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This document lists 10 enhancements you should make to every new Windows PC, no matter whether it is a workstation or the family media computer.

[Really there's only 1 thing you need do.. - Tracyanne]

In Mac, the QuickLook feature allows you to preview your files without opening them. For Linux users, particularly for those with Gnome desktop, you can also get a similar QuickLook functionality in your desktop with Gloobus-Preview. Gloobus-Preview is an extension for the Gnome desktop designed to enable a full screen preview of any kind of file. You can use it to preview your presentation slides, pdf files or even to listen to a mp3 track, all without having to open their default applications.

A Newcastle-based company has launched a Linux-based laptop and support package designed to encourage technophobes online. Built by the Broadband Computer Company, the Alex laptop runs an operating system based on Ubuntu Linux and a set of applications that have been written in-house. The laptop's features have been vastly simplified, and updates are applied automatically without prompting the user, according to company co-founder Andy Hudson.

The long running case of Jacobsen v. Katzer has been settled on terms favourable to Jacobsen, a developer of the Java Model Railroad Interface project. The case came about when Katzer incorporated Jacobsen's code into it's proprietary model trail software, after deleting the copyright notices that existed in the code.

Oracle Corp. has rekindled its Solaris love. Sun's Solaris operating system will underlie new high-end data center appliances running the Oracle software stack. And Oracle EnterpriseLinux now becomes the preferred OS for lower-end commodity hardware. By making the Sparc/Solaris tandem the foundation of big-iron SMP appliances, the company is going back to its roots when Oracle and Sun were joined at the hip. Pre-Linux, Solaris was the de facto development platform for new Oracle software. New Oracle databases came out first on Solaris and later on everything else.

Somewhere along the way, Microsoft lost ground and became the underdog to Google and Apple, but with issues of their own, can Microsoft find its way back?

Inexplicably Zattoo for Linux disappeared. Inexplicably Zatoo for Linux has come back! Zattoo has developed a software program that allows you to watch TV on your computer. All you need is a broadband connection and a current operating system (Windows XP or Vista, Mac OS X, or Linux). The service is legal and free of charge.

In my recent article on QDVDAuthor, I skipped over the task of making a videoloop for the main DVD menu. Here I’m going to show you how I did it. The goal is a short loop of video that smoothly transitions through five different video segments and back to the beginning again. The audio is shaped and lowered to make it more or less even and not so distracting (loud menus can be obnoxious if they are left running). Read the full howto at Freesoftware Magazine.

Along with announcing the X.Org Foundation board of director results, Bart Massey also issued the 2010 State of the X.Org Foundation report. This lengthy report on the state of the foundation for this year can be read on the mailing list. It really doesn't detail the financial situation well like many are after, but just an overview of the X.Org happenings now and going forward. Below are a few take-aways from the report.

Wireshark is a network protocol analyzer (or "packet sniffer") that can be used for network analysis, troubleshooting, software development, education, etc. This guide shows how to install and use it on an Ubuntu 9.10 desktop to analyze the traffic on the local network card.

In the dispute between the SCO Group and Novell about the copyright for Unix, the new jury trial scheduled to begin on the 8th of March is apparently set to go ahead: according to a statement by Chapter 11 trustee Edward Cahn, SCO's majority owner Ralph Yarro wants to inject a loan of $2 million dollars into the financially stricken company.

Although some people viewed it as a tempest in a teapot, the long-running legal case Jacobsen v. Katzer stirred up some seminal open source issues. We first reported on the dust-up all the way back in August of 2008, noting that the dispute centered around--of all things--model train software.

A while ago, Giovanni Venturi interviewed Marco Martin for the Italian KDE website (so if you read Italian, please see there for the authentic version). For our Italian-challenged readers, we are pleased to present an English translation below. Marco "Notmart" Martin is of course well known as one of the primary developers of the new Plasma Netbook workspace and for his habit of teasing us via his blog with news of new features for the X+1 release of our Software Compilation just before version X is released...

Bruno Knaapen is gone. He died yesterday. By choice, and with dignity, Bruno bid his earthly family farewell and slipped beyond The Veil. Bruno Knaapen was ravaged by brain cancer. That cancer had spread throughout his body.

With the news coming out that the US International Trade Commission (ITC) has agreed to investigate both RIM and Apple over patent claims brought by Kodak, it makes you wonder if we'll soon be able to have any smartphones at all. As you hopefully know the ITC process is a sneaky loophole used by patent holders to get two totally unrelated shots at putting the same company on trial for infringing on the same patents.

The FERC, the agency with oversight of the U.S. power grid, signed an order on Thursday that grants Google Energy market-based rate authorization. This paves the way for the search giant to not only better manage its own energy costs, but to possibly add electricity marketer to its repertoire of services.

[Google Calendar, Docs and now Energy? - Scott]

LXer Feature: 20-Feb-2010

My review of the first day of SCALE 8x and the WIOS talks I attended.

Continuing their impressive record of quick delivery of fresh KDE software, the KDE Windows team is pleased to announce the immediate availability of packages with the latest KDE release for the Windows platform. The installer provides not only most of the applications from Software Compilation 4.4, but also the latest versions of a number of independently released KDE applications. Highlights include the latest stable version of digiKam (and the KIPI plugins) and Konversation. Although Amarok is not yet included in the installer there is progress being made.

Not to be left out of the bit “ME” craze, the upcoming Ubuntu 10.04 release will include the “MeMenu.” The MeMenu will be your one-stop spot for sending out all your social media broadcasts right from within Ubuntu.

In a recent interview (as of yesterday, 19 February) for DellVlog, Mark Shuttleworth says Ubuntu will finally change the default theme from Human to a "light theme". Here is the entire interview: