 Draw.io
Draw.io, now widely recognized as diagrams.net, represents a significant leap forward in the realm of digital diagramming tools. Launched to provide a user-friendly, web-based platform for creating and sharing diagrams, it has become a go-to solution for professionals and hobbyists alike. Its inception was driven by the need for a versatile, accessible, and cost-effective diagramming solution that could operate across multiple platforms without the constraints of traditional desktop software.
The core philosophy behind Draw.io has always been about removing barriers. By offering a comprehensive suite of diagramming tools without any cost, it democratized access to high-quality diagramming resources. Users can create flowcharts, process diagrams, organizational charts, UML diagrams, and much more, with ease and precision. The integration capabilities with popular platforms like Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, and Dropbox further emphasize its flexibility and commitment to user convenience, allowing for seamless collaboration and sharing.
Noteworthy among its features are:
- Extensive library of shapes and templates for various diagram types, facilitating quick and efficient diagram creation.
- Collaborative features enabling multiple users to work on a single diagram in real time, enhancing teamwork and productivity.
- Cloud storage integration with Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox, ensuring easy access and secure backup of diagrams.
- Export options in multiple formats, including PNG, JPEG, PDF, and SVG, providing flexibility in how diagrams are shared and presented.
- Continuous updates and improvements, with an open-source development model that encourages community feedback and contributions.
The evolution of Draw.io into diagrams.net signifies not just a rebranding, but a reaffirmation of its mission to provide an open, accessible, and powerful diagramming tool for everyone. Its a testament to how technology can be leveraged to make complex tasks simpler and collaborative projects more accessible. As it continues to evolve, diagrams.net stands as a beacon of innovation in the diagramming space, constantly adapting to the needs of its users and the dynamics of the digital world.
 Today the future of internet begins - and open source is readyCompanies world-wide start to embrace the new standard for communication on the internet; the Internet Protocol version 6 - also known as IPv6. IPv6 will at some point replace existing IPv4 which have been used to transport our data through the internet for more than 30 years.
The main reason to switch is that IPv4 only allows around 4 billion internet addresses. In order for one device to communicate with another on the internet each of them has to have a unique internet address (IP address). With the number of devices currently on the market - computers, smartphones, smart tvs and set-top boxes - we are already out of addresses. However, clever manipulation allows some devices to share IP addresses with other devices, but this is not an ideal situation. The sharing of addresses makes it difficult for devices to communicate freely on the internet, thus limited functionality.
IPv6 solves the IP address issue simply by introducing a new type of IP address that can handle 3.4e+38 - or 4 billion times 4 billion times 4 billion times 4 billion. It a huge number - difficult for most people to understand. But lets just assume that we will not be running out of IP address ever again.
Today (6/6/12) was been chosen by the Internet Society to mark the launch of IPv6 . IPv6 has been around for many years but the deployment very limited - and mainly used for research within companies and institutions. ISP, hosting providers and other companies on the internet have been repluctant to start offering services on IPv6, primarily because of the investment required both in hardware, software and training.
The Internet Society on the other hand has tried to initiate a movement encouraging ISP, webiste and hardware vendors to take the leap to IPv6 anyway - and thus promote their businesses by using cutting-edge technology.
Another reason why IPv6 has taken such a long time to be accepted is that it is not compatible with IPv4, even though they can exist side by side. But not being compatible means that every piece of software communicating on the internet has to be re-written to support IPv6. Luckily, a lot of software already supports IPv6 - and especially open source software. The communities around each of the open source projects have a natural interest to support new features; and many projects strive to be forerunners in these areas.
On Open Source Alternative we have tagged each open source project that supports IPv6 with an IPv6 tag - making it easy to see and search for software that supports IPv6. A list of all IPv6 enabled open source projects is available here: Open source alternatives with IPv6 support
One of the most important projects is Apache - the open source web server that hosts almost 2/3 of all websites on the internet. Apache is also the web server used by Open Source Alternative to make our website available on both IPv4 and IPv6. The software, however, gets you nowhere, unless your hosting provider also supports IPv6, which is the reason why Osalt switched to Linode VPS for great hosting and IPv6 connectivity to the internet.
On the other end of a connection to an IPv6 webserver is of course an IPv6 web browser. Again, the open source community has the answer in terms of Firefox and Google Chrome.
If you want to explore the new world of IPv6 - either check if you ISP offers IPv6 or visit http://www.tunnelbroker.net/
Finally, you can also just wait, because sooner of later IPv6 will come to you...
NeverNoteNevernote was created in response to popular demand of Linux users. A clone of Evernote, it was originally intended for Linux but can also run on Windows. Nevernote is a note-saving program that also lets you save photos, sound files and documents.
One of the first things a person will notice is that the interface, written in Java, is not slick and attractive. It is, however, very functional and does exactly what it is supposed to do. The interface is very easy to interact with and largely self-explanatory, making for a very short learning time. You'll see different sorting options; for instance, if you click on a tag like "business meetings" you will see all the notes you've made for that subject as well as photos you took of presentation material, etc. In the largest space on the screen the actual note you selected appears.
Nevernote will sync your notes and other saves across all your computer, iPad and SmartPhone. You can save notes, photos, anything you see or hear and even leave yourself a voice memo if you like. Just type a note and it is saved automatically.
At this time, Nevernote doesn't have Ink Notes; you cannot write in cursive or print and have it show up on your Android or be able to edit them on your iPad. However, you can make ink notes on your computer and file them for future reference. You will also find that the search function is adequate but the more specific you are in titling your notes the easier it is for the search function to find them.
Nevernote is an easy to use, viable alternative to those Linux users who want a program nearly exactly like Evernote.
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