How free is freeware?

Free, it is just a very nice word to hear. You get something without giving anything first, who wouldn’t want that.  Incorporating the ‘free’ word with anything in this world is just what we all may be hoping for. And if that would come true, I couldn’t think of anything else that we might be asking for more. This is totally applicable to the ‘free’ stuff scattered over the Internet that is felt or getting availed by millions of users all over world. Movies, mp3s, books, applications - name it and maybe you’ll have what you want in a matter of time just by downloading all of them for free. There are already hundreds or maybe already millions of site that hosts this kind of action or letting others download stuffs for free. As for now, majority of us has had already freeware games or applications installed on our computers at home or at work. But what is really meant when we say ‘freeware’? How really ‘free’ it could be?

Defining freeware according to Wikipedia site, it is a computer software that is available for use with no cost or for an optional fee. Freeware is often made available in a binary-only, proprietary form, thus making it distinct from free software. Freeware allows authors to contribute something for the benefit of the community, while at the same time allowing them to retain control of the source code, future direction of development and preserve its business potential. Freeware is different from shareware, where the user is obliged to pay (e.g. after some trial period or for additional functionality). The term freeware was said to be thought up by Andrew Fluegelman when he wanted to sell a communications program named PC-Talk that he had created but for which he did not wish to use traditional methods of distribution because of their cost. Fluegelman actually distributed PC-Talk via a process now referred to as shareware. Current use of the term freeware does not necessarily match the original concept by Andrew Fluegelman.

A freeware could only be called as ‘freeware’ if that software is fully functional for an unlimited span of time without cost, monetary or else. The license of the software can inflict restrictions or limitations on how it should be used involving personal use, individual use, non-profit use, non-commercial use, academic use, commercial use or any combinations of the ones mentioned. Anything created with the freeware programs can be distributed at no cost such as graphics, documents, or sounds made by user. It is said that if ever you have played an online Java or Flash based games, you have used a freeware. The internet itself is also thought of as a freeware itself, an enormous collection of scripts, information, tools and resources that are, for the most part, absolutely free.

Open Source and Freeware

As to compare open source with freeware to understand the latter more, the difference between freeware and open source is that you do not have access to the source code legally. Organizationally making a difference, there is no community and no development infrastructure around "freeware" as there is around open source software. So while you can use freeware as it is, there is no possible way to develop it or get hold of sustaining it. Open source means that the source code is available to all potential users, and they are free to use, modify, and re-distribute the source code. Legally, the "free" of open source refers exclusively to the source code, and it is possible to have support, services, documentation, and even binary versions which are not monetarily free.

Shareware and Freeware

Shareware is said to be another concept. You can download and try shareware for free, but if you use it, you are supposed to pay for it. It is developed and released by someone who keeps full control of the intellectual property. The user does not have access to the source code and cannot modify it. There is also no collaboration or community around shareware.

So the only difference between shareware and commercial software is that you can download and try shareware for free. Users are ultimately dependent on the developer of shareware for enhancements and support like other commercial software. Thus, shareware is "free" as in "Free Sample" that we see in malls.

But why does someone wants to work hard of something and just gives it for free? As said, Freeware is about programmers wanting to share what they've created with the world at large, be it a useful tool, a kick-ass game or even a simple script. Those people who create freeware like to share what they've made, and wanted to get some credit from the wider community for making something useful. So if ever you get to use a freeware next time, maybe it would not hurt if we give those ‘generous’ creators of freeware a dose of encouragements by visiting their site and leave them a message like, ‘keep up the good work’ or  ‘ you’re doing a great job’. Freeware programs are either distributed for the love of society, for prominence, or as stripped down versions of programs that cost money. For the most part, this is the realm of the independent, or "freelance," developer. Remarkably, some of the very best programs for use on the Internet are completely free. Most freeware, even though it's not commercially sold, is copyrighted by the author.

As to answer the question ‘Is freeware free?’ my answer would be yes. Yes, it is free in terms of we could be able to use it as long as we want without ever paying for it to use it for longer time or like forever. The only thing that makes it not ‘free’ in terms of you could completely own of it, is that is has its own imposed restrictions which controls its usage or how it should be properly used in spite of it being free. It has its other perimeter defined alongside with other stuffs that comes with a ‘free’ feature.

 

luckier than ever

Haay..The deadlines are again fast approaching and this is not just any deadline I have been usually cramming about for the past years of my academic life. This is the major deadline I should never just take for granted. The GRADUATION DAY..huhu.. This is the time I would finish studying and finally practice all that I have learned and earn for it. I really don't want to pressure myself because it would all make everything so heavy for me to carry.I have told my mom about me not being sure to graduate this March or April and she said that they'd understand.

Actual dialogue

Me:" Ma, basi dili ko ka graduate sure karon ba kay naa koy di maapas. Pero wala man ko nagbinuang. Lisod lang jud maapas."

Mom:"Edi dili ka graduate.Alangan na man magyaka me muhilak kay dili ka ka graduate."

She understands me right?

And to make everything so "perfect" for me in my already "perfect" life, the new year seems to have brought me many misfortunes. My 2G flash drive which I just owned two months ago was lost, my cell phone has reached its expiration date which is just a hand-me-down from dad four years ago and obviously my parents can't provide financial budget for me to buy new one right away, having a psycho for your other half and can't conduct an org day because the school won't allow it anymore. What more could I wish for?Everything is just so perfect right?!

Good websites to boost e-commerce

It is very important for those who are engaging in e-business to have a website and not just a website but a well established one. It is the presence of a business, small or big, in the cyberspace that should be significantly considered in such venture for there is lots of benefits one business can get by going online. Knowing that the internet is an environment in such a fast paced mode and nothing seems to be constant for long, everyone should know that already engaging in an e-business does not also means sure success for you. You have to take several precautions and follow important guidelines for your efforts to come into a good fruition. That is you have to be equipped with the best strategies you can conceive alongside with your set goals and mission and also the best solution when problems transpire.

One customary Internet beliefs has been that once people get to know your website, the money rolls in. As many failed entrepreneurs now know, it's barely that simple. Hundreds of thousands of e-commerce enabled websites are already online. Inviting in customer's attention requires plenty of advertising or exposure, even if your website is branded with a name so popular. It’s really not a simple task, so don't expect that your site will surely become the famous of the Internet unless you really work on it. Having said that, you can make money in cyberspace, particularly if you run a lean operation.

An online outpost is one and very important way to build the bridge between a business with its customer and definitely it could help you take your profits to larger values of digits. This website being established by e-business ventures serve as a 24 our convenience store open 7 days a week, always open for conducting business to anyone who access the site through the Internet. The idea of an online store which is open whole day and doesn't need any sales staff has to be appealing to every retailer. In the mid-19 90s, an online store was a costly exercise often running the tens of thousands of dollars. In the last 10 years, the cost of an online store has been steadily falling and is now hundreds of dollars rather than thousands of dollars and once set up is easy to maintain and operate. With proper management and strategy, all of the issues as they shared with trading online can be safely managed and even a small business can have an effective 24-hour online store selling its products and services without any sales staff all day every day. So this one means for your business exposure and money making helps you provide useful information to your customers just as distributing it through papers or with telephone or mobile communications. Useful information refers to a searchable database of retailers who hold your products, maps and directions to your main offices or other branches, business hours, even job postings, brochures and catalogs, answers to frequently asked questions for your business and other important matters of sort.

If a customer gets the feeling of ease by visiting or navigating through your site, then it is good start of making business to a new prospect customer. When customers could know enough facts they need from your business so as to let their selves get comfortable in doing transactions with you, through your online outpost, it would be a lighter load taken from you in inviting customers in. Enough and useful information is also one way of making a first good impressions to prospects customers, that you have definite information for your business and that means it is well established and you mean good business to others. Internet users take 4 to 5 years to make their selves engage in doing online transactions such as shopping or banking and that is because to get their selves familiar and feel at ease in using the internet and doing transactions for another level. Internet users now are getting smarter about their rights, how online transactions work and how to sieve good business from bad ones on the internet. There is also their reluctance of possibly engaging their selves in a bad situation such as mishandling of their information, deceptions or other threats widespread. And that factor should be taken on account by businesses, they should know more about their customers and know the most effective ways to invite them into doing business with you.

The eBizMBA.com has made its list of 25 Top Most Popular Tech Business Websites for December 2008. The websites were ranked by a combination of Inbound Links, Google Page Rank, Alexa Rank, and U.S. traffic data from Compete and Quantcast. The websites included on the list are focused on specific aspects of ebusiness and have been selected to the "eBusiness" list of the said site based on the frequency of general eBusiness news & info that is published. Among the web sites that have made it to the list are: (a) News.com with 9, 460,000 links, (b) ZDNet.com – 12, 500, 000 links, (c) arstechnica.com with 1, 200, 000 links, (d) InformationWeek.com with 1,350,000 - Inbound Links, (e) TechCrunch.com with 2,080,000 - Inbound Links (f) Mashable.com with 842,000 - Inbound Links (g) sitepoint.com with 309,000 - Inbound Links (h) WebmasterWorld.com 211,000 - Inbound Links (i) Digital Point Forums with 119,000 - Inbound Links (j) ValleyWag.com with 2,960,000 - Inbound Links

As to examine or analyze all of the top sites of e-business of the eBizMBA.com, most of the sites have complete sections such as registration, about us for more of their information, downloads for visitors or customers, forums that could really ,make the visitors say what they want or point out their satisfactions and the opposite. The appeals of their web pages also seem to add up to their popularity. The color, font and text size the way the objects in a webpage are arranged in a way that is not confusing for one to navigate through. Just like having tabs to divide out the different sections of a site so as to make it very organized to look at and it would be very easy for a visitor to go through and check out each of your sections that may interest him. In this way, you can measure the satisfaction of a visitor if he likes and understands how your web site works. Otherwise, if you have poor designed web site, it would obviously have a great effect to your visitor’s satisfaction. You yourself don’t really want to waste time in a website and test your patience in checking out a poorly designed web page.

Elements or objects that should be placed in a web site should be properly decided. It’s not just putting everything you want to add and it would just be alright. Each element is taken seriously as they would greatly contribute to how your web site would be popular and to your organization or business as a whole. Put in mind that these elements would just be a ‘mere elements’ but they are indeed very important as they serve as your ‘representors’ in your web page.

Text

Of all the elements in a web page, the text is the most common a visitor would see. Besides the sounds or videos that are incorporated in a site, it is mostly the texts that are read by your visitors. The important information is displayed through text, it is where you say your marketing strategies to invite you customers in to you and you would really want to make sure that they are readable and comfortable to the eyes. The font size, font type and font color will wholly matter to the readable and comfortable to the eyes situation. Choose the font size that would be easy to read, meaning it is not too small and not to big either for the general to read with regards to the size of your whole web page and to other elements or object placed in it, the same goes with the font size. There are font types that are too stylish that make them hard to read and others that are much too simple. Incorporate the right colors with the totality of the theme you wish to employ in your page. It has to jive in with the other colors you’ll use and it soothing to the eyes of the visitors generally.

Graphics

As of today, multimedia is always incorporated with sites that make it much more popular or appealing. Graphics is one important element as it could convey more messages than described using texts and also, visitors of a web site mostly prefers to see pictures or images to really see it for their selves. This is very important for businesses that have online stores. It would help more to display actual images of what you sell to make it easier for it to be purchased as they can be seen by prospect buyers. Use images that have good quality and appropriate size, it would be really useless to display images with poor quality and very small in size as they can’t be seen clearly at all, it is better that sizes are appropriate or balanced to the whole size of the web page.

Sound and Video

Sound and Video is also the same with graphics. The size of the said element should be balanced with the whole page. It is best for organizations to place sounds or videos that are clear. It would be annoying for a visitor to watch a video that is not clear at all and hear sounds or audios that are of poor quality.

One thing that could test a visitor’s patience is the loading of a page to the next or a loading of an image or video you incorporate in your page or site. A very good web page should consider the sizes of the elements they embed in their page. For instance, if an image should appear larger, just place a thumbnail of the image. With this, just small size would be place in the page and could not affect much to the loading of the page. The same goes with the videos, videos used should be compressed to reduce file size, these are techniques to speed transfer time.

To sum it all up, one good factor that a business should consider in putting up a web site is to make it user friendly. It would all be worth it in designing or deciding what the best website is for you since it would be your portal to do good business with almost everyone around the world.

What's next for technology?

Lots of ideas has already transpired or conceived several years back or some are still fresh on what would be the face of the future technology. Conceiving ideas for the future developments on different technologies and other stuffs is a very interesting thing to be doing maybe that explains why many forms of the coming future emerged, some are certain to be on the coming future and some still remaining as imaginations. For all we know the future technology would bring us to total doom or bring us to total satisfaction and convenience. It just could either be the two options depending on what new technologies we would be embracing not for long that will reshape humanity. Hopefully, all of these would lessen the continuously compounding threats we know and the problems we need to have resolve badly. What could really possibly be the face of the future technology? How advance it would be for the upcoming years? And how greatly would these more advanced technologies in the coming future affect people’s lives? These are just few of the direct questions many are curious about alongside the curiosity of what is next and what is new in terms of technology.

Who knew what would be the exact face of the next technology and what will be the next “in” “techy” device for the “techy” ones but predictions on how advance technology would be could be seen on different web sites over the internet posted by science fiction writers, futurist and technology experts and you could say that one day would not be enough for you to view all of those predicted faces of future technologies if you would really get yourself into it. The predicted technologies are of course sorted out categorically some of which are Artificial intelligence, biotechnology, chemistry, metropolis, communication, computers, environment, electronics, energy, homes, nanotechnology, physics, robotics, space, transportation and society. We all know that these things that are pre conceived are mere fruit of what people really needs. Out of these needs, things are newly developed; some are improved out of its disadvantages and that is to satisfy our never ending needs and to make our life style a whole lot better than it is and to solve problems major ones specifically, hoping that they could make a breakthrough or do something so great that has never been done before to improve how we live. These new technologies does not just pop up directly on the time it was introduced and also have been actually engineered for that same time. New technologies that are to be are actually starting on its way to us. Pre conception of these technologies is already the initial step in creating it. Experts are already doing a research on these various things that may or may not help elevate our life styles. As they say, research today, reality tomorrow and that which could only mean that these predictions will not remain as predictions that long.

I saw a future history timeline on a-jrmooneyham.com-original and it shows the general outline of the possible future and is said to be somewhat conservative and constrained in what it offers the readers. The timeline is meant to be the 'harder' (or more factual/credible) of the two works, in terms of science and predictions. But this also indicates that the said timeline must be more comprehensive, more risk-averse-- and also recede entirely as we speculate into the deep, deep future, where everything must ultimately give way to extreme presumption (partly due to technology advancing to levels indistinguishable from magic, as a famous quote by scientist and author Arthur C. Clarke implies).

2009 AD-2017 AD: The net reshapes the world; 'perfect' organ replacements for the wealthy; contagious insanity; the introduction of 'second skins'; and the rise of the vigilantes
‘The internet seeps into our lives and starts to fundamentally reshaping our institutions, even as breakthroughs in other fields assure fundamental changes in living standards and all future human endeavor; personal computing gets more powerful even as costs drop further; net users in the developed nations are becoming increasingly isolated in terms of typical historical human interaction; the first crude 'second skin' applications arrive; some forms of insanity and other surprising afflictions prove to be literally contagious; the danger of mass effect biochemical weapons use peaks for most developed states; the wealthy enjoy 'perfect' organ replacements; there are significant increases in the numbers of people taking to the sea to live and work; vigilante organizations rise in prominence and influence.’

2018 AD-2025 AD: Consumer robotics and personal virtual realities go mainstream

‘Personal virtual realities are taking marketshare from TV, radio, films, and other media; near paperless offices, wireless appliances becoming the norm; consumer robotics go mainstream; do-it-yourself medical care becoming ever more practical and effective for many ailments; adequate hardware to support human level intelligence at consumer level prices becomes available (but suitable software remains elusive).’

2026 AD-2049 AD: Accelerated environmental decline, increased religious conflict, and a wholesale plunge into VR by citizens in the developed nations (to escape mounting stresses)

‘The emergence of the 'Bounty Economy'; rampant identity theft and other cybercrimes lead to the first and most important privacy vs. security issues being resolved; substantial religion-related conflict erupts; budgetary priorities undergo fierce turf fights in the developed nations, with education and other consumer services usually winning; the human senses are technologically expanded in wondrous new ways; the final elements fall into place to allow software-based human level intelligence to become widely available; 98% of all cancers become curable; mini-subs and STOL/VTOL warplanes (both unmanned) are the cutting edge of warfare; tactical nuclear, biological, and space-based weapons use in conflicts not uncommon; traditional aircraft carriers now obsolete; troops enjoy numerous micromachine-based aids and supplements; environmental decline due to pollution, accidents, terrorism, war, and excessive harvests becomes alarmingly obvious now, but business continues to actively lobby governments for minimal regulatory remedies.’

Other predicted future technologies of all sorts or categories include:
• More intelligent machines
• Computers that predict the future
• Extended/eternal life
• Manipulating DNA
• Growing organs
• Designer babies
• Emotion control devices
• Downloading memories/brain
• Dream control device
• Super lubricant
• Underground cities
• Entire world is one city
• Wireless everything
• Telepathy
• Quantum computers
• Self editing software
• Weather control
• Nano devices

Airgo: Measures The Harmful Particles In The Air That You Breathe

This new concept device is used to create awareness amongst the people regarding the global warming and its effects. The device measures the harmful contents present in the air, thus letting the user know of the air that they breathe and hence leading them to be a responsible citizens. The device can be purchased off the shelf in fashionable stores and the manufacturers have given the universally acceptable white color, thus it can easily go off as a fashion accessory and making a personal statement of its own. Add to that the fact that it has a recyclable consequently completing the cycle.

Photonic computing

It offers many advantages over its electronic counterpart. For one thing, light can be switched on and off much faster than electricity, allowing far higher digital data rates. In addition, light is much more energy efficient and less prone to pulse degradation, especially over long distances. Finally, crosstalk is eliminated because there are no electromagnetic fields arising from different current paths to interact with each other. However, these advantages do not come cheap. Ironically, the lack of interaction between photons means that the technology to manipulate them is more sophisticated than its electronic equivalent. And photonics is in its infancy, with critical breakthroughs appearing only in the last few years.

Controlling Weather Trends

Scientists start to develop better systems to predict and monitor the weather. Some are already discussing attacking them as they form or figuring out ways to steer them to uninhabited or low-density population shorelines to protect from major catastrophes like Super Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Think on this and the future of our civilization; A world safe from Hurricanes. Controlling the weather patterns will require some skill, some talent, large collected databases, supercomputer number crunching and lots of trial and error. We will also need to let lose of some of the current mathematics we use to track weather in trade for multi-stacked equational computational analysis or a different type of math based on a new type of science. As scientists and researchers will learn there will be places where weather is easily studied and relatively easily controllable using very little energy and using the actual wind currents with minor changes in certain situations, which are made possible by the terrain itself.

Future cars

Cars of the future will be intelligent, fuel efficient, zero emission vehicles. Vehicles will communicate with each other, with the road and with traffic signals. Sensors will help you navigate through bad weather and warn you of a possible collision. They will also let you know if you are getting drowsy or straying from your lane.

Based from what I have seen by surfing through the internet about the possible emerging technologies and what face will it have for the next years to come, I could see that each of those technologies will take the humanity life style to another level and which is obviously the primary objectives of the developers. Another level to convenience, more environment-friendly technologies, powerful devices that come in small packages, medical breakthroughs that can cure and prevent disorders that are seem to be a headache for many doctors, controlling the weather are few of those predicted technologies to mention. For me, they are all really amazing and sure thing we would really want those predictions to come to reality. I am not really a “techy” person or the like that really awaits new introduced technologies and avail it for the reasons that I can’t seem to purchase one because of the price and also I don’t want to worry myself to really own one just to be “in” since everyone seems to have it already. As of now, I could say the most “techy” device that I own right now is a Nokia6230 model mobile phone which is just a hand-me-down from my father and we have one desktop computer at home. I am not totally ignorant of the new technologies as they go “in” for the people because I would just happen to know someone who owns one and I can help myself familiarize with it by just borrowing. But there are also negative impacts brought by these future technologies that are also way too scary such as technology over ruling humanity, more radiation emission which is a total threat to every one’s health, destructive devices that could wipe out a whole city in a small amount of time. For the question on how would I prepare myself with the upcoming technologies the amazing and scary ones, as an IT person or a professional someday hopefully, I would opt to support emerging technologies being developed that are less destructive to humanity, although it may bring some convenience and satisfaction to us, the bigger impact should be viewed and prioritized more to prevent further damage. Technology could not always be the direct cause of the either good or bad effects it can give since we made those technologies and we react to those technologies too. It only means that it is also up to the society to bring humanity to its doom-ness or to live in convenience forever. How the technology builds up and needed by the society is dependable to us. As an individual, I will totally be on the good side and not become one of the factors of making technology destructive to humanity possible. And that is not to be total “techy” geek (I hope), I would still attach myself to the norms and values we are all usually covered with and to help the world become the world that it is supposed to be and not the one that is made up of chips, metal and all sorts. It just a matter of choice for the society to make the technology as good as it is or bad as it is.