iBece.org

Windows Vista on an Old Notebook

Andrej — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 10:21:53 +0000

The negative publicity around Windows Vista has been relentless since its debut in November 2006. It’s been called slow, incompatible, a resource hog, and most recently featured in CNet’s “Top ten terrible tech products” of all time. So much has it been maligned, that even I, a self-professed technophile and early adopter have held off for more than 12 months before even giving it a look. Admittedly, I own a four-year-old notebook, about the worst possible computer to upgrade to Windows Vista. Every reviewer would scream danger and warn of headaches with proprietary drivers and the like. To me it smelled of a challenge. So I bade farewell to XP and booted up Vista’s install DVD on my trusty old Acer TravelMate 370. The results, I have to say, have been mixed.

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Karma Currency

Andrej — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 04:18:53 +0000

As we put the finishing touches to our home for the upcoming Christmas celebrations, I can’t help notice the overflowing stack of gifts bulging from under the tree. What’s more, these are just from my immediate family - three of us. The other seven family members who will be joining us tonight will all contribute to the collection. Thousands of dollars are represented here, and across Australia, the NSW Business Chamber estimates $6 billion have been spent on gifts in the past month. It seems the march of commercialisation progresses relentlessly each passing year.

While all of this giving is well-intentioned, both the Bible and Buddhist teaching speaks of gluttony and the ultimate dissatisfaction of material possessions. One wholesome alternative to buying Uncle Stevo another pair of socks is Karma Currency:

Instead of giving platters, socks, photo frames and other useless gifts our initiative allows companies and individuals to give the gift of Charity Gift Vouchers. This Charitable voucher can be sent to families or friends, customers or colleagues, empowering them to give the donation to the charities they care about most. In short; our aim is to make karma currency the most soulful, meaningful, environmentally friendly and enjoyable gift you can give.

Peace be with you and your family this holiday season.

The Balkan Cauldron - Part 2, Solutions

Andrej — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 10:23:59 +0000

Long-term stability on the Balkan peninsula is still attainable, however some difficult decisions, and changes in entrenched views, are what is required. Part one of this series gave insight into the grievances and ambitions of the nationalities living in the region. With the recent end of negotiations over Kosovo’s future status, the region looks set to enter a period of heightened tensions, if not another all out conflict. This concluding article will investigate where the international community’s response to the Balkans went wrong, and what a peaceful long-term solution might look like. (more…)

The Balkan Cauldron - Part 1, Problems

Andrej — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 08:15:19 +0000

The Balkans are undoubtedly one of Europe’s most tumultuous regions. Partly due to centuries of friction between great empires, and partly because of the unusual heterogeneity of its ethic composition, it is often compared to a “powder keg” for good reason. The coming months will witness a time of even greater than usual tension in this region, as Kosovo moves towards independence, and Bosnia-Herzegovina grapples with its unworkable political structure. Some commentators go as far as foreshadowing renewed conflicts. The growing antagonism between Russia and the West, played out through their proxies in Belgrade and Pristina, rekindles memories of another major conflict sparked in this very neighbourhood, almost 100 years ago. Much of the tension today however, is a result of the international community’s inadequate (and often misguided) response to the collapse of the former Yugoslavia in 1991. Part one of this two part series will look at the state of the Balkans today from the viewpoint of the major ethnic players in the region. (more…)

Doctors Without Borders

Andrej — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 06:57:43 +0000

“Gold Coast doctor questioned by federal police over possible link to British bomb plots says he just wants to sleep (The Age).” It seems more of my colleagues from around the world are being rounded up each day after the failed bombings in the UK. Drs Mohammed Haneef and Mohamed Ali from Gold Coast Hospital are the latest to be taken in for questioning, with the latter recently released without charge. It looks like wearing a stethoscope may soon raise as many eyebrows as wearing a turban. Considering the high likelihood that I will be practicing at the very same Gold Coast Hospital next year, I don’t much like my chances for travelling under the radar! The greatest mystery in all of this remains, how did a group of highly educated, intellectually elite individuals manage to screw up so spectacularly?

Top 5: Reasons to Use Mobile Internet

Andrej — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 09:28:33 +0000

Since buying a Nokia 6300 and signing up to a mobile data plan with Optus, I have embraced mobile internet in a BIG way. Despite long dismissing it as little more than a gimmick, the combination of Opera Mini, a phone with a decent-sized screen, and affordable data rates has changed my attitude 180 degrees. I am now certain that the question ought not to be “why should I”, but “why don’t I”, access the internet on my phone. Read on to find out what you can do with the internet in your pocket in Australia.

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Connecting Foxtel iQ to a DVD Recorder

Andrej — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 07:36:43 +0000

In the beginning, there was the VCR. People would often use it to record their favourite shows to watch again (and again), and some more-technically inclined even mastered its ability to timer record shows when they weren’t around. The picture was wobbly, the tapes quickly piled up, but it was all we had. Mostly though, people were slaves to the networks, and rarely did the VCR feature prominently in day-to-day TV viewing. Then came the Personal Video Recorder (PVR). Mums and wives and other double-X-chromosomed individuals could now program it to record TV with the touch of a button. We could watch what we wanted, when we wanted. We could pause and rewind live TV. We could even do away with all those piles of tapes. Or could we? Sooner or later, as I found out, every PVR (even Foxtel’s very capable iQ) is going to want to be married to a DVD recorder. If you’re starting out on this journey, read on to find out the least painful way to go about it.

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Nokia 6300 - A Long Time Coming

Andrej — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 07:27:54 +0000

I’ve been very vocal for a long time about the lack of slim and sexy mobiles. It seemed that for years manufacturers were obsessed with features and devices got progressively fatter and heavier. Nokia, the original champion of sleek (beginning with the 8210), became the worst offender. Even when Samsung and Motorola brought back slim last year, Nokia continued to flood the market with unpocketable bricks. Until now.

The new Nokia 6300, successor to my 6100, is everything that has been missing in Nokia’s line up for the last four years. I’ve held onto my old 6100 for precisely the reason that no other alternative existed. In desperation I had begun flirting with the idea of Samsung or Sony-Ericsson. Finally, Nokia has come to their senses and realised that affordable style (with a compromise on features) is a viable market. I dare say, this will be my next phone. Here is why. (more…)

Top 5: PDA Tools for Young Doctors

Andrej — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 04:32:23 +0000

My Palm PDA has been a great asset during the last year, both on and off the wards. Thanks to an abundance of free or trial software, I’ve had a chance to try out a large range of reference tools and trim down my list of favourites based on my usage. It’s always very easy to become swamped with information, so I believe strongly in keeping things simple and using only a select few tools. In writing this Top 5 article and reflecting on my usage patterns over the last year, I was surprised at how narrow this list really was.

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Opera Mini Saved My Nokia

Andrej — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 08:38:18 +0000

When I installed Opera Mini on my ageing (but still very stylish) Nokia 6100, I couldn’t wait to express my joy to the world. You see, I’d been reluctantly looking around for a replacement phone for some time, mainly in order to do something which was easy a few years ago - check my email. When I first bought the 6100 (my first WAP/GPRS phone), my ISP had WAP email. Since then, as sites embraced new standards, the old Nokia’s web browser could no longer handle this task. Even Google’s release of a Java mail client offered no hope - my phone was not supported. Now with this new application installed, my phone’s been given a new chance at life. (more…)