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The Cr-48 is, according to Google, the "first of its kind - a notebook built and optimized for the web." It is the next step in the promotion of Chrome OS, Google's other Linux-based distribution. As a way of showing off what it has accomplished and building interest in the system, Google has distributed Cr-48 machines widely. Your editor was a lucky, if late, recipient of one of these devices; what follows are his [Cr-48] impressions after some time playing with it. The Cr-48 and Chrome OS are an interesting vision of where computing should go, even if that vision is not for everybody.

FlatPress is a very easy-to-install blogging platform that uses PHP, stores the entries in flat files instead of a database (hence the name), runs extremely fast, takes up very little disk space (1.9 MB for the default after the files are uncompressed) and is refreshingly simple. I eventually get around to writing about Debian Squeeze, which is three days away from its Stable release.

A few minutes ago, the second Alpha version of the upcoming Ubuntu 11.04 (Natty Narwhal) operating system was made available for testing by the Ubuntu developers. As usual, we've grabbed a copy of it in order to keep you up-to-date with the latest changes in the Ubuntu 11.04 development cycle.

The OpenStack open source cloud computing platform is out today with a new release codenamed Bexar, introducing new cloud computing and storage technologies. Bexar provides support for IPv6 as well as the ability to have unlimited storage. The Bexar release also includes preliminary support for Glance – a new technology that will enable cloud image discovery and delivery. OpenStack started out as a joint effort of NASA and Rackspace in July of 2010. The first platform release in October benefited from the contributions of over 35 technology vendors. With the new Bexar release, even more technology vendors are joining the effort, including Cisco and Canonical Ubuntu Linux.

Command substitution takes the output of one Linux command and makes it an argument in another command.

The latest version of Google's mobile OS has a lot riding on its success. Google developers yesterday released Android 3.0, the latest version of the company's mobile operating system. This release of Android (Honeycomb) could well be one of the most important for Google which is gunning for a share of the tablet PC market in addition to the cellphone market share it has already captured.

These days, Linux distros are a dime a dozen, especially in the field of the Ubuntu remix. Just about anyone thinks they can create a usable spinoff (they’re probably right) and that it’ll be wildly successful (they’re probably wrong). For this reason, we don’t often give a full writeup to an Ubuntu remix on MTE unless it offers something really unique or interesting. Pinguy isn’t exactly revolutionary, but it is among a rare breed: an Ubuntu spinoff that might actually have some real improvements over the original.

Novell reveals in an SEC filing today supplementing its proxy statement that the US Department of Justice has sent it and Microsoft a "second request" for more information regarding the proposed sale of patents to the Microsoft-organized consortium CPTN: Also on February 2, 2011, each of CPTN and Novell received a Second Request from the DOJ regarding the sale of certain identified patents and patent applications to CPTN contemplated by the Patent Purchase Agreement. The Second Requests have the effect of extending the waiting period under the HSR Act until 30 days after both parties have substantially complied with the Second Requests, unless the waiting period is earlier terminated. Novell is in the process of gathering information to respond to this Second Request and is continuing to cooperate fully with the DOJ in connection with its review.

It seems as though every year or two some hack comes along to recommend a single package management solution. This time we have the talking heads suggesting a single app store API. I think all of this ridiculous.

Originally, Google's presentation yesterday at its headquarters in Mountain View, California, was expected to revolve mainly around Honeycomb, the tablet version of Android. However, the real news was about Android app's: firstly, Android Market is now also available on the web; secondly, Android users will be able to buy content from within their apps – via "in-app" purchases.

We covered FlashVideoReplacer, a video add-on for Firefox, last year, but the new 2.x series offers several improvements. We look at what the new version offers and ask the developer a few questions.

LinuxCertified,Inc. a leading provider of Linux training, will offer Linux system administration bootcamp on February 10 - 11, 2011 near San Francisco (South Bay). This workshop is designed for busy information technology professionals and is designed to cover the most important Linux administration areas. All attendees get a free Linux laptop.

The PCLinuxOS Magazine staff is pleased to announce the release of the February 2011 issue of the PCLinuxOS Magazine.

The Prism project was launched in 2007 with a primary goal of Integrating Web applications into the User’s desktop experience. The project realized this goal for some prominent applications, and many user contributed bundles have been produced which make it possible to launch popular websites directly from your desktop as separate applications in a distraction free browser window. The Prism project itself, and the ways that it has been applied, have given us deep insights into this void between traditional desktop applications and the Web.

A user asked me whether a Windows port of the .wwf tools was possible. MS-DOS batchfiles are so crippled that converting them was not an option and I am unfamiliar with the newer Windows scripting facilities like PowerShell. So I asked myself the question, can I run the scripts within Windows?

GNOME is among the most widely used Linux desktop environments out there, if not *the* most widely used one. GNOME Shell is the latest incarnation of GNOME which is still undergoing heavy development. Months ago, we captured the evolution of GNOME Shell in detail and I think its time for another major GNOME Shell review.

This tutorial describes how you can install Apache2 with mod_fcgid and PHP5 on Fedora 14. mod_fcgid is a compatible alternative to the older mod_fastcgi. It lets you execute PHP scripts with the permissions of their owners instead of the Apache user.

Honeycomb, or Android 3.0, is a big, impressive step toward the unified, mobile world that Google is trying to bring to us. But rest assured that Apple will give Google some stiff competition with its own upgrades. With images of blue and black-striped bees leading the way through its Mountainview, Calif. headquarters, on Wednesday Google gave a deep-dive into Honeycomb, a tablet-ready version of the Android operating sysem it hopes can beat back Apple's iOS and the iPad.

Mozilla has announced the availability of a new Firefox Mobile 4 beta release for Android and Maemo. The new version brings significant performance improvements, further reduces the browser's installation footprint, and introduces experimental support for reflowing text after zooming.

Datasound Laboratories (DSL) announced a compact "embedded controller" based on a 300MHz DM&P Vortex86SX CPU. The Icop VSX-6117 is just 3.14 x 1.96 inches, uses only 320mA at 5V, includes 128MB of soldered-on DDR2 memory and 2GB of flash storage, has a 10/100 Ethernet port, and includes EIDE and x-ISA expansion, according to the company.