TECHNOLOGY

ZFS on Linux is ready for Production

Tech geeks everywhere can rejoice! ZFS the filesystem that Sun Microsystems released to the world as an open source tool prior to their acquisition by Oracle is now production ready on Linux. At least thats what the developers are claiming with the release of 0.6.1 and the announcement of official repositories that will let Linux users install ZFS on Linux without much hassle.

Those of you reading this who have no idea what ZFS is are in the majority. ZFS is a file system designed (amongst many things) to keep data safe and manageable. Originally coined as the Zettabyte File System, ZFS has grown as a technology to incorporate features that let ZFS handle more data than even a Zettabyte. ZFS is designed a lot like a database, where data gets checked into the file system, which allows ZFS to heal data that has gotten corrupted or is suffering from Bit Rot (data corruption that occurs over a long period of time on magnetic hard drives).

At the end of the day ZFS is a milestone achievement. A way to store data safely and in large quantities that is free and available to the masses without six figure licensing. With Microsoft and Apple keeping their 1990’s file systems on life support it’s good to see that the open source community is pushing to make ZFS available on all open platforms.

BattleBlock Theater: A True Thinking Man’s Game

by Tim Morris

Gameplay screenshot of BattleBlock Theater. Source: http://www.battleblocktheater.com/ — Gameplay screenshot of BattleBlock Theater.
Source: http://www.battleblocktheater.com/

Released on April 3rd, The Behemoth’s BattleBlock Theater is a game that fuses platforming and puzzle gameplay to create an experience that is full of fun trial and error sequences and delightfully challenging, precision jumps. If you’re familiar with either of their previous efforts, Alien Hominid or Castle Crashers, then the zany story and graphics of BattleBlock Theater won’t come as much of a shock to you. You play as one of many “prisoners” who was shipwrecked on an island and taken captive by technologically-advanced cats. The game’s all-around good guy, Hatty Hattington, has been brainwashed by the feline enemies and forced to run their theater, which showcases the prisoners attempting to make their way through the various levels of the game. Each level comes with different flavors of enemies, death traps, puzzle elements, and power-ups. There are cats who will try to punch you into the water (hint: you can’t swim), spike traps, teleporters, and much more within each stage.

Progression through the game is simple enough; you must collect three of the gems that are strewn about the level and then find the exit. Most levels (called acts) in the game have seven gems to collect, and your grade at the end of an act is largely dependent on how many gems you finish with. There are a good amount of gems that can be collected simply by progressing through a given act, but the remainder of them are either hidden or require skilled puzzle solving or jumping to obtain. You can also improve your grade by finding the hidden ball of yarn in each act and/or completing the act quickly. Unrelated to the grade system is the golden hat that will occasionally appear. Finding the golden hat and then completing the act with it in your possession yields ten gems for you to spend. Dying with the hat will cause you to lose it, sometimes for good.

Perhaps the best part of the game is the narrator, who not only provides the backdrop for the game’s story through hilarious cutscenes, but also both commends and heckles your performance as you go along. His witty lines and critiques never get old, and there’s a one-liner for just about everything you do. One death will yield a shocked comment like “Oh my goodness gracious!”, while the next could be met with “That was pretty funny.” Thankfully, there are no lives to lose in the game, so you have as long as you want to try every possible solution and die every possible way before advancing.

The controls in BattleBlock Theater are as tight as you’ll find in any platformer. I never felt like I would miss a jump because of my character sliding off an edge. The characters really stick their landings well, and the ability to slightly change direction in mid-air allows for true precision jumps; which is perfect, because you need to be accurate to complete each chapter’s finale and encore acts. These stages are quite challenging and unlike the normal adventures in the game, you’re on a timer. Failing to complete the act in time kicks you back to the level select.

The amount of customization in BattleBlock Theater is nearly endless. Characters are divided into five categories, by the shape of their head (sphere, cube, pyramid, cylinder, and star, which contains bonus unlockables). New faces for the heads are unlocked by collecting gems and spending them in the Gift Shop. There are some truly wild faces to choose from in the game, such as Elvis, an eyeball, a house, a devil, and an elephant. You can also earn weapons for your character, which range from an exploding frisbee to a vacuum and many more, though only one may be used at a time. Weapons are purchased in the Gift Shop using balls of yarn. You can also pick one of nine colors for your character, which will help you tell yours apart from a friend’s if you happen to be playing the game’s co-op mode. Better yet, you can customize your character while in the middle of a level, should you want to change weapons or faces.

BattleBlock Theater Logo
Source: http://www.xblafans.com

BattleBlock Theater isn’t short on multiplayer versus modes, either. Eight different gametypes await you, each with more than a handful of different layouts to enjoy them on. Soul Snatcher, Muckle, Challenge, King Of The Hill, Color The World, Grab The Gold, Ball Game, and Capture The Horse. All of them offer different styles of gameplay and are sure to entertain for hours on end. These modes can also be played online against other users in ranked or quick matches. The online play is smooth, with little to no latency detracting from the mechanics.

Another awesome feature about this game is the ability to create your own levels to wreak havoc on. I personally am no good at this sort of thing, but given the creations that more creative people have been coming up with in games like Halo 4 and Minecraft, I’m sure that BattleBlock Theater will have a lot of nice content for users to throw down with.

With tons of unlockables, a nice assortment of game modes, and a story mode with enough meat to it for any gamer to be entertained for more than a few hours, BattleBlock Theater really hits the mark. This is one of the few titles that I have no complaints with, and at only 1200 Microsoft Points, this game is an absolute steal. You’re getting about $40-50 worth of game for $15. I’ll take that every time. I’m very happy to award BattleBlock Theater an A. Nice work, Behemoth.

System: XBOX 360
Genre: Side-Scrolling/Platform/Puzzle
Players: 1-4 co-op or head to head, local or online
Price: 1200 Microsoft Points ($15)

Sony X Review- MDR-X10 Headphones

by Ryan Shea

Sony has been to go to name for decades when it comes to handling all of your audio needs. From the first time I bought my own Walkman back in the 90’s to now, I have always been impressed by their dedication to how the product looks and sounds at the same time. Their new line of headphones is no different. I got the opportunity to review the X10 line that that has just been released, and it is being backed by none other then “American Idol” legend and current “X Factor” host Simon Cowell.

“I chose to make a set of headphones with Sony because I simply wanted something better than what is in the market today,” said Cowell. “I’ve tried all of them, literally every single one. Sony and I set out to create the best headphone in the world. We are absolutely blown away by these. With the X headphones, it’s like being in the recording studio when the records are made. The sound is that clear.”

“Our X Headphones are for the true listeners, the music fanatics who share Sony’s uncompromising passion for music and precision in sound,” said Andrew Sivori, vice president of the Personal Audio Division at Sony Electronics. “Created by Sony and Simon Cowell, the new X Headphones deliver an amazing listening experience wrapped up in a cutting-edge design for the ultimate in self-expression.”

The look and feel-

Beyond how well put together the box was when it came to me, everything about these headphones read sleek and chic. The headphones itself fit very well onto your ears and are relaxing. They adjust to fit your specific head size very well, and at the same time are very lightweight. Overall in that aspect a very pleasant experience.

The sound quality-

The sound quality on these headphones are really through the roof. What really makes these headphones worth it is that you can be in a really busy setting and still only hear what you are listening to. The base on these are incredible and you can hear every instrument playing. For instance, right now I am listening to a great throwback, Busta Rhymes & Janet Jackson’s “What’s It Gonna Be?”. The base in this song is crazy as is, and Janet’s voice is soft but powerful. What the headphones does is that it enhances both counterparts to where everything sounds incredible all at the same time. Really, an incredible listening experience.

Overall-

Overall these headphones are just amazing. If this is one your wish list or want to get a tech-minded friend a great gift for his or her birthday.

They have also launched a new line in the x10 series dubbed the MDR-X05 Cans. Just launched a little over a week ago, itis a lightweight product with colorful designs from red on silver to black on red. It is available now with the x10 series at a price of $199, marked down a$100 dollars for a limited time only. Don’t miss out on your opportunity to pick up these great headphones and sport them out for your friends to see!

Eric Rachal from MXToolBox.com

by Lane Campbell

Entrepreneur Interview #1

Eric Rachal from MxToolBox.com sat down with ManhattanDigest for a brief interview.

What was your inspiration for starting MXToolBox?

The idea can be traced back to the mid 1990’s when I was working for an innovative startup in Austin Texas. I knew back then that ultimately I wanted to own my own thing. It was at this startup that focused on building residual revenue as a WAN management service that we pioneered a concept known today as Managed Services.

There is sense of stability built into any kind of business with residual revenue. That stability and challenge is what attracted me to building MXToolBox in the first place. MXToolBox started out as a reseller of spam and virus filtering solutions. The website’s tools were assembled out of necessity to help manage our customer email systems.

As the tools grew in popularity I registered a domain and put the tools online for all.

When did you know you wanted to be an Entrepreneur?

I don’t know exactly. It wasn’t in my teenage years. I think that I drew the inspiration from a conversation with a stranger that happened when I was around 20 years old. This stranger told me about his lifetime of work in the potato chip business. He explained the different facets of the business and as an older guy who had been around the block there were some great stories.

I walked away from that conversation with a greater sense of what I wanted to do with my life. I realized then that as an entrepreneur I would always be growing as a person. A lot of career tracks seem to end. A lot of trades don’t allow for personal growth past a certain point. Generally when someone chooses a career they choose to do the same same thing every day until they retire. There is really no end of personal growth opportunities for a small business owner.

What is the hardest thing you have ever had to do as an Entrepreneur?

The hardest thing is also one of the most important skills an entrepreneur needs to be successful. If you look at successful people and where they are now you’ll miss the most important part of the journey. Successful people aren’t afraid of failure; you will find a trail of wreckage from failed ideas in these peoples pasts that led them to succeed later. To me that is the hardest thing. Learning that something isn’t working and being strong enough to admit it’s failed and move away instead of pursuing failure.

It’s like the song “you need to know when to hold them and when to fold them”

If you had all the money in the world what would your days look like?

I don’t know. Good question. They probably wouldn’t look all that different. I’m a geek, I like building things, playing with things, and I’m able to do all that with MXToolbox. I think it would be more of that. I would continue to tinker but I would use the freedom of greater resources to work on projects for the fun of it; instead of considering the bottom line impact the time would have on the business. Even with all the money in the world my days wouldn’t look that different.

If you could have one super power what would it be?

I cannot even imagine… I know it would have to do with knowledge and wisdom.

What’s next for MX Toolbox?

We are actually at an exciting point! We are putting more resources into the toolset. We are hiring! We are bringing on developers, testers, web analysts, and marketing folks. We are really interested in expanding the toolset and expanding into different areas. We aren’t going to do anything radically different just more of the same and better.

What is MX Toolbox today?

MX Toolbox is an I.T. infrastructure diagnostic tool and monitoring company.

Changes in Business Phone Systems

by Ryan Shea

Changes in Business Phone Systems over the last few years have saturated the market with many options. Business owners put a lot of planning and money into their business when it comes to the office space, furniture, copiers, and computer equipment but how many of them put the same amount of time and energy into deciding what type of phone system they need? All too often business owners place that element of their business as one of the last things they think of. So what criteria should they be looking at when deciding on a PBX (phone system)? Glad you asked….

When business owners create their business plan they project where they will be in 1 , 5 or even 10 years down the line but many of them don’t fashion their telecommunications strategy to fit that goal. Many of them purchase refurbished systems that are already outdated and expensive to maintain if they break or what’s worse is that they become more expensive to keep alive. Or they want to purchase expensive brands like CISCO that ultimately become the system they are stuck with because of the huge capital outlay and the need to repurchase those phones when they become “end of life”.

I believe a PBX purchase should be viewed and treated much like a purchase of a car. When you purchase a car, don’t you analyze the features it provides? Or the quality of the car ride? Or the gas mileage it will yield for you over the course of the ownership of the vehicle. If those in the market for a PBX would look at the purchase in a similar fashion then perhaps more businesses would be far happier with their telecommunications experience.

Look at the phone service like your gasoline you put in a car. You can get gas from anyone practically anywhere right? Now look at the PBX as the car. The whole experience can come down to the quality and feature set that the phone system brings your business. Does it provide for the needs of your business today and well into the future? What will the cost be for future enhancements or feature upgrades? Just because the initial cost may be low to get into the system you also need to consider that going too cheap may cost you more in the long run… Just a few things to consider.

The Pirate Bay has moved to North Korea

by Lane Campbell

The Pirate Bay has moved to North Korea. Moments ago history was made. Hollywood succeeded in blowing another crushing defeat to The Pirate Bay by disconnecting their stronghold in Norway. The Norwegian hosting provider that was supplying bandwidth to The Pirate Bay was forced to discontinue service. To the uniformed, The Pirate Bay is a website that skirts all international law on sharing data, copyrighted or not. With a colorful history and millions of users The Pirate Bay is often forced to find new hosting partners.

Visitors today may notice the site is running slower than usual. This is a result of The Pirate Bay finding a new hosting partner in North Korea. Surely this will have geopolitical repercussions as North Korea is well known for their human rights violations. North Korean prison camp survivors have likend their experiences to that of those who endured World War II concentration camps.

This strange and desperate move by The Pirate Bay that seems to highlight how effective Hollywood has been at dismantling a global network that once hosted The Pirate Bay. The move also demonstrates how out of touch the International community has become with the desires of the citizens they are supposed to represent. Many would liken The Pirate Bay to a global Library, an Information powerhouse, and the greatest knowledge sharing system ever devised.

Whatever the end result for The Pirate Bay this is a sad day for freedom loving people everywhere, when one of the most repressive governments in history is the last refuge for one of the most open and liberating websites in history.

Fashion and Technology: Diana Eng on CNN’s The Next List

by Ryan Shea

Diana Eng is an American Fashion designer who gained popularity on the second season of the hit show Project Runway. Unfortunately, Diana was eliminated on the sixth episode, The “Nicky Hilton Party Dress” episode. Although she did not make it to the winner’s circle on Project Runway, her talent and ingenious designs have certainly won the attention of fashion lovers and nerds alike.

Diana Eng is best known for her innovative and technological designs, yes I said technological. Diana says she like to, “look at technology, math and science and how to integrate it into fashion designs.” Diana Eng has surely brought technology into the fashion world with her thermochromic scarves. Thermochromic you ask? Scarves that change color and design according to the weather! She has designed a scarf that when the temperature is below 64 degrees snowflakes begin to appear, and as the temperature decreases, say below 38 degrees, the size of the snowflakes increase and the pattern slowly engulfs the scarf. It is truly magical to watch and one of a kind. Below is a video from CNN’s The Next List and shows the science of the scarf.

http://cnn.com/video/?/video/tech/2013/02/19/exp-the-next-list-diana-eng-preview-1.cnn

I just checked out Diana Eng’s website and I am officially obsessed! She has some amazing items featured. You must check out her website!

http://www.dianaeng.com

Below are a few of the items that really sparked my interest.

FortuneCookie — Diana Eng Fortune Cookie Purse

The above Lady Bug pin is featured on CNN’s The Next List’s Blog.

The Fibonacci Scarf utilizes the famous math formula known as the “Fibonacci Sequence.” Basically the sequence involves adding the next number to the previous. For example, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21,… The Fibonacci sequence occurs in nature and Diana Eng used the sequence to knit this impeccable scarf.

Diana Eng is the definition of a unique designer. Her mix of fashion and science are remarkable. In a field where being inventive and forward are keys to being successful, Diana Eng undoubtedly brings something original to the fashion world. Personally, I look forward to watching her career develop and am fascinated to see what new technologically ground-breaking designs she will come up with next. CNN is going to be featuring Diana Eng on their show The Next List this Sunday at 2:30pm. I’ve caught this show a few times and admire the way CNN features a new innovator or idea each week. The subjects of the show are not always well known but definitely deserve to be. You can also check out their blog if you happen to miss an episode.

http://whatsnext.blogs.cnn.com/2013/02/19/high-tech-meets-high-fashion/

Follow The Next List on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenextlist

Follow The Next List on Twitter: @cnnthenextlist

Filler is a Killer: Do Not Let Cover Letters Own You.

by Chris Rinere

When it comes to applying for a job, you have your resume all set, ready to go but as with most jobs you need that added boost: a cover letter.

For you Mario Fans out there, it is almost like you are about to fight Bowser & you need the Fire Power or Invincibility star to pop up so that you have an advantage.

invincible-mario-starman-new-super-mario-bros-wii-artwork — Cover Letter Invincibility! Much Needed Advice! Super Mario!
Source: http://www.videogamesblogger.com/2009/11/18/new-super-mario-bros-wii-cheats-and-tips-guide.htm

Cover letters provide that boost and act as a resume translator for hiring managers. Yes, I realize that cover letters are not easy. They are not meant to be but they are there to help you with attaining your next position and not hurt your chances.

A wise colleague of mine once told me that, ‘cover letters show off the personality that does not exude itself from a resume’.

1. Be Concise. Filler is a killer. Case and point, do not write the romantic schpeal such as, ‘I like long walks on the beach, flying kites into the sunset’. However, DO reflect upon your achievements thus far and make the connection as to why you can go above and beyond any other candidate being considered for this position

Filler is a killer.

These words speak volumes to me as a recruiter and a person who plays a hand in the hiring process. If you cannot concisely describe why you are a great fit and what you can provide for the company that no one else can, you are not the best fit for the job. You did not prepare yourself for the cover letter. FAIL.

2. Show your personality. This does not mean you should lose your business sense and write unprofessionally, but your resume will reflect your experience but your cover letter reflects the examples and personality that is not represented on a resume. Bring that out in an appropriate manner.

3. Make the connection. Sometimes in life we have to reach out and take what we want or at least reach out and ASK for what we want. While it tough to do this make an attempt to explain why and how you can make a difference in this position for the company.

Do you know a person within the organization? Mention to that person you will be applying to the position and be sure to include this connection in your cover letter.

No, we do not need the entire length of history here, just a brief statement explaining the connection and importance 🙂

4. Research and review. Do some background research on the company and positions for which you are applying. If you do not know a single detail about the company, it makes it a lot harder to make the connection to the companies specific wants and needs for a position. Without knowing information about the company and their current events or recent news, it also makes you looks like a disinterested candidate during the job interview.

Utilize Google and also websites called GlassDoor and Linkedin to assist with your research and even locate the potential hiring managers or colleagues within the company.

4. Adjust accordingly and honestly. Your resume AND your cover letter should be altered to reflect the position you are applying for regardless of who you know and how well you think you may know the position.

In terms of the changes, do not change/lie/or misrepresent information on your resume but DO alter your resume to reflect how your experience matches the specific information listed or required for the position. Sell yourself but in an honest manner 🙂

Each cover letter should be different and adjusted according to the jobs and companies for which you will be applying. While most of the time the jobs remain the same, there will be different reasons for why you apply each time and how you can help that company.

5. Avoid General Salutations. The days of ‘Dear Human Resources Manager’ and ‘Dear Staffing team’ are gone. Most jobs these days do not provide direct contact with hiring managers because most managers work with staffing agencies like (Adecco, Randstad and Manpower). BUT a large chunk of managers and human resources managers do have profiles on Linkedin and that could be a great resource for reaching out to them regarding a position.

If all else fails, you can call the company directly and ask who is hiring for the opportunity. While that is bold, it is a solid approach in sales and has worked since the dawn of time.

Go the extra step and find out that information. Go the distance, Hercules, go the distance.

Please, please let’s hear some stories about your favorite type of cover letter, or even better…what are your thoughts on VIDEO cover letters? They seem to be taking off quite a bit.

Top Level Domain Name Extensions Revealed

by Lane Campbell

Many people have questioned how they might come to own a domain such as a iam.john that could power their website. These folks have stumbled into extensions of the Top Level Domain Name (TLD) managed by ICANN the governing body of the Internet. Around two years ago ICANN allowed corporations to spend $100,000 to petition for their own names to be used TLD extensions. In non-tech speak these TLD extensions are better known as the .com that follows your favorit website name.

Why is this important today? As the Internet grows and scales to accommodate more and more users there will inevitably be more TLD extensions put into production. While this is a mostly an invisible process an unfortunate precedent has been set. With six figure requirements to set new TLD extensions there are fewer consumer benefits to this policy.

If you are curious and want to see This is a full list of Top Level Domain Name Extenions you can register your domain with any of these extensions at your favorite domain registrar.

Let us know what you think about this by commenting!

TECHNOLOGY

Entrepreneur Interview #1

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