Installing Liferay on Amazon Web Services (AWS) just became a little easier thanks to a new partnership between Liferay and BitNami.
One-Click Install to AWS & Bitnami
BitNami, well known for its “stacks” that make deploying popular open source web applications like SugarCRM and WordPress a one-click process, has added Liferay to the list of software it supports. In addition to enabling single click deployment for both the Community and Enterprise editions of Liferay to AWS, BitNami also added support for the open source portal on its own cloud-hosting platform, BitNami Cloud Hosting.
BitNami’s cloud platform eliminates a significant amount of the administrative overhead required to manage Liferay (and other supported software) in an enterprise environment by providing capabilities such as:
automatic, incremental backups with configurable retention policies
one-click servers restores
one-click server resizing
ability to save customized configurations as templates for new installs
multi-server and account administrative console
basic system performance monitoring of metrics like CPU, memory and file system utilization
The Easy Path to the Cloud
The popularity of BitNami reveals something most cloud vendors don’t advertise — moving to the cloud doesn't mean organizations no longer need workers with technical skills. Organizations that leverage lower level cloud services like the infrastructure-as-a-service platforms provided by vendors like Amazon and Rackspace require resources with many of the same skills, like operating system configuration and tuning, necessary for organizations managing their servers on premises.
This need has spurred the emergence of solutions like Amazon’s Elastic Beanstalk and BitNami. Although these services promise to remove barriers to technical entry, organizations should always test outside of production to ensure automated setups and configurations meet their needs.
Written Amazon reviews aren't pretty enough in the age of Pinterest. Customer Images are the new way to discover portable potties, unicorn masks, and bunny jackets.
But we're all about Pinterest, Instagram, Photoset, and picture apps that let us express ourselves in images now. Amazon, it turns out, is way ahead of the curve here--and we may have discovered the service's potential pivot. Lurking a few clicks in on a large number of its e-commerce treasures is a feature called Customer Images. It's not new. But given its subtle presence, it might be new to you. What you've more likely never realized is that it's a semi-secret treasure trove of user-generated, sharable moments that just happen to involve props you can buy. Here are some of our favorites.
For those reading this story in the year 2032, before The Lord Supreme Mitt II and the Romney Fraternal Dynasty brought about a lasting peace and benevolent absolute rule upon this planet we call BainEarth(TM), foolish people once tried to make what was then called a "meme" out of a progressive, insightful glorious comment by the All Powerful Prophet Lord Dr. General Mitt Romney The First, a remark made in what was then known as a "debate" in the dark times of The Great Satan Hussein Obama. The words were "a binder full of women." It has sense gone on to mean the luxurious and most gracious accommodations afforded to unwed mothers, free of charge, courtesy of the Mitt Dynasty Administration. Can you believe there was a time when people went to such great lengths to make fun of the idea?! [ Source] [ Source]
Again with the Romney. Honestly? Look at this face. It totally doesn't look real. The teeth are too perfect. The smile looks Photoshopped. The hair looks plastic. The mask is dead on, though. [ Source]
In the interest of equal time ... Wait, are you thinking what I'm thinking? Supergroup! Romney on skins. Barry on the lute. Ah-one. Two. Ah-one, two, three, four! [ Source]
"[Name omitted] never seems to mind just where he uses his new potty so long as it isn't a public bathroom stall," writes the Amazon user we hope is the parent of this future middle school wedgie recipient, who will, at least on our site, go nameless. We wish this lil grunt's parents were the only ones squeezing off shots of their kids dropping their kids off at the proverbial portable pool. Sadly this is but one in a several similar images. Hey, wait. I recognize the roadside spot pictured here. It's a dump! [ Source]
"Little known fact," says Amazon user Nappy "Nappy" "Nappy" from York, PA, "Unicorns love Vans." Perseus is totally loaded, passed out in the back. The band on the stereo? Wings. [ Source] [ Source]
Bro. We fully rocked Bongzilla at two of the last three DMB shows, and we CRUSHED it at the county fair. We saw someone with a seven-tube version, but when they tried to use it, a hole tore open in the time-space continuum and they folded infinitely inside themselves until there was nothing left. Whooo!! [ Source]
Key to understanding the hilarity in this the set of mostly adorable wabbit shots is that they're the "before" versions of the "after" products being sold on Amazon by a person we presume is Glenn Close's bunny-boiling character from Fatal Attraction. Or the worst. Magician. Ever. [ Source] [ Source]
Of course there are plenty of ways to enjoy your rabbit that don't involve digestion. Perhaps it would like to cruise or be cruised in this shiny blue leather jackrabbit jacket. "Fits nice but barely fits my holland lop. He's an exception though because he's overweight ... this is my dwarf," writes Customer Image uploader "crawdaddy." No, don't stop, go on! [ Source]
... And if bunny's tired, kitty's surely eager for a workout! Writes this photo-sharing user: "Let your cat enjoy the outdoors in safety" ... without the stress of ever having to meet or like a companion in its owner's lonely life, that is. The marketing genius that naughtily named this product clearly has a cruel sense of humor. [ Source] [ Source]
We've all been there. Blown a mile out to sea by an explosion. Stranded. Clinging desperately to the set of hulking, matching wooden trunks that, when you first agreed to throw yourself into a volcano on the Island of Waponi-Woo, seemed like an indulgence. And while you were able to bind those trunks together and fashion yourself a life raft, the raft is hardly maneuverable, and, holy Christ here comes a massive container ship! What to do?! Cap'n John W. Trimmer has 112 pages worth of answers--in the second edition of the wildly popular 1982 original. (No, lots has changed.) Or, you could save yourself $507.52 (at post time) and 111 pages of effort and follow the supplemental diagram provided by Amazon Customer Image uploader Lisa Krause. [ Source]
When he's not collecting art (see: wall), Amazon Customer Image uploader S. PAULSON "sociallyskilled "sociallyskilled" is a semi-professional maker of cat-flight art in his own right. Just a typical friday night here. A dude. A laptop. A beanbag chair. And a two-part, easily storable feather pole for giving his furry felines "Da Bird." [ Source] [ Source]
Apple no longer supports this shirt. For a host of breathtaking new features, please download the "Three Mountain Lion" shirt. [ Source] [ Source] [ Source]
Martha! Some Tuscan's hawking his milk on Amazon again! And the damn wolves won't shut up about it! (We did not Photoshop and upload this ourselves.) [ Source]
Is Amazon negotiating to buy Texas Instruments's (TI) mobile chip operation? A new report says it is.
The report, from the Hebrew-language publication Calcalist, remains unconfirmed by either company, but it would mesh with TI’s recent announcement that it will concentrate on embedded platforms such as cars, and reduce its involvement in OMAP chips for smartphones and tablets.
Billions of Dollars
TI announced in late September that it would “reduce R&D expenditures” on the OMAP system-on-a-chip (SoC) used in a wide variety of tablets, including Amazon’s, and smartphones. Observers interpreted the announcement to mean that TI was leaving the mobile chip business, even as Intel has ramped up its investment in that market. The OMAP (Open Multimedia Applications Platform) chip was developed by TI.
The Calcalist report was authored by Assaf Gilad, who had been the first to report that Apple was interested in buying Anobit, a Israeli flash storage company. The technology giant did buy that company early this year, for about US$ 390 million.
If Amazon does buy TI’s chip business, it would gain greater control over the mobile destiny of its Kindle Fire tablets — and for smartphones that it might be developing. Samsung Electronics makes its own mobile chips, and currently manufactures Apple’s mobile chips, mostly based on Apple designs. However, Apple and Samsung are engaged in a worldwide patent war, and there have been numerous reports that Apple intends to take its chip manufacturing business elsewhere.
On the other hand, the deal would likely cost Amazon billions of dollars for a stake in a highly competitive chip industry, where smaller chip makers are struggling. It would also turn the virtual retailer’s focus more toward hardware.
Nook’s Vulnerability
The competitors who could benefit from TI’s move include Samsung, which, according to some estimates, could reach a 50 percent share of the OMAP SoC application processor market if TI’s operation is sold. Other beneficiaries could include Qualcomm and Nvidia, which together represent as much as 35 percent of the market. TI’s share had been in the 15 to 20 percent range.
One big competitive question is how this might affect Intel, which has said it will ship a dual core, Atom-based SoC before 2013.
The other big competitor impact could be on Barnes & Noble, which uses TI chips for its Nook tablets and e-readers. At the very least, having the Nook’s processor brains dependent on the chip subsidiary of its key competitor could put Barnes & Noble in a weakened bargaining and strategic position — and lead it to find another chip maker.
A report on an Israeli website claims that Amazon is in serious negotiations to buy Texas Instruments' mobile chip division. The firm announced last month that it was doing away with its chip operations and instead focusing on embedded platforms. It's a logical step forward for the online retail giant with a sideline in hardware, as it means that Amazon will have direct influence on what goes into its Kindles, and, perhaps, its future smartphones.
Amazon will show off its new hardware later, as it tries to capture more of the tablet market, and attract further users to its huge digital market place and store. But, the star of the show could be a new smartphone which could dominate Amazon's store front for Christmas.
The Amazon Hardware Warrior
Driven by its huge content ecosystem, Amazon will be looking to increase its userbase with more powerful hardware in a wider range of formats at an event in Santa Monica, being held shortly. That includes a new, more powerful, Kindle Fire, a larger version of the tablet (shown off in a TV advert aired during the NFL season's opener between the Cowboys and Giants) and a smartphone to take on the likes of Apple's iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy range.
The advert also showed off a "paperwhite" model of the popular Kindle device, showing that Amazon won't leave behind the product that launched it into the gadget market. But, it is the prospect of a more powerful tablet, a larger brother for it and a smartphone that paints a tempting picture for Amazon customers in the run up to Christmas.
Power of the Amazonites
With all these devices splashed across the front page of Amazon's web stores (and it is highly likely that Kindle Fire will see a worldwide release this time around), the company can bank on massive multiple sales as folks pick them up for friends and family Christmas presents.
With Amazon, there won't be any fuss about new proprietary charging leads (which Apple will no doubt suffer from next week), there won't be any hype about fantastic new camera capabilities, expect a decent specification across the range of devices that will run a modified version of Android to leave as many hooks as possible to Amazon's stores and services.
Since Amazon can't use Google Maps on modified Android devices, it is likely to partner with Nokia (who launched its own Windows Phone 8-powered Lumia 920 yesterday) to provide the high-quality Nokia Maps app.
We'll have news from Amazon's event as it happens (things kick off at 10:30AM PST):
Kind of giving the game away with what's to come at its bash, Amazon has declared the original Kindle Fire sold out. So, here's hoping for a successor that is available in more territories and improves on the original's capabilities.
Going out in a Blaze of Glory
The Kindle Fire, while it may not have been so popular with the tech set, has proved several things. There can be a successful rival to the iPad, aiming for the budget market is a key to success, and having a strong ecosystem is vital. By announcing the unit as Sold Out, Amazon has all but confirmed a sucessor is just a week away.
There are still some used models available on the store, but long ago Google cottoned onto Amazon's scheme and came out with the Nexus 7, while Apple too has bowed to the inevitable and will release an iPad Mini, likely in October. Microsoft's Windows RT tablets are likely to compete in this space, making Amazon's upgrade a pretty important turning point.
Will existing Amazon users, who aren't obsessed over the latest tech specs, upgrade theirs to the new model? Will the wide range of choice this Christmas see Amazon's market share diluted, and that essential content revenue go to others?
Super September
With the huge range of devices coming out or being announced next month, every marketing note has to be pitch perfect, every feature has to appeal, no space can be wasted, and every dollar on the price could count against a product.
Amazon's major advantage is that most users are by and large only after the content. The format they play it on just happens to be a tablet. Will improved screen resolution or processor performance really matter. Or will Amazon have some new super Prime content deals to encourage upgrading and new users?
One thing Amazon will almost certainly do is launch the Kindle Fire 2 in more territories to bag as much of these new markets as it can before rival devices have time to launch. Wherever it does launch, expect pre-orders to go through the roof.
It is officially party season for gadget lovers, as Amazon joins all the other major smartphone and tablet makers with an event to announce its latest wares, scheduled for early next month.
Reorganize Your Diary
Add another date to your burgeoning diary for media phone or tablet events in the next few weeks. Amazon is inviting the press to a major launch on 6 September in Santa Monica, with the likely topic of discussion being the Kindle Fire 2 and, maybe, an Amazon smartphone.
So, just to refresh your memory, the launch event line up is as follows:
With all these devices hitting the shelves shortly after their announcements, the stores will be packed with new product, review sites will be screaming the scores out, and the typical consumer might feel rather put upon by all the pressure to upgrade to a new phone.
We also have HTC possibly launching a 5inch-screen One X model, then there's the Windows 8 tablet launch in October, making it a very busy selling period. What it does mean is that the older generations of devices will be being sold for great bargain prices come the Black Friday holiday sales, as stores try to clear old stock.
Google's Nexus 7 is a powerful, well-priced tablet winning great sales and reviews. Amazon is preparing a new Kindle Fire, while Barnes and Noble has just trimmed the price of the Nook. So, how will the Mini iPad fare when Apple isn't first to market and what can Apple do to sweeten the deal?
Not Just a Mini
The iPad Mini could still be a collective hallucination experienced by the tech world. While we've seen enough parts of an iPhone 5 that you can practically build your own (if you have the right contacts in enough Asian factories) the diet iPad remains a ghostly enigma. Sure, case makers are selling protective add-ons based on the likely size, but that didn't stop them being wrong about last year's abortive iPhone 5 launch.
Even so, working on the assumption that Apple does launch a Mini iPad in September or October, it will place the company in an interesting position, where it won't be the first to market in the category. Also, going on the fairly firm rumor of a 7.85-inch, non-Retina display, at around $200, its rivals will be well entrenched and Apple will lack a killer hardware feature.
Playing the Software/Content Game
Magic is all about misdirection, as any good Magic's Secrets Revealed viewer knows. Despite their best efforts, we see Apple building desirable hardware with one hand, but we rarely hear about the software and services being sneakily dealt with by the other, until the official news and there is plenty Apple could add to iOS 6.
Having concluded that it is in the software arena that the Mini iPad will need to stand out, and after years of rumors, how likely is it that Apple will either finally buy Spotify, or launch a comparable service across all media? That could provide a monstrous amount of content for users and put it on a par with Amazon's hit services.
Or, it could work along the lines of Sony's PlayStation Plus service, offering a number of the better quality iOS games, some films and the latest music, all for a monthly subscription. These offerings are key in a market now dominated by content and not technology, and is an area where Apple is lagging behind.
Finally, there's the ever nagging feeling that Apple has a big gaming play up its sleeve, and with Amazon now entering the games developer arena, could Apple follow in some capacity? An iPad Mini would make the ideal unobtrusive console, connected to a big screen via HDMI and played through wireless controllers.
Pre-Game Hype
While there are some flamebait headlines doing the rounds based on a recent consumer survey, the iPad Mini will likely do a roaring trade on launch, as the Google Nexus 7 did. But as the Kindle Fire has proved, good content makes the tablet experience, and that's more important to end users than it is to the critics.
If Apple delivers some new compelling opportunity for those who found the full-size iPad too expensive, it could carve out huge amounts of revenue on a monthly basis from those users. Without it, Apple could find the new iPad looking decidedly plain in the view of price-concious consumers.
Pretty sure this guy works out at my gym--and dominates the squat thrust area. 
Amazon will show off its new hardware later, as it tries to capture more of the tablet market, and attract further users to its huge digital market place and store. But, the star of the show could be a new smartphone which could dominate 
Kind of giving the game away with what's to come at its bash, 
Google's Nexus 7 is a powerful, well-priced tablet winning great sales and reviews. Amazon is preparing a new Kindle Fire, while Barnes and Noble has just trimmed the price of the Nook. So, how will the Mini iPad fare when