Lifecode

I’m currently using my father’s laptop, and using my desktop computer at the same time. Wait, does that make sense to you? Actually I installed a Virtual Network Computing (VNC) server on my desktop computer, I went to my parents’ room and borrowed my father’s laptop, downloaded a VNC viewer and accessed my computer. Pretty simple.

Why am I Doing This?

Personally I like to work on something comfortable, though the interaction between the VNC viewer and the server is not that smooth, compared to a remote desktop connection. My desktop computer is in the living room, and without VNC, I’m sitting there all day working on my stuff. Actually I’m thinking of just buying a long VGA cable and plug it in our HDTV, then all I need is wireless mouse and keyboard.

Well actually, I’m currently testing VNC because of our school group project on friday night. I’m planning to have one PC plugged in to the HDTV and all of us will be connecting to that PC via VNC and work out the Data Flow Diagram of our project together. And since we’re on a local area network, the speed is not much of a problem.

Downsides

In my current VNC connection, I’ve been having display issues. My desktop resolution is 1280×1024 and the laptop’s resolution is 1280×800. It’s pain scrolling up and down to get a full page. This is fixed by changing my desktop’s resolution to 1280×800, which I considered as a downside as well. Why? I don’t really want to change the server’s resolution, as it may affect other users connecting to it. As for our collaborative project, I’m hoping this will not be a big issue. Otherwise, we’ll be voting for the best resolution.

My desktop in 1280x800

Overall, I love this method. And I prefer this over Teamviewer. If you have reactions or comments, feel free to type them below.

It’s very hard to find a reliable, fast, and free file hosting service today. Most have waiting download time, and even requires a premium or pro account to achieve satisfaction with the service. But then, there’s Google Docs. It’s not actually a file hosting service, but it can be one.

Google Docs is a free, Web-based word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, form, and data storage service offered by Google. It allows users to create and edit documents online while collaborating in real-time with other users. Google Docs combines the features of Writely and Spreadsheets with a presentation program incorporating technology designed by Tonic Systems.

Yes, just like the very basic version of Microsoft Office, only its online. For now, the file size upload limit is 1GB and the storage capacity is also 1GB, but what could you ask for more? If you need to backup or share important documents or files privately, then this is for you. I myself is using this service to share large image files. With this, you can take advantage of the reliability, security and speed.

Google Docs allows uploads of all extensions. And you have the ability to change the privacy settings of a particular file. You can share it publicly, exclusively, and privately.

• Public on the Web - Anyone on the Internet can find and access. No sign-in required.
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• Private - Only people explicitly granted permission can access. Sign-in required.

There are so many options to choose from, especially when you’re on a Google Apps domain account. And don’t forget, all of these is FREE! So spread the word.

Last month, while trying to install a 64-bit OS – dual boot with a 32-bit OS (32-bit installed first), on the same disk, I was experiencing random crashes on both systems. So in my in-awareness that deleting a partition, creating a new one and repeating the process again and again can be so bad, my disk was damaged. To be exact, I got a couple of bad sectors. And since I was using a 720-1 320GB SeaGate Barracuda with S.M.A.R.T. support (S-ATA), it keeps bugging me about the bad status of my HDD. Well honestly, I became overconfident with the situation, and I thought everything will be alright. Since I deleted the 64-bit partition and moved on to 32-bit again, crashes stopped.