I have to admit to being completely unsurprised at this announcement: Boeing to end in-flight Internet service.

The problem was always going to be the price. Today's computer users, business and consumer, are getting used to the idea of free WiFi when outside the home or office. If I go to numerous cafes, restaurants and many airports and other locations, I can get free, unfettered, Internet access through my WiFi connection. Even hotels are beginning to realize that the costs charged for a weeks Internet access (which can often be as much per day as a month of ADSL access at home) are putting people off paying.

TV recording through some kind of computing device is very popular, and as Made to order MythTV states:

You can buy a TiVo, a TiVo-like video recorder, or a Microsoft Media center PC, but who knows how long you'll be able to keep/record all your shows - so - I usually try and get folks to take MythTV for a swing, an open source alternative.

I've been recording shows digitally now for more than three years. I originally used three boxes running Windows XP that ranSnapStream in the server room, with a Windows XP based box running on a Mini-ITX system in the lounge. It was comparatively quiet, but still need ventilation and the fan was annoying.

TV recording through some kind of computing device is very popular, and as Made to order MythTV states:

You can buy a TiVo, a TiVo-like video recorder, or a Microsoft Media center PC, but who knows how long you'll be able to keep/record all your shows - so - I usually try and get folks to take MythTV for a swing, an open source alternative.

I've been recording shows digitally now for more than three years. I originally used three boxes running Windows XP that ranSnapStream in the server room, with a Windows XP based box running on a Mini-ITX system in the lounge. It was comparatively quiet, but still need ventilation and the fan was annoying.

About a year ago, I started planning some changes to the IT infrastructure here at the home office. For years, I have had a huge number of servers, largely to support the work I do across different platforms. However, as more and more OS seem to gravitate towards x86 and with virtualization like VMware and Parallels becoming easier to use and more efficient, I've found I can easily start reducing the number of servers, and the number of platforms to, basically, one: x86.

My problem is one actually experienced by many companies; they need a server but can't afford to dedicate a single room to the task of holding the box, so it has to live somewhere in the office. Even in an office where there are lots of computers already, having a quiet and efficient solution helps to lower the ambient noise in the room.

About a year ago, I started planning some changes to the IT infrastructure here at the home office. For years, I have had a huge number of servers, largely to support the work I do across different platforms. However, as more and more OS seem to gravitate towards x86 and with virtualization like VMware and Parallels becoming easier to use and more efficient I've found I can easily start reducing the number of servers, and the number of platforms to, basically, one: x86.

My problem is one actually experienced by many companies; they need a server but can't afford to dedicate a single room to the task of holding the box, so it has to live somewhere in the office. Even in an office where there are lots of computers already, having a quiet and efficient solution helps to lower the ambient noise in the room.

While reading LinuxJournal (I think) the other day, I came across an advert for ATA over Ethernet (AoE), from Coraid.

I'd never heard of it before but, as someone in the process of updating the machinery from big and noisy servers that sit in my office to something quieter (of which more another day), the thought of having remote access to some large disk over the network, without having to relocate a potentially noisy box elsewhere, appeals.

Many will be shouting 'Network Attached Storage' (NAS) about now, but I have problems with NAS. The first is that most do not support NFS, a problem in a network with a large number of Unix and Linux servers, rather than Windows boxes (which of course is supported by all of them). My second issue is just one of additional expense; I already have servers, adding another just for storage seems excessive when I could just extend the space I have on the servers I already have.

While reading LinuxJournal (I think) the other day, I came across an advert for ATA over Ethernet (AoE), from Coraid.

I'd never heard of it before, but as someone in the process of updating the machinery from big, and noisy servers that sit in my office to something quieter (of which more another day). The thought of having remote access to some large disk over the network, without having to relocate a potentially noisy box elsewhere appeals.

Many will be shouting 'Network Attached Storage' (NAS) about now, but I have problems with NAS. The first is that most do not support NFS, a problem in a network with a large number of Unix and Linux servers, rather than Windows boxes (which of course is supported by all of them). My second issue is just one of additional expense; I already have servers, adding another just for storage seems excessive when I could just extend the space I have on the servers I already have.