Great Torrent Site

KickAssTorrents is a great site to download videos, audio and many other large files. It is ad-free and has a very clean interface. This site has become very popular recently and it keeps growing its client base. If you like downloading torrents then this site is something that you should definitely have in your bookmarks. Check out KickAssTorrents and let us know what you think.

Why have you switched to GNU/Linux?

A long time ago when I was using Windows I realized that many applications were trying to constrain me from doing certain tasks. I was unable to play a certain format or had to install applications that I did not want on my system. I started to think critically as to why I am using Windows and if there is some kind of alternative that I could use instead. Prior to this, I used Mac OS but I knew that both operating systems are proprietary and want to limit the end user. I got tired of being manipulated to use a particular application and having bloatware already pre-installed on my computer. After searching the Internet for alternatives to Mac OS and Windows I found this really cool concept that is called Linux. I didn't know much about the OS but gave it a shot. I played around with several distributions till I found one that fit my needs. When I started using Linux, which was more than a decade ago it was still relatively hard to use and it was mostly for hobbyists. However, it was the concept of open source that kept me intrigued. I loved the fact that no single company such as Microsoft or Apple had any of their applications installed on my computer. I had the power for the first time to modify my system as thoroughly as I wanted, from little tweaks to major changes that required know-how. Today, I am happy that I switched to Linux full time. My system is fast, reliable and very stable. Linux enables the end user to finally have a lot of power. Over the years I have seen Linux mature and evolve. It has developed from something basic and geeky to a full featured operating system that anyone can use. The Linux operating system is ready for anyone who is searching for an alternative to expensive and proprietary software.

Everyone has a different story why they switched to Linux. I would like to hear your story and why you made the switch. Was it financial, political, technical or other? Are you using Linux on a Server, Desktop, Netbook or another device? Please leave your comments below.

So you want to be a Hacker?

Linux is a great operating system to learn about network security. If you are interested in learning more about the information security field then Back Track Linux distribution is something you should definitely try. The latest stable release is Back Track 4 which was released on  January 9th 2010 and includes the most comprehensive security related tools. Back Track 4 is not only geared towards professionals but for all types of skill levels. You can use Back Track as your primary OS or boot it from live DVD or a thumb drive. It is a very popular penetration testing distro which allows you to learn about network vulnerability and many other related security issues. It includes tons of applications and is based on the Ubuntu distribution. To download Back Track 4 go to their website.

Good bye Microsoft!

Even though today most desktop and laptop computers are still using Microsoft Windows, there is a huge shift occurring in the computer industry. With the latest announcement that Google is banning Microsoft Windows in its workplace and shifting to alternative operating systems such as Mac OS X and Linux, things for Microsoft are not looking very good. With Linux already being a mature OS, it can definitely go head to head with Microsoft Windows and Mac OS as well. Pressure on Microsoft Windows is not only occurring from the desktop, laptop and netbook market but also from many other devices such as Tablet PCs and smartphones. Today, a lot of people do not connect to the Internet only through PC's but through many different technologies. It is these new technologies that along with alternative operating systems such as Mac OS and Linux are lowering the usage of Microsoft Windows overall. With the release of Google Chrome OS at the end of the year, Linux will take even more market share away from Windows. It seems that Microsoft is slowly fading from its dominant position and loosing its monopoly. Only through innovation will Microsoft be able to defend its place but it seems that this is very unlikely. Microsoft has become too big and sluggish. It is time to bid Microsoft good bye and embrace the up and coming alternatives.

Summer Torrent Site Roundup

Summer is already in full swing and we hope that everyone is experiencing nice weather. Here is a list of popular torrent sites for the summer of 2010. If you know of any others please leave them in the comment section below.




Mininova - The Ultimate Bittorent Source

Demonoid - Private but you can download the latest torrents even without registration

ScrapeTorrent - Searches several popular torrent sites

SeedPeer - It has a verified torrent section

ISOhunt - Comprehensive bittorent search

Torrent Reactor - The most active torrents on the web

BTjunkie - Large bittorent search

Btscence - Clean torrents

Torrent Scan - Another search engine of popular torrent sites

Sumo Torrent - Fresh torrent source

Torrentz - Nice bittorent search

Torrent Box - A very good source

Fenopy - Yet another site for torrents

Share Reactor - Indexes bittorent and edonkey P2P

Torrent Matrix - Latest bittorent files

Bitenova - Add comments and rate torrents

Spynova - Indexes torrents

Native uTorrent client for Linux

uTorrent is a very popular BitTorrent client for Windows and Mac OS X. It is lightweight, easy to use and has a huge user base. Just a couple of days ago the uTorrent team has announced that they will be making a native uTorrent application for Linux. This is great news because it shows that there is demand for applications on the Linux platform. Even though uTorrent is not open source, it is still a very popular application that many people want to have on their linux machines. The release date is not yet announced but it should be available sometimes during the end of the summer.

uTorrent website.

Yauba - Privacy safe search engine

Yauba is a search engine that focuses on users security and privacy. Launched in 2009, Yauba is a real time search engine from India. According to their site the search engine does not keep any record of your search terms, browsing history or any personal identifiable information. They periodically erase private information from their servers so you can stay anonymous. Currently Yauba is in Beta and is available in several different languages. Give Yauba a try and let us know what you think.

Yauba.com 

World of Padman

World Of Padman is a great first person shooter game. Initial release date was in 2007 and it has become very popular among the Linux community since then. World Of Padman works great on Windows, Mac OS and GNU/Linux. It is unique from the other FPS games and is open source. This is a cartoon style game that is very adorable and has awesome 3D graphics. A single player mode is not yet implemented but you can go into multiplayer and add some bots. Also, you can play offline against these bots or play online against other realtime players. There are plenty of different guns to choose from and many aesthetically pleasing maps. The game is fun, fast and addictive. If you want to see a preview check out the video here. Otherwise go to their website and download the WOP game. You will have tons of fun with this gorgeous first person shooter. Enjoy!

World Of Padman website.

Ubuntu 10.04 is amazing

I have been part of the Linux community for some time now. It really makes me proud to see so many distributions that have flourished and matured over the years. The release of Ubuntu 10.04 has brought Linux to another level. The boot up time for 10.04 is really quick and the new theme is much better than the previous dreaded orange and brown. Finally, Ubuntu looks like a modern operating system that comes ready out of the box. The control buttons on the windows are to the left and they take a while to get used to. Automatically, my cursor always goes to the right and then I realize the buttons are on the opposite side. Ubuntu Software Center has a new featured applications section. However, the user reviews of applications is still lacking. The software center has a lot of potential and is an easy way for people to install software. Hopefully, in the future Ubuntu can make a nice commercial market place where programmers can be paid for their hard work of open source software. Downloading apps for $5 or $10 dollars can go a long way supporting many great projects. In this new release, Gimp is no longer included but can be quickly installed later on. Ubuntu 10.04 is social from the start allowing you to connect to many different instant messaging networks. Also, Empathy instant messenger is the new default client. Another interesting change is that PiTiVi video editor is included even though it is still buggy and lacks some features. Overall, Ubuntu 10.04 is an amazing operating system and definitely worthy of download. The direction that Ubuntu is heading is to attract many new users and Ubuntu 10.04 is a great step in doing that. It is a modern and fully featured operating system. To download Ubuntu just go to their site.

Gutenberg Free E-books for everyone

Project Gutenberg is a great site to download electronic e-books for your computer, iPhone, Kindle, Sony reader and other devices. They have over 30, 000 free e-books to choose from so you will have plenty of great material to read. Also, there is no fee or registration required. Find the e-book you would like to read and download. The copyright on these e-books has expired so you don't have to worry that you are downloading something illegal. The Gutenberg site is a great project that tries to digitize many great works and makes them available to all. Check out their website here.

Ubuntu 10.04 LTS beta 1 released

Ubuntu is a very good distribution of Linux. It is one of the most popular among Linux users today and has converted a lot of people from Windows and Mac OS as well. This latest release is named Lucid Lynx and is a beta so please do not install it on production machines. Ubuntu 10.04 uses the Linux kernel 2.6.32 and Gnome 2.28. The Gimp photo editor is no longer included but you can still download it later on after installation. The major difference you will see is the facelift of the new Ubuntu theme. In the past many individuals complained that Ubuntu is ugly with its brown and orange theme. This new release will finally change this and make the operating system look more aesthetically pleasing. Also, the boot up time is getting better because of the full removal of HAL from the boot process. A new default open source driver for nVidia hardware and better support for proprietary nVidia graphics drivers as well. To download Ubuntu 10.04 beta release go here. If you rather wait for the final release than to check out the beta you only have few weeks to wait. The final release of Lucid Lynx is coming on April 29, 2010. This release will definitely be major and very influential.

What is this Linux thingy and why should I care?

Linux is a free operating system just like Windows or Mac OS. The great thing about Linux is that it is completely free to download and use. I am shocked when I see people going into computer stores and paying hundreds of dollars for Windows. Most people do not know about Linux because there is no single company behind the project. It is a community effort and many individuals, companies and organizations are involved to bring you this amazing OS. Anyone can download the operating system for free and get access to thousands of free software. The Linux community is growing and the programs are high quality as well. Because Linux does not advertise as extensively as Windows or Mac computers it is sometimes difficult for the average user to learn about Linux. If you want to see a quick and easy video of what Linux looks like click here. A more visual feature rich Linux looks like this. There are also some nice screenshots that you can check out. The great thing about Linux is that you can customize almost anything about it and make it look like your own artistic creation. Don't listen to large companies that are trying to put down Linux because they have their own bottom line in mind. They don't want people to learn about Linux because they would not be able to charge the average person so much money for an operating system. You be the judge for yourself and give Linux a try. There are many different Linux distributions to choose from but a great one to start of is Ubuntu Linux. It's fast, easy, intuitive and has lots of support from a great community of people. Later on if you learn a little bit more about Linux you can move on to other distributions. Each distribution is geared towards a different user and you are bound to find one that fits your needs. Open Source software is changing the computer industry and allowing the average user to have more power without being locked in and constrained by large corporations that use patents, licenses and other methods to limit your use of software.