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TLWIR 24: HP’s Redstone Servers, Open Source Textbooks, Netflix on GNU/Linux and More

Posted by aweber on · 19 comments
BeginLinux.com; By Rex Djere
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GNU/Linux and free software are a boon to a lot of businesses, and a thorn in the sides of others. Both the friends and enemies of Linux are realizing that Linux is important, and that it is here to stay. HP is leveraging Linux to try to return from the brink of financial ruin. As colleges and other schools around the country teeter on the verge of bankruptcy, many are moving to open source textbooks as a lower cost alternative. Free software is freeing people from the shakedown that is cable television. Finally, Microsoft has broken down and contributed code to a GPL version 3-licensed project.

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Comments (19)

(posted in comments on article...who knows if it'll get through lol)

Netflix support on Linux isn’t an issue of Silverlight.

Netflix already has Android apps and also has an app for the Boxee Box (Linux based media center box).

The issue with Netflix on Linux is building a client that will

1. run easily on multiple distributions and

2. conform to the ridiculous DRM requirements from the studios.
I personally subscribe to civil and legal disobedience by using fastpasstv.ms. It streams everything I have even a remote interest in watching. I just finished catching up with The Walking Dead a few minutes ago. Install adblock plus to keep the adult and popup stuff at bay and watch whatever you want. Netflix wants to cut me out as a customer because I use Linux or because you live in the EU? Fine. I haven't turned on a television for any prolonged viewing in over a year. Fastpass has everything I need and it doesn't cost me a dime. And as a blessed relief, there isn't one commercial in the bunch. Missed two weeks of Dexter? It usually hits fastpass on my computer within an hour of it showing in PST.

Boy you're sure showing us huh Netflix?
Thanks for the tip helios, I'll check out fastpasstv.ms -
+1. Thanks for the tip, helios.
I use SelekTOR (google it) to watch UK TV, its free on Linux, just install tor then selektor, select GB UK as your country then your good to go just browse over to BBC iplayer, ITV, Channel 4 or 5 on Youtube.

If you have any problems with it let me know, im the developer and am always happy to take suggestions on improving it, oh and if your in the UK, I just added support to get around the proposed blocks on Newzbin and Piratebay.
I'm really enjoying the British series Misfits....it's a lot of fun. And where in the he!! did the white girl with the, uh...expanded shirt size get that accent? I am guessing Wales but it's only a guess.
Ahh the lovely Lauren Socha she's from Derby, England and its her real accent, love Misfits just started watching the new series you can catch it on Channel 4 on Youtube, http://www.youtube.com/4od you will need SelekTOR or a UK VPN to watch it there though.

I hear they are in negotiations to make a US version, i really hope that falls through.

If you were in any doubt about her accent being real watch this clip of the Misfits cast on the Jonathon Ross show http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_J_gc_oQak
The US version is, as usual, trash, well there was one exception to a US version being trash, and that was Queer as Folk... but then I never saw the UK version, so I don't know how much better it was.
Ah, I forgot to mention about fastpasstv.ms. There is a list of servers to choose from. The more popular the show, the more servers it appears on The best two are putlocker and videoweed.es. Megavideo and videobb try to sucker you into a subscription so avoid them.
The US version of Being Human wasn't too bad not a patch on the original but it had its moments unlike say Torchwood:Miracle Day the US version which is just plain awful and actually painful to watch, especially since I was heavily invested in the UK version and so wanted it to work, so that I could get more of my fix.

<Rant Mode On> Im pretty much resigned to the fact that a US version of anything foreign pretty much means rip out the grittiness, enfuse it with family values, signpost the plot so heavily you would be forgiven for believing that all Americans have single digit IQ's.

The US TV/Film industry show a remarkable disrespect for it's audience, I suspect the only reason they make any money is due to the number of politicians they have in their pocket or is that just the cynic in me. </Rant Mode Off>
The Soho Share links on fastpass just takes me to a holding page but putlocker works fine.
Unfortunately, ratings don't lie and ratings dictate airtime. My country is obsessed with sticking their nose into everyone else's business but their own. To them, "reality tv" that depicts several well endowed women cat-fighting over some out of work waiter, or B-list celebs ballroom dancing is quality television. I just shake my head and quietly grieve over quality television that has been canceled in place of these others.

It would lead outsiders to believe that the American TV viewing public at large, is an idiot.

Based on their TV viewing habits, I'm having trouble finding a way to defend them.
Waitaminnit...

Well-endowed babes fighting over some loser of a guy?

YES! There is hope for me!

/me does a happy dance
My Dear August Gus III,

Quoting: [...] /me does a happy dance


It's time to let some reality seep in: You Are Not A Celebrity*.

YBT

* Despite my best efforts here to at least make you infamous.
MDBT,

Neither is the unemployed waiter.

:->
Koriel wrote:The US TV/Film industry show a remarkable disrespect for it's audience, I suspect the only reason they make any money is due to the number of politicians they have in their pocket or is that just the cynic in me.


You must be young. Here's a very apt quote by Steve Jobs:

"When you're young, you look at television and think, There's a conspiracy. The networks have conspired to dumb us down. But when you get a little older, you realize that's not true. The networks are in business to give people exactly what they want. That's a far more depressing thought. Conspiracy is optimistic! You can shoot the bastards! We can have a revolution! But the networks are really in business to give people what they want. It's the truth." --Interview in WIRED magazine (February 1996)

You're not being cynical, you're displaying the youthful idealism that Steve talked about here: you think that people are actually smart enough to want to see better-quality entertainment than what the US media feeds them. The sad fact that we older people realize, however, is that just isn't true. The media is giving the people exactly what they want, which is dumbed-down entertainment, such as reality TV about the Kardashians or B-list celebs trying to dance. The average American TV viewer is simply a blithering idiot.

I also wonder if the reason TV seems to have gotten worse than in decades past (not that it was ever great on average) is because of cable and then the internet. Now the smarter people just don't bother watching prime-time TV much, and instead watch specialty cable channels, or more lately just download stuff from the internet or watch stuff on Netflix, etc., rather than settling for whatever crap they show on primetime TV and then suffering through all the ads, not being able to rewind, etc. Why do that when you can just call up a movie on Netflix?
Youthful? Im 47, but im still young on the inside I pretty much decided somewhere around the age of 22 that being an adult was overrated except for the getting into pubs bit, and point blank refused to grow up :)

My inner child is still intact thankfully, Ive kept my rebeliousness and still don't listen to a thing my parents tell me :)
Quoting: Neither is the unemployed waiter.


he is now

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