I hate this new "Christmas"

Well readers, as I said, in this blog you will find posts related with a lot of things, and at this time I have decided to write about Christmas.

I was thinking about create a post related with a lot of good things about Christmas. However, I thought, thought and thought and I couldn't find anything to post. This is because at the present time, Christmas and materialism are synonymous. People only cares about receiving gifts.

Christmas is not about buying gifts, or decorating trees, or watching Christmas movies, or listening Christmas music. No! That isn't Christmas! Christmas is about loving and caring about our fellows. It's about seeing that we can contribute for a better world. And, like Christians, is about remember that Jesus was born on this day and he came to the world to save us...Not to give us a new shirt or a new toy...

Regarding Christmas cards, my dear reader, a card is a piece of paper with some drawings and words on it. Remember that when you buy it there were another twenty cards exactly equals like yours... I mean, your are giving something that is not really special. A buyed piece of paper never can describe what you feel by someone.

This Christmas, instead of give a toy to your son, a shirt to your father, or any material thing to someone, think about give a big hug, about tell how important is that person for you...In that moment, you will see a big smile, you will feel much better and, my dear reader, you will have understood the true meaning of Christmas.

Merry Christmas 

Model your world

Are you a creative person? Are you a 3D designer? Do you have a design tool that is hard to use? I have a answer to you: Google SketchUp.

Google SketchUp is a powerful and easy to learn 3D software tool that streamlines and simplifies 3D design. From simple to complex, conceptual to realistic, Google SketchUp enables you to build and modify 3D models quickly and easily.

A searchable online library provides many models to any user that can see and download a specific model.

A very nice and powerful application for all those who feel creative and want to have a 3D-model of their idea.

Web Desktop?

Well, after talk about Ecological Search Engines, I would like to talk about web desktops or webtops. The first time that I saw one of these applications I was astonished! These amazing applications provide:

• File managers
• Calendars
• Word processors
• Media players
• Browsers
• Contacts managers
• Calculators
• Compression software
• and more...all online!!

You don't need to install anything. The only two things that you need are a computer with an Internet connection and a browser!

Two good examples of these type of applications are:

• YouOS
  
• eyeOS
  

Check these two examples, all their features... it is like to have an operating system but...online!

Ecologic Search Engines...a fake?

In the previous post, I talked about a "new generation" of search engines: Ecologic Search Engines. However, after a quickly search on the web (thanks to Luis Humberto Teixeira) I found that the numbers showed by these search engines are not true.

A recent study by Darren Yates where it was concluded that the power consumption announced by these sites is exaggerated, i.e. on CRT monitors actually there is a reduction of power consumption, but only reached the level indicated with an older monitor.

On the case of LCD monitors, they said:

The most interesting aspect we found was that of the LCD monitors we tested of size 22-inches or less, all showed an increase in power consumption using Blackle. Beyond the 22-inch mark however, five of the six models showed a fractional decrease in power consumption when using Blackle, except the ViewSonic VX2835wm, which showed a 2.2-watt increase.

For the five that dropped their power consumption, the average drop was 3.16-watts, again, not the 15-watts being suggested.

To a more detailed overview of this study check Darren Yates's website. You will find a detailed table with all monitors used and their consumption using Google and Blackle.

I'm thinking about write a scientifical paper about this, but first I need to get some monitors :). Thanks again to Luis.

Ecologic Search

A few days ago, I was surfing on web when I found a "strange" search engine. It was an "Ecologic Search Engine", but...what is this?

According with the description provided by the author, by using a dark background and a light font colors, our devices (PC, cellphone, PDA, etc) monitors consume less energy than popular search engines.

The ecologic search engines that I've visited are using the google engine, so they are as efficient as google. They are:

http://www.google-zero.com/

http://co.uk.ecoogle.net/

According to http://envirostats.info/ stats:

If Google’s search engine website changed its background from white to black, about 750 MWh could be saved a year, or 529 tonnes of CO2 or taking 101 cars off the road.

The numbers are really impressive!

Maybe the "Internet Giant" can consider changing a few color codes, saving of this way a lot of energy, a lot of money and contributing to a better world.

CoolestStuff compilation begins

Hi everyone!

This blog is intended to be a compilation of interesting stuff found by me on the web. Since I'm a Software Engineer, most of the comments will be related with software and computers (yes I know, you're thinking: He's a nerd) but it is not limited only to this! I'll write about movies, music, games, sports...

Feel free to post comments