN Tower

on May 29, 2011.

Asus EeePC X101 with MeeGo netbook hands-on

Will it be a competitor to ChromeOS and Chromebooks? It's slower than Chrome OS...well, to be honest, Chromebooks have better specs...



More about MeeGo here.

University of Alberta: dichloroacetate is effective in curing cancer

Researchers at the University of Alberta believe Dichloroacetate may soon be used as an effective treatment for many forms of cancer.

Here.

Sócrates e a Escola Pública

José Sócrates tem os dois filhos, Eduardo e José Miguel, em colégios privados de elite: Colégio Moderno e Colégio Alemão.

Pedro Passos Coelho, ao invés, tem as duas filhas, Joana e Catarina, em escolas públicas.

Fiquemos por aqui.

Spanish Ghost Towns

Real estate collapse in Spain. Astonishing!

VALDELUZ: 700 people live in a town planned for 30,000

SESENA: 10,500 houses sit empty. Commercial real estate is bricked up

More here.

Better Life Index: a comparison between Canada, Portugal, Ireland and Greece

Here's an interesting compilation of data of four countries. Canada topped the ranking, only behind Australia.

Remind yourself that Portugal, Ireland and Greece were intervened by IMF/ECB/EC with bailout programs and that these findings are based on data from 2008 or later. So, they don't account for the latest and very significant changes that occurred lately in these 3 countries.

Maybe this could help someone decide which country he or she would prefer to live in. Maybe not. Well, at least has some really interesting figures.

Note:

- Red is the worst, yellow the best.

Enjoy and discuss!



Full document here.

President Obama in British Parliament

Violence and abuse: electronic library

The mission of the Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse (MINCAVA) is to support research, education, and access to violence related resources.

Chromebook or Asus notebook with Windows

Which one would you choose considering the following daily tasks:

- browse the web with Chrome (e.g., feeding the blog, posting to twitter, reading the news, etc);
- work with Google Apps (Gmail, Docs, Reader, Calendar, Picasa Web);

and

- occasional work with Libreoffice;
- occasional connection to Samsung Lcd to watch movies from external storage hard drive (I appreciate that "connect projector" option in Windows 7).

One important issue: I need a pc where I can have installed some vocational training windows only applications. If I buy the Chromebook I will have to ditch those apps to another computer. And I only want one notebook. ;)

I have my laptop with dual boot - Ubuntu 11.04 and Windows 7. But this isn't a decisive issue. I have both because I love Ubuntu and I need Windows 7 for the apps that were referred previously.

I have some pros and cons for each solution but which one would you choose considering all the aspects that were mentioned?

Asus Eee pc 1215b

499€

Specifications

Operating System: Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium
Display: 12.1" LED Backlight WXGA (1366x768) Screen
CPU: AMD Fusion APU E350 1.6GHz (dual core)/C30 1.2GHz (single core)/C50 1.0GHz (dual core) Processor
Graphic: AMD® Radeon HD 6250/AMD® Radeon HD 6310
Memory DDR3, 2 x SO-DIMM, 2GB/4GB
Storage: 2.5" 500GB HDD
Wireless Data Network: WLAN 802.11 a/b/g/n@2.4GHz
Bluetooth V3.0+HS(Optional)
Camera: 0.3 M Pixel Camera
Audio: Hi-Definition Audio CODEC
Stereo Speakers
High Quality Mic
1 x VGA Connector
3 x USB 2.0
1 x USB 3.0 *1
1 x LAN RJ-45
1 x HDMI
2 x Audio Jack (Headphone/Mic-In)
1 x Card Reader : SD/ SDHC/ SDXC/ MMC

Battery 8 hrs*, 6-Cell 56Wh Li-ion Battery

Or

Samsung Series 5 Chromebook Wi-Fi

Unknown price in euros and availability in Portugal. Probably the equivalent in dollars, i.e., 429€; availability: July? September? I could also try to buy the Chromebook in Spain on June 15.

Specifications

Processor: Intel® ATOM Processor N570 1.66Ghz Speed
Memory: 2GB Standard System Memory DDR3 Memory Type Onboard 2GB Maximum System Memory
Storage: 16GB SSD (mSATA)
Display: 12.1" Screen Size LED (WXGA) Display 1280x800 Resolution, Non-Gloss, 16:10 Aspect Ratio 300 nits Brightness
Design: Arctic White
Graphics: NM10 Graphics, Chipset Integrated Graphics, Shared Graphics Memory
Multimedia: Stereo Speakers ALC272 Integrated Audio Controller
1MP HD Webcam
Internal Mic
Communication:
802.11 b/g/n Wireless LAN
I/O Ports
VGA via dongle adapter
Headphone/MIC combo
2 USB Ports
4-in-1 Memory Card Reader that supports
SD / SDHC / SDXC / MMC
Input
Touch Pad
Buttonless type, Gesture Support Touch Pad Function
Keyboard
74 Keys
Full-size (island style)
Google Chrome Keyboard
Power
40W AC Adapter
6 Cell
8280 mAh
61Watt Hours
Up to 8.5 hours (Google Chrome Battery Test)
Dimensions
Product Dimensions: 8.6" (W) x .08" (H) x 11.6" (D)

Google's Hamina Data Center

Via 9to5Google

O Jornal de Notícias cheira a PS, sabe a PS

"O povo não vai em debates". Curiosa afirmação. Será por o Passos Coelho ter tido um óptimo desempenho no debate com Sócrates e esta sondagem referir um aumento da votação no PS?

Até quando é que o Jornal de Notícias continuará a fazer a esta porcaria de jornalismo?

Este jornal começa a parecer uma qualquer publicação de propaganda socialista!

Um património jornalístico de tanta qualidade vilipendiado por afirmações dignas de um qualquer apoiante do PS...Vergonha.

Ria de Aveiro, Portugal

Region: Ria de Aveiro


Ver mapa maior

The pictures speak for themselves.

Windows Phone 7: Mango Update

I have to confess that I really appreciate the looks of Windows Phone 7. It's a lot more elegant than Android or iOS. They have truly made an excellent work around the OS although I don't like the deep integration of Facebook and some other minor things. Overall, looks great.

Here's a video about the new features in the Mango Update.



Via Engadget

New Nook

Here's the new Nook from Barnes & Noble.

It comes with Android 2.1. I'm wondering if we will see Honeycomb on this beauty... ;)

Microsoft says Chromebooks don't change the game

Really? Having a new player with the name Google isn't important and doesn't change the game? Hum...Are you really sure? Aren't you afraid of losing your rings? Hum, Microsoft?

Chromebooks don’t change the game at all from a productivity standpoint. Excel is just a million years ahead of what Google Docs provides.

Do the majority of companies really need all the features of Excel? Could it be that Google Spreadsheets can get a great percentage of the work done? And remind yourself that Google is working hard on Google Apps...Evolution comes quickly here...

Exciting times, that's for sure. Chrome OS is just a v1.0.

Via 9to5Google

O relatório da UTAO a tal que o Governo quis calar

Gamado sem pudor do Blasfémias.

A autora é a Helena Matos.

Hoje o “Diário Económico” escreve que o Governo adiou despesa pública durante o primeiro trimestre para melhorar o défice do Estado em mais de 200 milhões de euros. 

«À conclusão da Direcção-geral do Orçamento de que a despesa efectiva do Estado diminuiu 3% no primeiro trimestre do ano, a UTAO contrapõe que “esta aparente melhor execução da despesa reflecte apenas uma baixa execução do pagamento de juros da dívida pública, que se encontram concentrados no segundo trimestre, bem como uma baixa execução da despesa de capital”. 
“Caso os juros e outros encargos fossem pagos de forma regular (de montante idêntico ao longo do ano), a despesa efectiva registaria, em Março, uma taxa de variação homóloga acumulada nula”, lê-se no relatório da UTAO.

A conclusão decorre do mesmo relatório da UTAO: “A melhor execução na óptica de caixa beneficiou de um crescimento das dívidas dos Serviços Integrados [do Estado], cuja variação mais do que duplicou face ao período homólogo”, mediante “um acréscimo de 205,9 milhões de euros”. 
“Administração Interna, Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros e Ministério das Obras Públicas, Transportes e Comunicações foram os principais responsáveis pelo aumento de dívidas neste subsector, sendo as despesas com pessoal, aquisição de bens e serviços e transferências correntes, os agrupamentos de despesa que mais contribuíram para o acréscimo de dívidas neste período”, acrescenta o relatório. 
O “Diário Económico” avança, por seu turno, que em causa estarão atrasos nos descontos de IRS referentes aos funcionários da GNR e PSP, na tutela da Administração Interna, e também o adiamento do pagamento das contribuições e quotas devidas a instituições internacionais, cujo pagamento está a cargo dos Negócios Estrangeiros.»

Ah, maledicência de um raio! 

Sócrates e o optimismo

Optimism, unaccompanied by personal effort, is merely a state of mind and not fruitful.

Here