MySQL is the M in LAMP, the Linux, Apache, MySQL, Perl/Python/PHP open source software stack that has underpinned the Internet revolution, empowering generations of web development on all parts of the spectrum. David Axmark, co-founder of MySQL, was in Bangkok to explain the history of MySQL, the company's culture and the power of open source development as well as give a glimpse of its future now that MySQL has been taken over by Sun Microsystems.
SUPER COMPUTING CONTEST 2008
The IOI2009 team from Suankularb Wittayalai School developed the fastest parallel computing application on a virtual supercomputer to be announced the winners of the National Super Computing Contest (SCC) 2008, held by the Thai National Grid Centre (TNGC) in cooperation with Hewlett-Packard (Thailand) and Kasetsart University.
NEW MANAGING DIRECTOR
HP announced the appointment of Alan Sedghi as managing director of HP Thailand, effective from November 1. He will also lead the Technology Solutions Group (TSG) business in the country.
Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn presided over the opening of ITU Telecom Asia 2008 on Monday morning before touring the exhibition area in the Challenger Hall 2 at Muang Thong Thani.
MOBILE COMPUTING
Sony Thailand recently introduced new three new Vaio models with advanced features and designs, and new integrated software.
Storage provider Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) is now focused on solutions around managing, securing and accessing unstructured data with its content archive platform (HCAP), and it then hopes to be able to virtualise it "so that things underneath it can be changed non-disruptively as infrastructures change."
EXTENSIONS
I wrote recently about the Security Preferences section of System Preferences in OS X. Security should keep unwanted people out, but computers do not work in isolation. We join networks and link to devices, like printers or Bluetooth phones. Sharing Preferences works with Security (and other) Preferences to enable specific connection methods to be used and to activate the necessary ports when needed. There are 11 different ways to share in the preference panel.
MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
PATTAYA, CHON BURI : SAP Thailand will expand here based on its core ERP software, and in line with an offering of enterprise information management (EIM) technology, and aims to achieve triple its market share by 2010.
OPEN THOUGHT
There is a time and place for democracy, and there are some laws that transcend the justice of majority rule. One such law is the law of mathematics.
INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS
In an effort to boost its broadband Internet subscriber base, TT&T has teamed up with SVOA and Intel Microelectronics (Thailand) to offer a solution for the education sector, and aims to have 500,000 subscribers by year-end.
"Think security in everything you do," "take an holistic approach" and "be proactive in building a security programme while understanding what data is important to your business and what the right levels of control to put in place, while ensuring that you are managing those controls continuously."
GAME REVIEW
Some games have first class storylines. Some are driven by great engines. And others come with splendid gameplay. Assassin's Creed features all these, in spades. Here is a thief-style game that breaks the mould, eliminating monotonous experiences normally associated with the genre by letting you roam free in daylight - hiding in plain sight, hopping across rooftops if necessary, instead of sneaking in the dark or in shadows. Above all, this is one game whose developers paid attention to all aspects and details, instead of just obsessing about the game's engine.
COMPUTER CURRENTS
Right now, behind closed doors and without any balanced input, the fate of digital media is being decided in the US. A new copyright treaty for participating nations that include Australia, Canada and New Zealand is being drafted. The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement is expected to be completed by the end of the year and is being called by some "Hollywood's Christmas list."
EVENTS : ITU Telecom Asia 2008 is being held at Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani, until September 5.
HOME BUILDER
Today's buzzword is "BPM". According to recent industry analyst reports, business process management (BPM) has become one of the most important enterprise software market segments.
SLOAN RANGER
Launchy is a terrific program launcher to replace the Start button. It indexes and finds stuff on your computer, and gives it to you to use.
HELP DESK
I'm a big music lover and would like to collect my music collection on an external hard disk in MP3 format. Do you know a good program that would help me convert my audio cassettes and vinyl into MP3, and is there a significant difference in listening quality between MP3s at 256KB and 128KB?
APP SHOT
Here are a couple of small but potentially useful utilities for people who spend time doing text and words on a computer, which apparently means most of us.
If you are looking for an up-to-date analysis of political developments in Thailand, I believe that the best coverage, which is enhanced with pertinent observations, can be found at Bangkok Pundit's blog (bangkokpundit.blogspot.com) which has been tracking "Thai politics and the insurgency in Southern Thailand" since January 2005.
WORLD REVIEW
When accredited reporters got to Beijing, the Chinese Olympic organisers charged them the equivalent of 57,217 baht for partly censored 2Mbps Internet access; when accredited bloggers got to Denver and Minneapolis for the two US political party conventions, Google charged them 3,400 baht for admittance to the Big Tent; that is 745 square metres of high-speed Internet, workspace, crashing-couches, podcast areas, Fat Tire (sic) beer, buffet, drinks and massage chairs - plus a kiosk to upload videos to YouTube, a web site that didn't even exist for the last US presidential election.
HOME REVIEW
NEC of Japan said it got the first known real contract to build and operate a WiMAX network in Thailand; it will install the system for the more than 20 hospitals of the Crown Prince Hospital Foundation, centred in Chiang Khong district of Chiang Rai; NEC was so excited it forgot to say how much it was getting for the job, which must give wireless broadband communications for 5km; if successful, the system will allow constant contact between hospitals and clinics, and vastly increase efficiency of patient treatment.
