Sorry, couldnt help myself!

Some Of My Favourite Open Source Applications

In case you are unfamiliar with the term Open Source, it means that the source code of the software is open and not hidden or protected. Individuals are free to edit the code, modify it and use it for whatever reason they choose. However, they must not use the program for direct financial gain i.e. by selling it.

There are two primary benefits associated with open source to the average consumer:
Firstly, as the code is open, coders from all around the world are working to continuously improve and advance the program. These results in a far lower number of bugs and software errors that has resulting security benefits and system stability. If I a bug is found, it is quickly and easily patched and users can continue to use to software securely. This is contrasted from large companies with complex bureaucracies that may take a long time to issue an update patch, giving malicious individuals time to perform their dirty work. This is one of the reasons there are no viruses for the Linux operating system.
Oh, and forget about Adware and Spyware, they don’t exist in Open Source software!

The second reason, although less importantly, is that as individuals are barred from profiting by the sale of any Open Source Software, the software is always provided free of charge. This is fantastic, especially in the world of excessively high software prices.

I am not trying to sell you this software, as it’s totally free (as in Free Beer and as in free source code) my sole goal is to share the information I have gathered over time as to my favorite Open Source applications, so you too can give them a try.


My favorite Open Source Applications

Mozilla Firefox
If you haven’t heard of this Open Source web browser then you either have been living under a rock or somewhere without electricity. This program tops the list of many peoples favorite Open Source programs, and is often an individuals first step into the world of open source software.

Cost: Free
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/


Democracy Player
A relatively new player in the media scene, this open source video player plays almost all types of video format and even include bitTorrent to quickly download your latest content.

Cost: Free
http://www.getdemocracy.com/


Mozilla Thunderbird
My favorite email client that replaces Outlook or Eudora mail clients. Fully customizable and skin-able, this is one slick piece of software that everyone should have.

Cost: Free
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/


Azureus

If you are into Bit Torrent file sharing, Azureus is a very comprehensive application that can be as complex or as simple as you require. All you need for bitTorrent downloading.

Cost: Free
http://azureus.sourceforge.net/


Open Office
The Open Source alternative to Microsoft Office. I am yet to come across any function that software suite is missing that Microsoft Office has. Not only is this a big saving in cost to yourself or your company, there are extra functions that are not available on Microsoft Office such as PDF support and open standards support.

Cost: Free
http://www.openoffice.org/


The GIMP

If you are into Photoshop but cant afford the $1000 licensing cost, then give the GIMP a shot. I am not too familiar with Photoshop, but have been told from many reliable sources that this program has almost everything Photoshop has, and defiantly has everything an advanced amateur would need to edit their digital photographs.

Cost: Free
http://www.gimp.org/


Filezilla
This is an easy description: Filezilla is a simple, free, secure open source FTP client that does everything you want.

Cost: Free
http://filezilla.sourceforge.net/


AMSN
If you are sick of those MSN advertisements, want more customization, plugin and skin support then give aMSN a try
.
Cost: Free
http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=54091


Celestia
If you have read my Astronomy section you will probably want to get your hands on some astronomy software. Celestia, although not particularly helpful for star gazing (use Stellarium for that) allows you to travel through the Universe, visit planets and tour the galaxy in first person view. A fantastic program that will defenatly make you feel insignificant down here on earth.
Cost: Free
http://sourceforge.net/projects/celestia/


Stellarium

A great looking very functional astronomy package that shows all the heavenly bodies in real time, just as you would from your location. There are too many features to name here, all I can say is that if you are interested in astronomy, get this program.

Cost: Free
http://www.stellarium.org/

When I find some more applications, I will be sure to share them with you!

Some Random Melbourne Bar Reviews

After going through First (Fresher or whatever it is in the US), Second, Third and Fourth year in a over caffeinated hung-over daze, I feel I am a little qualified to give my opinion on some of the joints around Melbourne, Australia. This is a very, very brief list which will be added to and reviewed as this site grows. There is no particular reason why these places are in this list, they were just tr fee say it all. If you want to have one of those $100 nights, “that actually wasn’t that good” then Boutique is the place to go. While the real elite avoid this place like the plague, the wanna-be rich kids queue up with their hard earned trady cash and new sneakers to have a taste of what high-society is like

Boutique

http://www.boutique.net.au/
The high drink prices and audacious door fee say it all. If you want to have one of those $100 nights, “that actually wasn’t that good” then Boutique is the place to go. While the real elite avoid this place like the plague, the wanna-be rich kids queue up with their hard earned trady cash and new sneakers to have a taste of what high-society is like

Corner Hotel

http://www.cornerhotel.com/
If you like your music and live in Australia then you will most likely already know this place. If you don’t, check out their website and head on down to see live music at its best. The newly renovated upstairs beer garden is perfect for those warm Melbourne nights. Cheap drink prices and no door fee ensure this will be a quality and cheap night to remember.

Croft Institute

http://www.thecroftinstitute.com.au/
When my friends and I stumbled upon this place in a drunken haze one night several years ago we found ourselves in a laboratory themed bar, complete with grass, yes grass, bar and chemistry equipment everywhere. A novelty bar worth visiting at the least, it is frequented by the working city crowd and is known for its big Friday nights.

Caseys (AKA Cheers)

http://www.caseys.com.au/index2.html

If you are fresh out of school, or lacking and ID and want somewhere to go, then head down to Cheers on a Tuesday or Thursday night. Known for its very young crowd and its cheap drinks, this place is very popular with the fresher kids before they realize there are a stack of better places to go out.

Depot

http://depothotel.com.au/
I look back on going to this place with a kind of embarrassed fondness. Back in the day, not sure about now, they used to serve $1 Bourbon and Cokes and $1 pots with obvious consequences. Almost everyone I know has been kicked out from this place, and is a testament to the big nights we used to have there back in the good ‘ol days. Back in the $1 bourbon and Coke days a mate of mine, who was the designated driver, was kicked out for refusing to pay $3 for a straight coke, when they were selling $1 bourbon and cokes. The simple staff at this place embody this joint and your night out perfectly here. Simple and Cheap.

The Espy

http://www.espy.com.au/
Some would say that the espy is the home of live music in Melbourne, and I would agree. Get down there on a warm afternoon and sip a few beers while looking out onto St Kilda beach before going on and watching a kick-arse band that the Espy always manages to get.

Frostbites

http://www.frostbites.com.au/
Frostbites Hotel in Chapel Street is a well-known Melbourne cultural icon for its 20 or so frozen cocktails (Alcoholic Slurpees). Although these are usually fairly expensive, on University nights you can often get very cheap drink deals. This is a popular place with the First years (Freshers) out for cheap drinks and a good night out. For the bargain hunter, there are many cheap deals available through coupons and code words that are SMS’d to you or sent in the mail. Back in the day, my University Diary had a coupon entitling the holder to a free Slurpee. I went around the whole lecture theatre and collected about 200 of them and had free drinks for a whole year! If the coupons are still in the diary, I suggest you do the same!!

The Glenferrie Hotel

http://www.glenferriehotel.com.au/
The Glenferrie hotel has been through many changes over the years. It was a very popular and successful venue about 6 years ago the private school crowd…then they added Pokies. Many people, including myself abandoned the joint with the vow to never return again, and we haven’t. However, apparently the business is picking up due to the very low drink prices, I have heard form a reliable source that they sell $1 pots and $3 champagnes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so if you want somewhere for cheap drinks this is your place. Just close you eyes when you see Aunt Mable gambling away your inheritance in the room next door.

Holiava

http://www.holliava.com.au/
This is one of those laid back relaxed kind of places that is often frequented by the older crowd interested in some meaningful conversation and boutique beers. There are nice couches, quality surroundings and an undercover out door beer garden that hard to beat. This is a very nice place if this is the type of thing you are into. Just bring lots of cash. Another thing to note, this place gets quite packed with the Uni folk who don’t get into The Depot, so if you want a quiet night avoid Thursdays nights here.

Hotel Kew

http://www.hotelkew.com.au/
This place disserves an Honorable mention, not because of what it is now, but because what it used to be and for how much it has changed. For those interested in history, this place used to be a strip club, complete with an “All you could drink for $10 deal” that attracted all types of people keen for a bargain. As poor university students, we all used to head down there on a Tuesday, get our $10 worth then head out to a club somewhere in the Hawthorn area. Its closed now (I wonder why) and has been renamed Hotel Kew, which is a non-descript pub with average meals, average prices and an average clientele.

Nevermind

http://www.nevermindbar.com.au/
Nevermind has the same feel about as Holiava. This place is a laid back, relaxed place that is great for pre-drinks and some conversation before going out to bigger and better places. There are nice couches and a well laid out upstairs beer garden. The prices are quite good, with $11 jugs of Tooheys New.

One of my more nerdy hobbies is Astronomy. There is something very special about seeing the rings and moons of Saturn from your own back garden. Here I will discuss what I have learnt when buying a telescope, what to look for and what to avoid.

1. Avoid the cheap telescopes that are sold at stores like Dick Smith and Aldi entirely. The old saying, you get what you pay for rings true especially for telescopes. That said, you don’t need to spend a fortune to have fun, just don’t go super cheap because you will ruin your new found enthusiasm in no time.

2. Buy/borrow a pair of binoculars. I know it sounds lame, and it probably looks very lame, but looking at the moon with a half-decent pair of binoculars is an awe-inspiring and cheap experience. When I was talking to the guy in the shop where I brought my first telescope, he told me to try binoculars. I didn’t listen to his advice because I thought it was silly, but recently I gave it a shot and the view is amazingly clear. I could even see a nebula or two!

3. After trying the binoculars, and you are still interested, start thinking about buying a telescope. There are essentially two types of telescopes. Reflectors (the one where you look in the side and there is a big mirror at the bottom) and refractors (the typical looking ones you can imagine a pirate using). As a rule of thumb, reflectors offer a bigger aperture for price but need more maintenance, while a refractor is slightly more clear but costs more and requires more maintenance.

4. The most important thing you need to consider is Aperture. For those unfamiliar with photography, the aperture essentially is the size of the hole that lets the light in. The smaller the hole, the less light is allowed in. the bigger the hole, the more light that is let in. As things in space are fairly dark (duhhhhh) you obviously want the biggest aperture you can afford. That said however, as aperture increases, the size of the telescope also increases, so if you plan on transporting it to a darker area, you have to make sure you can transport it. Sure, if you have a van and can afford it, get a 16” aperture, get it, but in my case, a 8” fits nicely across the back seat of my car.

5. Forget about magnification! Don’t even let this into the equation. If the sales person, telescope box or whatever is ranting on about 400000X magnification forget it and go somewhere else. Any astronomer would tell you that each time the magnification doubles, the light halves. So unless you have a really big aperture, forget about these really high magnification levels. Furthermore, once you have brought a telescope you cannot alter the aperture, but you can easily and cheaply alter the magnification later when you have some spare cash.

6. You can get well made, and cheap telescopes from Asia. Although die-hard astronomers will tell you that these are not as good quality (and it may be right) telescopes made in Asia are good enough quality for almost any armature astronomer. It may even allow you to buy a bigger aperture that you couldn’t previously afford with an Australian or American built model.

7. Read astronomy magazines. They are cheap, (and free to read at the library/Borders) and are full of good information for individuals new to astronomy.

8. Join a our local astronomy club. If you can handle a crowd similar to your local Star-Wars convention, astronomy clubs are chocked full of very kind and enthusiastic people who are willing to help you with your problems and guide you in your purchasing decisions.

What I brought after learning all this: I got an 8” (fits in the car nicely) reflector (bigger aperture for low price) made in Taiwan (good quality and cheap) from a local telescope shop (they have been very helpful when I get stuck).

My New Setup

Well, today is the first day with my new setup. While I am busy getting things started and sorting out all the bugs I will just post the content from my existing website www.jeremysdirectory.com up here.

My First Post

Lets see how this looks!