Jan 28, 2017
Important Tips To Help You Get More Fit
When it comes to our overall fitness, most of us are not in the shape we want to be. As we grow older and start working, exercise takes a back seat to other important aspects of our lives. However, no matter how busy you are, it is important that you make some time to maintain and/or improve your fitness. If you are someone who wants to get back in shape, you've come to the right place. In the article below, you will learn a few key tips that will help you achieve your fitness goals.
#1 - Don't Overdo It
While not exercising at all is not good for you, exercising too much can be just as harmful. Often times when people start working out, they are extremely motivated. This may cause them to workout their body's too hard. In order to make fitness gains, you have to let your muscles rest after each workout. As a general rule, you should wait a minimum of 48 hours before working out a particular muscle group. This means that if you work on your leg muscles on day, you should give yourself at least the next day to rest before working your leg muscles again.
#2 - Stretch, Stretch, Stretch!
The importance of stretching cannot be overstated. Studies have shown that increased flexibility has proven to help promote more muscle growth and better overall fitness. Now most of you who exercise regularly probably stretch as a warm up before you begin your workout. However, stretching your muscles AFTER you workout is when you will actually gain the most benefits. Stretching while you cool down, when your muscle are already loose allows you to make the most flexibility gains.
#3 - Don't Workout Too Long
Ever see those people that just seem to live in the gym? They spend hours and hours on their workouts. While their dedication is to be commended, they actually are not being very efficient with their workout at all. Studies have shown that workouts that last longer than an hour cause the body to produce cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone that blocks testosterone production and causes stress. This means that you are actually making very little gains even though your workout will seem harder to you. Make sure to keep all strength based workouts under one hour.
#4 - Always Lift With Dumbbells First
When ever you are working your upper body with free weights, it is important that you start your workouts with dumbbells and then move on to barbell exercises. The reason is quite simply. Dumbbells require more balance and stabilization on your part so it is best to use them when you have all your strength. Barbells require much less stabilization and machines don't need any stabilization at all so make sure to use this order.
With the tips mentioned above, you should now be able to workout effectively and efficiently. Make sure to use what you have learned and you are sure to reach your goals in no time.
How You Can Successfully Reach Your Weight Loss Goal
Shedding weight is a scary job due to the fear of possible failure. Your personal weight loss objectives may be realized, however, with determination, advanced preparation and moral support. Look over this article for simple ways that you can safely reach your weight loss goal.
Perhaps you want to play a ball game with your kids or not be embarrassed when you join a health club. Perhaps you are trying to find a boyfriend or girlfriend or you want to play sports. To do these things you are going to have to shed pounds.
Write out a list of each of the foods you are able to eat on your new eating plan. Any time you visit the supermarket walk away from anything that isn't on the list. Start a journal and keep track of the pounds you have lost at normal time intervals -- weekly is usually best. Take a photo of yourself at your beginning weight and put it on the family fridge. As you lose a predetermined quantity of weight (for example 10 or 20 pounds), take another photo and put it on the fridge next to your starting photo. Keep doing this each time you lose another 10 or 20 pounds.
You know it's really important that you exercise, but your workout routines need to be enjoyable. A successful loser one time explained jogging was boring --- but when he's playing basketball he will happily run back and forth the length of the court for hours on end. Whatever routine you decide on, keep track of your everyday exercise as part of your weight loss journal. Learn to calculate the number of calories you have burned up in the course of each and every session --- also the routines that work best for you.
You put on your weight in stages and that's how it will come off. Set up initial goals of five to twenty pounds and give yourself a reward as soon as you achieve the first goal. That doesn't mean heading out to a restaurant and / or allowing yourself an ice cream sundae. Instead, treat yourself to a a new shirt or blouse or perhaps a super romantic night out with your partner.
Do not forget that a few cheers from your close friends and family will help you enormously. It is the folks who love you most that are going to be rooting for you and who will be in your corner. Don't be embarrassed about discussing your goals and personal achievements with them. You need their encouragement and to be able to use them as a sounding board in order to keep you serious about your program. Burning off fat is definitely a process that will require staying on plan and working out regularly.
Keep your goal in mind --- you can achieve the sexy physique you have always dreamed about. The secret is to keep motivated. Keep this tips in mind and you can successfully reach your weight loss goal.
Important Tips To Help You Get Fit
Are you tired of being out of breath every time you climb a flight of stairs? Do you find yourself lacking energy in the middle of the day? Maybe you want to lose that spare tire and replace it with a six pack. There are plenty of reasons why people might want to increase their fitness, however, it is much easier said than done. Everyone looks for a shortcut when it comes to fitness, but the truth of the matter is, getting fit is hard work. It is going to take a great deal of willpower and dedication in order to reach your goals. If you think you are up to the challenge, you've come to the right place. In the article below, we will explain a few important tips to help maximize your efficiency so that you can get fitter faster. Read on and learn.
When it comes to increasing your fitness, aerobic exercises are the most important thing you can do. I can't tell you how many times I've seen guys with muscles on top of muscles struggle to jog even half a mile. While they might appear to be in good shape, they are most definitely not. It is important for you to increase the rate at which your body takes in oxygen. This will give you more stamina during any type of workout, be it aerobic or anaerobic. While jogging for hours on end will help you lose weight, it does very little to help you get more fit. Instead, you should focus on shorter more intense workouts. High intensity interval training is particularly great at both increasing fitness, and burning fat. Be warned though, it is not easy. While a HIIT workout may last as little as 15 minutes, those are going to be the most brutal 15 minutes of your life.
Right along with aerobic training, it is also important that you incorporate strength training as well. Whether you are a man who wants to add some bulk, or a woman who just wants to look a little more toned, strength training is very important to overall fitness. Try and workout each muscle group 1-2 times per week and avoid training the same muscle groups on consecutive days because your muscles will need at least 36 hours to repair themselves after each workout.
Last but most certainly not least, your diet also plays a vital role in your fitness. You need to eat a well balanced diet so that your body has all the nutrients it needs to perform the workouts you put it through. Make sure to eat plenty of vegetables and fruits, as these should be your main source of carbohydrates. Also, if you want to lose fat and/or build muscle, a high protein diet will help you do just that.
Getting fit is not going to be easy. However, if you start a good routine and use the tips above, you are sure to reach whatever goals you create for yourself.
Important Steps for Better Fitness and Health
Every individual wants a well sculpted body, and one that is well proportioned. This can be acquired through body toning exercises that are designed to produce a long sleek look. Many individuals believe that it takes too much time and effort to create a phenomenal looking body. However, there are easy steps.
The Effects of Obesity
Obesity is the leading cause of disease and disharmony in our modern society. Excess body fat affects millions of individuals worldwide, and is often the result of a busy sedentary lifestyle. In addition, it is exacerbated by living a life of poor nutrition and a complete lack of daily exercise.
The Benefits of Exercise
Routine exercise can assist an individual in achieving the dream of acquiring a well-toned body. It also maximizes health and fitness. Exercises that tone the body will also maximize weight loss. It has significant than if it’s in helping the health of individuals worldwide.
Body Resistance
The ideal body sculpting exercises require some type of resistance, where your body can work against it. This might include lifting weights, extensive walking on an incline, or other type of isometric exercise. At first, the body’s excess weight will require specific resistance.
To maximize the results of body toning exercise, never repeat the exercise at a fast pace. Quickly performing exercises never give the body the opportunity to work against tension and resistance, and will often provide undesired results.
Before beginning any exercise, warm-up is compulsory. If the muscles are not warm properly before the exercise routine, the individual can easily injure themselves. Recognize that any complementary body workout plan is going to cause some level of pain and discomfort to the muscles. However, it’s important to never give up. After a few days, your body will start to develop endorphins, and make the entire exercise program exciting, worthwhile and enjoyable.
Achieving a Toned Body
Essential body toning exercises can assist in defining abdominal muscles, slender legs, and even a sexy butt. It does not require a trainer, and can be done nearly anywhere, including in the confines of home.
Body toning exercises for better health and fitness are designed to develop lean muscle mass in the body. In turn, the extra muscle mass will increase the body’s metabolic rate, burning off even more unwanted body fat.
Usually, toning exercises require the use of barbells, dumbbells, or any heavy object that can be lifted and manipulated. Workout routines often incorporate hammer curls, bicep curls, tricep kickbacks, shoulder presses, and tricep extensions. On the legs, many women and men use a variety of exercises including lunges, squats, walking lunges, inner thigh squats, and compound exercises to tone the muscles in the legs.
To achieve the best results in improving health and fitness you’ll need to combine strength training with a cardio workout. You’ll also need to incorporate a variety of stretching exercises into your fitness training plan. However, with the right determination, motivation and sticking to your plan, you can easily develop better health and fitness in a well-toned body quickly.
Jan 21, 2017
Jan 14, 2017
Things to Do This Week to Lose Weight
Things to Do This Week to Lose Weight
Once you've made the decision to lose some weight then it's time to take action. Thinking about losing weight won't make any difference to the weighing scales and it won't make the button any easier to fasten on your pants, if you want to lose weight you've got to actually do something about it.
Here are some things which you should do this week at the start of your journey to a lighter, fitter you.
Make a Plan
Before you head off to the supermarket and pick up a bunch of salad along with your usual jelly donuts, stop and make a plan. Losing weight starts in the kitchen and what ends up in the kitchen starts on your grocery shopping trip. A healthy weight is only achieved by eating healthy, balanced meals so plan out your weekly menu and try to stick to it. Look for fresh foods and choose low fat or healthy alternatives to your usual favorites.
Make Your Own Treat
We all need a treat every now and then to prevent boredom from setting in. Some people like to treat themselves with a pizza, others like a takeaway. Think about your favorite treat and how you can make it at home using alternative healthier ingredients. Lots of popular takeaway dishes can be replicated at home with fewer calories yet equal or even more flavor. If you really can't give up on your takeaway then try to think about choosing one which is healthier than your usual meal. Every little helps.
Get Active
You are going to need to increase your activity level if you are really serious about losing some weight so now's the time to start thinking about what you 're going to do, where you're going to do it and how often. The amount of physical activity which is right for you is largely dependent upon your age. People aged between 20 and 60 years should aim for at least 30 minutes moderately intense aerobic activity five times per week - this could include things like brisk walking and cycling or taking up some sort of exercise class. If you really want to lose serious amounts of weight you may need even more than that.
Watch Out for the Danger Zone
Everyone has their potential danger zones lurking in the days ahead, think about them and decide upon a plan of attack. The danger zones could be the times when you are most likely to eat lots of high sugar foods - maybe because you will be eating out or maybe because it's the end of a long, hard week and you usually treat yourself to something naughty. Plan ahead about how you can limit these danger foods but don't be too hard on yourself, everybody needs a little treat sometime.
The most effective way to lose weight and keep healthy is by adopting a lifestyle change and these could be the first steps towards your healthier lifestyle. Not only will you lose weight but you will also feel fitter and happier than you could imagine.
Once you've made the decision to lose some weight then it's time to take action. Thinking about losing weight won't make any difference to the weighing scales and it won't make the button any easier to fasten on your pants, if you want to lose weight you've got to actually do something about it.
Here are some things which you should do this week at the start of your journey to a lighter, fitter you.
Make a Plan
Before you head off to the supermarket and pick up a bunch of salad along with your usual jelly donuts, stop and make a plan. Losing weight starts in the kitchen and what ends up in the kitchen starts on your grocery shopping trip. A healthy weight is only achieved by eating healthy, balanced meals so plan out your weekly menu and try to stick to it. Look for fresh foods and choose low fat or healthy alternatives to your usual favorites.
Make Your Own Treat
We all need a treat every now and then to prevent boredom from setting in. Some people like to treat themselves with a pizza, others like a takeaway. Think about your favorite treat and how you can make it at home using alternative healthier ingredients. Lots of popular takeaway dishes can be replicated at home with fewer calories yet equal or even more flavor. If you really can't give up on your takeaway then try to think about choosing one which is healthier than your usual meal. Every little helps.
Get Active
You are going to need to increase your activity level if you are really serious about losing some weight so now's the time to start thinking about what you 're going to do, where you're going to do it and how often. The amount of physical activity which is right for you is largely dependent upon your age. People aged between 20 and 60 years should aim for at least 30 minutes moderately intense aerobic activity five times per week - this could include things like brisk walking and cycling or taking up some sort of exercise class. If you really want to lose serious amounts of weight you may need even more than that.
Watch Out for the Danger Zone
Everyone has their potential danger zones lurking in the days ahead, think about them and decide upon a plan of attack. The danger zones could be the times when you are most likely to eat lots of high sugar foods - maybe because you will be eating out or maybe because it's the end of a long, hard week and you usually treat yourself to something naughty. Plan ahead about how you can limit these danger foods but don't be too hard on yourself, everybody needs a little treat sometime.
The most effective way to lose weight and keep healthy is by adopting a lifestyle change and these could be the first steps towards your healthier lifestyle. Not only will you lose weight but you will also feel fitter and happier than you could imagine.
The Only 2 Things You Need To Know About Weight Loss
The Only 2 Things You Need To Know About Weight Loss
Weight loss is a billion dollar industry. It's an industry full of empty promises, where everyone promises that their product is the one product that can help you finally lose weight. I have to ask, if their products are so great, why are people still overweight? Why do we have a childhood obesity, diabetes and hypertension epidemic?
The truth is that there aren't any shortcuts to weight loss. Perhaps liposuction is a shortcut but who really wants to go through surgery? I'm willing to bet that people who have liposuction often gain the weight back.
When it comes to weight loss and life, you should try to get things right the first time. What I mean by this is, you should ignore the promises and gimmicks and focus on the core principles of weight loss. Dissect what actually allows a person to lose weight and to only focus on those things.
So, before we talk about what works, lets focus on what doesn't work. We are doing this so that you can throw all these concepts into you mental waste basket.
Here's what doesn't work:
(1)Crash and starvation diets don't work
(2)Spot reduction doesn't work (Try to lose fat in one area of the body)
(3)Extreme workouts don't work
So what really works? The basics work, diet and exercise.
Diet is more important than exercise! It is a FACT that what you eat has a greater impact on your body fat than how much you exercise. A person can always out eat their exercise efforts. A workout that burned 1000 calories can easily be nullified by eating the wrong foods.
We need to get over the whole idea that we will eat a bad meal and then exercise to equal things out. It doesn't work!
The one method of dieting that works is volumetrics. Volumetrics is a diet created by a dietitian who has found that the key to losing weight is getting full from eating fewer calories. The problem we have with the modern diet is that it is high calorie and people find it impossible to get full, so they keep on eating and eating.
The original volumetrics is about eating high fiber foods like vegetables and grains. I have changed it so that it uses less grains and more vegetables.
When you eat like this you stay full all day from eating healthy foods. My basic diet consists of eating lean cuts of meat like chicken breast and mixing it with an extra large portion of vegetables, eating like this has been the first time that I have been able to get full without stuffing my face with unhealthy food.
Exercise? You need it. The body is made to move. If your diet is in check all you need to do is stay active. Get out of your chair and do anything that will keep you on your feet for at least an hour a day.
As you can see, the natural way to lose weight is the easy way.
Weight loss is a billion dollar industry. It's an industry full of empty promises, where everyone promises that their product is the one product that can help you finally lose weight. I have to ask, if their products are so great, why are people still overweight? Why do we have a childhood obesity, diabetes and hypertension epidemic?
The truth is that there aren't any shortcuts to weight loss. Perhaps liposuction is a shortcut but who really wants to go through surgery? I'm willing to bet that people who have liposuction often gain the weight back.
When it comes to weight loss and life, you should try to get things right the first time. What I mean by this is, you should ignore the promises and gimmicks and focus on the core principles of weight loss. Dissect what actually allows a person to lose weight and to only focus on those things.
So, before we talk about what works, lets focus on what doesn't work. We are doing this so that you can throw all these concepts into you mental waste basket.
Here's what doesn't work:
(1)Crash and starvation diets don't work
(2)Spot reduction doesn't work (Try to lose fat in one area of the body)
(3)Extreme workouts don't work
So what really works? The basics work, diet and exercise.
Diet is more important than exercise! It is a FACT that what you eat has a greater impact on your body fat than how much you exercise. A person can always out eat their exercise efforts. A workout that burned 1000 calories can easily be nullified by eating the wrong foods.
We need to get over the whole idea that we will eat a bad meal and then exercise to equal things out. It doesn't work!
The one method of dieting that works is volumetrics. Volumetrics is a diet created by a dietitian who has found that the key to losing weight is getting full from eating fewer calories. The problem we have with the modern diet is that it is high calorie and people find it impossible to get full, so they keep on eating and eating.
The original volumetrics is about eating high fiber foods like vegetables and grains. I have changed it so that it uses less grains and more vegetables.
When you eat like this you stay full all day from eating healthy foods. My basic diet consists of eating lean cuts of meat like chicken breast and mixing it with an extra large portion of vegetables, eating like this has been the first time that I have been able to get full without stuffing my face with unhealthy food.
Exercise? You need it. The body is made to move. If your diet is in check all you need to do is stay active. Get out of your chair and do anything that will keep you on your feet for at least an hour a day.
As you can see, the natural way to lose weight is the easy way.
The Most Effective Weight Loss Program Involves Better Habits
The Most Effective Weight Loss Program Involves Better Habits
Every member of the family probably recognizes the best way they can stay fit and remain slender, even if they require significant amount of weight loss. Typically, fit families are those that have established habits based on a healthy lifestyle. This is often challenging within a busy home, where both parents are off working throughout the day.
Managing a weight loss system in an active family requires dedication of consuming a balanced diet, and performing regular exercise. While it might appear to be much more convenient to simply stop by the fast food joint for dinner, than to prepare a healthy meal, in the long run it can cause significant issues and diminish the health of the family.
An effective weight loss program to keep the family fit and slender requires basic steps. These include:
Do Not Forget Breakfast – Yes it is true that the most essential meal of the day is breakfast. Without it, the body’s metabolism will quickly slow down, making weight loss significantly more challenging. By creating a healthy breakfast at home, loaded with low-fat proteins, vegetables and fruits, whole grains and low-fat dairy products is essential to a healthier lifestyle.
30 Minutes of Exercise a Day – Signing up for a gym that is 10 or 15 minutes away from home is usually a waste of time. Consider gathering the entire family together to enjoy a brisk walk or some effective activity. Attempt to keep the family workouts convenient and short. Remember that the young children will quickly become bored, so mix up the daily activities to keep them entertained.
Purchase Groceries Using a List – Just like you should never purchase groceries on an empty stomach, you should only buy food using a list. It is very easy to select low quality foods simply because they are within sight. If it helps, take along a healthy snack, to enjoy while grocery shopping. This not only benefits you, but also the child that is begging for the purchase of a snack that is truly unhealthy.
Eat Meals Together Every Night – Enjoying the family meals together at dinner time is the perfect opportunity to entertain each other, and stay connected. It helps develop better weight loss strategies, by eating the correct portion sizes. Avoid bringing cell phones to the table, or watching TV during dinnertime.
Set a Pre-Determine Bedtime – Everyone in the family including the parents requires an essential night’s sleep to maintain optimal health. Without it, it is easy to put on weight, causing everyone in the family to get on a weight loss program. By setting a routine bedtime for every member of the family, everyone can be assured of receiving a minimum of six hours and an optimal level of eight hours of quality sleep every night.
When the family eats right, by developing better habits, there is no need to create a weight loss system, because everyone is slender and fit. However this takes determination and dedication from every member of the family, especially mom and dad.
Every member of the family probably recognizes the best way they can stay fit and remain slender, even if they require significant amount of weight loss. Typically, fit families are those that have established habits based on a healthy lifestyle. This is often challenging within a busy home, where both parents are off working throughout the day.
Managing a weight loss system in an active family requires dedication of consuming a balanced diet, and performing regular exercise. While it might appear to be much more convenient to simply stop by the fast food joint for dinner, than to prepare a healthy meal, in the long run it can cause significant issues and diminish the health of the family.
An effective weight loss program to keep the family fit and slender requires basic steps. These include:
Do Not Forget Breakfast – Yes it is true that the most essential meal of the day is breakfast. Without it, the body’s metabolism will quickly slow down, making weight loss significantly more challenging. By creating a healthy breakfast at home, loaded with low-fat proteins, vegetables and fruits, whole grains and low-fat dairy products is essential to a healthier lifestyle.
30 Minutes of Exercise a Day – Signing up for a gym that is 10 or 15 minutes away from home is usually a waste of time. Consider gathering the entire family together to enjoy a brisk walk or some effective activity. Attempt to keep the family workouts convenient and short. Remember that the young children will quickly become bored, so mix up the daily activities to keep them entertained.
Purchase Groceries Using a List – Just like you should never purchase groceries on an empty stomach, you should only buy food using a list. It is very easy to select low quality foods simply because they are within sight. If it helps, take along a healthy snack, to enjoy while grocery shopping. This not only benefits you, but also the child that is begging for the purchase of a snack that is truly unhealthy.
Eat Meals Together Every Night – Enjoying the family meals together at dinner time is the perfect opportunity to entertain each other, and stay connected. It helps develop better weight loss strategies, by eating the correct portion sizes. Avoid bringing cell phones to the table, or watching TV during dinnertime.
Set a Pre-Determine Bedtime – Everyone in the family including the parents requires an essential night’s sleep to maintain optimal health. Without it, it is easy to put on weight, causing everyone in the family to get on a weight loss program. By setting a routine bedtime for every member of the family, everyone can be assured of receiving a minimum of six hours and an optimal level of eight hours of quality sleep every night.
When the family eats right, by developing better habits, there is no need to create a weight loss system, because everyone is slender and fit. However this takes determination and dedication from every member of the family, especially mom and dad.
Dec 10, 2016
Top500 Supercomputers: 486 Runs On Linux!
No surprises there. Why would any supercomputer vendor ever use anything other than an open code is beyond me. The latest Top500 list of Supercomputers is out and Linux absolutely dominates the scene while Ubuntu is the flavour that powers the world's fastest Supercomputer.
Linux Powers World's Fastest Supercomputers
Linux's absolute domination of the world's most sophisticated supercomputers doesn't come as a surprise. In fact, the enterprise sector had long embraced the Linux eco-system with open arms. So much so that, the world's fastest Supercomputer runs a Chinese derivative of Ubuntu called Ubuntu Kylin, as revealed by Mark Shuttleworth himself during his keynote speech at OpenStack Summit. Ubuntu Kylin is now an official Ubuntu flavour.
Top500 Supercomputers list reveals quite a number of interesting statistics. Out of 500 top Supercomputers, 486 of them runs on Linux, 12 on Unix, 1 mixed and 1 of them on Windows. Among the hardware vendors, HP tops the list with 35.6% market-share while IBM and Cray Inc. takes 2nd and 3rd spot with 18.2% and 14.2% market-share respectively. Curious to know who runs that lone Windows based Supercomputer? The lone remaining Windows machine is Shanghai Supercomputer Center's Magic Box built by Dawning in 2008. It's #436 on the list.
Tianhe-2 (MilkyWay-2) remains the world's fastest supercomputer as before (in 2013, 2014 and 2015). Situated in National Super Computer Center in Guangzhou, China, Tianhe-2 is a 33.86-petaflops supercomputer built at an estimated cost of US$390 million. Second in the list is Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Titan supercomputer situated in United States. See the full list by Top500.
Source : http://www.techdrivein.com/2015/07/out-of-top500-supercomputers-486-runs-linux.html
Linux Powers World's Fastest Supercomputers
Linux's absolute domination of the world's most sophisticated supercomputers doesn't come as a surprise. In fact, the enterprise sector had long embraced the Linux eco-system with open arms. So much so that, the world's fastest Supercomputer runs a Chinese derivative of Ubuntu called Ubuntu Kylin, as revealed by Mark Shuttleworth himself during his keynote speech at OpenStack Summit. Ubuntu Kylin is now an official Ubuntu flavour.
Top500 Supercomputers list reveals quite a number of interesting statistics. Out of 500 top Supercomputers, 486 of them runs on Linux, 12 on Unix, 1 mixed and 1 of them on Windows. Among the hardware vendors, HP tops the list with 35.6% market-share while IBM and Cray Inc. takes 2nd and 3rd spot with 18.2% and 14.2% market-share respectively. Curious to know who runs that lone Windows based Supercomputer? The lone remaining Windows machine is Shanghai Supercomputer Center's Magic Box built by Dawning in 2008. It's #436 on the list.
Tianhe-2 (MilkyWay-2) remains the world's fastest supercomputer as before (in 2013, 2014 and 2015). Situated in National Super Computer Center in Guangzhou, China, Tianhe-2 is a 33.86-petaflops supercomputer built at an estimated cost of US$390 million. Second in the list is Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Titan supercomputer situated in United States. See the full list by Top500.
Source : http://www.techdrivein.com/2015/07/out-of-top500-supercomputers-486-runs-linux.html
11 Years Of Ubuntu: History Revisited (2015)
Ubuntu has touched the lives of many among us in different ways. I can't speak for everyone here and hence I will share a few of my experiences with Ubuntu. For me, Ubuntu was the gateway to Linux and to the whole open source way of thinking. Ubuntu taught me that computers are not all about Windows OS and that there are far better alternatives than the "default" Windows desktop which you have been made to see and learn from a younger age. Lets go back in time and see how Ubuntu evolved over the years to become what it is now - a totally awesome, user-friendly and fast changing Linux based distro for 'human beings'.
A Brief History of Ubuntu
A new version of Ubuntu is released every 6 months like clockwork, and as of Oct 2015, a grand total of 23 stable releases has been delivered. Each release also has a specific code name which are made using an adjective and an animal with the same first letter (e.g. Hardy Heron, Wily Werewolf). We will do a brief overview of each one of them below. A walk back through the history of Ubuntu. Read on.
Ubuntu 4.10 (Warty Warthog)
Ubuntu 4.10 codenamed "Warty Warthog" marked the beginning of a new kid in the block, the first and foremost release of Ubuntu by Canonical foundation. This new Linux distro was based on Debian and aimed at giving new users a trouble free experience of Linux. This release also crucially brought the Ubuntu shipit feature where by users could get Ubuntu installation CD's mailed to their homes for free through a simple signup. Shipit was one of those key USPs that made Ubuntu a very popular choice among youngsters in those early days. I think I still have several lying around near my old PC. And who can forget those Ubuntu branded stickers!
Ubuntu 5.04 (Hoary Hedgehog)
Ubuntu 5.04 codenamed "Hoary Hedgehog" was released on 8 April 2005. From this second release onwards, massive changes started to trickle in. Ubuntu 5.04 added many new features including an update manager, upgrade notifier, readahead and grepmap, suspend, hibernate and standby support, dynamic frequency scaling for processors among many other major improvements. Ubuntu 5.04 was so ahead of its time that it even introduced support for installation from USB devices.
Ubuntu 5.10 (Breezy Badger)
Ubuntu 5.10 codenamed "Breezy Badger" was released on 12 October 2005, the third stable release of Ubuntu by Canonical. Ubuntu 5.10 added several new features including a graphical bootloader (Usplash), an Add/Remove Applications tool, a menu editor, an easy language selector, crucial logical volume management support, full Hewlett-Packard printer support, OEM installer support among others. More importantly, this release also brought in Launchpad integration for bug reporting and software development.
Ubuntu 6.06 LTS (Dapper Drake)
Ubuntu 6.06 LTS codenamed "Dapper Drake" was released on 1 June 2006. It was also the first Long Term Support(LTS) release. This was also the only time when the Ubuntu release cycle was slightly pushed forward by 2 months owing to all sorts of delays. Many new features were introduced including having the Live CD and Install CD merged onto one disc, a graphical installer on Live CD, a network manager for easy switching of multiple wired and wireless connections, implementation of Humanlooks theme among other improvements.
Ubuntu 6.10 (Edgy Eft)
Ubuntu 6.10 codenamed "Edgy Eft" was released on 26 October 2006, Canonical's fifth Ubuntu release. Tomboy, F-Spot became new defaults. Human theme also went through heavy modifications.
Ubuntu 7.04 (Feisty Fawn)
Ubuntu 7.04 codenamed "Feisty Fawn" was released on 19 April 2007. This release had a very special significance for me. Feisty was my first real Linux experience. I was a complete noob to the whole Linux way of life then and barely installed Ubuntu in my laptop with the help of friends and Ubuntu Forums. And to be frank, the primary reason for me trying out Ubuntu was Compiz and all the bling that came with it. In those clogged XP-Vista days, Compiz was (and it still is in many ways) a breath of fresh air.
Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon)
Ubuntu 7.10 codenamed "Gutsy Gibbon" released on 18 October 2007. Ubuntu 7.10 introduced Compiz Fusion as a default feature. This seventh release of Ubuntu also marked the introduction of full NTFS support.
Ubuntu 8.04 LTS (Hardy Heron)
Ubuntu 8.04 codenamed "Hardy Heron" was released on 24 April 2008. This was the second LTS version of Ubuntu. In my opinion, this release had one of the best designed Ubuntu wallpaper as default. Brasero disc burner and transmission bit torrent client were introduced during this release. Controversial Pulse Audio became the new default system sound server. This release also introduced Wubi installer using which you can install Ubuntu inside Windows without repartitioning the disk.
Ubuntu 8.10 (Intrepid Ibex)
Ubuntu 8.10 codenamed Intrepid Ibex was released on 30 October 2008. It was the ninth Ubuntu release and it was also one of my favorite releases. This release introduced useful Ubuntu Live USB creator application. Guest session functionality was also introduced during Intrepid Ibex release.
Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope)
Ubuntu 9.04 "Jaunty Jackalope" was released on 23 April 2009. This release marked the first time that all of Ubuntu's core development moved to the Bazaar distributed revision control system which is designed to make it easier for anyone to contribute to free and open source software projects. Faster boot time was another major achievement of this release.
Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic Koala)
Ubuntu 9.10 codenamed "Karmic Koala" released on 29 October 2009. From this release onwards, Ubuntu slowly started to shift gears. A slew of changes started to flood Ubuntu. During Ubuntu Karmic's release cycle, Canonical introduced the One Hundred Paper Cuts project, focusing developers to fix minor usability issues. This was a major move and it helped bring a lot of polish for Ubuntu in the latter releases. This release also introduced Ubuntu Software Center.
Ubuntu 10.04 LTS (Lucid Lynx)
Ubuntu 10.04 codenamed "Lucid Lynx" was released on 29 April 2010. Ubuntu 10.04 "Lucid Lynx" is my favorite release to date and it brought about the biggest amount of changes ever. Ubuntu had a complete branding makeover during this release cycle. Even the brown theme was ditched for the first time for a more bright and pleasant looking "Light" inspired theme. Changes Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx went through.
Ubuntu 10.10 (Maverick Meerkat)
Ubuntu 10.10 codenamed "Maverick Meerkat" was released on 10 October 2010 (10.10.10) at around 10:10 UTC. Close to the heels of Ubuntu Lucid release, Ubuntu Maverick was also packed with new features and improvements. Ubuntu Software Center became one of the applications that received maximum amount of attention. Canonical's attention to detail started showing up big time during Ubuntu 10.10 release cycle.
Ubuntu 11.04 (Natty Narwhal)
Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" was perhaps *the* most controversial Ubuntu release ever. Canonical introduced Unity shell with Ubuntu 11.04 which created quite a furore among its vast user base. Unity was Ubuntu's answer to GNOME 3.0's GNOME Shell desktop, though Ubuntu 11.04 was still based on previous GNOME 2.x.
Reactions from users was not really what Canonical would have hoped for. Unity was far less customisable when compared to earlier versions and that was simply unacceptable to many long-term Ubuntu users.
Ubuntu 11.10 (Oneiric Ocelot)
Ubuntu 11.10 codenamed "Oneiric Ocelot" was the first GNOME 3.0 based Ubuntu release. Oneiric did not brought in sweeping changes like its predecessor did. But it does brought in a lot of polish to the controversial Unity UI. LightDM replaced GDM as Ubuntu's new default login screen. Classic Gnome Desktop was completely ditched in favor of Unity 2D during this release cycle. A quick screenshot tour of Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot.
Ubuntu 12.04 LTS (Precise Pangolin)
Quicklists was introduced as a default feature for the very first time. Apart from the usual three Unity lenses (Applications, Files and Music), there is an additional Video lens too which lets you select and play videos from a variety of sources ranging from your local collection to YouTube Movies, BBC iPlayer and TED Talks to name a few. HUD became fully operational. Default launcher behavior is set to "always visible" instead of "dodge windows". Rhythmbox is back again replacing Banshee as the default music player. Changes in Ubuntu 12.04 LTS.
Ubuntu 12.10 (Quanty Quetzal)
Like most previous *.10 releases, Ubuntu 12.10 became the testing ground for a barrage of new features. We listed a grand total of 23 improvements/changes in Ubuntu 12.10, which is pretty staggering at any count. Improvements to LightDM based login screen, remote login facility, Unity Dash price ribbons, Local Apps filter, Launcher improvements, a new dedicated Ubuntu One Music app, and more privacy with the introduction of ON/OFF switch for online search results withing Unity Dash. Ubuntu 12.10 had its share of controversies also. For example, the introduction of Amazon shopping lens as default riled up many.
Ubuntu 13.04 (Raring Ringtail)
Though Unity was improved leaps and bounds by now, it lacked the polishness and finesse it deserved. With the help of recently joined designer known for his gorgeous works including Faenza theme, Ubuntu 13.04 look and feel got some much needed attention. The new shutdown menu and core app icons were a class apart. The new "spinning" Unity dash icon and Software Updater icon set benchmarks in branding. Also, Wubi installer was dropped during this release owing to compatibility issues with Windows 8. And more importantly, it was decided that non-LTS Ubuntu releases will see their support periods halved (9 months instead of 18) from Ubuntu 13.04 onwards. Go through the list of visual changes in Ubuntu 13.04.
Ubuntu 13.10 (Saucy Salamander)
With Unity maturing, updates became more minor in nature. There were talks about replacing Firefox with Chromium as default web browser for Ubuntu, but it never materialised. There were also talks about replacing aging X11 with XMir display server and then go on to completely replace X session by Ubuntu 14.04 LTS. But XMir still remains a work in progress.
Ubuntu 14.04 LTS (Trusty Tahr)
Unity 7 was really starting to feel more "middle-aged" with every passing release. More incremental updates than sweeping changes showed signs of maturity. But even then, the ability to turn off the global menu and the arrival of Local Integrated Menus were welcome additions. Click to Minimize became available through a CCSM update. X11 was retained and XMir adoption pushed even further. Ubuntu 14.04 LTS was a largely uneventful LTS release, which can be a good thing in my opinion. Everything just worked.
Ubuntu 14.10 (Utopic Unicorn)
Ubuntu 14.10 was supposed to be rock solid released release with incremental updates. And it was, for many. But for me, this one was a pretty eventful release. Weirdly, I faced a lot of teething issues with Ubuntu 14.10 so much that I had to replace Ubuntu with elementary OS as my daily work horse for the first time (not that I'm complaining). Netflix started working out of the box, which was a big positive. This was also the release cycle during which Canonical seriously devoted resources into its mobile platform and work on Unity 8 was acquiring some serious momentum. Here's our compilation of things to do after installing Ubuntu 14.10.
Ubuntu 15.04 (Vivid Vervet)
With the arrival of Ubuntu 15.04, things were back to normal for me. Ubuntu was working just as good as ever, thanks to "Vivid Vervet". This was also the release when Upstart was finally dropped in favour of systemd. There were also improvements to Intel Haswell and AMD Radeon graphics performance. Visual changes? Not so much. Oh and don't forget to read our top things to do after installing Ubuntu 15.04 compilation.
Ubuntu 15.10 (Wily Werewolf)
Ubuntu 15.10 was released just yesterday without much fanfare. With works on Unity 8 improving at a rapid pace, Canonical is finding less and less reasons to spend time on adding features and functionalities on Unity 7 based Ubuntu 15.10 "Wily Werewolf". Ubuntu Touch OS meant for mobile platforms got a lot of attention, yet again, which is now capable of receiving instant over the air updates. Mir display server was also supposed to be there as default, but its release has been pushed further. Visually, the biggest change is the removal of disappearing window edge scrollbars (something I really liked) in favour of the upstream GNOME scrollbars. Underneath, there are not much changes, except for the updated Kernel. Very stable and reliable OS though, have been using it since the arrival of first beta. Download here.
Next in Line: Ubuntu 16.04 LTS "Xenial Xerus"
This could turn out to be the most important Ubuntu release since the arrival of Unity, if not forever. To be released on 21 April 2016, Ubuntu 16.04 LTS is expected to include Unity 8 running natively on Mir. I can't wait!
Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic Koala)
Ubuntu 9.10 codenamed "Karmic Koala" released on 29 October 2009. From this release onwards, Ubuntu slowly started to shift gears. A slew of changes started to flood Ubuntu. During Ubuntu Karmic's release cycle, Canonical introduced the One Hundred Paper Cuts project, focusing developers to fix minor usability issues. This was a major move and it helped bring a lot of polish for Ubuntu in the latter releases. This release also introduced Ubuntu Software Center.
Ubuntu 10.04 LTS (Lucid Lynx)
Ubuntu 10.04 codenamed "Lucid Lynx" was released on 29 April 2010. Ubuntu 10.04 "Lucid Lynx" is my favorite release to date and it brought about the biggest amount of changes ever. Ubuntu had a complete branding makeover during this release cycle. Even the brown theme was ditched for the first time for a more bright and pleasant looking "Light" inspired theme. Changes Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx went through.
Ubuntu 10.10 (Maverick Meerkat)
Ubuntu 10.10 codenamed "Maverick Meerkat" was released on 10 October 2010 (10.10.10) at around 10:10 UTC. Close to the heels of Ubuntu Lucid release, Ubuntu Maverick was also packed with new features and improvements. Ubuntu Software Center became one of the applications that received maximum amount of attention. Canonical's attention to detail started showing up big time during Ubuntu 10.10 release cycle.
Ubuntu 11.04 (Natty Narwhal)
Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" was perhaps *the* most controversial Ubuntu release ever. Canonical introduced Unity shell with Ubuntu 11.04 which created quite a furore among its vast user base. Unity was Ubuntu's answer to GNOME 3.0's GNOME Shell desktop, though Ubuntu 11.04 was still based on previous GNOME 2.x.
Reactions from users was not really what Canonical would have hoped for. Unity was far less customisable when compared to earlier versions and that was simply unacceptable to many long-term Ubuntu users.
Ubuntu 11.10 (Oneiric Ocelot)
Ubuntu 11.10 codenamed "Oneiric Ocelot" was the first GNOME 3.0 based Ubuntu release. Oneiric did not brought in sweeping changes like its predecessor did. But it does brought in a lot of polish to the controversial Unity UI. LightDM replaced GDM as Ubuntu's new default login screen. Classic Gnome Desktop was completely ditched in favor of Unity 2D during this release cycle. A quick screenshot tour of Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot.
Ubuntu 12.04 LTS (Precise Pangolin)
Quicklists was introduced as a default feature for the very first time. Apart from the usual three Unity lenses (Applications, Files and Music), there is an additional Video lens too which lets you select and play videos from a variety of sources ranging from your local collection to YouTube Movies, BBC iPlayer and TED Talks to name a few. HUD became fully operational. Default launcher behavior is set to "always visible" instead of "dodge windows". Rhythmbox is back again replacing Banshee as the default music player. Changes in Ubuntu 12.04 LTS.
Ubuntu 12.10 (Quanty Quetzal)
Like most previous *.10 releases, Ubuntu 12.10 became the testing ground for a barrage of new features. We listed a grand total of 23 improvements/changes in Ubuntu 12.10, which is pretty staggering at any count. Improvements to LightDM based login screen, remote login facility, Unity Dash price ribbons, Local Apps filter, Launcher improvements, a new dedicated Ubuntu One Music app, and more privacy with the introduction of ON/OFF switch for online search results withing Unity Dash. Ubuntu 12.10 had its share of controversies also. For example, the introduction of Amazon shopping lens as default riled up many.
Ubuntu 13.04 (Raring Ringtail)
Though Unity was improved leaps and bounds by now, it lacked the polishness and finesse it deserved. With the help of recently joined designer known for his gorgeous works including Faenza theme, Ubuntu 13.04 look and feel got some much needed attention. The new shutdown menu and core app icons were a class apart. The new "spinning" Unity dash icon and Software Updater icon set benchmarks in branding. Also, Wubi installer was dropped during this release owing to compatibility issues with Windows 8. And more importantly, it was decided that non-LTS Ubuntu releases will see their support periods halved (9 months instead of 18) from Ubuntu 13.04 onwards. Go through the list of visual changes in Ubuntu 13.04.
Ubuntu 13.10 (Saucy Salamander)
With Unity maturing, updates became more minor in nature. There were talks about replacing Firefox with Chromium as default web browser for Ubuntu, but it never materialised. There were also talks about replacing aging X11 with XMir display server and then go on to completely replace X session by Ubuntu 14.04 LTS. But XMir still remains a work in progress.
Ubuntu 14.04 LTS (Trusty Tahr)
Unity 7 was really starting to feel more "middle-aged" with every passing release. More incremental updates than sweeping changes showed signs of maturity. But even then, the ability to turn off the global menu and the arrival of Local Integrated Menus were welcome additions. Click to Minimize became available through a CCSM update. X11 was retained and XMir adoption pushed even further. Ubuntu 14.04 LTS was a largely uneventful LTS release, which can be a good thing in my opinion. Everything just worked.
Ubuntu 14.10 (Utopic Unicorn)
Ubuntu 14.10 was supposed to be rock solid released release with incremental updates. And it was, for many. But for me, this one was a pretty eventful release. Weirdly, I faced a lot of teething issues with Ubuntu 14.10 so much that I had to replace Ubuntu with elementary OS as my daily work horse for the first time (not that I'm complaining). Netflix started working out of the box, which was a big positive. This was also the release cycle during which Canonical seriously devoted resources into its mobile platform and work on Unity 8 was acquiring some serious momentum. Here's our compilation of things to do after installing Ubuntu 14.10.
Ubuntu 15.04 (Vivid Vervet)
With the arrival of Ubuntu 15.04, things were back to normal for me. Ubuntu was working just as good as ever, thanks to "Vivid Vervet". This was also the release when Upstart was finally dropped in favour of systemd. There were also improvements to Intel Haswell and AMD Radeon graphics performance. Visual changes? Not so much. Oh and don't forget to read our top things to do after installing Ubuntu 15.04 compilation.
Ubuntu 15.10 (Wily Werewolf)
Ubuntu 15.10 was released just yesterday without much fanfare. With works on Unity 8 improving at a rapid pace, Canonical is finding less and less reasons to spend time on adding features and functionalities on Unity 7 based Ubuntu 15.10 "Wily Werewolf". Ubuntu Touch OS meant for mobile platforms got a lot of attention, yet again, which is now capable of receiving instant over the air updates. Mir display server was also supposed to be there as default, but its release has been pushed further. Visually, the biggest change is the removal of disappearing window edge scrollbars (something I really liked) in favour of the upstream GNOME scrollbars. Underneath, there are not much changes, except for the updated Kernel. Very stable and reliable OS though, have been using it since the arrival of first beta. Download here.
Next in Line: Ubuntu 16.04 LTS "Xenial Xerus"
This could turn out to be the most important Ubuntu release since the arrival of Unity, if not forever. To be released on 21 April 2016, Ubuntu 16.04 LTS is expected to include Unity 8 running natively on Mir. I can't wait!
Source : http://www.techdrivein.com/2011/01/evolution-of-ubuntu-over-years-brief.html
OpenOffice Shutdown Imminent?
Ars is reporting that, OpenOffice might be shutting down its operations soon. For long, OpenOffice reigned as the premier Office suite, giving the open-source community a robust alternative to Microsoft Office.
OpenOffice Could Shutdown Operations Soon, Reports Say
OpenOffice was Linux's showcase app for long. It started its journey as an open-sourced version of the StarOffice, which Sun Microsystems acquired in 1999 for a whopping US$59.5 million. Apparently, Sun bought it for internal use as it was costlier to license Microsoft Office for its entire staff.
Sun open-sourced the software in July 2000 and pitched it as an "open" alternative to Microsoft Office. Over the years, OpenOffice became a massively popular Office suite which found its way into many Linux distros as the default choice. It even achieved 14% penetration in the large enterprise market by 2004. OpenOffice played an important part in attracting new users to Linux.
But everything changed in 2010 when Sun Microsystems was acquired by Oracle. Though Oracle 'reiterated' its commitment for the continued development of OpenOffice, it pretty much abandoned the project in practice. Not much long after, majority of outside contributors left and formed The Document Foundation. They released the OpenOffice fork named LibreOffice in Jan 2011, which become widely successful. As many speculated before the acquisition, Oracle completely stopped OpenOffice development in April 2011 and fired the development team. Oracle contributed the trademarks and Oracle-owned code to the Apache Software Foundation for re-licensing under Apache License. This formed the basis for Apache OpenOffice project which we see today.
"It is my considered opinion that there is no ready supply of developers who have the capacity, capability, and will to supplement the roughly half-dozen volunteers holding the project together," Hamilton wrote. No decisions have been made yet, but Project heads are particularly worried about their ability to fix security problems. And hence the Project's 'retirement remains a serious possibility'. Read the complete story at arstechnica.
End Of The Road For Apache OpenOffice? Not So Fast
The speculation started when a thread titled "What would OpenOffice retirement involve?" was started by Dennis Hamilton, vice president of Apache OpenOffice, in openoffice-dev mailing list."It is my considered opinion that there is no ready supply of developers who have the capacity, capability, and will to supplement the roughly half-dozen volunteers holding the project together," Hamilton wrote. No decisions have been made yet, but Project heads are particularly worried about their ability to fix security problems. And hence the Project's 'retirement remains a serious possibility'. Read the complete story at arstechnica.
Source : http://www.techdrivein.com/2016/09/openoffice-shutdown-imminent.html
Dec 3, 2016
Say Hello To Trinity Bundle, AKA More Steam Games
10 epic Steam games for Linux worth more than 120 USD for just $2.49, Bundle Star brings to you perhaps one of the most exciting collection of Linux games this year at throw-away prices. Grab your copy before the time runs out.
Trinity Bundle brought to you by Bundle Stars
"All Steam, All Windows, All Mac, All Linux - Save $120 on 10 epic games in the Trinity Bundle, only $2.49!" Official list of games include:
- Pixel Boy and the Ever Expanding Dungeon (Action-RPG Shoot-em-up)
- STRONGHOLD 3 GOLD (simulation, Strategy)
- IO (an abstract physics platformer)
- REVENGE OF THE TITANS (real-time Strategy and Tower Defense)
- NAM (classic FPS)
- ERADICATOR (arcade-style action shooter)
- TERRIAN SAGA: KR-17 (side-scrolling action puzzle-platformer)
- SENTINEL (tower-defense, strategy)
- LEGENDS OF AETHEREUS (online action-roleplaying game)
- SHINY THE FIREFLY (platform adventure)
Go grab your copy: Trinity Game Bundle for Windows, Mac and Linux
Source : http://www.techdrivein.com/2015/02/say-hello-to-trinity-bundle-10-epic-linux-games.html
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