Aleno erdvė

Windows 8 is not Metro enough

noreply@blogger.com (Alenas Kišonas) — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 15:19:00 +0000

I am using Microsoft Windows 8 Consumer Preview at the moment and I like it a lot. I was reading a lot of reviews about new User Interface (UI) and many reviewers like Metro side, but they start complaining about "old" desktop interface that is "crippled" compared to Windows 7.

I think the problem is that Microsoft did NOT do enough on the Desktop side to make it different from Windows 7. Desktop should be a little bit more Metro and have similar feel for both sides. In my opinion, the major problem is a look of a taskbar/app switcher. On Metro side there is an app switcher on the left side, but on the desktop there are two of them - at the bottom the "old" taskbar and on the left side the new app switcher. They serve the same functionality, so I do NOT understand the reason why Microsoft did not merge them into one piece with Metro look and feel.

How Microsoft could easily merge Desktop taskbar and app switcher to MetroBar:

MetroBar should have the same look as app switcher, but only used on desktop side.
User should be able to PIN desktop apps to it and pinned apps would be shown at the top with a charm.
MetroBar should show half width - so it would take not much more space than taskbar if docked on the left. It should expand to full width on hover.
It shows only pinned apps and apps running on a desktop.
Apps with multiple windows, would be displayed in a drawer (when hovered on MetroBar)
It would also show last used Metro app for fast switching (only one - at the bottom, above system tray).
System tray should be combined to one tile. Probably with start button combined and when hover should show date/time bar (like hover on char bar).
MetroBar would be easy to use with mouse or touch.
Desktop would not look like Windows 7 and people will stop looking for start button, instead recognizing that this is NEW windows.

Ok, so we sorted software side, but there is one more thing that Microsoft has to do on the hardware side.

Microsoft needs to define a standard dock connector for WOA tablets:

Look at the popularity of iPhone/iPad dock accessories. It is easy to create a range of accessories when there is a common standard connector.
It would be even worth licensing Apple 30 pin connector, except that Apple itself is already creating a smaller version of it. Maybe Microsoft can get on board with Apple on the new one?
There would be more choice and more competition for various keyboards, docks, sound bars, etc. Everyone would benefit.
I would suggest new dock connector to be either the same as Apple or be made from 2 parts - micro usb (data/charge) combined with hdmi (audio/video), so it would be possible to use micro usb or hdmi cable (or both at the same time it the same connector).
If Microsoft does not create standard dock connector, it would be the biggest mistake for WOA tablets. You can't compete with iPad without full range of accessories.

Windows 7 dynamic backgrounds

noreply@blogger.com (Alenas Kišonas) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:44:00 +0000

Awesome Windows 7 dynamic background theme, which adds two new Bing photos every week.

Nauji teniso batai

noreply@blogger.com (Alenas Kišonas) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 07:36:00 +0000

Suodžius jau porą metų giria asics, tai neiškenčiau ir nusipirkau ASICS GEL-Resolution 3

Praeitą savaitę žaidžiau skvošą – pirmą kartą šiais metais po žaidimo neskaudėjo nugaros. Iš išorės ASICS neatrodo taip kokybiškai, kaip adidas ar nike, bet žymiai patogesni ant kojos…

Which smartphone to choose?

noreply@blogger.com (Alenas Kišonas) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 07:26:00 +0000

If you like PalmOS interface from 1999 and you need 3000 fart apps and you will only use it in one country, then wait for iPhone 5. If you like customizing OS on your phone every week and need bash, then get Android. If you would just prefer the phone that seamlessly manages your everyday life - get WINDOWS PHONE 7 (MANGO) :P

ChromeOS vs. Silverlight, Google vs. Microsoft

noreply@blogger.com (Alenas Kišonas) — Wed, 18 May 2011 05:40:00 +0000

Was reading an article by Joe Wilcox, called Chrome OS is only a failure to people living in the past

So here is my take on ChromeOS.

What Google is doing with ChromeOS is that they are trying to make an OS from a browser. Current implementation of a browser relies on HTML, which like PDF or WORD is a document language. Even HTML5 is just a simple HTML with glued on crap that kind of allows creating applications (with a lot of limitations).
But browser is a very BAD OS. HTML was never intended to be anything more than PDF is. Did anyone ever think of creating an OS based on PDF or WORD?
So from that perspective Google is taking a very bad approach - and God help developers and web users if ChromeOS will become mainstream. That would take Personal Computing to the 40's.
HTML is dead.
Java and later Microsoft with Silverlight were the first ones to realize that the web as it is (HTML) is already at the dead end. WEB needs a new technology and fast. Web has to become an OS. So it needs the same security, flexibility, power as it is expected from an OS.
I am in love with Silverlight and I think it is the only technology that has the capacity and capability to be an OS of the next WEB. And that's what Microsoft is doing. Silverlight is at the core of WP7, it can be used on the web, desktop, it will be at the center of .appx in Windows 8, it runs on embedded (i.e. automotive and TV's). As you can see Silverlight has done much more to become a proper "connected OS" on different screens than anything else (including Android).
If Google would be SMART and not just an arrogant bunch of anti-Microsoft folks - they would adopt Silverlight (or Moonlight) for ChromeOS as an engine instead of HTML. That would be a victory for everyone. Of course Google could create own version of Silverlight replacement - but it's not worth wasting years in recreating a wheel. Silverlight is good. It is very good. It is perfect to become a WEB OS. If only Microsoft would not be afraid of facing the monster that they created…

10 metų keliavimo po svietą...

noreply@blogger.com (Alenas Kišonas) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 11:43:00 +0000

Iš neturėjimo ką veikti, nusprendžiau, kad reikėtų apibendrinti bastymosi po svietą pasekmes :)
Taigi per 10 metų:

Gyvenau 5 šalyse (Lietuva, Islandija, Nauja Zelandija, JAV, Australija)
Gyvenau 3 kontinentuose (šiaurės amerika, europa ir okeanija)
Aplankiau 24 šalis 4 kontinentuose
Pakeičiau gyvenamą šalį 8 kartus
Dirbau 7 darbovietėse
Apskridau aplink pasaulį bent 4 kartus (europa > azija > okeanija > usa > europa)
Praskraidžiau apie 200.000 kilometrų (turbūt daugiau nei su automobiliu)
Sūnus Nikas, būdamas 2 metų apskrido aplink pasaulį 2 kartus
Turiu 5 vairuotojo teises (iš kiekvienos šalies kur gyvenau)
Gėda, bet beveik pamiršau 2 kalbas: Lenkų ir Rusų
Užsiėmiau šiomis sporto šakomis: kalnų dviračiai, futbolas, ledo ritulys, tenisas, skvošas
Turėjau 7 dviračius (iš jų 3 dar turiu), 4 automobilius, 3 motociklus
Neturėjau nė vienos paskolos iš banko

Iš vienos pusės tai gal ir įdomu, bet iš kitos pusės tai dabar visai mielai būčiau Lietuvoje :)

Legalūs Nemokami DJ Tiesto mix’ai

noreply@blogger.com (Alenas Kišonas) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:24:00 +0000

Šiandien padariau atradimą :)
Kas turit parsisiuntę Zune media grotuvą, tai labai paprasta legaliai parsipumpuoti geros muzikos. Eikit į MARKETPLACE > PODCASTS…pvz. aš radau Radio 538: Tiesto club life podcast. Šiuo metu ten yra 79 valandos gana geros muzikos ir atnaujinama turbūt kas savaitę…Aišku tuos podcast galima parsisiųsti ir su kitais grotuvais – bet Zune viskas automatizuota…

You think SUV safer than Mini Cooper?

noreply@blogger.com (Alenas Kišonas) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 06:57:00 +0000

check this out:

http://bridger.us/2002/12/16/CrashTestingMINICooperVsFordF150/

Ducati Monster

noreply@blogger.com (Alenas Kišonas) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 19:25:00 +0000

Vakar ant duro įdėjau skelbimą, kad parduodu mocą. Šiandien iš ryto atvarė čiuvas su merga pažiūrėt. Sakau aš jam gal nori pralėkti...Išvažiavimas iš mano namo ne koks - kalniukas statokas ir viršuj T formos sankryža. Tai jis sustojo viršuj ir vis niekaip nesugeba išvažiuoti iš vietos (na pas ducati labai aukšti bėgiai - pirmas panašiai kaip antras). Galų gale užspaudė truputį daugiau gazo ir šoko tiesiai - na o ten bandiurkė - tai jis dar ant priekinio stabdžio spustėlėjo - ir mocas pyst ant dešinio šono. Sulaužė abi posukių lemputes, veidrodį ir kojos atramą.

Vienu žodžiu nusipirko žmogus moca neaišku ar to pats norėdamas. Man tai irgi ne koks jausmas. Mocas butų lievas - tai gal ir džiaugčiaus...

Dabar nežinau ką daryt - nes aprangą Ducati visą turiu - gal reikės kokio kito moco po truputį ieškotis...

Ella išsilaikė teises

noreply@blogger.com (Alenas Kišonas) — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 19:05:00 +0000

Ella šiandien išsilaikė amerikoniškas teises...pagaliau...gavo 88 taškus (aš gavau 82), tai dabar šydina mane, kad daugiau surinko Aš surinkau tiek mažai nes pyderai nori, kad sukinėtum galvą į blind spots, o aš naudoju veidrodėlius ir periferinį vaizdą

Hawaii

noreply@blogger.com (Alenas Kišonas) — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 19:28:00 +0000

He he, taigi mes jau Havajuose...Oras superinis - 28 šilumos, vanduo irgi panašiai...vienu žodžiu rojus. Ella sako, kad ji norėtų čia gyventi - aš irgi norėčiau...Tik gerai būtų čia gyventi taip, kad dirbti nereikėtų

Vakar buvo "Black Friday". Galvojau, kad Havajuose tai jau tikrai neisiu į parduotuves, bet kažkaip neiškenčiau...Nuėjau penktadienį į CompUSA - gal pirmą valandą po pietų - galvojau tik pažiūrėsiu kas gero yra. Bet radau Jabra Bluetooth Stereo BT620 ausines už 29$, Logitech Quickcam Deluxe for Notebooks už 9$ ir Sandisk Cruzer Micro 4GB už 27$.

Vėliau dar nuvarėm į BestBuy (su autobusu gal septintą vakaro), bet ten nieko gero jau nebuvo likę, tai nusipirkom tik keturis DVD po 4.99$.

eBay sucks, sux and sux

noreply@blogger.com (Alenas Kišonas) — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 14:18:00 +0000

It is full of dishonest sellers, scam artists, fraudulent listings, scam buyers... and non-existent customer service. They say they have fraud protection - but they always find ways to wash they hands off....

Beware...

http://www.oreillynet.com/digitalmedia/blog/2005/05/why_ebay_sucks.html

Windows Vista Snipping Tool

noreply@blogger.com (Alenas Kišonas) — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 09:59:00 +0000

I would recommend Snipping Tool (available only in Windows Vista) for those who frequently send screenshots. That is way more intelligent solution that doing "Print Screen", opening Word, pasting, changing viewable area and then sending whole WORD document to other person.

WORD is not an image editing software

Pasitikrinkite ar paliekate šansų gyvybei žemėje

noreply@blogger.com (Alenas Kišonas) — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 09:45:00 +0000

http://sustainability.publicradio.org/consumerconsequences/

Programėlė kurti geneologinį medį...

noreply@blogger.com (Alenas Kišonas) — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 19:33:00 +0000

Labai gražiai padaryta programėlė - reikalinga .Net 3.0...

http://www.vertigo.com/familyshow.aspx

Dviračių spynos

noreply@blogger.com (Alenas Kišonas) — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 13:56:00 +0000

Ar žinot, kad dviračių spynos kurių raktas yra panašus į vamzdelį - yra lengvai atrakinamos tušinuku?

Netgi tokių kietuolių kaip Kryptonite ar nešiojamų kompiuterių užraktai pagaminti Kensington...

http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2004/09/64987