Let’s stop mulling it over, for the technically aware there can be no doubt the future of computing is cloud based (both locally and out across the www), it’s going to happen (it is happening). But what does this new virtual world present to us in terms of the good old desktop operating system?

Well, cloud access needs a browser, a browser needs a software platform to run on and a software platform requires a host device. Voice and gesture recognition technology is presently a touch under the horizon for general use so we’ll still need keyboard & mouse functionality, as such it’s a fair bet to expect a substantial increase in laptop style/tablet & personal device (iPhone) use in response to what will be corresponding growth in mobile infrastructure connectivity.
The personal computer will become less “personal” with the mindset for mainstream data ownership shifting away from the concept of local storage and becoming akin to the way vinyl (and soon CD/DVD media) is regarded today, i.e nice to own & “collectable” but at the same time unnecessary and cumbersome in comparison to what will in effect be instant delivery of most any content we can think of, anywhere. It’s true we humans do like to have our “stuff” but lifestyle technology (or should I say Apple) will most certainly re-dictate (re-train?) our behavioural traits.
Spotify is already a real world emerging example of this, why bother paying for GB’s of hard disk storage when you can stream pre-configured playlists to all and any of your your devices for free (albeit with an ad thrown in here and there) with no danger of media corruption? It’s only present infrastructure shortfall restricting increased adoption, but that will change, forces are at work (and have been for some time).

iTunes will expand to become an all encompassing on-line portal where Apple will happily manage all our personal media collections and deliver them back to us through “terminal” devices (be they laptops, dumb screens or variations of the imminent Apple Tablet). Google (of course) will also expand it’s virtual empire to take care of our business enterprise (check out Apps, it’s a killer), and Microsoft? Microsoft are obviously developing their own cloud cover strategy (Azure) but if I had to choose I’d predict a sway toward Google, why? I just think there’s more perceived trust for the big G, and although I do say “perceived” trust it’s also said with a certain degree of irony – “Many a true word” etc, for example – content filtering for word processing files? Your data should be YOUR data (and there begins the case for local cloud systems, more on that another time).

Anyway, browsers. Browsers indeed, and operating systems. A browser is a browser is a browser (more or less) and with Mozillas ubiquitous Firefox available for free across all platforms the question of cost arises. Why pay for an expensive operating system and the high end hardware it needs to function when all you’re running on it is Firefox? Answer – You don’t have to, and that’s where Linux slots in superbly.

Not only is the Linux platform free of charge it’s also incredibly stable and incredibly secure, two things you REALLY want when exposing your personal data to the world (wide web). We did mention Google before and here once again they come into view with their like vision of future cloud access – the “Chrome OS“.

Google vision is going to happen, Google (along with Apples iPhone) are going to take over the world and Chrome OS will be Google’s cloud entry portal, and guess what, Chrome OS is built on Linux. It’s no surprise really, Google know a good thing when they see it.

If you would like to find out more about cloud content storage & delivery through a Linux platform TooMuchGreen can help, we are specialists in this area and offer the full spectrum of Linux based advice and solutions tailored to your business and budget. Feel free to send us a message via the contact page, we would be more than happy to come and visit you to assess your needs.

Cost saving and stability from the cloud, that’s the name of the game for 2010, are you playing?

In the absence of any more imminent Ubuntu releases for a while today I’ve moved back to my other source  of amusement, the iPod Touch, and in particular mobile ‘Document Management’.

Today I’ve discovered the Mobile Studio app from the guys at PixioTech, but what is it, why is it so useful, how does it work, what can you use it for, and how come I’ve only just discovered it?

What is it? Well, it’s an iPhone/iPod Touch app (obviously) and although it’s not free at £1.19 I don’t think it’ll break the bank.

Why is it useful? Mobile studio utilises your devices wi-fi connection and enables you to transfer files to and from your device using any network enabled computer running any flavour of operating system, yes that’s right, OSX, Linux or Microsoft. The iPod/iPhone needs a wireless connection to your network but the client computer can be either hard wired or wi-fi’d.

How does it work? Download and install it to your device from the App store, fire it up and you’ll see five folders – Docs, Movies, Music, Pictures & Sample files (you can edit these, alter  RW options etc, or delete them), you’ll also see a green bi-directional arrow transfer button down the bottom right hand corner of the Touch screen, this is the key to it all, tap it and you’re taken into the sharing screen, tap start from there and you’re shown your iPhone (or Touch’s) wireless ftp address & access port number (mine for example is ftp://192.168.1.11:2121), just use this address in the ftp program on your computer to access the folders on the iPod Touch/iPhone (obviously both devices must be on the same IP subnet). I use ‘Transmit‘ for ftp on my Mac because I like it but Cyberduck is a great free alternative. Just drag and drop, or whatever you do .

What can you use it for? Well not only can you easily transfer non-iTunes based files over from your desktop computer for storage, backup and viewing but you can now edit them later while you’re out and about, yes, I know, cool huh, but there’s more, you can also email them on when you’re done. Mobile studio can handle a multitude of workable file formats from MS Office to iWork to image & audio, basic text and PDF viewing, iPhone users can also take photos from inside the application and edit/mail them straight off, most useful. Unfortunately there’s no method (as yet) for transferring received email files into Mobile Studio however development is an ongoing process and I’m sure it’ll come, for now it’s a huge step up from the standard offering and what with this and now being able to SKYPE from the iPod Touch it seems things are really coming together.

And why haven’t I discovered this sooner? Well it’s a big place the internet, it takes some getting round, I do my best.

You may have picked up on the fact I like to take a few photos, previously to this blog a section of my job was to support the I.T infrastructure for Heritage digitisation at the Science Museums two Northern sites – the National Railway Museum in York and the National Media Museum in Bradford ( formerly the National Museum of Photography, Film & Television ), as such you could say I’m quite ‘au-fait’ with digital imaging method & archiving standards ( in fact if you need any advice get in touch, seriously, I’d be glad to help ).
Here’s a ‘very’ simplified and quick heads up about the three main file formats just to put this post in context -
( *NOTE* – PDF, although a superbly interesting option is not mentioned due to it still being on the undiscovered periphery of image archiving and process, there will be a more in depth entry on vector vs raster graphics at a later date also covering IPTC embedded ‘metadata‘ )

• JPEG – The lowest form of image file encryption and the most widely used. Data is compressed using encryption algorithms which leads to smaller file sizes but a loss in quality with varying levels of visble pixelation at full size, mainly suitable for web use, family photos etc, not ideal for larger prints. Viewable on any computer.
• TIFF – Loss-less file format and the de-facto standard for picture libraries @ 50mb per file with 8 bit Adobe RGB colour space, gives larger file sizes but stable for archiving. Viewable on any computer.
• RAW – This is the interesting ( and troublesome ) one, RAW is the closest thing you can get to a true digital negative, the image data is pure and untouched exactly as it hit the cameras CCD when the shutter was pressed, it offers the photographer an enormous range of post processing flexibility and a true base archive file BUT requires bespoke plugins or software to open and process ( unless you’re a Mac iPhoto user, OSX 10.4.10, good old Apple ). RAW gives a much smaller file size than TIFF ‘on disk’.

RAW then, unfortunately it’s not as simple as obtaining the plugin for say Nikon or Canon, that would be ideal, but of course it couldn’t be that simple. RAW interpretation differs between camera models ( and even model revisions – i.e Nikon’s D40 RAW plugin won’t decode D40x RAW images ), rather irritating to say the least and even more so when image processing giants such as Adobe ( the giant of giants ) not only lag behind in releasing upgrades to match new products but can and do annoyingly ( and expensively ) push version upgrades. For example the Photoshop RAW plugin required for Nikons D40x is only available for the latest CS3 suite, leaving users up to CS2 with the potential to end up with a camera full of images they can do nothing with unless they upgrade to CS3, and it isn’t cheap. Luckily ( ? ) Adobe offer a downloadable convertor free of charge, a stand alone application which will convert D40x RAW files ( NEF’s ) into Adobe’s own RAW format, the DNG file, which opens up fine in CS2′s RAW window.
So who’s to blame for this mess? Adobe are pioneering the cross platform, cross brand DNG and I suppose it’s refreshing that ‘someone’ is actually trying to standardise this area, to their credit certain camera manufacturers are also adopting this format – namely Hassleblad and Ricoh, two major players but still not as major as Nikon or Canon who seem to have no interest whatsoever in pursuing this.
Software and/or related device compatibility is a continuing problem in the digital world and the end user is more often than not manipulated into being out of pocket, remember the VHS vs BETAMAX ‘war’ in the 80′s? ( now back to haunt us once more as BLUERAY vs HD ‘DVD’ ), an unavoidable side effect of technological progress or a noticeable reflection of companies trying to corner the market? Whatever the reasons, both or either, it is as ever the end consumer who suffers, ironic considering there would be no demand for any of it without us.