Select a news topic from the list below, then select a news article to read.

Bill Gates and General Motors go head to head PDF Print E-mail

At a computer expo (COMDEX), Bill Gates reportedly compared the computer industry with the auto

industry and stated: "If GM had kept up with the technology like the computer industry has, we would all

be driving $25.00 cars that got 1,000 miles to the gallon."

 

In response to Bill's comments, General Motors issued a press release (by Mr. Welch himself) stating:

 

If GM had developed technology like Microsoft, we would all be driving cars with the following

characteristics:

 

1.   For no reason at all, your car would crash twice a day.

 

2.   Every time they repainted the lines on the road, you would have to buy a new car.

 

3.   Occasionally, executing a manoeuver such as a left-turn would cause your car to shut down and refuse

 to restart, and you would have to reinstall the engine.

 

4.   When your car died on the freeway for no reason, you would just accept this, restart and drive on.

 

5.   Only one person at a time could use the car, unless you bought  'Car95' or 'CarNT', and then added

more seats.

 

6.   Apple would make a car powered by the sun, reliable, five times  as fast, and twice as easy to drive,

but would run on only five per cent of the roads.

 

7.   Oil, water temperature and alternator warning lights would be replaced by a single 'general car default'

warning light.

 

8.   New seats would force every-one to have the same size butt.

 

9.   The airbag would say 'Are you sure?' before going off.

 

10.  Occasionally, for no reason, your car would lock you out and refuse to let you in until you

simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned the key, and grabbed the radio antenna.

 

11.  GM would require all car buyers to also purchase a deluxe set of road maps from Rand-McNally (a

subsidiary of GM), even though they neither need them nor want them. Trying to delete this option

would immediately cause the car's performance to diminish by 50 per cent or more. Moreover, GM would

become a target for investigation by the Justice Department.

 

12.  Every time GM introduced a new model, car buyers would have to learn how to drive all over again

because none of the controls would operate in the same manner as the old car.

 

13.  You would press the 'start' button to shut off the engine.

 

So much for keeping up with computers Mr Gates!!!
 

 
Are you to long in IT industry? PDF Print E-mail

Here are some hints that you have been in the industry to long if you suffer from the following symptoms:

1.   Your prime source of entertainment is the forwards send to you by friends who's faces you cannot remember.

2.   You have not played solitaire with real cards in years!

3.   You keep pressing Crtl+Enter and wondering why your email is not going.

5.   You email your mate who works at the desk next to you.

6.   You spend your entire day reading forwards, smoking, drinking coffee, playing cards and then complain about the long working hours.

7.   You keep on trying to shut down you computer at home by pressing Crtl+Alt+Del (used to lock office computer)

8.   When you make calls at home, you accidentally dial "0" to get an outside line.

9.   You last crush was a girl in HR, your current crush is a girl in HR and all your future crushes will be girls in HR.

10.   As you are reading this list, you thinking of friends to email it to, who is also in IT.

11.  You are too busy to notice there was no line 4.

12.  You are not sure so you scroll back to check it.

13.  And now you are smiling!

  

 
About us PDF Print E-mail

ASTsolutions is an IT company established in April 2000 specializing in bespoke (custom) software, web development, internet access, hosting, network installation and support.

 

Our certifications include A+, N+, MCP, MCSD, MCSE, HTML. We also have extensive experience in Microsoft and Linux platforms.

 

Some of our clients include: (list is abbreviated as it is quite lengthy)

Botlierskop Private Game Reserve

Tradelink Textile Industries

Vicbay

Vicbaywholesalers

Garden Route Personnel and Executive Recruitement

Willos Tracing

We provide sponsorship for charity organizations including design and hosting for Support Zimbabwe and hosting for Cherith.

 

On the internet side, we provide bulk internet connectivity for multiple sites for Tradelink Textiles and Dore Achievement Centres. We also provide overflow internet services for Fancourt during competitions like the CocaCola Week and the GPI. Oubaai Golf Club are using our software to send out attachment based newsletters via email.

 

We have installed and support network on a contract basis for Tradelink and Garden Route Personnel.

 

This include remote sites connecting via VPN as well as data synchronization for backup and fault tolerance.

 

We also do support and maintenance for non contract customers, currently the Oubaai Home Owners Association use ASTsolutions on a as and when needed basis.

Contact us at:

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it       - 083 269 7296

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it     - 072 215 6125

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 
Microsoft's new vision: a computer in every....coffee maker? PDF Print E-mail

Fugoo BlockAre you looking for an alarm clock to do double-duty as secretary for your day's appointments, or do you want a coffee maker that know you are grinding the beans too fine? Then Microsoft and Fugoo wants to talk to you later this year!

 

The two companies are working on the "next generation" of household gadgets, appliances and accessories that are not only connected to the internet but will also use a standar API for communicating with each other.

 

Fugoo is a company founded by John Hul and Chris Chung of eMachines. a Collaboration between tech companies have seen the formation of The Open Fugoo Alliance to further the development of the "Fugoo Block". This will be the first complete, open, and free hardware and software platform.

 

These blocks will contain an x86-based VIA CPU and WiFi and they can be integrated into everything from washing machines, refrigerators to coffee makers. 

 

The Fugoo Block runs Windows technology and are capable of rendering HTML and Javascript and can even run applications in parallel or in the background.

 

Other examples of what the block can do includes a smart fridge that can automatically place an order online for goods that are running low, a lawn sprinkler system that checks the Internet for the day's rain report before starting.

 

There are great ideas for certain among the handful that Microsoft is using to wet our appetites, though Fugoo Blocks will have to power some truly practical applications and not just a coffee maker before people will start buying.

 
Microsoft Silverlight 2 Runtime ad SDK PDF Print E-mail

Source of SilverlightOpen source is usually used as an antonym for Microsoft but that is a little unfair. Microsoft have released the source code to their Silverlight 2 packages.

In fact in the last few years Microsoft has released a lot of code for .NET and ASP.NETframeworks. For those who don't know where Silverlight fits into the IT picture, it is simply controls you can use in your desktop and web applications.

To say it is a replacement for Flash at this time would be a bit brave, but none the less here we are.

Here is a sample image of what the source will look like in Visual Studios 2008. The source includes 2 other projects, a sample application and a design application just to make the learning curve a bit easier

If you would like to find out more on Silverlight and what it can do for you, you may go to Microsoft's official web page.

 
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