California State Senator Proposes Funding Open-Source Textbooks

http://politics.slashdot.org/story/12/01/05/1615210/california-state-senator-proposes-funding-open-source-textbooks?utm_source=feedburnerGoogle+Feedfetcher&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Slashdot%2Fslashdot+%28Slashdot%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

 - Slashdot

"Although former Governor Schwarzenegger's free digital textbook initiative for K-12 education was a failure, state senator Darrell Steinberg has a new idea for the state-subsidized publication of college textbooks (details in the PDF links at the bottom). Newspaper editorialsseem positive. It will be interesting to see if this works any better at the college level than it did for K-12, where textbook selection has traditionally been very bureaucratic. This is also different from Schwarzenegger's FDTI because Steinberg proposes spending state money to help create the books. The K-12 version suffered from legal uncertainty about the Williams case, which requires equal access to books for all students — many of whom might not have computers at home. At the symposium where the results of the FDTI's first round were announced, it became apparent that the only businesses interested in participating actively were not the publishers but computer manufacturers like Dell and Apple, who wanted to sell lots of hardware to schools."

Bossie Awards 2011: The best open source software of the year

http://www.infoworld.com/print/171567

For a healthy sampling of open source success, just follow the links below to profiles of InfoWorld's 2011 Bossie Award winners:
Bossie Awards 2011: The best open source applications [5]
Bossie Awards 2011: The best open source desktop and mobile software [6]
Bossie Awards 2011: The best open source application development software [7]
Bossie Awards 2011: The best open source data center and cloud software [8]

The Web is the biggest open source success of all

http://royal.pingdom.com/2011/01/10/the-web-is-the-biggest-open-source-success-of-all/

Posted in Main on January 10th, 2011 by Pingdom

The open source movement is a popular one, and it's certainly made its mark on the software landscape. But where has it made its biggest mark? What is the most successful open source endeavor of all time?

Actually, when you see it as a whole, isn't the Web the biggest open source success of them all?

Perhaps the most famous example is the LAMP stack that lies behind so many websites, i.e. Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP. But there's so much more when you think about it.

Here are some of the open source projects that make the Web tick.

Web browsers

While Microsoft's closed source Internet Explorer still has a big share of the web browser market, open source alternatives are just as common these days, and they are growing. We have Mozilla'sFirefox, which is open source, and then there's the rapid rise of Webkit-based browsers such as Safari, but most notably Chrome.

Add to this the mobile Web, where Webkit powers the browsers on iPhone, Android and Blackberry.

Web server software

The most-used web server software by far is Apache, which is open source, and a lightweight alternative called nginx has become quite popular in recent years. In fact, two out of the three top web servers are open source (the exception being Microsoft's IIS at a distant number two).

Then there's plenty of other server-side plumbing that is open source. For example, many high-traffic websites use Varnish as a caching layer towards website visitors, and Memcached as a caching layer against the website's database. And these are just two examples of many.

Scripting languages and web frameworks

Most of the programming and scripting languages used on the Web, like PHP, Perl, Python, Ruby, are open source projects.

But few sites start completely from scratch. There are literally hundreds of open source content management systems and web frameworks out there to help developers, for example WordPress,Drupal, Ruby on Rails, Django, Joomla! and more.

Databases

The open source software MySQL is by far the most popular database choice for websites. There are also other open source alternatives, for example PostgreSQL, not to mention a host of open source "NoSQL" options that are cropping up lately.

Oh, and while we're talking about plumbing, we must not forget one of the very basics we rely on every single time we use anything on the Web or the Internet:

DNS

The Web (and the whole Internet for that matter) would be pretty useless without the Domain Name System. You know, that thing that makes it possible for you to use names like example.com instead of IP addresses. BIND is pretty much the de facto standard software for DNS servers (a.k.a. name servers), and is, as you might guess by now, open source.

Server operating systems

All those websites have to run on servers, and open source dominates here as well. While Windows dominates on the desktop, the servers our websites run on mostly use Linux, which is open source. Other popular options are freeBSD and OpenBSD.

The open source appeal

It's not so strange that open source software has become so popular when in many cases it can provide quality alternatives to commercial, closed source software, but for free. Free is a hard price to beat.

The Web would most likely have had a much harder time becoming widely accepted without all this freely available software to run it all on.

Please note that we're not saying that there isn't any closed source on the Web. There obviously is. But the only real exception from the open source domination of the Web, statistically speaking, is Microsoft's stack of Windows-based alternatives.

Other than that, you usually need to go really deep to get into more proprietary closed source technology, like the operating systems on routers and such. But that's the Internet, not the Web.

Final words

Thanks to the rise of the Internet in the 80s, facilitating communication, collaboration and sharing, the open source movement blossomed. When the Web was born on top of the infrastructure of the Internet in the 90s, the open source movement was already in place to help.

No one can deny that open source powers the majority of the Web. Open source and the Web live in a symbiotic relationship, feeding off each other, nurturing each other.

That's why we think that the Web is arguably the greatest open source success to date. (Not to take anything away from Tim Berners-Lee.)

6 Free Open Source Shopping Cart Software Options

http://www.ecommerce-guide.com//article.php/3668061

— eCommerce-Guide.com

By Matt Jackson

May 4, 2011

Updated on 05/04/2011

Open source shopping cart software is a big deal for a new merchant (or online retailer). One of the most alarming factors when starting your online retail business is the cost associated with commercial and proprietary shopping cart software.

While you can pay a few extra dollars for shopping cart software when signing up for a hosting Web server account, these subscription-based plans don't always offer the shopping cart functionality or design options that meet business needs. For the budget-strained new start-up, this is where open source software comes in to play.

Why Choose Open Source Shopping Cart Software?

Open source software refers to a program in which the source code is available to the general public for use and/or modification from its original design free of charge. Basically, many like-minded programmers create software that costs nothing for you to use and it can also be edited just as freely. The result of this collaboration of professional programmers is called open source software and it can be as feature-rich as its commercial competitors. Best of all, of course, it's free.

Generically, open source refers to a program in which the source code is available to the general public for use and/or modification from its original design free of charge, i.e., open. Open source code is typically created as a collaborative effort in which programmers improve upon the code and share the changes within the community. Open source sprouted in the technological community as a response to proprietary software owned by corporations.

Open source software is not a new concept, but it was once considered to be lacking in features and incredibly difficult to install without the help of a trained professional. However, now many open source shopping carts are as intuitive as commercial solutions. And, with such a vibrant and active open source community backing the software, there are many options available and lots of support should you need it. To help you decide what's a good fit for you, we've highlighted the features from six of the best open source shopping carts we would recommend.

Open Source Shopping Cart #1: osCommerce

osCommerce is one of the most widely used and highly respected open source shopping cart tools available. The software itself has been developed and improved over the years and new additions and add-ons are submitted on a daily basis. The result is a user-friendly, secure and stable ecommerce shopping cart. osCommerce is one of the beste-commerce solutions available. If it doesn't have a feature you want, and that's unlikely because we've only scratched the surface in this article, then check out the online community because you are virtually guaranteed that somebody somewhere has instructions on how to achieve it.

Easy Shopping Cart Installation: Installation is a breeze; completed entirely through your Internet browser. All features and functions are enabled automatically giving you complete use of the software within minutes of downloading it.

Category and Product Management: There are no limitations in terms of the number of categories or products that you can add. Whether you want to sell just a handful of items or open up the next giant online shopping center, it's your choice. You are also free to sell physical products or digital products according to your own business needs. Search features make it easy for your visitors to quickly and intuitively find products they desire.

Design Implementation and Modification: The design of the front-end software can be easily altered. By using a template structure, osCommerce enables you to change certain aspects of your entire site without having to alter every individual page. You can even link products to display in "similar items" sections and you can automatically display "special offer" items and any other promotions.

Payment Integration: Payment integration is easy. As well as integrating credit/debit cards, checks, and other offline payment methods, osCommerce can be integrated with PayPal, 2CheckOut and many more online payment processors.

Shopping Cart Add-ons: To date there are over 6,500 add-ons available for free to customize osCommerce online stores to help increase sales.

• Recommended osCommerce Reading: osCommerce Version 3, OS Commerce: The True Cost of Free Carts, Starting Your Own E-Business: Choosing a Platform

Open Source Shopping Cart #2: Zen Shopping Cart

The Zen shopping cart is another feature-packed, simple-to-use solution backed by a very strong community. As well as offering the same template design structure as osCommerce, Zen Cart offers an excellent range of advanced features that go beyond the general realms of shopping cart functionality. An e-mail and newsletter manager is a very beneficial tool and the flexibility in product and price options is also excellent.

Shopping Cart Installation: Setting up is simple. The installer queries the main Zen Cart database and server to discover the specific requirements for your installation. You don't need to be technically savvy or have any knowledge of programming. As long as you know how to install software and use a browser, you can use Zen Cart.

Inventory and Catalog Management: Unlimited categories, sub categories and products are supported and product option boxes can be added in the shape of radio buttons, drop-down menus and more. Flexibility is the key to successful e-commerce and Zen Cart doesn't just recognize this, it openly encourages it. You can offer discounts according to the number of items a customer buys, you can set a minimum or maximum order level and the price can be determined according to the options that your shoppers choose. You can even implement sale prices according to category, region or individual products.

Customer Retention Tools and Features: Customer retention is important. Zen Cart offers a number of beneficial tools to help improve or maximize your retention levels. Gift certificates, order tracking, referral tracking, newsletter management and customer registration options are just some of the features you can implement on your site.

Payment Processing and Gateway Options: Offline and online payment processing can be fully and easily integrated into a Zen Cart e-store. Again, popular online processors like PayPal and 2CheckOut can be offered to your customers. All in all, Zen Cart is a powerful e- commerce tool with a lot of beneficial features and easy installation.

• Recommended Zen Cart Reading: Starting Your Own E-Business: Choosing a Platform, A New Breed of Open Source Shopping Carts, Open Source: Noteworthy Newcomers

Open Source Shopping Cart #3: Agora Shopping Cart

AgoraCart is an open source shopping cart offered by Agora, and it is a good one. The shopping cart and catalog can be completely customized to exactly match your requirements thanks to the use of CSS files. This also enables you to change the look and feel of your entire site in just a few minutes and with just one or two changes.

Managing Your Inventory: Categories and products are again unlimited and the flexibility is astounding. As well as being able to add as many categories and as much merchandise as you like, you can manage virtually every aspect of each category. Products can also be handled individually or in batches. You can change the display of products according to their categories, enabling longer descriptions, more images or many other variables. You can even change the design according to the "department" that your customers are viewing.

Merchant Storefront Features: AgoraCart offers a number of order processing and order management features that will help merchants in running their online store. This includes support for multiple payment types, automatic sale stax calculation, order tracking, printable packing slips and more.

Payment Options and Summary: All major offline and online gateways are supported. This includes AgoraPay, set up and maintained by the same company. PayPal integration is also supported. Agora Cart is a very good shopping cart system that can hold its own against Open Source and commercial packages. The community regularly holds competitions to find the best add-ons for the cart, proving that a vibrant and helpful support network exists.

• Recommended Agora Shopping Cart Reading: Starting Your Own E-Business: Choosing a Platform

Open Source Shopping Cart #4: NoPCart

NopCart, created by NopDesign, is an extremely simple shopping cart application with the main difference when compared to others being that it is written entirely in JavaScript. This means you can use it on your Web site without having to have CGI access. One potential drawback is that NopCart is lacking in some of the more advanced features. It is only really possible to update basic product information, tax information and a minimum order level.

Simplicity Is Key: However, what NopCart lacks in functionality it more than makes up for in simplicity. Installation is a breeze, with only two files actually required for a standard English language installation. Other language packs are included with the download.

Client-Side JavaScript Application: NopCart is a client side application and this means less load on your server. You should seriously consider using NopCart as your shopping cart software if you have a small site or you already have it packed with files and pages.

Summary: Support is fairly limited for this mostly open-source program. However, its simplicity means that you are unlikely to suffer anything that hasn't already been identified and conquered by the forum users. Overall, it is an excellent and extremely quick way to add shopping cart functions to your Web site.

• Recommended NoPCart Reading: Starting Your Own E-Business: Choosing a Platform, Tips When Considering Open Source Software

Open Source Shopping Cart #5: Commerce.Cgi

Commerce.Cgi is one of the oldest and best established of all e-commerce applications. Nearly 10 years have passed since it became the first Perl shopping basket, and being open source, that means a huge amount of development has ensued. As well as a mass of features, Commerce.Cgi provides a backend system that is simple to install and even simpler to manage.

General Cart Features: Included among the quite staggering list of features is the option to offer unlimited products in any amount of categories. You also have the capability to manage a newsletter, offer loyalty promotions and gift certificates, include product reviews and pictures, and much more.

Shopping Cart Options: Full shipping options can be added and amended. This gives you the freedom to charge different shipping amounts depending on location and set a number of other invaluable options. It is compatible with all major online payment processors including PayPal and Authorize.net.

Support: The level of support is also extremely impressive considering this is an open source project. In the support forum you can have questions answered by the community as well as by Commerce.Cgi professionals.

Summary: Commerce.Cgi is one of the oldest and most highly revered e-commerce solutions, and is open source software. Despite being free, it offers an incredible range of features combined with simple installation and a surprising level of support from the support forums.

• Recommended Commerce.Cgi Reading: Starting Your Own E-Business: Choosing a Platform

Open Source Shopping Cart #6: CRE Loaded

CRE Loaded offers several paid/supported shopping cart solutions but the PCI CE Shopping Cart is an open source shopping cart that is open source, community supported and free to use. Store owners who are strong do-it-yourselfers will benefit from less programming and more control.

Shopping Cart Options: The CRE Loaded Community Edition (CE) is a PCI Compliant shopping cart. It includes the CRE Secure PCI Compliant Payment System and many shopping cart options such as account creation, order editing and management, cross-selling, shipping modules, templates and more.

Support: More than 50 community contributions make CRE Loaded (CE) a complete starter application for small business. Support is community-based and available via the CRE forums. If you like the cart you can switch to a fully supported CRE Loaded cart.

Summary: This cart is recommended for ecommerce sites that were developed for the SOHO (small office, home office) store owner who wants to add transactional capabilities to an existing website.

• Recommended CRE Loaded Reading: Open Source: CRE Loaded 6.31 Released...for A Price, Can Iozzia Get the CRE Loaded Love Back?, Social Shopping Gaining, CRE Loaded Half Off

Why Open Source Software Spells Success

Establishing an ecommerce website doesn't have to be an expensive job. In addition to saving you money, using open source shopping cart software can prove more effective and beneficial than commercial software because skilled programmers release new source code and additions to the software on a regular basis. You are free to pick this code up and use it on your own site at no charge. This means that open source shopping cart software always has the functions that e-store owners want.

More Open Source Shopping Cart Software Resources

We've only covered five of the most well known Open Source carts. If you want more, then visit the SourceForge.netWeb site, which not only contains Open Source shopping carts, but a vast range of other applications that may be of use to you. You can also learn more about open source shopping cart software in the following articles from Ecommerce-Guide, Small Business Computing and other internet.com sites.

• Open Source E-Commerce: Twelve Promising Programs
• Open Source's Commercial Future
• E-Commerce Cart News Round Up
• Shopping cart software defined
• What is open source software?
• 58 Open Source Software Apps for Small Business
• 10 Tips When Considering Open Source Software
• Starting Your Own E-Business: Choosing a Platform

Top 20 Open Source Applications to Cut Business Costs

http://itmanagement.earthweb.com/osrc/print.php/3919961

— Datamation.com

By Matt Hartley
January 10, 2011

In this economy, employees who can save their employers money are highly regarded and will potentially be in line for advancement. Using open source technology is one great way to help your company cut down on costs across the board.

In this article, I'll share twenty great open source applications that can help save your employer some money.

1) eZ Publish: Rather than paying a small fortune for a decent Web Content Management System, why not look to eZ Publish instead? Designed to work with businesses needing to push out multiple channels of content easily, eZ Publish takes it one step further with one of the best portal/front page management solutions available in the open source space.

2) Talend Open Studio: Managing data is more than mere content management, CRM or working with databases. These days, there is business modeling, graphical development and real-time deployment issues that must be considered within the modern enterprise realm. Even more importantly, there needs to be an effective software suite that allows the end user to roll all of this up into one usable tool. Talend Open Studio is one potential solution that, based on its feature set, might be the perfect fit for a business in need. Data integration, data migration and data synchronization operations are all things addressed by this software suite.

3) KnowledgeTree Document Management System: Despite Google Docs being all the rage for many growing businesses these days, there's still enough concern over privacy that other businesses are looking into open source alternatives. Note that I'm not talking about Open Office/Libre Office here, but rather a solution that has many of the advantages one might find with the collaborative goodness of Google Docs.

The cleverly named Knowledge Tree provides its users with all of the collaborative tools a company might need, while allowing the enterprise user the freedom to either use their pro version or host it themselves. Some advanced features, however, may not be available in the community edition.

4) Wordpress MU: Designed to provide the ultimate blog platform for a multiple user base situation, many companies may find that using Wordpress MU is the perfect tool to get enterprise level content creation to become a regular part of the work week.

And thanks to the recent blending of MU (Wordpress multiple user) with the main Wordpress project, you'll be seeing the blogging platform updated more frequently now. This sits well with both the functionality and security in running a strong multiple user friendly CMS.

5) Pentaho: When it comes to analyzing business intelligence there is a baffling multitude of options. What's worse is seeing businesses paying absorbent amounts of money in licensing fees just to run these applications. Stop and consider going with Pentaho instead. It offers integration, analysis and reporting all from one suite, available in an open source package.

6) SugarCRM: Customer relationship management (CRM) is a great tool because in today's workplace, working through customer relations effectively is more critical than ever. But rather than forking over funds for software that isn't that great in the first place, why not get the same functionality from an open source alternative like SugarCRM?

And like most open source enterprise software, you can pay as much or as little as you choose. Want to go at it alone? SugarCRM allows for this with a zero-cost download. Want to run with some professional functionality? Again, you can choose a pricing package that meets your companies needs instead of the typical one-price-fits-all kind of approach.

7) Zencart: So many businesses these days are working within the e-commerce space that having the right tools in place is among the most important things to consider. This is why using a product like Zencart makes more sense than going it alone. You may start out paying for the service, only to later run the show yourself with this open source solution.

Again, the freedom of software using the open source approach is very empowering. This is especially true if you want to take something Zencart is doing, make it better and run it on your own terms. Complete with plenty of great add-ons to further extend functionality, Zencart is a great place to start in handling your company's e-commerce needs.

8) Eucalyptus: Tired of waiting for someone else to run web services the way you need them to work? Fine, take Eucalyptus and make it happen yourself for your own company. You'll be able to put your company's software into the "cloud" while maintaining control of how it happens – while not bowing to Google or Microsoft in the process.

9) Zenoss: Systems management doesn't have to be a private, proprietary affair. No, in fact you can use trusted, controllable open source software from Zenoss instead. The basic idea behind this tool is that you should have one suite of tools to handle systems management, rather than dancing between half a dozen just to do the same job.

10) Asterisk: Using a proprietary solution PBX system to handle communications is becoming terribly inefficient from a cost perspective. Even with the collective cost of support in using open source options, you will end up with a more adaptable setup using a PBX product like Asterisk rather than something proprietary based.

Obviously the ideal setup is having the right support for your Asterisk system in-house, but even if you don't, you can shop around for the best price if support should become necessary. With proprietary solutions, perhaps not so much.

11) Vicidial: Asterisk is very powerful and makes for a strong PBX product, but there are some fantastic add-ons that can make it even better. Vicidial is one such example. Designed to make predictive calling affordable, Vicidial is nice because it fits nicely into the existing communication structure, rather than trying to layer together a few different expensive proprietary products.

12) Openproj: There are always a variety of open source options for virtually any enterprise application you can think of. Project management software is certainly no exception to this rule. Openproj is one such solution and, despite its recent acquisition from Serena Software, it's said that Openproj will continue to be made available to all who are looking for a strong project management suite.

13) Openmeetings: It seems that acquisitions are in the air right now, with another open source meeting solutions being bought up by Salesforce. Luckily, Openmeetings is still free from this trend and, unlike DimDim, it's not tossing their users out like yesterday's newspaper.

What makes using Openmeetings so exciting is its embrace of other open source solutions like Moodle and SugarCRM. This means that conducting meetings that involve contact info or scheduling can be done easily, thanks to some forward thinking from the developers.

14) MediaWiki: If you're looking to run a wiki for your company and would like to use the same kind of functionality found with the Wikipedia project, then I 'd suggest you take a hard look at MediaWiki. Known to be the nuts and bolts behind the super-successful portal Wikipedia, MediaWiki is easily among the best of the open source Wiki solutions available today.

15) LimeSurvey: Simple, yet very powerful and effective is how I would describe the open source LimeSurvey software. It makes creating an open source enabled online survey relatively simple. Rather than fighting with ad-filled, sloppy alternatives, LimeSurvey ensures you're not potentially infecting your customers with questionable code or malware of some sort.

16) OpenBravo: Said to be among one of the best ERP (enterprise resource planning) software suites available, OpenBravo allows you to dedicate your funding to other mission critical projects and leave the ERP stuff to this solid open source option. This software suite comes complete with built in Integrated Accounting, Sales & CRM, Procurement, Inventory, Production, and Project & Service Management solutions.

17) Ekiga: "Skype for SIP fans" is how I've heard Ekiga described by some of its fanbase in recent years. Definitely the strongest Skype alternative I've ever used, I also love the fact that it works extremely well when used over a LAN. So you can communicate with others in the office, in addition to using its Skype-like functionality.

18) Dolphin Smart Community Builder: Rather than placing the your social networking needs into the whims of Facebook or Twitter exclusively, consider adding Dolphin Smart Community Builder to your social media strategy. The software is perfect for creating and managing dating sites, social networking portals and other similar niche communities where your company is in complete control from Day One. This is much more than a mere social media tool – it's a full-on community building software.

19) Compiere Community Edition: Because it never hurts to include more than one ERP suite in a list like this, Compiere Community Edition is a good alternative for any company not interested in using OpenBravo. Despite the push for buying the paid edition(s) of the software, Compiere's community edition does provide quite a bit of ERP functionality that users need within the enterprise realm.

20) Otrs: Like most concepts in the open source help desk area, it's safe to say there is never a silver bullet here. But for what it's worth, I think that Otrs is pretty darned close to being perfect for the needs of most companies. What makes using Otrs so powerful is that this is much more than mere help desk software. It also provides for sales/pre-sales support, billing and internal IT support as well.

What You Need to Know Before You Buy Hearing Aids

http://www.ldrc.ca/contents/view_article/303/

Article Topics: Phonemic awareness, Voice, Speech,
Article types: Editorial,

Submitted By: Henry Smith

View Submitter's Profile (henry_smith)

In preparation for meeting with a hearing aid dispenser to buy hearing aids, there are a few steps you should take to ensure that you get the most out of the visit. Most importantly, you should not only have had a complete hearing test administered but you should also have had your test results explained to you in detail. Make sure you have the results handy so you can bring them to discuss with the hearing aid dispenser. In addition, it may be helpful to make a prioritized list of the concerns that you have and the benefits that you wish to get from your hearing aid. You should also call your insurance provider to find out ahead of time if any part of your purchase or any of your fittings will be covered. Unfortunately, most insurance companies do not offer coverage when you buy hearing aids, but some do, and it is important to ask. Finally, if you feel it is necessary, recruit a friend or family member to come with you to the hearing aid dispenser - someone who has no problem saying no to high-pressure sales tactics, should the situation arise. At the Dispenser's Office When you are at the dispenser's office, if you are still unclear about the meaning of your hearing test results, ask about them first and be sure that you understand the answers completely. Next, bring out your prioritized list and ask the hearing aid dispenser to discuss it with you. You should be able to find out which items on your list you can reasonably expect when you buy your hearing aids, and which may not be possible to achieve with your particular level of hearing loss. Then, the hearing aid dispenser should discuss the sizes of hearing aids that are available to you and which have the most benefit for your situation. If you have limited dexterity - such as from arthritis or complications from diabetes - you may wish to buy hearing aids that have larger, easier-to-use controls. If mobility is not an issue for you, you may instead look to buy hearing aids that are smaller and less visible. Next, find out from the hearing aid dispenser which extras or options are available with the hearing aid models that work best for your needs, and find out how much these cost. Consider which options you will actually use, and which are not worth the extra money. For example, if you are in noisy situations many times during the week - you like to go to restaurants, or you work in a noisy environment - then you may want to buy hearing aids that have a directional microphone. If, on the other hand, you rarely leave your home or you are rarely in loud situations, then you may not need to spend the money on this feature. Pricing At this point in the discussion, ask about the price of the hearing aid that you are considering - and get that price in writing. Do not feel pressured by a sales person who quotes you one price, and then offers you a discount "if you buy the hearing aids right now." Make sure that the price you are quoted will remain the same for an established period of time - you should be able to leave the office of the hearing aid dispenser in order to think about your purchase for a day or two, and you should able to return at a later time when you are ready to buy hearing aids at the quoted price. Warranties When you buy hearing aids, it is also important to find out about any warranties offered. Ask how long the warranty lasts and what it covers. You should also find out how much it costs to extend the warranty beyond its initial coverage period, and whether the warranty covers repairs only, or whether it also covers loss or remakes for fit problems. Ask the hearing aid dispenser to explain the entire warranty to you in detail until you feel comfortable that you understand what is being offered. In addition, you should ask what happens when your warranty expires. What types of fees will the hearing aid dispenser charge you for any repairs when that time period ends? Also find out what type of warranty is given on repairs - ideally you will be given a new six month warranty after any repair is performed. Many manufacturers will charge a flat rate for certain repairs, but may require additional fees if a case needs to be remade or other more complex changes need to be performed. Find out this information before you buy hearing aids. Return Policies and Restocking Fees You should also ask about the return-for-credit policy that the hearing aid dispenser has. Federal law mandates that when you buy hearing aids, you be able to return them within 30 days, for any reason at all, and some dispensers will extend this timeframe to 60 days or longer. However, you also need to find out if a restocking fee will be charged if you do decide to make a return. A 10 percent restocking fee may not sound like much, but if the hearing aid costs you $3,000, you will be charged $300 for your return. Look for a hearing aid dispenser that charges a reasonable fee, or, ideally, no fee at all for returns. Additional Important Questions Digital hearing aids will require fine-tuning of their internal programming, and you may need to return to the hearing aid dispenser several times until the hearing aid sounds best to you. Ask how many of these visits are included when you buy hearing aids from that vendor - often three or four will be included, which is usually sufficient - and how much additional visits will cost. Finally, find out the upgrade policy of the hearing aid dispenser. If a new hearing aid product is introduced within a certain period of time, will the dispenser allow you to purchase that for a reduced fee? Will you be allowed to trade in your current hearing aid for the newer model? Try to find a hearing aid dispenser who offers some sort of upgrade policy when you buy hearing aids. At this point in the conversation, you may think it's time to buy your hearing aids, but, actually, it is not. You may be surprised to hear this, but you should be able to walk out of the office, go home, and think everything you have learned. Do not let anyone pressure you into making a purchase on the spot. Instead, before you buy hearing aids, comparison shop, as you would for any other product. Ask different dispensers what they offer and how their products compare to others. And do not make a purchase from someone with whom you do not feel completely comfortable. If you follow the guidelines discussed above, you will be able to weed out the high-pressure salespeople and the bait-and-switch pricing tricks that some vendors use. Instead, you can be sure that you will find a hearing aid dispenser that you can trust and from whom you can buy hearing aids that will improve your hearing and your quality of life. About the Author Henry Smith is the founder of America Hears, a leading manufacturer and distributor of hearing aids online for over 26 years. Henry started the company in 1979, following a 15-year career at the Pennsylvania School of the Deaf, including his work as an Acoustic Technician. Henry is a pioneer in the use of computers and the Internet to allow customers to have a hands-on approach to the tuning and adjusting of their digital hearing aids. He strives to be customer-centric in all aspects of his work.

What is some of your favorite Open Source software?

http://online.wsj.com/community/groups/linux-unix-bsd---free-open-691/topics/some-your-favorite-open-source?commentid=1626016
Wall Street Journal: Linux, Unix, BSD - Free and Open Source Software

Some of my personal favorites are:

GIMP, Inkscape, Blender (Graphics),

Firefox, Apache, Skype, Pidgin, Xchat (Internet),

OpenOffice, Scribus, Lyx (Office),

Xtuple Postbooks ERP, OpenBravo POS (Accounting),

Audacity, Avidemux, VLC, Mplayer, K3b, AcetoneISO (Multimedia),

MySQL, PostgreSQL (Database),

Bluefish, QT, GCC Compiler, C/C++ (Programming),

MamepGUI (Gaming).

There is so much more.