VMware Virtualization for Mac Beta Released

The new VMware desktop product for the Mac, codenamed Fusion, allows Intel-based Macs to run x86 operating systems, such as Windows, Linux, NetWare and Solaris, in virtual machines at the same time as Mac OS X. It is built on VMware's rock-solid and advanced desktop virtualization platform that is used by over four million users today.

The beta is now freely downloadable. Looks like Parallels is going to have some competition. Eager to see how this pans out, or if Apple builds virtualization in their next-gen OS.

I also wonder if the VMWare images I have built will work as is on my Mac. Can't wait to try it.

Hoping Parallels and Fusion won't somehow conflict whe installed on the same box.

It's Thursday. Feels Like Picture Day.

I'm not sure why, but I was craving images today.
I just felt like seeing beautiful and mystifying things.
So here are a few I quite enjoyed.

Kenneth Parker Photography:
World/nature photos. Very nice light/color composition.

Flickr clusters for HDR:
See also HDR definition, which is likely to have been used in the Kenneth Parker link above.

Souvenirs:
By Michael Hugues. Interesting travel-oriented art concept.

File Magazine:
"A collection of unexpected photography". See their collection and projects.

Flock 198 archive:
Computer generated images rendered by the open source Electric Sheep distributed 3D screensaver. Some are truly stunning.

Hillman Wonders of the World:
Travel guide listing and info on their top 100 places to see. I've got to travel more, I've barely seen 5 of them... #9, #36, #39, #86, #88.

Places of Peace and Power:
"Traveling as a pilgrim, Martin [Gray] spent twenty years, visiting and photographing over 1000 sacred sites in eighty countries."

Setpixel:
Art-based technology. Technology-based art.

How to draw Superman:
Quickdraw video by Augusto Saldaña

Artwork:
By Konstantin Ryabitsev

Architectural Wonders 2006:
From Business Week

Feels ironic to write a text-only entry about it all...

The New Blogger.com Is Live and Out of Beta

The new Blogger service is coming out of beta as I'm writing this (2006-12-19, between 8:30 and 8:45 PM EST), and you'll notice that everything that was going to beta.blogger.com before is now being handled by www2.blogger.com. This post is actually being served by the new Blogger environment.

Here are screenshots of what we were faced with for a few minutes.



All seems to now be back online, since I can post this, and you can read it. :)
A bit sluggish right now (still caching?), but back and kicking nonetheless.

The reason I found out was that I was writing another post when I noticed a most likely AJAX activated box, under the editing area, that was warning me that the app could not connect to the db for saving. Advanced warning? Very nice feature in and of itself, if true, since I don't remember clicking the save or publish buttons. Would be interesting to implement if not. Might have been the live preview though, but I didn't think the view switch required a remote connection. Might be iframe-based. Argh, now I'm curious and I've got to look into this... ;)

So big thanks, congratulations, and keep up the great work Blogger devs!

Considering the service was down for the public for what I estimate to be around 15 minutes, that was one smooth upgrade, especially considering the scale. I deal with systems that have thousands of concurrent signed-in sessions, and I know what that means, so I can only imagine what they are facing...

Now this puts a whole new spin on a previous post I wrote just a few days ago. The subject might just become a lot more interesting to a lot more people who now have to switch their accounts and blogs to the new platform. See Integrating the Digg Box in your Blogger Beta Posts.

Update: 2006-12-19 ~ 9:10 PM:

It's confirmed. From the Blogger homepage: We're out of beta and ready to go.

Also, note the new no beta logo, once logged in:



This post, as it turns out, is truly an homage to what Blogger is all about to me: a publishing tool for life, as it happens, in real time.

Update: 2006-12-20 ~ 8:15 AM:

Wow, the speed improvements are considerable! :)

Hello to Fairbanks, AK

Well Google Analytics tells me that my most returning visitor(s) seem(s) to be either physically located or connecting from/through Fairbanks, Alaska.


We've been running the Urchin log analysis software at work long before their Google takeover, but the integration potential with the search giant are truly endless. I, for one, sure am having a lot of fun playing with all the cool stats they're providing site owners with.

But in the meantime, if there's any truth to those stats, hello to you in Fairbanks, and thanks for reading. If nothing else, we're also almost sharing a climate. ;)

New Digg Features Released, Fresh from the Oven

See Kevin Rose's blog post for full details and a demo screencast.

Big update today. Tons of new features to share with you – many inspired by feedback you’ve given us over the last few months (thanks!). Check out this video for a quick overview, or read below for more details.