Showing headlines posted by Scott_Ruecker

Ubuntu takes a lot of punches from time to time for its marketing and even its interface. Some feel Ubuntu is dumbed down and oversimplified, while many others think it's innovative and user-friendly. Where ever you fall in the debate, one developer thinks some elements of Ubuntu should land into openSUSE. In fact, he has packaged up and pushed them to openSUSE:Contrib.

So far the Linux presence at CES 2011 looks to be mostly in the form of Android and other Linux-based operating systems appearing on new tablets and other mobile devices. Though there should be the assortment of usual companies innovating atop of open-source software / Linux, like SplashTop and others. There will also be the release of Intel's Sandy Bridge, which already has open-source Linux support, among other PC hardware happenings at this event.

In the past two decades, the open source community has evolved from an obscure grass-roots movement of wild-eyed crusaders, indigent grad students, and spare-time hobbyists to an unprecedented worldwide collaboration of full-time professionals and extraordinarily committed volunteers. We pride ourselves on our openness to new contributors, from any country or social background, and most often describe the power structure of open source projects as a meritocracy. Many of us believe that open source is inherently progressive - a way to level the playing field that operates across all social categories and class boundaries.

ZevenOS is a German-born project that offers Debian-based and Ubuntu-based versions of their BeOS-like system. ZevenOS is based on Ubuntu (Xubuntu) and ZevenOS-Neptune is based on Debian Testing. The main purpose is to preserve some of the features of BeOS in a modern, capable operating system. Neptune 1.9.1 was recently released to bring the latest Linux goodies to users.

Robotis is shipping an 18-inch, humanoid robot developed as an open source research platform by Virginia Tech’s Robotics & Mechanisms Laboratory (RoMeLa). The Linux-ready Darwin-OP can walk, kick a ball, and pick itself up after falling over -- thanks to an Intel Atom-based FitPC2i SBC (single board computer), an ARM Cortex-M3 based management controller, 20 actuators, and audio/video sensors.

Google isn’t telling me any secrets about its plans for Chrome OS. Indeed, I’m not even one of the 60,000 or so people that Google has given a Cr-48 Chromebook prototype to play with. Even so, unlike my good friend Mary Jo Foley, I think I know exactly who Google has in mind for its Chrome OS Linux desktop system.

If you have used Gnome-Do in Linux, you will find some resemblance in Synapse. The user-interface is the same – activate the launcher, type the search term, press Enter to execute. The only difference is that Synapse makes use of the Zeitgeist engine to display your search result. An appropriate description would be: Synapse is the launcher for your recently used files/folders/applications while Gnome-Do is the launcher for any file/folder/application.

The Southern California Linux Expo is happy to announce that Leigh Honeywell has been chosen as the first keynote speaker for SCALE 9X. Honeywell will be speaking on the topic of “Hackerspaces and Free Software,” and how the two communities are mutually beneficial to each other. Honeywell is co-founder and current president of HackLab.TO, a hackerspace in downtown Toronto. She currently serves on the board of advisors of the SECtor security conference, has served as a Google Summer of Code mentor, and is one of the Tres Chix leading the Ubuntu Women project.

Part of the free software experience is having the freedom to setup your workspace the way you want it. KDE, the popular free software compilation for Linux and other Unix-like operating systems, offers a plethora of configuration and customization options. Among those options are a number of methods for accessing files quickly and easily.

Google's 'Net-centric Chrome OS platform challenges conventional notions about what constitutes an operating system. It puts the cloud front and center, eschewing the familiar desktop paradigm and native applications in favor of a browser-only environment. It's an audacious and intriguing experiment, but it's not clear yet if it will resonate with a mainstream audience.

On the occasion of the presentation of Google's Chrome OS operating system, Richard Stallman, founder of the GNU project and the Free Software Foundation (FSF), has reiterated his criticism of cloud computing. As Stallman told the Guardian newspaper, people are being taught "careless computing"; they are simply not as careful when their documents and other information are stored on third-party servers instead of on devices under their own control. He says there are also legal risks, for instance when users in the US lose access control to their data in the cloud because authorities have stepped in.

Oracle has released version 3.3 of Oracle Open Office and announced a web and mobile office suite called Oracle Cloud Office. Discussing the announcement, Oracle Office VP Michael Bemmer said, "Oracle Cloud Office and Oracle Open Office 3.3 deliver complete, open and cost-effective office productivity suites that are designed and optimised for our customers’ needs," adding that, "Customers now have the flexibility to support users across a wide variety of devices and platforms, whether via desktop, private or public cloud".

Zorin OS is an Ubuntu-based distribution, which its developers say is, "designed specifically for Linux beginners who want to have easy and smooth access to open source software." Well, isn't that similar to what Ubuntu says? Why would anyone need anything easier than Ubuntu? Is it even possible to have anything easier than Ubuntu? Well, Zorin folks think so, but let's see.

Web browsers and messaging tools may grab the bulk of mobile software headlines, but navigation and routing apps are arguably more important — after all, they tend to be among the biggest data consumers, and a bad one can leave you seriously lost. Unfortunately, the default mapping apps on most mobile devices — even Linux-based phones — are usually proprietary and rely on commercially-licensed maps. If you care about software freedom and open data, here's a guide to the best mapping and navigation apps for handhelds.

R&D company PrimeSense, the company responsible for the technology behind Microsoft's Kinect camera system, has, in conjunction with Willow Garage and Side-Kick, released official Windows and Linux (Ubuntu version 10.10 and later) open source drivers for Kinect. What was previously the work of several independent programmers has now been given the vendor's official seal of approval. Microsoft also now seems to have recognised the innate potential of amateur programmers in developing new ideas for using the Kinect for gesture control and is now actively supporting them.

ARM Holdings has officially acknowledged its plans to take on Intel in the server market. However, CEO Warren East is quoted as adding that ARM licensees won't begin to erode Intel's market share until 2014. As Intel pushes to expand its technology into the rapidly growing mobile device space, officials with ARM Holdings -- whose chip designs dominate the smartphone market -- are countering by saying they plan to take on Intel in the server arena.

The Linux Foundation announced that OpenEmbedded developer and Yocto Project maintainer Richard Purdie has been appointed to the position of Linux Foundation Fellow. The appointment signals the growing importance of embedded in the Linux pantheon, as well as the LF's commitment to its new Yocto Project for standardized embedded Linux builds.

Packetfence is one of the most powerful network access control applications available. With this tool you can control who (what, and when) has access to your network. If you are concerned about network security, and you want the absolute most control, Packetfence is what you need.

Google is revising its Android Market client app with a new carousel view as well as a streamlined discovery and purchasing process. Other Android Market revisions include content ratings, a more limited return window, more categories, and better device targeting tools for developers, says the company.

The Linux Foundation has announced that Richard Purdie has been appointed to the position of Linux Foundation Fellow. Purdie, an OpenEmbedded core developer and Yocto Project maintainer, previously worked as an embedded Linux architect in Intel’s Open Source Technology Center and, from 2005 to 2008, was a Software Engineer at OpenedHand where he worked on several other open source projects, including Clutter, X server, Zaurus and Oprofile.