Sunday, September 29, 2013

As good as the real deal: VM Platforms

Having my first introduction to a virtual machine, I had to further investigate to see what the lure is all about.  Is it the bright lights or the fancy gadgets, I mean really what is the benefits of a dual operation system.  I have trouble with just one.

Virtual machines (VM) are categorized into two processes.  System Virtual machine and Process Virtual machine.  You may be wondering, what's the difference?

Well, system virtual machine is a complete platform that can coexist with multiple system virtual machines on the same hardware. It emulates an existing architecture that is more dynamic and more complex that provides a platform that can run programs where the actually hardware may be unavailable or extinct.

Process virtual machines are a bit less complicated.  Using this type of process is only for a single, specific process ran within a host operating system.  It's not a true virtual machine, since unlike a system virtual machine it's not confined to the system model.  Rather it has access to all the OS services.

This Virtual Machine Download Instruction Video shows how to install it on your computer.  I myself have it installed on my computer.  I'm still learning how to use and found this tutorial to help.


Another link here at  Virtual Tools has tips and pointers on installation, starting and stopping you virtual machine.  Take a look and I'll keep a look out for additional information.

uCloud, iCloud, we allCloud for...

What is in a cloud?   In today's society, being "connected" is all about having updated information and access  from Facebook to Twitter to email's, tagging and everything in between.

Let's cover a few topics to get started because picking the right cloud is important.  First off, what is cloud? It's basically an online backup storage that allows you to upload documents from any device and have access to it in the future, as well as share with others.  Some automatically upload or "sync" your files according to your settings.

How to pick the best cloud for you.  Depending on your own needs here are a few tips to look out for:
1. What are your requirements? Are you using MAC, PC, tablets, or "i" anything?  Identifying what types of software, hardware and operating will help you determine which cloud is better for your device. Some simply work better with some but not others.

2. How much are you willing to pay or not pay? Due to advancements in technology, the cost is now a fraction of what it once was. Depending on your needs some free storage space is available but limited to its size.

3. What is the amount of available storage that is needed?  If it's the occasion image, folder, file or data several g's may suffice and there are plenty of re.  However, as we put our digital life on "online" sites uploading is more frequent, images are larger and and our files grow with the experiences that we want to share.

4.What kind of data will it allow me to store?  If your like most, music is a high priority. Check to see if it offers the type of sharing that you need or if it simply holds your music files so that you can quickly download and/or share your artsy side.

These are just a few and the following link has their best reviews, for more detailed information take a look
http://www.thetop10bestonlinebackup.com/cloud-storage

Just remember when it rains, it pours.  Be prepared by having access to your personal and professional documents and information when you need them.

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Learning to Code with Ruby

Coding is not my strong point.  Having to go through this Ruby on Rails has both been refreshing and frustrating.  I started with http://www.codecademy.com and naturally after the creation of a profile you start the process of learning not only ruby but have the choice to play with Java, Python and PHP just to name a few.

But what is Ruby?  If you're like me you want to know what it is and had to find sites to dumb it down for me.
Ruby is a scripting language.  Ah what?  Scripting Language, it means that it relies that runs on the web to translate your hand-written code into an executable code right there and then.  upon an application source code all of the time.  It doesn't have a compiler, instead it uses a an interpreter.  For compiled langualed a compiler is used and every time you change your code you have to stop and re-run the code for your changed to take into effect.  It really depends on the programmer and what they like to use but I do find that ruby is easier to use than say, JAVA.

I found these on youtube that gave a small differences between Ruby and PHP but there are more and were humorous as well as informative.



Of course having a background in writing programs helps since Ruby builds on some of the same concepts.  What is really nice though is Ruby has a large and helpful community.  I was able to find the answers that I needed or see why my programming didn't work, which was quite often.

It may take some computer wizard only a few hours to go through the whole tutorial but for a "newbie" like me several days since frustration kicks in (it has been several years since I even attempted to write code).  I remember why I changed from CS to CIS, but in hindsight had I realized I'd be doing this today I would have completely switched to a basic business degree.

Some other sights that I found useful to help me through Ruby tutorial is http://www.codeschool.com/courses/try-ruby.  Basically another in browser tool to work on your Ruby language skills.

Follow me and my progression on trying to re-learn a much needed skill in the program writing world.  I'm taking the blue pill and following the bunny rabbit down the hole.  Cheers!