Mainfram Reality

Google Gears beta has recently been released.

Google Gears (BETA) is an open source browser extension that enables web applications to provide offline functionality using following JavaScript APIs:

• Store and serve application resources locally
• Store data locally in a fully-searchable relational database
• Run asynchronous Javascript to improve application responsiveness

For full developer resources check out Gears Google Code page.

Over last few days we have seen Microsoft release Silverlight. This is how Microsoft describes it:

Silverlight is a cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in for delivering the next generation of Microsoft .NET–based media experiences and rich interactive applications for the Web.

What Microsoft are really trying to do is take on Adobe Flash, well more directly Adobe Flex Platform. Over last few years Ajax wikipedia has created a new wave of rich, easy to use, collaboration based web applications.  Techniques and methodologies employed by Ajax have been around for much longer then the recent popularity of Ajax.  The problem with Ajax is that the best frameworks out there are free and open source.  Microsoft ASP.NET team have published ASP.NET Ajax, a collection of ASP.NET controls and utilities to make writing Ajax based web applications easily with the .NET Platform.

It is quite interesting that Silverlight is being marketed as a new way to develop rich web applications, I say this because it makes me wonder where do Microsoft leaders see ASP.NET.  The traditional ASP.NET does not seem to have a place within the new Microsoft strategy.   There have been Microsoft people quoted around the blogsphere saying AJAX is dead.  Now it took Microsoft a long time to respond to the Ajax idea and they have with release of ASP.NET Ajax, but with Silverlight coming, I guess Microsoft see ASP.NET as just a way to deliver the data, using web services, etc, and leaving the interface and user interaction to Silverlight.

Adobe has announced that Flex will be released under the Open Source license, if Microsoft wants to even slightly unseat Flash with their Silverlight attempt, they must follow suite.  Microsoft .NET Framework being open source would be a wonderful step forward, but somehow I don’t see this being done.

Flash is here already, it has been around for a long time.   Flex utilizes this great position and being open source would only strengthen the appeal of using Flex over Silverlight.

It seems to me that Microsoft leaders are realizing that Google and Yahoo and Co.  are really starting to make a significant impact on their bottom line.  I mean sure Windows is not going anywhere in a hurry, but Google is putting office tools online, for free.  Google runs their entire system on an army of cheep PCs and you get bet these are not running Windows.

Silverlight is just one in a latest attempts by Microsoft to sharpen its direction somewhat.  It is an interesting technology, but it is not ground braking.  Lets face it, for what most people do online a well developed Ajax interface with Ruby on Rails backend and a well configured linux server can  deliver just a meaningful and powerful user experience despite the fact that Silverlight or Flex can as well.

Its good to see the web environment alive again with new products and development tools.  I just hope that in the spirit of the Web 2.0 Microsoft use open protocols and foster collaboration and communications between systems.

For more information on Silverlight the best place is the Silverlight Community Homepage.

I never knew that Windows XP can be used as a VPN Server as well as a VPN Client.
In order to setup Windows XP as a VPN Server simply follow the steps outlined below:

• Go to Start/Settings/Network Connections
• Start the New Connection Wizard and click Next
• Select Set up advanced connection and click Next
  
• Click on Accept incoming connections and click Next
• At the LPT1 page, just click on the Next button, nothing needs to be selected.
• Click on Allow virtual private connection and then click the Next Button
  
• Add user accounts that you want to be able to connect to your WindowsXP computer and then click the Next button.
• Highlight Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click on Properties
• Determine how you want the remote computers to get their IP address. Remember to make sure the range is same as within the local LAN.

If the is behind a router, Port Mapping may need to be done. Standard port 1723 is used for PPTP. You might also need to configure your router for PPTP passthrough. Port used for IPSec is 500, 50-51. These ports will have to be forwarded to the VPN server’s IP