My Own Masterpiece: The BredTech version 1 customization of Ubuntu

I'm redoing it from scratch. 

I've decided Not to go with Linux Mint.  (Mint has veered too far from Ubuntu.  It really is no longer Ubuntu entirety. No longer 100% compatible with Ubuntu.)

Instead I'll use Ubuntu 9.10

I'll install "The Comprehensive Multimedia HowTo" (from the Ubuntu Forums)...

Then, I'll install ALL the best-of-breed apps.

I'll also add lots of cool customizations like Firefox add-ons, DropBox, etc., etc. (I'm open if you have suggestions!)

Then, I'll do lots of aesthetic changes, shortcuts, menu customizations, etc.

Then, I'll remaster it as a "distro" using remastersys.

Can't wait to get version 1 done to demo for you.

You can give me loads of feedback on how I can improve it.

:)

Posted via email from Bruce's Journal

Rebranding Ubuntu Linux Mint to Make Your Own Little Custom "Distro"

Is it possible?
Easy?
If one wanted to remove all Mint branding on the surface and in name (while still giving all appropriate credit to Mint, Ubuntu, Gnome, Debian, Linux,  etc.),
Install a bunch of cool apps and repositories that are not there by default,
Change the look, theme, etc.
Tweak the appearance,
Organize the launch icons and menu in a special custom way,..
... and give it a new name....
(1)  Could one do this?
(2)  Would removing all Mint branding be easy or hard?
(3)  If yes, how?

Also,
(4)  Once it's completely customized, is there a way to take an existing installation, and create a bootable DVD image which would reinstall it? An ISO file?
If not, maybe a partition imaging app (something like Ghost).... so that this little mini "distro" could be easily replicated for others...?

Posted via email from Bruce's Journal

How to Wirelessly Synch an iPhone / iPod Touch / Android to Ubuntu / Mac / Windows / Any Browser

AN ALTERNATE - YET ELEGANT - SOLUTION

I think this is very important...

(1) I say Apple sucks for intentionally making their products
incompatible. Obviously.

(2) Here's an alternate solution -- one I am using, and I am
recommending to everyone:

Use Dropbox. ( shameless referral:
https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTk5MzA1Mzk )

Here's what I do: I put all my Music inside a Music folder within
Dropbox. (In fact, I moved EVERY folder in the Home directory... to
INSIDE my Dropbox folder!)

From any iPhone, iPod Touch, Android, PC, Mac, ANY device with a browser...

I can simply go to Dropbox.com, log in, touch Music folder, and touch
a track to automatically download and then play it!

If you want continuous music.... I simply make my own "mix tape" MP3
files... (long MP3 files that will play non-stop for 20 minutes, or 60
minutes, or whatever... of a collection of my favorite tracks -a
playlist contained in one single MP3 file, in other words.) Touch
that one MP3 file and the iPhone downloads it (Fast!)... I can do this
just before walking down the steps to the NYC Subway and I have
non-stop music for the next hour or two or whatever.

To add music or movies: Put them on your computer. (Of course,
everything is within your Dropbox folder!) (Or, you can add them
from anywhere from any device with a browser.)

To remove music or movies: Delete them from your computer. (Or
from any device with a browser.)

This solution is SOOOOO Simple!

I'm sorry, but all the technical configuration recipes listed in the
How To threads in all the online forums.... is far too complex for me
(not to mention my friends who can barely work a mouse!),... AND,
the results don't sound NEARLY as elegant as "my solution".

:)

Happy Jamming!

Use Dropbox. ( shameless referral:
https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTk5MzA1Mzk )

No, I don't work for Dropbox. I review technology and try to find
easier / better ways to do things... simpler.

Questions?

PLEASE feel free to email me, or telephone me, bruce@brucewagner.com
telephone: 646-719-9000

Posted via email from Bruce's Journal

Life is short. Don't back up your data!

Yeah..... well... Life is short.

I could pay $100 for an external drive, and get ONE copy of my data - not synched.

I paid for the DropBox 100GB option, and with the friends I keep referring, I'm almost up to another 6GB free.

So that's 106GB..... for my household's (and businesses') documents, photos, music, audiobooks, videos, whatever....

Shared.  Synched.  Backed up.  Every Saved Version Permanently Un-deletable.  And...  Available to me on every computer and smartphone in the world.  

I like it.

:)

They give you 2GB free...

Click it!   https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTk5MzA1Mzk

Posted via email from Bruce's Journal

We are loving Linux Mint 8.

We are loving Linux Mint 8.

Best part: ALL media just plays...... right "out of the box".....  perfectly. 

It's Awesome. 

We like the AuroraMint theme, and the panel at the Top, and we changed the Start Menu icon (too many Linux Mint Logos everywhere), but all those things can be changed so easily!  Love it!

Bruce & Ed

Voice:  646-368-0000

Text:  646-881-4297

"Better than Windows or Mac. Cheaper than both."™

http://BredTech.com ™

Posted via email from Bruce's Journal

My Latest Business Idea

My latest idea:

We help you shop for the best possible deal online, for the perfect PC... We help you order it... have it shipped HERE to us... 

We install Linux on it.  The most elegant, rock solid, version.... ready to play all closed proprietary media formats out-of-the-box.

We install everything, configuration of everything, certify that everything is working as expected..... Then, we ship it to you.

All you have to do is log in.  Your user name & password is already there. Your email, contacts, calendar, everything, is already there.

All software is already installed, configured, and tested.

All printers, web cams, and other peripherals are installed, configured, and tested.

And you get 24/7/365 Tech Support for 3 years. 

For $299 TOTAL.

By the way, we could do the same with an old dusty virus-ridden computer too!  Same price!

Thoughts?

Bruce

Voice:  646-368-0000

Text:  646-881-4297

"Better than Windows or Mac. Cheaper than both."™

http://BredTech.com ™

Posted via email from Bruce's Journal

Amazing Tools to Find Great Domain Names / Company Names

Amazing tools to use to find great domain names / company names:

http://instantdomainsearch.com

http://www.123finder.com

http://domai.nr

http://www.bustaname.com

http://www.dotomator.com

http://www.dotomator.com/web20.html

My favorite web hosting company:

http://arvixe.com

Posted via email from Bruce's Journal

The Games of Social Media and How to Win Big

I, for one, totally disagree with the concept that so-called "social media" is some sort of a virtual reality game, played to win something.... what!?  "to make a name for yourself"?  To make sales? Really? To become famous? Really?

Recently I read a big long discussion / debate about which was a better "winning strategy"...   Asking people to RT something.... or not.  And....  Thanking people for RT-ing something..... or not.

My comments on that were:

It's a simple matter of manners.

But, beyond that, just as you had that tinge feeling of gratitude.... it's about recognition. 

When I thank someone for an RT, what I'm really saying is...

"Hey! I noticed that you did that! Even though I may have 8000+ followers, I noticed that YOU did that... and I appreciate YOU!"

No one ever gets tired of being appreciated.

It doesn't clutter anything because, by default, you don't see @ replies to others (unless you follow them too, which is rarely the case).

Being "worthy" is true. But it certainly doesn't mean you shouldn't express gratitude. 

I sincerely thank every follower for any and every thing they do which I'm grateful for.

For me, it's not a success formula.  It's a much higher principal for living than some mechanical rule to try to win some imaginary game.

The Real Success Formula:

ADD VALUE.

IT'S NOT A GAME.

CONSTANTLY BE THINKING ABOUT HOW YOU CAN HELP THE MOST PEOPLE IN THE MOST PROFOUND WAYS POSSIBLE. 

NEVER THINK ABOUT WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU.

BE SINCERE.

EXPRESS GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION ALWAYS.

TELL YOUR PEEPS YOU LOVE THEM.

My peeps know I love them. 

I do.

And so do you.

In the end......  one day....  you WILL learn.....  that these rules I've written are the ONLY rules that really work.

:)

I love you!

Only Love,

Bruce

Posted via email from Bruce's Journal

A Cute Little Joke

An old Italian lived alone in New Jersey .  He wanted to plant his annual  tomato garden, but it was very difficult work as the ground was hard.

His only son, Vincent, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament:

Dear Vincent,

I am feeling pretty sad, because it looks like I won't be able to plant my tomato garden this year. I'm just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. I know if you were here my troubles would be over..  I know you would be happy to dig the plot for me, like in the old days.

Love,
Papa

A few days later he received a letter from his son.

Dear Pop,

Don't dig up that garden. That's where the bodies are buried.

Love,
Vinnie

At 4 a.m.. the next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived and dug up the entire area without finding any bodies. They apologized to the old man and left..

That same day the old man received another letter from his son..

Dear Pop,

Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now. That's the best I could do under the circumstances.  

Love you,
Vinnie

Posted via email from Bruce's Journal

The Missing Copy & Paste Manual for the Droid / Android Phone

How to Copy and Paste on a Droid

To Copy:

1.  In a text entry box: touch & hold, get a menu.

2.  On a web page:  Menu --> More --> Select Text, then over-select the area you want, (you can then trim it down to what you wanted AFTER you paste it)

3.  In a Gmail email:  Open slider keyboard, Hold Down the "Shift" (capital letters) Key, then over-select the area you want, (you can then trim it down to what you wanted AFTER you paste it).  The text is automatically copied to your Clipboard.

To Paste:

Simply touch and hold the text entry box.  Select Paste.

( If you want to delete what's there first:   Touch and hold the text entry box, then select "Select All", then press your DEL key, then touch and hold the text entry box again, select Paste. )

More info?  Please share it in the Comments below....

Posted via email from Bruce's Journal

I got audio working on Ubuntu. I discovered that there are 2 apps that have difficulty with PulseAudio. The 2 I was using...Skype & Audacity

And... If you're serious about living off the land, 3Tier Group has wind, solar, and hydro data for your location. http://ping.fm/zwXAI

Fiat's new widget helps improve your carbon footprint via your driving. http://ping.fm/zJ8CD (only italian seems to work for now)

FreeGreen offers free downloadable green house plans. home designs, products, materials, and vendors that are green http://ping.fm/GWj3K

It's been the era of iWhatever for quite some time. Now comes the era of ecoWhatever. Green truly is the new black...

Ubuntu Documentation: "...Ubuntu ships with the necessary options disabled and hidden away in hard-to-find places..." http://ping.fm/UmhBT

Then, FINALLY, I googled the problem. I typed, 'sound capture ubuntu' into google and I found the answer. OMG! Why hide such things people!?

Then I spent pretty much the entire rest of the day trying to figure out how to make my microphone jack work. I had tried everything...

It took me about 26 minutes total to install Ubuntu 8.10 today (99% of that time was formatting and installing)...

best summary of the mumbai attacks: India Security Faulted as Survivors Tell of Terror - Wall Street Journal (http://ping.fm/QqyqT)

Our new favorite movie: Slumdog Millionaire (Great reviews turn little-known 'Slumdog Millionaire' into Oscar contender - Chicago Tribune)

Great reviews turn little-known 'Slumdog Millionaire' into Oscar contender - Chicago Tribune http://ping.fm/z2b7h

"There's never been anything like this densely detailed phantasmagoria -- groundbreaking in substance, damned near Earth-shaking in style."

We just saw perhaps the best movie either of us have ever seen! Definitely OSCAR WORTHY! called, "Slumdog Millionaire" http://ping.fm/zHnmw

The hardest part is going to be keeping my mouth zipped about issues
I'm very opinionated about which people don't understand.

Which means avoiding discussions of religion, politics, or anything
controversial. Focus on being educational, inspirational, positive.

I think, in my blog, I need to be positive. Not negative. Praise. Not
complain/criticize. Help people. Avoid controvery...

Once you have Ubuntu, only reason to run Windows for anything: Apple TIES you to Windows iTunes if you have an iPhone for iPhone OS updates!

An excellent item on how to "Run Windows in a virtual machine using Ubuntu and Virtualbox" (http://ping.fm/AG743)

Read about Google's "User Data Empire" & how they will use Chrome to WATCH EVERYTHING YOU TYPE http://ping.fm/PJRA1

Can ANYONE remember about a month and a half ago? There was talk of gas breaking $5 a gallon? Today it's $1.47 a gallon. WHY WAS IT SO HIGH?

Humanity always overcomes inhumanity... in #Mumbai as in NYC, London,
Madrid, everywhere... http://ping.fm/8gOqb

http://SlyDial.com is already free to use now & is a superior
replacement for text messaging using only 1-2 airtime minutes!

Apple + AT&T are in bed together with the iPhone, & they were totally
unprepared for the revolutionary free tool SlyDial is.

Why? Probably because they see that SlyDial will revolutionize
communication. Thus hurting profit for AT&T. http://ping.fm/Q2JlR

Apple truly does think it is God. Most of Apple's iPhone apps are the
worst in the industry. Yet they block outside developers' apps.

Apple, once again, is blocking the distribution of this cool new free
app to "their" customers (iPhone users). http://ping.fm/Q2JlR

SlyDial has released their new mobile apps for Blackberry, iPhone,
etc. But... http://ping.fm/Q2JlR

Whenever I get a DM promoting something, I send: hi! please don't send me DMs about anything you're promoting unless i ask about it. thanks!

"I don’t understand how prominent geeks normally so paranoid over spyware and whatnot can ignore Google." http://ping.fm/zrQWg

What is good for the consumer is not good for the company, and that is especially true with Google, which has access to ALL our private data

It's kinda common sense... Everyone knows that spam is anything that's trying to sell you, that you didn't ask for...and everyone hates spam

Once they're on your website, all's fair... They've come to YOU. THAT's when you'll have exactly, 2.5 seconds to tell them why they need you

Make them curious enough to want to check out your site.

Are you wanting to use social media for networking and sales? Best Method: the soft-sell approach. share tips. help people.

To explain a little, I mean... Anything about "what you do", your product, your company, what you're selling, that I didn't ask for, is spam

My Opinion: Your web site link on your profile is ok... Anything about yourself in a msg to me, which I didn't ask for, is spam. Make sense?

Recently I was asked, "What's appropriate & 'not spammy' on Twitter. I'm always learning & open minded & know what offends me." ...

Mumbai Attack Aftermath Detailed, Tweet by Tweet | Danger Room from Wired.com (http://ping.fm/wBsxh)

Tweeting the Terror: How social media reacted to Mumbai - CNN.com (http://ping.fm/iDAS0)

Mainstream Media Acknowledging Twitter (http://ping.fm/ffYLy)

Personally, I would love to see more stories of people doing acts of
kindness & love, big & small, random & organized.

Do I detect a new trend of us honoring people more who do good? Like
"CNN Heroes" & similar shows? http://ping.fm/wzcfz

Today, I'm back on my normal, 50% Perricone / 50% Raw Organic Vegan,
diet. http://twitter.com/BruceEats

Wal-Mart doesn't let people stampede OUT of the stores, past the
cashiers... They COULD prevent stampedes! http://ping.fm/Qscuj

Wal-Mart has to be more than a little responsible for these two
deaths. I believe they WILL be sued. http://ping.fm/Qscuj

If Wal-Mart wants to create this sort of hysteria, they need to be
prepared with orderly lines & corral organizers & security...

Spreading joy, happiness, love to as many people, in the biggest ways
possible, can be the only meaningful purpose of life.

Both the people alive now, and the generations of the future... It's a
very short journey, and we're all family...

I think the only meaningful purpose we could possibly have is to bring
happiness & joy to as many people as possible...

People ask, How do you want to be remembered? Yet SO few people are
rememered at all. Is our purpose to be remembered?

What possibly COULD our purpose for living be...!? Just to
procreate...? The same purpose as a germ...? http://ping.fm/wzcfz

So, if we really do have the lifespan of a housefly, And all that we
know of our world will so soon be completely forgotten...

Everything we know is a flash in the pan. The world's oldest democracy
is only 232 years old. That's a blink of history's eye.

My grandparents' generation: Live for tomorrow. My generation: Live
for now! Screw tomorrow... http://ping.fm/wzcfz

Interest-Only Mortgages would have been laughed out of existance by my
grandparents. My generation: "Sounds good!"

Their grandchildren's (my) generation lived a life of rebelling
against that. "No payments for 90 days." Where credit = cash

My grandparents lived through The Depression. They lived a life of
extreme frugality. Always Saving. Saving. Period.

My older brother is web savy somewhat, but doesn't "see the point" of
Twitter. Few people over 45 do.. http://ping.fm/wzcfz

My mother used email. My father never even used email in his life! My
mother's younger sister became web savy.

This morning I thought, if my parents were still alive, would they be
using Twitter? Facebook? Myspace? No way!

While some things seem to be timeless, like family, friends, love.
Other things are SO one-generational. http://ping.fm/wzcfz

But the people who've lived here are long gone and forgotten.
http://ping.fm/wzcfz

In reality we really do have the lifespan of a house fly. The city of
New York, & even Its landmarks, may last a while...

The life of a human is like a star in the night sky. It might glow
brightly for a moment. Then go out. Never to be seen again.

About how the most significant greatest memories of our lives will so
soon be forgotten. As if they had never happened.

I had some heavy dreams in that in between time while waking up this
morning. How short life is & gone in a blink.

Not since the proliferation of email has the world seen such a
profound new powerful technology. http://twitter.com/brucewagner

Have you noticed how CNN can't stop talking about the PROFOUND NEW
TECHNOLOGY called, http://Twitter.com/brucewagner ?

Re: http://Blip.fm I'd love to see a SHUFFLE playback mode for my playlist....

Indian government HAS NOT asked that #Mumbai be shut down! False! Stop
repeating as fact! http://ping.fm/umxkr

Just as with email, Before repeating (retweeting) "news" CHECK
ORIGINAL SOURCE! #Mumbai http://ping.fm/umxkr

Just as hoax emails go around, hoax Twitter tweets go around FASTER &
get reported as fact! DANGEROUS! http://ping.fm/umxkr

A Twitter Phenominon: People fabricating news, then retweeting it as
fact. Check Source Before Retweeting! http://ping.fm/umxkr

ANY TIME, go to http://search.twitter.com and look at the "Trending topics" at the bottom. THAT is what's happening NOW. In Order. Click 1

... & you'll know what's happening in the world... You'll know more, faster, than CNN or ANYONE on earth...

One cannot overestimate the Power of the Collective Consciousness... Just bookmark this page and look at it any time 24/7...

Mumbai Attack #mumbai Live-updated Wikipedia article has best overall reporting of the incident - see http://ping.fm/YTJvg

Aussie TV star Brooke Satchwell is one of the hostage : http://tr.im/1k0o #Mumbai http://ping.fm/n5tG6 Her account: http://ping.fm/Eun8E

I'm loving google maps new "public transit" option on "get directions"... It's better than hopstop.com! Cool! http://ping.fm/dVXXp

Why am I so sleepy lately? Falling asleep for the night, into a deep
sleep, at 8:30pm!? Weird. Raw vegan does that to ya?

I'm thinking that the best diet for me for the long term might be:
Perricone (50%) + Raw Organic Vegan (50%)

I'm thinking of making an exception to my raw organic vegan diet for
turkey day tomorrow. :)

I was mesmorized by the spot... all the way up to the point that
Starbucks was mentioned... http://ping.fm/Pv4GE

This new tv spot is SO profound & represents our own spiritual
phylosophy... http://ping.fm/Pv4GE

The Fed is a private Corp. And those global elite fat cats who OWN the
Fed RUN THIS COUNTRY! So Scary! http://ping.fm/s3SLi

Current Fed Chairman nods as Obama names Paul Volcker, former Fed
Chair... ALL too scary familiar. http://ping.fm/s3SLi

If they'd just set it on the Heart Rate program & hold on to the heart
rate handles. It's as automatic as cruise control! Geez!

Totally into fiddling with their iPods, yet they're not getting the
great cardio workout they COULD be! http://ping.fm/8EhcV

The machine is automatic! Like cruise control! Awesome tech! Yet peope
ignore the heart rate grips...!?!? http://ping.fm/8EhcV