Geeky Halloween Pics

I browsed the Web for some Halloween Linux-related pictures and found a very interesting variety.

1.  Pumpkins:

2.  Comic Strips:

3.  Costumes:

4.  System-related:

Some of them are pretty scary, aren't they?  :P

MS Office for Android Coming Next Year?

According to this article, Microsoft Office 2013 will be available for Android and Apple devices during the first quarter of 2013.  These versions will be available to larger companies and MS partners in December 2012.

Wow!  The Maya predicted that the world would end during that time, and apparently they were right!  :P

Now, all kidding aside, what struck me most of this article was the words of Steve Ballmer saying that "Microsoft is shifting its model to focus on devices and services".

For a company that has seen its success thanks to software licenses, I agree with the author that such shift is a risky move.

Of course, competing against Google may be one of the goals for Microsoft to do this, but will that actually benefit Microsoft's tablet, the Surface?

One thing is for sure: Microsoft is indeed innovating.

What will be next, Silverlight for Linux? :P

Four Games to Increase Your Vocabulary and General Knowledge

Sometimes, in our busy lives, it is necessary to cut ourselves a little slack and play a quick game just for fun.  After all, we cannot procrastinate for a long time!

Sometimes, our gaming needs are not very demanding: we don't want great graphics, involving plots, or adrenaline-releasing games...especially when we can barely spare from five to ten minutes to gaming.

Here is when everyone goes to Solitaire, Mah-jongg, or Sodoku.

With the exception of Sodoku, that helps train our number-related skills, the other games don't do much beyond letting us sweetly waste some of our time.  

What about playing a quick game and at the same time increasing our general knowledge?  What about expanding our vocabulary while playing?

These four games, although not very elaborate, will let you do that.

1.  Kanagram

This little game presents you a scrambled word and you must type it correctly.  If you can't figure it out, there are hints available.  Kanagram comes with lots of categories and since there is no punctuation, there is no pressure!

You can even set the language if you want to practice your vocabulary in a foreign language.

2.  Connectagram

This game presents you a set of interconnected anagrams quite like a crossword puzzle.  Although you can see the time you've spent playing,  there are no time constraints.  Scores appear at the end of the game, but you are so caught up with the words that you don't pay too much attention to it.

You have to organize the letters of each anagram to form words in English (no language settings for this one).  If you luckily get a word right but don't know its meaning, Connectagram gives you the definition through an online search engine.

In five minutes I learned three new words!  Oh, it also has hints to prevent unbearable frustration levels.   


3.  Ri-Li

This little game puts you in charge of a train.  You control the direction that your train takes.  While running, your train becomes longer, so you must be careful when planning your next move.

If you complete the level, you are presented with a trivia question on the Declaration of the Human Rights.  This is tough!

Since this game may be set in many languages, you can even practice your reading skills in a foreign language!


4.  Freevial

This is a tricky Trivia game for the boldest and most daring.  I say tricky because, as a good trivia game, its questions are quite hard.

If that does not make you chicken away, then let me say that the game comes in Catalan language.

Now, even if you don't speak Catalan (I don't), you can challenge your knowledge of computers, manga and anime, programming, the Internet, and of course, of Catalan language!

Believe it or not, it's fun!

These four games might not attract the heavy gamers out there, but surely are a fun and educational way to spend a few minutes without worrying about scores or saving states.  Sometimes, we play a quick game when we don't have much time...why not learning a bit while doing it, too?  

National Geographic Pics: Which Linux Distros do You See Here?

As I was browsing lots of beautiful pictures property of National Geographic, I could not help "seeing" some Linux distros in them.  Yes, I know: I must get away from my computer!


For example, the following pic "shows" Tux!

Let's go to the pictures and see which distros you can "recognize"! :P

1.  A Brazilian distro formerly known as Famelix:  ___________ .

2. The distro that has given birth to many other distros, Ubuntu among them: ____________ .

3. This is a combo of two distros. One is Italian and the other Galician-Spanish!
   ___________________ (Italian) and ________________ (Galician-Spanish)

4. A lightweight distro that amazes because of its sturdiness: _____________.

5.  The distro that is holding a conference in Prague this month: ____________ .

How many could you "see"?  :)

 By the way, this is just for fun; I don't claim any official link between Linux and National Geographic.