www.blogottawa.com http://blogottawa.com/index.php?blog=1 canada capital region's blog, ottawa blogger's zone,all about ottawa, en-CA hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 40 Years Anniversary of Unix http://blogottawa.com/index.php?blog=1&title=40_years_anniversary_of_unix&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 2009-08-20T13:51:48Z admin Science & Technology The computer world is notorious for its obsession with what is new - largely thanks to the relentless engine of Moore's Law that endlessly presents programmers with more powerful machines. Given such permanent change, anything that survives for more than one generation of processors deserves a nod. Think then what the Unix operating system deserves because in August 2009, it celebrates its 40th anniversary. And it has been in use every year of those four decades and today is getting more attention than ever before. Work on Unix began at Bell Labs after AT&T, (which owned the lab), MIT and GE pulled the plug on an ambitious project to create an operating system called Multics. The idea was to make better use of the resources of mainframe computers and have them serve many people at the same time. "With Multics they tried to have a much more versatile and flexible operating system, and it failed miserably," said Dr Peter Salus, author of the definitive history of Unix's early years. Time well spent The cancellation meant that two of the researchers assigned to the project, Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie, had a lot of time on their hands. Frustrated by the size and complexity of Multics but not its aims of making computers more flexible and interactive, they decided to try and finish the work - albeit on a much smaller scale. The commitment was helped by the fact that in August 1969, Ken Thompson's wife took their new baby to see relatives on the West Coast. She was due to be gone for a month and Thompson decided to use his time constructively - by writing the core of what became Unix. He allocated one week each to the four core components of operating system, shell, editor and assembler. It was during that time and after as the growing team got the operating system running on a DEC computer known as a PDP-7 that Unix came into being. It got us away from the total control that businesses like IBM and DEC had over us Peter Salus, author Bill Thompson on "The enlightenment's operating system" By the early 1970s, five people were working on Unix. Thompson and Ritchie had been joined by Brian Kernighan, Doug McIlroy and Joe Ossanna. The name was reportedly coined by Brian Kernighan - a lover of puns who wanted Unics to stand in contrast to its forebear Multics. The team got Unix running well on the PDP7 and soon it had a long list of commands it could carry out. The syntax of many of those commands, such as chdir and cat, are still in use 40 years on. Along with it came the C programming language. But, said Dr Salus, it wasn't just the programming that was important about Unix - the philosophy behind it was vital too. "Unix was created to solve a few problems," said Dr Salus, "the most important of which was to have something that was much more compact than the operating systems that were current at that time which ran on the dinosaurs of the computer age." Net benefits Back in the early 1970s, computers were still huge and typically overseen by men in white coats who jealously guarded access to the machines. The idea of users directly interacting with the machine was downright revolutionary. "It got us away from the total control that businesses like IBM and DEC had over us," said Dr Salus. Word about Unix spread and people liked what they heard. "Once it had jumped out of the lab and out of AT&T it caught fire among the academic community," Dr Salus told the BBC. What helped this grassroots movement was AT&T's willingness to give the software away for free. DEC PDP-1 computer DEC's early computers were for many years restricted to laboratories That it ran on cheap hardware and was easy to move to different machines helped too. "The fact that its code was adaptable to other types of machinery, in large and small versions meant that it could become an operating system that did more than just run on your proprietary machine," said Dr Salus. In May 1975 it got another boost by becoming the chosen operating system for the internet. The decision to back it is laid out in the then-nascent Internet Engineering Task Force's document RFC 681, which notes that Unix "presents several interesting capabilities" for those looking to use it on the net. It didn't stop there. Unix was adapted for use on any and every computer from mainframes to desktops. While it is true that it did languish in the 1980s and 90s as corporations scrapped over whose version was definitive, the rise of the web has given it new life. The wars are over and the Unix specification is looked after by the Open Group - an industry body set up to police what is done in the operating system's name. Now Unix, in a variety of guises, is everywhere. Most of the net runs on Unix-based servers and the Unix philosophy heavily influenced the open source software movements and the creation of the Linux desktop OS. Windows runs the communication stack created for Unix. Apple's OS X is broadly based on Unix and it is possible to dig into that software and find text remarkably similar to that first written by Dennis Ritchie in 1971. "The really nice part is the flexibility and adaptability," said Dr Salus, explaining why it is so widespread and how its ethic fits with a world at home with the web. "Unix is the best screwdriver ever built," said Dr Salus. The computer world is notorious for its obsession with what is new - largely thanks to the relentless engine of Moore's Law that endlessly presents programmers with more powerful machines.

Given such permanent change, anything that survives for more than one generation of processors deserves a nod.

Think then what the Unix operating system deserves because in August 2009, it celebrates its 40th anniversary. And it has been in use every year of those four decades and today is getting more attention than ever before.

Work on Unix began at Bell Labs after AT&T, (which owned the lab), MIT and GE pulled the plug on an ambitious project to create an operating system called Multics.

The idea was to make better use of the resources of mainframe computers and have them serve many people at the same time.

"With Multics they tried to have a much more versatile and flexible operating system, and it failed miserably," said Dr Peter Salus, author of the definitive history of Unix's early years.

Time well spent

The cancellation meant that two of the researchers assigned to the project, Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie, had a lot of time on their hands. Frustrated by the size and complexity of Multics but not its aims of making computers more flexible and interactive, they decided to try and finish the work - albeit on a much smaller scale.

The commitment was helped by the fact that in August 1969, Ken Thompson's wife took their new baby to see relatives on the West Coast. She was due to be gone for a month and Thompson decided to use his time constructively - by writing the core of what became Unix.

He allocated one week each to the four core components of operating system, shell, editor and assembler. It was during that time and after as the growing team got the operating system running on a DEC computer known as a PDP-7 that Unix came into being.

It got us away from the total control that businesses like IBM and DEC had over us
Peter Salus, author

Bill Thompson on "The enlightenment's operating system"

By the early 1970s, five people were working on Unix. Thompson and Ritchie had been joined by Brian Kernighan, Doug McIlroy and Joe Ossanna.

The name was reportedly coined by Brian Kernighan - a lover of puns who wanted Unics to stand in contrast to its forebear Multics.

The team got Unix running well on the PDP7 and soon it had a long list of commands it could carry out. The syntax of many of those commands, such as chdir and cat, are still in use 40 years on. Along with it came the C programming language.

But, said Dr Salus, it wasn't just the programming that was important about Unix - the philosophy behind it was vital too.

"Unix was created to solve a few problems," said Dr Salus, "the most important of which was to have something that was much more compact than the operating systems that were current at that time which ran on the dinosaurs of the computer age."

Net benefits

Back in the early 1970s, computers were still huge and typically overseen by men in white coats who jealously guarded access to the machines. The idea of users directly interacting with the machine was downright revolutionary.

"It got us away from the total control that businesses like IBM and DEC had over us," said Dr Salus.

Word about Unix spread and people liked what they heard.

"Once it had jumped out of the lab and out of AT&T it caught fire among the academic community," Dr Salus told the BBC. What helped this grassroots movement was AT&T's willingness to give the software away for free.
DEC PDP-1 computer
DEC's early computers were for many years restricted to laboratories

That it ran on cheap hardware and was easy to move to different machines helped too.

"The fact that its code was adaptable to other types of machinery, in large and small versions meant that it could become an operating system that did more than just run on your proprietary machine," said Dr Salus.

In May 1975 it got another boost by becoming the chosen operating system for the internet. The decision to back it is laid out in the then-nascent Internet Engineering Task Force's document RFC 681, which notes that Unix "presents several interesting capabilities" for those looking to use it on the net.

It didn't stop there. Unix was adapted for use on any and every computer from mainframes to desktops. While it is true that it did languish in the 1980s and 90s as corporations scrapped over whose version was definitive, the rise of the web has given it new life.

The wars are over and the Unix specification is looked after by the Open Group - an industry body set up to police what is done in the operating system's name.

Now Unix, in a variety of guises, is everywhere. Most of the net runs on Unix-based servers and the Unix philosophy heavily influenced the open source software movements and the creation of the Linux desktop OS. Windows runs the communication stack created for Unix. Apple's OS X is broadly based on Unix and it is possible to dig into that software and find text remarkably similar to that first written by Dennis Ritchie in 1971.

"The really nice part is the flexibility and adaptability," said Dr Salus, explaining why it is so widespread and how its ethic fits with a world at home with the web.

"Unix is the best screwdriver ever built," said Dr Salus.

]]> Back to financial basics http://blogottawa.com/index.php?blog=1&title=back_to_financial_basics&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 2009-03-16T14:34:19Z admin Finance & Business Simplify your life by cutting out those needless extra expenses. Here are 10 ways to cut back on the money you don't need to spend. Number Ten: Pay in cash -- this means you will always know exactly how much money you have. With credit cards, debt can add up quickly and you may not pay them off as fast as you would like to. When you pay in cash, it's also a great feeling because you know it's done and paid for and you won't have any bills piling up. Number Nine: Don't get someone else to do it for you -- stop paying extra to get things done for you when you can do them yourself. Instead of automatically taking your shirts to the dry cleaners, wash them by hand and hang them to dry. Number Eight: Eat out less -- Visit your local supermarket and pick up fresh ingredients to make homemade meals. You can also take your leftovers to work or have them the next day for dinner. Number Seven: Shop with a purpose -- Whether you're grocery shopping or attending to other errands, it's best to shop with a list. A list reminds you of your reason for shopping and to resist impulse items. It is also a good idea to plan your meals in advance, so that when you get to the store you know exactly what you need to make meals throughout the week. Try to avoid shopping when you're hungry. Number Six: Get some fresh air -- Walking is good for you, and it's cheaper than driving. If it's possible for you to hike or bike to your destination, do it. Number Five: Keep your car longer -- do you really need that brand new car? Maybe your old one will operate just fine for a few more years. If you maintain the car you have now, you may be able to put off buying a new one for quite awhile. Number Four: Give up your car altogether -- if you live in a city with well-equipped public transportation, chances are you might not even need a car. When you add up the expenses of car ownership including insurance, maintenance and parking, the costs may outweigh the benefits. Make a detailed list of what you actually need your car for. Try renting a car if you need it for a weekend away, or for the monthly trip to Costco you could take advantage of a car-sharing service such asAutoShare orZipcar . Number Three: Find cheaper ways to entertain yourself -- instead of going to the movie theatre, rent a movie, relax and make some popcorn. Movies in the comfort of your own home can be a great way to spend an evening. You can go even further and rent movies from your local library. All you need is a library card and you will have plenty of movies, books and CD's at your disposal. Number Two: Limit the luxuries -- do you really need over 500 channels? Most of the time when you order satellite or digital cable, you are paying for a lot of channels that you don't actually watch. You also pay more depending on the speed of internet you have. If you only use the computer to send emails and read online, you probably don't need the fastest service available. Number One: Skip the little things -- make your own coffee in the morning. Instead of spending $5 a day on gourmet coffee, take it with you from home. Make it a special treat to buy a coffee once a week from your favourite coffee shop. Simplify your life by cutting out those needless extra expenses. Here are 10 ways to cut back on the money you don't need to spend.

Number Ten:
Pay in cash -- this means you will always know exactly how much money you have. With credit cards, debt can add up quickly and you may not pay them off as fast as you would like to. When you pay in cash, it's also a great feeling because you know it's done and paid for and you won't have any bills piling up.

Number Nine:
Don't get someone else to do it for you -- stop paying extra to get things done for you when you can do them yourself. Instead of automatically taking your shirts to the dry cleaners, wash them by hand and hang them to dry.

Number Eight:
Eat out less -- Visit your local supermarket and pick up fresh ingredients to make homemade meals. You can also take your leftovers to work or have them the next day for dinner.

Number Seven:
Shop with a purpose -- Whether you're grocery shopping or attending to other errands, it's best to shop with a list. A list reminds you of your reason for shopping and to resist impulse items. It is also a good idea to plan your meals in advance, so that when you get to the store you know exactly what you need to make meals throughout the week. Try to avoid shopping when you're hungry.

Number Six:
Get some fresh air -- Walking is good for you, and it's cheaper than driving. If it's possible for you to hike or bike to your destination, do it.

Number Five:
Keep your car longer -- do you really need that brand new car? Maybe your old one will operate just fine for a few more years. If you maintain the car you have now, you may be able to put off buying a new one for quite awhile.

Number Four:
Give up your car altogether -- if you live in a city with well-equipped public transportation, chances are you might not even need a car. When you add up the expenses of car ownership including insurance, maintenance and parking, the costs may outweigh the benefits. Make a detailed list of what you actually need your car for. Try renting a car if you need it for a weekend away, or for the monthly trip to Costco you could take advantage of a car-sharing service such asAutoShare orZipcar .

Number Three:
Find cheaper ways to entertain yourself -- instead of going to the movie theatre, rent a movie, relax and make some popcorn. Movies in the comfort of your own home can be a great way to spend an evening. You can go even further and rent movies from your local library. All you need is a library card and you will have plenty of movies, books and CD's at your disposal.

Number Two:
Limit the luxuries -- do you really need over 500 channels? Most of the time when you order satellite or digital cable, you are paying for a lot of channels that you don't actually watch. You also pay more depending on the speed of internet you have. If you only use the computer to send emails and read online, you probably don't need the fastest service available.

Number One:
Skip the little things -- make your own coffee in the morning. Instead of spending $5 a day on gourmet coffee, take it with you from home. Make it a special treat to buy a coffee once a week from your favourite coffee shop.

]]> Top CEOs need just 12 hours to earn average Canadian annual salary http://blogottawa.com/index.php?blog=1&title=top_ceos_need_just_12_hours_to_earn_aver&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 2009-01-05T15:00:49Z admin News & Media As many Canadians nurse their post-New Year's Eve hangovers and ponder what further economic storms await, Canada's top corporate executives can take some comfort in knowing they have already earned as much as the average worker will earn in all of 2009. A new analysis by the left-leaning Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives concludes the country's richest corporate executives will have pocketed an average of $40,237 by 9:04 a.m. Friday morning. "By the time your computer has finished booting up on your first day back after the New Year's holiday, the average CEO would have already banked what took the average Canadian worker an entire year's worth of work to earn," the report states. "Many of the top 100 include Canada's big bank CEOs, who recently received billions in federal government bailout money to purchase mortgage loans." Prepared by economist Hugh Mackenzie, the report finds the top 100 CEOs of publicly traded corporations averaged more than $10 million in pay apiece in 2007, the last full year for which figures are available. That kind of money would buy 44 high-end Porsches or five $2-million condos. As many Canadians nurse their post-New Year's Eve hangovers and ponder what further economic storms await, Canada's top corporate executives can take some comfort in knowing they have already earned as much as the average worker will earn in all of 2009.

A new analysis by the left-leaning Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives concludes the country's richest corporate executives will have pocketed an average of $40,237 by 9:04 a.m. Friday morning.

"By the time your computer has finished booting up on your first day back after the New Year's holiday, the average CEO would have already banked what took the average Canadian worker an entire year's worth of work to earn," the report states.

"Many of the top 100 include Canada's big bank CEOs, who recently received billions in federal government bailout money to purchase mortgage loans."

Prepared by economist Hugh Mackenzie, the report finds the top 100 CEOs of publicly traded corporations averaged more than $10 million in pay apiece in 2007, the last full year for which figures are available.

That kind of money would buy 44 high-end Porsches or five $2-million condos.

]]> Economy Deteriorating Fast: Bank of Canada http://blogottawa.com/index.php?blog=1&title=economy_deteriorating_fast_bank_of_canad&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 2008-11-20T23:02:03Z admin Finance & Business Canada’s leading banker says further interest rate cuts are coming because the economy is crumbling quickly. The Bank of Canada governor suggests that the central bank will slash short-term interest rates again in December to try and boost economic activity. Mark Carney says more monetary stimulus will be needed for an economy that may not achieve the slight growth previously predicted. He adds that while the risks to economic growth have increased, inflation has become less of a concern. Carney stops short of saying Canada will fall into a recession, but he acknowledges that one is possible. Canada’s leading banker says further interest rate cuts are coming because the economy is crumbling quickly.

The Bank of Canada governor suggests that the central bank will slash short-term interest rates again in December to try and boost economic activity.

Mark Carney says more monetary stimulus will be needed for an economy that may not achieve the slight growth previously predicted. He adds that while the risks to economic growth have increased, inflation has become less of a concern.

Carney stops short of saying Canada will fall into a recession, but he acknowledges that one is possible.

]]> International survey ranks Canada's brand second-strongest in the world http://blogottawa.com/index.php?blog=1&title=international_survey_ranks_canada_s_bran&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 2008-11-12T19:19:12Z admin News & Media An international survey has ranked Canada as the second-strongest national brand in the world. But that doesn't mean it's the country most people want to visit - that honour went to Italy and Canada ranked eighth. Still, the study's author says Canada received top marks for selling itself as a destination that's safe, friendly and good for families. Rina Papler of FutureBrand says Canada is in a good position to reap whatever travel dollars will be spent in a slumping global market. She says that's because people see Canada as a reliable country that delivers on its promises. The top-ranking brand among the 2,700 people surveyed by the international consultancy group was Australia. An international survey has ranked Canada as the second-strongest national brand in the world.
But that doesn't mean it's the country most people want to visit - that honour went to Italy and Canada ranked eighth.
Still, the study's author says Canada received top marks for selling itself as a destination that's safe, friendly and good for families.
Rina Papler of FutureBrand says Canada is in a good position to reap whatever travel dollars will be spent in a slumping global market.
She says that's because people see Canada as a reliable country that delivers on its promises.
The top-ranking brand among the 2,700 people surveyed by the international consultancy group was Australia.

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