Oracle announced the Oracle Database Appliance, as an engineered system of software, servers, storage and networking that offers high availability for a wide range of custom and packaged OLTP and data warehousing application databases.

• Simple—Complete plug-and-go hardware and software. Ease-of-Use: Up and Running in Hours
• Reliable—Advanced management features and single-vendor support. Triple-Mirrored for 100 Percent Reliability.
• Affordable—Pay-as-you-grow platform, from from 2 to 24 processor cores. Align what you spend for software with your business growth

The Oracle Database Appliance is a 4U rack-mountable system pre-installed with Oracle Linux and Oracle Appliance manager software. Redundancy is built into all components and the Oracle appliance manager software reduces the risk and complexity of deploying highly available databases. It’s perfect for consolidating OLTP and data warehousing databases up to 4 terabytes in size, making it ideal for midsize companies or departmental systems.

Oracle Database Appliance is mainly targeted at midsize business, but tt’s more than a solid offering for the SMB space; it’s potentially a game-changer as data and security needs race to keep up with the oncoming generations of technology.”

I was not able to join Oracle President Mark Hurd’s webcast where he announced this new Oracle product but we can always catchup by viewing the recorded webcast HERE

Please find below a collection of useful links regarding the Oracle Database Appliance.

• First stop :

• Datasheet
• White Paper
• FAQs
• 3D Demo
• Others links : O.com, OTN, OPN

• Partners Going forward (need OPN login) :

• Campaign / Demand generation
• Customer Presentation
• Technical presentation for Partners (and its Replay eSTEP Techcast)

• Going deeper :

• ODA Handbook
• ODA Documentation (Manuals)

Some additional  Great tools to demonstrate and showcase the ODA appliance are provided bellow:

• Introduction to the Oracle Database Appliance Video
• Oracle Database Appliance Configurator (run in standalone mode on your PC for mode)
• Oracle Database Appliance 3D Demo

What do you think of Oracle Database Appliance?

VoIP/Phone service

• Skype. We could not provide you with all VoIP options with some information about Skype. It began its service using computers and has now expanded to mobiles. You can make free calls as well as send messages over a Wi-Fi or 3G connection. The Skype calling experience is good and Skype is always user-friendly and you call almost any phone or any computer for free providing they have Skype. You can always buy credits to call regular phones although some think it is a little expensive.
  
• Google Voice. Voice is Google’s phone service, which launched to much fanfare in March 2009. It provides free PC-to-PC voice and video calls, free PC-to-phone calls within the U.S. and cheap calls elsewhere (for users in the U.S. only). One of Google Voice’s most useful features (again, only available to U.S. residents) is that it enables users to have one number that they can use anywhere — any calls placed to that number will ring all of the users’ configured phones. The service also provides a range of useful additional features, such as voicemail, SMS, conference calling, call screening and transcription of voicemail messages, while it also allows calls to be done within your browser from Gmail, Google Plus, etc
• Vbuzzer. A VoIP and IM service that, unlike Skype, is based on open protocols like XMPP and SIP. It offers free PC-to-PC calls, as well as paid-for PC-to-phone calls, with typically cheaper rates than Skype. It also features voicemail, call forwarding, caller ID, web conferencing and fax service.
• VoxOx. VoxOx is trying to be an “all-in-one” messaging app for both the desktop and mobile devices. It combines phone calls, IM, SMS, video chat, conference calling and even fax. It also provides similar “one number anywhere” functionality to Google Voice, and outgoing calls can be placed at competitive rates. The iPhone app is interesting because rather than relying on VoIP, it uses callbacks — the service can ring you on any convenient nearby phone line.
• Viber. iPhone users looking for a way to make free VoIP calls should take a look at Viber, a VoIP app that allows iPhone-to-iPhone calling over 3G and Wi-Fi connections. The app is free, runs in the background, doesn’t have any ads and won’t charge you anything to make calls. Android was recently supported and a BlackBerry app is apparently in the works, which extend the app’s reach significantly.When installed, it scans your address book and connects you with other Viber users with no need for user names and email verifications. User ID is the phone number. It allows you to send free text messages to other Viber users. Make SMS, or email using Wi-Fi connectivity. Viper boasts of its call quality with clear audio and no lags.
• Nimbuzz. Nimbuzz started as a Free Calls, Chat and Messaging solution for your mobile phone, supporting  iPhones, BlackBerries, Androids and feature phones that run Java apps, but it is now available on PC & Mac and there is even a web based version. Get you and your friends registered with an account on Nimbuzz and you get everything you need to communicate – and it’s all free. You can import friends from Facebook, My Space, Yahoo, MSN Messenger, AIM, ICQ, GoogleTalk, and HYVES as well as SIP VoIP accounts. It allows you to send text messages, music, photos, and video files to other Nimbuzz users. Free calls are HD voice with Wi-Fi or 3G-quality connectivity. Yes, you do have to register and calls are only free to Nimbuzz users. Landlines or other mobile lines will include a charge.
• Grasshopper. Looking for a step up from Skype to a more business-oriented virtual phone system? Grasshopper provides many of the features found in expensive office PBX systems for a fraction of the cost, including support for multiple users, each with their own extension, individual greetings, voicemail, web access and notifications by email or text message, as well as the ability to have local or toll-free numbers for people to call you on.  The type of advanced functionality you get comes at a higher cost than consumer-focused offering like Google Voice and Skype, however, with a range of plans available.
• 8×8 Virtual Office Pro/Solo.  8×8 provides another useful VoIP-based virtual business phone system. It’s available in two editions, Virtual Office Pro for businesses requiring multiple extensions, and Solo for individuals. The system includes business numbers, voicemail, call waiting, music on hold, caller ID, three-way calling and the ability to record calls for storage as digital audio files. It costs $49.99 per extension per month for the Pro Edition or $7.99 per month for the Solo edition.
• Tango.Tango allows you to make free phone calls and free video calls over 3G, 4G, and Wi-Fi. Make calls to any other person who has Tango installed on their phone anywhere in the world for free. Start a Tango call with just voice, and easily move into a video call when you have something to share. Save money when calling your friends abroad by inviting them to use Tango. Features: - Free phone calls to other Tango members- Free video calls over 3G, 4G, and Wi-Fi- Free international calls- Call between Android and iOS phones and tablets - Start a phone call with Tango and switch to a video call when you have something to show.Soon to be available on PC

Video Chat

While some of the options listed above, like Google Voice,  provide video calling as part of the services they offer, there are also some dedicated video chat apps:

• Fring. Fring is a mobile oriented solution offering voice calling, chat, and video calling right from your mobile device. It is different from other apps in that it has the video capability to make video calls with up to four people because of its DVQ technology. Free calls are available through 3G, 4G, and Wi-Fi Fring users worldwide. Since Fring is available for Android, iOs, Nokia and via a mobile browser, you can call all of your friends who have the Fring app so enjoy this app, which, by the way, has good reviews from it’s users.
  
• Tinychat. For multiuser video chats, Tinychat is great. It’s dead simple to use, requires no login, and has a clean interface. It’s Flash-based, so it should work in most browsers and up to 12 people can join a video chat simultaneously. The basic service is free.
• ooVoo. ooVoo also provides free multiuser (up to six people simultaneously) video chat, and has clients available for Mac, PC and a wide range of mobile devices. It even allows for high-quality video calling over 3G wireless networks.
• FaceTime. Apple’s video chat application is no longer just for iPhone users. With the launch of FaceTime for Mac in February, it works on Macs and any iOS device with a forward-facing camera, it makes it possible to place Mac-to-Mac, Mac-to-iPhone/iPod touch/iPad, and iPhone/iPod touch/iPad -to-iPhone/iPod touch/iPad calls. Video quality is high, supporting up to 720p resolution on more recent Macs.
• Yahoo Messenger. It appears than in Asia Yahoo messenger is big with their IM app being the first choice for many users. A mobile version is much the same, with yahoo stating that “Whether you have a smartphone, or standard feature phone, if you have a data plan, Yahoo! for mobile services can run on your phone”. Still not all version on all devices support the same features, so it depends whether you can make calls or video calls or simply chat. Still Yahoo can send free international SMS, chat on Facebook and other cool features.

What are your favorite VoIP Options? Have we missed an interesting one? What would think is a true alternative to Skype?

MTV Music Video Awards 2011

The year has come around full circle once again as MTV presents one of the hottest award shows in music award history. The 2011 MTV Video Music Awards was held at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California for the second year in the row as it was a complete success last year, why change a good thing?

One of the most spectacular shows in history, full of explosive stage performances and many artists available for ‘spicy’ statements that will keep us busy for a long time. Head below for our assessment of the six highlights from MTV’s big night.

Let’s checkout this year winners and some of the highlights from MTV’s big night.

The night will also be remembered for some “great moments” like

• Britney Spears and Jo Calderone’s (Lady Gaga) almost-makeout session. Gaga transformed herself into her “You And I” dude-drag alter ego Jo Calderone for her entire stint at the VMAs. And while some of Jo’s antics paid off with laughs and some of it was just confusing having Gaga present Britney’s Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, and their tense near-makeout moment, was a classic case of VMAs gold.
• Beyonce’s baby bump rub. Bey didn’t really need to put a cherry on her “Love On Top” performance, because she already took that crowd to church. But a true diva never misses a golden opportunity to create a memorable moment — and so, with the whole world watching, Beyonce let it be known that Destiny is now with child.
• Bruno Mars, Russell Brand and Tony Bennett pay tribute to Amy Winehouse.
• Adele performing “Someone Like You.”
• Beavis And Butt-head promo with Nicki Minaj.
• Justin Bieber smooching Selena Gomez. Yeah, yeah — Bieber kissing Selena is nothing new. But when the “U Smile” crooner stood up in the audience and planted one on his girlfriend upon winning Best Male Video, it had to me considered a “moment”…

Do you think there were any other great moments during the VMAs?

So congratulations MTV for one more year!!!

While Oracle Virtualbox enables desktop or laptop computers to simultaneously run multiple operating systems, allowing users to get the most flexibility and utilization out of their PCs, Oracle VM provides a professional server virtualization and management solution. As companies focus on delivering complete solutions, virtualization can help them transform the datacenter—moving beyond server consolidation to improving application deployment and management.

Let me hit you with some quick highlights for Oracle VM 3.0, announced today:

• All the management you really need to support your entire data center:  Network management, storage management, dynamic resource scheduling (triggered on network not just CPU!)
• An even more scalable server: Support for 128 vCPUs per guest VM vs. 32 vCPUs for VMware.
• A more scalable budget (your’s):  Save about $2.5million dollars over 3yrs vs. VMware (license + support.  See configuration details below but their pricing is here).
  

And that’s just the beginning.   The definition of what represents “value” in a virtualization solution just changed.  Oracle has been focused on delivering an increased feature set at the same price ($0 license, pay only for support) while others have been focused on delivering increased pricing (though perhaps “focus” is not the right word here).

Since the day of its creation Oracle VM was focused on exceptional price: performance and scalability.  That focus continues, hence the support for 128 vCPUs and up to 160 physical CPUs, but with Oracle VM 3.0, we’re introducing a massive set of enhancements to manageability and ease-of-use that will transform the way you can think about your options for deploying Oracle VM:  Now you get not-only exceptional price:performance but also all the management features you really need to deploy Oracle VM across your entire data center and not just for your Oracle software.  In the past, Oracle VM required some configuration from the manager and some configuration at each individual server, which meant a little more work to get going and to maintain things in very large environments.  For some customers, this meant they mainly focused on doing that only for their Oracle applications and directly related things, but not much beyond that.

But no longer.

With Oracle VM 3.0, everything is done centrally from the management server:  discovery, server-, storage-, and network set-up all from a browser (no client software required, no logging in to each individual servers).  And then, once you’ve got it set-up, it has a rich feature set for managing and maintaining your environment:

• Dynamic resource scheduling to load balance across server pools based on network (and CPU):  trigger live migration (migration of running VMs) based on CPU and/or network load.  Note that I think triggering DRS on network load is a first amongst the major vendors anyway.  This capability combined with one of our network management features that allows the separation of different traffic types onto different, independent networks (e.g. separate guest IP traffic from storage traffic and others) means that you can trigger live migration to occur over a dedicated live migration network based on hitting a load threshold on the guest IP network.  This separation is important because if you start a live migration over a shared network that is already overloaded, you risk making things worse.  But we make it better instead.  Very important for enterprise loads that are very I/O intensive
• Dynamic Server Power Management:  automatically power-off underutilized servers without disrupting your applications; power them back-on when needed.
• Comprehensive Event Logging: Event logging sometimes sounds like something pretty boring, but its not.  It’s really not.  Just ask any admin trying to track down a change in the environment in the middle of the night whether he or she thinks they’d like to have access to event logs that can tell you basically anything that triggered, who did it, and whether it succeeded or failed and why and I’m very sure they’d say “yes please”.  And we put this all nicely available centrally in the UI in calendar form:  click a date on the calendar to see what happened in the environment instead of having to dig through a bunch of obscure logs that you need to “tail” to try to understand what happened.

There is so, SO much in 3.0 but it is better that you check it all out and get to find out about Oracle VM 3.0 on your own.

For starters, take a look at the announcement and at the launch website at oracle.com.

For further information checkout the following

• White paper: Application-Driven Virtualization (PDF)
• White paper: Oracle VM 3.0: Architecture and Technical Overview (PDF)
• Data sheet: What’s New in Oracle VM 3.0 (PDF)
• Data sheet: Oracle VM 3.0: Supported Configuration Maximums (PDF)