Video: Noticeable Changes Between Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope and Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala

Hi!

Although I haven't posted for a while, I've been busy creating this video for you!

On the 29th October 2009 (although it was a while ago, it's still relevant as lots of people are still using the previous version), Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala was released. Despite the fact that most people have upgraded to this new version, there is still support for 9.04 until April 2010.

The first of these features is that all of the Ubuntu predecessors had Ubuntu Add/Remove programs, the main GUI (Graphical User Interface) to add or remove programs on the Ubuntu system. This has been replaced in this version and in all of the versions to come with Ubuntu Software Centre, and the interface for this has also been revamped.

Another of the changes is that a user's home folder has now got thumbnails on the folders that are created upon user creation.

As with the latest version of Windows, Windows 7, a load of new wallpapers have been introduced to the new version of Ubuntu.

Unfortunately, unlike the previous versions of Ubuntu, the login screen customising has gone. You can no longer change the background and positioning of the boxes of your login screen. There may be a patch/hack for this, and, if that is the case, do let me know :)

I told you I'd get 5 videos out before the end of the decade, and that was the fifth! This has, in just over a year, taken the total of my videos up to 20! 5 videos from 14th November to 29th December!

If I don't see you before the end of the decade,

Happy New Year and End of Decade! See you in decade 2 of 2000!

Ratscallion

For now,
Yours,
Ratscallion

Video: BBC iPlayer Downloading and Features Walkthrough BBC iPlayer Desktop

Hello!

It may have been a while, but we're here nonetheless!

The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) has a TV on Demand service: BBC iPlayer. Not only does the service allow you to stream video that is online and has been broadcast on the television or radio in the past 7 days, but it also allows you to download this programme. The service also has a feature that not many people are aware of: Downloading.

Underneath the Flash part of the page where the TV (radio programmes do not yet have this feature) programme is streaming, there is a download button. This button will launch, if not yet installed, BBC iPlayer Desktop. If the software is not installed, it will take you to the BBC iPlayer Desktop download page.

BBC iPlayer Desktop is an Adobe AIR application, and will, therefore, work on any Operating System: Windows, Mac or Linux. However if you have many computers – or one computer with multiple operating systems installed on it – there is no way of syncing this, or watching them from those other Operating Systems as yet. You may be able to try and change the repository setting, but I’ve not tried that way, yet.

Once the programme has downloaded, no matter how you downloaded it (see below), it’ll expire and become un-watchable after 30 days since the download has completed. Also, once you’ve watched the programme (actually once you’ve started playing it, even if only a second or two) you’ve got 7 days to finish watching it and then it will expire.

If you haven’t got BBC iPlayer Desktop (or have, and you don’t want to use it for a certain programme) you can click the ‘More Downloads’ button underneath the simple ‘Download’ button, you can download it in other formats. This feature is only available in certain programmes, though it is slowly becoming standard, like the ‘Download’ button.

This ‘More downloads’ button allows you to download the programme in a different format than the one that BBC iPlayer Desktop downloads it in, as this cannot be opened in any other application. This button allows you to download the programme in a Windows Media Player format so that you can watch it in that instead of BBC iPlayer Desktop.

In Other News: As promised, I'm going go try and get another video done before the end of the decade, which should be really good. And maybe a Christmassy one, but how I'm going to top last year's one, I don't know! :P

For now,

Yours,

Ratscallion