Bacula 2 is an open-source-backup program that consists of several tools.

It is a little tricky to configure, but does just what you expect from a good backup program. There is a wide range of storage devices to hold the saved data (such as optical storages, hard disk, tape-streamer). It is based upon an server-client model and available on nearly every operating system (including Windows and Linux). The catalog is held in an SQL database. Bacula is scalable from a single stand alone computer to systems consisting of hundreds of computers located over a large network.

Wi-Fi is an acronym used to generally describe the interface of computing devices around us such as laptops, high-end cell phones, PDA.

It is now increasingly used for services like internet in airports, cafes etc. They are almost everywhere and rapidly reaching places where their usage was a reality. Any person with a Wi-Fi enabled device can access internet when in proximity of an access point. The region covered by one or several access points is called a hotspot. You have connectivity in a hotspot only Wi-Fi can also be used to create networks or simply peer to peer connection (useful in gaming applications). Wi-Fi networks operate in the unlicensed 2.4 (802.11b/g) and 5 GHz (802.11a/h) radio bands, with an 11 Mbps (802.11b) or 54 Mbps (802.11a or g) data rate or with products that contain both bands (dual band). They can provide real world performance similar to the basic 10BaseT wired Ethernet networks.

It has various advantages, few of them are like reduction in cost and expansion of network to anywhere, Data is more secure as cracking is not easy. It also has some disadvantages like many countries have their own standards for Wi-Fi and power consumption is heavy leaving a question on the battery life of laptops. Despite of these all, it is rapidly gaining popularity and emerging as a new interface for networking.

Are you an archaeologist, geologist, cartographer or urban planner?

Then ArcView is for you. ArcView is very useful GIS software produced by ESRI which enables one to view spatial data, create maps and perform basic spatial analysis. For instance, if you an archaeologist, ArcView helps you understand the concentration of particular type of sites in association with particular type of landscape. A geologist can easily find out what sort of minerals are available in a given area and like. This software can be used along with other ArcGIS products like ArcReader and ArcEditor. Similarly, Google Earth Pro can be used along with ArcView to manipulate graphics, including landscape and architectural features, in 3D. Windows, Solaris, AIX, IRIX and AIX provide platforms for ArcView.

Second Life has been called a game, a social network, and 3-D Virtual World.

Linden Lab, the creators of this virtual world see it only different from our Earth in that this world is “lived” via the Internet. Second Life is resident driven and self-evolving. It emphasizes socializing and an in-world virtual economy driven by the sale and content created by its members. There are now almost 7 million people registered for this game.

“A Beginner’s Guide to Second Life” published by ArcheBooks is a must have Second Life Reference to quickly get into and understand this game. I like the 8.5 x 11 inch with 190+ pages of detailed information, references, tips, exercises, and hints. It is the only book tutorial I have seen that offers a fun and easy approach to understanding building, making money, insight to Second Life business, managing land, perfecting your appearance, using communication tools, developing your profile, and offering details on flexi-prims, machinima, proficiency, photography, and MORE!! The Appendix has lists of shortcut commands, tour locations, website resources, definitions, screen references and more. This is a very good Second Life reference tool.

The Palm Zire 71 Handheld computer The Zire 71 is a top notch little computer for anyone who needs to remember important dates, likes to take pictures on the go, or just likes to take there favorite novel with them in their pocket! The slim sleek design is perfect for a cargo pocket or a purse, and the silver and blue color scheme are sure to appear professional yet fun for anyone from the on-the-go business person, to the vacationer who wants to stay in touch! With GPS available, and handy mapping software like EarthComber, getting lost will be something you only do when you want to! It has a brilliant little camera that takes pictures that you wouldn’t believe came out of a such an inexpensive device! And with the memory card slot, and cards up to 2 gigs available, you can take a virtual library, a scrapbook, an endless contact list, and hours of mp3’s with you wherever you go! With a base price under $300, the Zire 71 is definitely a steal if you like to take all of your info and entertainment with you, without the backpack to haul it!

Looking for a simple way to remind yourself when to leave work in time to catch your train? Or to let you know when it’s time to meet friends for lunch?

On a Mac, you can do this sort of thing with iCal, but for simple little reminders like this I prefer Pester, a simple alarm-clock freeware program by Nicholas Riley. The interface couldn’t be simpler: to create a new alarm, just type the alarm message you want displayed, the time (hours:minutes from now, or absolute time/date) into the window. The Dock icon displays time until the alarm, and at the alarm time Pester foregrounds itself, displays your message, and gives a system sound. Just click enter to dismiss the alarm. Setting an alarm takes only 15-30 seconds, and Pester just runs quietly in the background without consuming any system resources. You can set multiple alarms, but you can’t set recurring ones. But then, that’s what iCal is for. Pester is just for the little things, but it’s great for them. Works on any Mac hardware running OS X.