07.09.08
Links 09/07/2008: Ubuntu at Best Buy, New GNU/Linux Phones
GNU/Linux
- PC World: Move your business Linux, not Vista
- Ubuntu at Best Buy: Package Details
I learned this morning via #ubuntu-us that they’re now selling Ubuntu at Best Buy, and couldn’t help myself: during my lunch break I swung out to Best Buy to drop $20 on a copy.
- Checking In with An Ubuntu “Switcher”
She soon returned home, and I quickly forgot that I had switched her. Today, I had reason to drop her an email so I took the opportunity to ask if she was still on Ubuntu and how she was liking it. Her response: “I am still using Ubuntu. I like it. I couldn’t play encoded DVDs at first. I was going to call you or talk to our computer guy at school, but decided to research the issue myself on the community help site. I got it figured out and upgraded to the newest version at the same time. It was really very simple to work through. I’m very happy with it and I absolutely hate going to windows machines now, they suck.”
- Thoughts on innovation on the desktop.
And in August, we’ll release KDE 3.5.10 for those that prefer 3.5.
- Fedora TV
Devices
- An electronic ‘LEGO’ for embedded systems
- Motorola Ming A1600 ships
Almost two weeks after leaking details about its new line of Ming PDA phones, Motorola made it official with a formal launch. Shipping now in China, the line includes a Linux-based Ming A1600 model offering GPS, handwriting recognition, and a 3.2-megapixel camera with business card reader.
- Mobile Open Source: A Torrent of Implication
- ASUS To Finally Lower Price on Original Eee PC 900
- Maemo 4.1 bring mail and packaging improvements to Nokia’s Linux-based tablets
F/OSS
- Alfresco founder says open source makes software better
- OpenOffice.org 3.0: What to Expect?
OpenOffice 3.0 is a major milestone for the project, there are tons of other new features. I also noticed a great improvement in speed, which has always a bane in previous OpenOffice.org versions.
- Tutorial: Preview: What’s new in GIMP 2.6?
For GIMP 2.6, the developers had a strong focus: the implementation of GEGL should replace the old GIMP core. These changes are mainly invisible to the common user, but besides that many other very useful things have been done to help users in the future.
Microsoft
- Microsoft pledges to fight Vista ‘myths’
- Watch Out for an IE Zero-Day Attack
- Microsoft Patches Security Bugs in Products
- Microsoft Sets Hosted-services Pricing, Irks Partners
- Microsoft legal boss to testify on Yahoo-Google
Leftover
Highlight: Novell was the first to acknowledge that Microsoft FUD tactics had substance. Novell then used anti-Linux FUD to market itself. 
Highlight: Xandros let Microsoft make patent claims and brag about (paid-for) OOXML support. 
Highlight: Linspire's CEO not only fell into Microsoft arms, but he also assisted the company's attack on GNU/Linux. 
Highlight: Microsoft craves pseudo (proprietary) standards and gets its way using proxies and influence which it buys. 
Highlight: The invasion into the open source world is intended to leave Linux companies neglected, due to financial incentives from Microsoft. 
Analysis: Xen, an open source hypervisor, possibly fell victim to Microsoft's aggressive (and stealthy) acquisition-by-proxy strategy.
Lol said,
July 9, 2008 at 7:13 am
The new leader of GNOME is clueless about programming.
What kind of decision a leader will take who has not written a single line of GNOME program… sad
Its like making some HP Corporate drone the leader for Linux kernel rather than Linus. You know how this turns out in the future…a big mess.