Ubuntu

For those of you with an interest in computers, I have an interesting project for you. There is a free operating system called Ubuntu. Ubuntu is a distribution of Linux with a very easy to use graphical user interface, and a fairly painless installation process.

Ubuntu installs standard with video and audio players, office suites, web browsers and a decent email client. You can also download the powerful image editor GIMP, which is arguably more powerful than Adobe Photoshop. The nicest part of the operating system is the software centre  The function of the Ubuntu Software Centre will be familiar to you as it is the inspiration for the current Apple store. Linux had been famous for difficult installation processes. Using Ubuntu, you choose an app and it's downloaded and installed.

I have a five year old Dell laptop that was very powerful in it's time. This laptop  was having a hard time keeping up with today's video intensive applications. I wiped the hard drives of the old laptop and installed Ubuntu. The operating system installed perfectly the first attempt! With a bit of tweaking I was able to do pretty much everything I needed to do day to day on the Ubuntu Machine.

I so love Ubuntu that I installed it on my new laptop, and I simply choose Windows 7 or Ubuntu at startup.

Ubuntu is great for re purposing older PC's. There is a lot of free software that has been tested and set up to install. If you have a newer PC or some uncommon hardware you may need to spend some time searching the internet for solutions.

For frugality you can't beat Ubuntu. I've also been able to break the chains of the iTunes store with the advent of Ubuntu and my Android phone. I'm no longer giving Apple money to download music and I am still able to load my iPod devices.

I won't go into the technical details of the installation process or all of the features of the Operating system but you can have a look at Ubuntu for yourself.

Calgary Airport bus

Calgary transit offers a great service to the airport from downtown. The bus runs every 30 minutes and costs $3.00 from downtown to the airport and $8.00 from the airport to downtown. You are able to take your luggage with you.

The thrifty part of this service is that a round trip costs less than one day of parking at the airport. The other great benefit is that your car stays safe at home.

For more information please visit the City of Calgary website.

Skating at Olympic Plaza

Zamboni at work on a Sunday afternoon.

You just can't beat Olympic Plaza's outdoor skating rink for a fun afternoon. Grab your skates and your significant other and head out for some exercise. There is no change area but there are plenty of benches. In the evenings the area is lit up and decorated very nicely.

The best part of this idea is that skating is free to the public.

For more information please visit the City of Calgary Website.