Canonical announced a few minutes ago in a press release that the Ubuntu project, with Google's help, released today the amazing Ubuntu Font Family to the world. The font is available to any web designer from the Google Font Directory.
The Ubuntu Font Family was especially designed by Canonical for the Ubuntu 10.10 (Maverick Meerkat) operating system. Starting with today, any web developer can add the Ubuntu font on their websites. This means that visitors will be able to see the text on the respective webpages as it was intended, even if they don't have the font installed on their computers!
"Our focus on design and usability in Ubuntu led us to create a font which is at once beautiful and readable. We're delighted to share the Ubuntu Font Family with web designers around the world who want their websites to be stylish and readable in as manylanguages and browsers as possible."
"The publication of the Ubuntu font on the global Google Font Directory is an appropriate treat for the festive season, and we wish all those who contribute to, and enjoy the benefits of, free software and open content a very happy and healthy solstice and New Year." - said Mark Shuttleworth, founder of the Ubuntu project, in the press release.
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Windows vs. Chrome OS, so it begins, or at least it’s about to. At the end of the past week, Google started sending out invitations to a Chrome team
event on December 7th, 2010, in San Francisco.
The promise from the Mountain View-based search giant is that some exciting news about Chrome will be made public. No other details were offered, but the general consensus among various third-party sources seems to be that the event is related to Chrome OS.
Google’s open source Linux-based operating system has been cooking for some time now, and the company now seems closer than ever to place a foothold in Windows territory.
Speculation indicates that Google might ready a Beta preview of Chrome OS which would ship on a netbook offered to developers.However, this is not the actual general availability deadline of Chrome OS, which was postponed to 2011, with Google refusing to detail the reasons of the delay. Chrome OS was initially planned for availability by the end of 2010.
And Windows is about to get a new rival. Windows 7 at least, since, despite still being present on the market, Windows XP and Windows Vista are largely irrelevant in terms of new sales.
Just a few years ago, Google was launching the Chrome browser, and now the company is extremely close to the 10% mark of the market.
Granted the OS market is not as crowded as the browser one, and Windows is in a far more dominant position than Internet Explorer was when Google’s browser shipped, but if the success of Chrome is any indication, Microsoft needs to brace for impact.
Chrome OS comes with a new approach to the classic operating system model. There’s very little local storage, and there are no application programming interfaces (APIs) to support applications running locally.
Instead, Chrome OS is built for the Cloud, and is browser-centric, with the Chrome browser at the core. The user data, settings, content, applications sit in Google’s servers rather than being stored locally.
Meanwhile, Windows 7 still has the same Cloud connections as its predecessors, largely related to the Windows Live Essentials suite.
Microsoft does have the chance to push Windows 8 into the Cloud, linking it with Windows Azure, but there’s no telling whether the Redmond company will actually do it, or wait for the next version of Windows, after Windows 7’s successor.
Meanwhile, Google is extremely close to have the operating system rendered all but useless, and shift the focus entirely to the web.
Estimates indicate that Chrome OS will be available on netbooks in early 2011, but a release date has yet to be disclosed.
What’s interesting is that Chrome OS was created in a time when netbooks were extremely hot, which is no longer the case.
Consumers seem to prefer tablets / slates to netbooks more and more, especially for media consumption scenarios, and in this regard, Chrome OS might just have betted on a losing horse, at least in the long run.
And the operating system cannot simply be transitioned to tablets, since it’s not sufficiently touch-centric, but tailored to machines with keyboards instead.
Windows 7 dominates the netbook market for the time being, although it will take a while before slates sporting the OS will gain traction, and not until 2011 at the latest, even according to Microsoft estimates.
As far as netbooks are concerned, the Redmond company has won the OS war with Linux, and it did it with XP, before Windows 7 was launched.
Now Chrome OS comes to challenge Windows’ dominance, the shadow of Linux is still in the background, and it’s time for Microsoft to take on a new rival.
event on December 7th, 2010, in San Francisco.The promise from the Mountain View-based search giant is that some exciting news about Chrome will be made public. No other details were offered, but the general consensus among various third-party sources seems to be that the event is related to Chrome OS.
Google’s open source Linux-based operating system has been cooking for some time now, and the company now seems closer than ever to place a foothold in Windows territory.
Speculation indicates that Google might ready a Beta preview of Chrome OS which would ship on a netbook offered to developers.However, this is not the actual general availability deadline of Chrome OS, which was postponed to 2011, with Google refusing to detail the reasons of the delay. Chrome OS was initially planned for availability by the end of 2010.
And Windows is about to get a new rival. Windows 7 at least, since, despite still being present on the market, Windows XP and Windows Vista are largely irrelevant in terms of new sales.
Just a few years ago, Google was launching the Chrome browser, and now the company is extremely close to the 10% mark of the market.
Granted the OS market is not as crowded as the browser one, and Windows is in a far more dominant position than Internet Explorer was when Google’s browser shipped, but if the success of Chrome is any indication, Microsoft needs to brace for impact.
Chrome OS comes with a new approach to the classic operating system model. There’s very little local storage, and there are no application programming interfaces (APIs) to support applications running locally.
Instead, Chrome OS is built for the Cloud, and is browser-centric, with the Chrome browser at the core. The user data, settings, content, applications sit in Google’s servers rather than being stored locally.
Meanwhile, Windows 7 still has the same Cloud connections as its predecessors, largely related to the Windows Live Essentials suite.
Microsoft does have the chance to push Windows 8 into the Cloud, linking it with Windows Azure, but there’s no telling whether the Redmond company will actually do it, or wait for the next version of Windows, after Windows 7’s successor.
Meanwhile, Google is extremely close to have the operating system rendered all but useless, and shift the focus entirely to the web.
Estimates indicate that Chrome OS will be available on netbooks in early 2011, but a release date has yet to be disclosed.
What’s interesting is that Chrome OS was created in a time when netbooks were extremely hot, which is no longer the case.
Consumers seem to prefer tablets / slates to netbooks more and more, especially for media consumption scenarios, and in this regard, Chrome OS might just have betted on a losing horse, at least in the long run.
And the operating system cannot simply be transitioned to tablets, since it’s not sufficiently touch-centric, but tailored to machines with keyboards instead.
Windows 7 dominates the netbook market for the time being, although it will take a while before slates sporting the OS will gain traction, and not until 2011 at the latest, even according to Microsoft estimates.
As far as netbooks are concerned, the Redmond company has won the OS war with Linux, and it did it with XP, before Windows 7 was launched.
Now Chrome OS comes to challenge Windows’ dominance, the shadow of Linux is still in the background, and it’s time for Microsoft to take on a new rival.
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AMD, the chip rival for Intel has released “the fundamental Linux code” that is needed to develop open-source 3D-acceleration drivers for its R600 and R700 ATI graphic-processors series.The news is intended for those who want to create drivers for potent GPU series of ATI Radeon HD 2x00, HD 3x00 (both R600), and Radeon HD 4x00 (R700). Also, unleash of open source code is good for Linux-lovers who have access to the R600/700’s 3D powers.
The announcement made by GPU to support the recently released open-source OpenCL 1.0 allowing GPU to be used for general-purpose computing (GPGPU), it is expected that GPUniverse is moving slowly toOpen Source Software (OSS) model.
The OSS future looks bright for GPUs. The segment was still new to AMD as Intel is open with its drivers. OSS development should proceed swiftly, both in 3D acceleration and GPGPU.
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This is a stylish and elegant USB drive called Sky Lux from Korea Axxen. Sporting in pearl gold and shining silver colors, it looks stunning.Apart from its attractive attire, it packs in a massive storage capacity of up to 16 GB. It features 22MB/s of reading speed and 12MB/s of writing speed.
Sky Lux memory stick is compatible with USB 2.0/1.1 and several operating systems including Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, Linuxnd Macintosh. Depending upon your storage needs, you can choose among 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, 8GB and 16GB.
There is no word on the pricing and availability.
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Good OS, most known for its gOS Linux that debuted in Wal-Mart computers, today announced “Cloud,” a new operating system that boots into a browser with Google, Yahoo! and Live in seconds, and optionally boots into Windows. Good OS will preview Cloud on a GIGABYTE Touch-Screen Netbook at the Netbook World Summit and online at http://www.thinkgos.com. GIGABYTE Touch-Screen Netbooks will be preloaded with Cloud and Windows XP together early next year.“We are excited to preview the GIGABYTE Touch-Screen Netbook with Cloud and Windows together, said a Good OS spokesperson. “With Cloud, GIGABYTE Netbooks will power on to the Internet in seconds, while still supporting killer applications together with Windows XP.”
Cloud uniquely integrates a web browser with a compressed Linux operating system kernel for immediate access to Internet, integration of browser and rich client applications, and full control of the computer from inside the browser.Cloud features a beautifully designed browser with an icon dock for shortcuts to favorite apps, tabs for multi-tasking between web and rich client apps, and icons to switch to Windows, power off, and perform other necessary system functions. Users power on their computers, quickly boot into Cloud for Internet and basic applications, and then just power off or boot into Windows for more powerful desktop applications.
“Cloud is my favorite gOS product yet,” said David Liu, Founder and CEO of Good OS. “Just seconds after I power on, I’m Googling, Yahooing, and truly Living. I am very excited about the upcoming GIGABYTE Touch-Screen Netbooks with Cloud and Windows. I think the GIGABYTE Touch-Screen Netbook’s forward thinking hardware and software will make it the best Netbook to hit the market!”
More details about Cloud and GIGABYTE Touch-Screen Netbooks will be released on Januaary 8 2009 at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
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With Fedora 10 finally entering the world earlier this week, we have performed benchmarks comparing the performance of Ubuntu 8.10 and Fedora 10. In our testing we used both the 32-bit and 64-bit builds of each distribution and then ran a series of automated tests through the Phoronix Test Suite.Our test system consisted of an Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 clocked at 4.00GHz, an ASUS P5E64 WS Professional motherboard, MSI 9800GT 512MB graphics card, 2GB of OCZ DDR3-1333MHz RAM, and Western Digital WD1600JS-00MHB0 160GB SATA HDD. With each distribution we had manually installed the NVIDIA 180.08 driver and Phoronix Test Suite 1.4.2. Per our standard testing protocol, each distribution was left in its stock configuration (though as part of that, SELinux is disabled on Fedora). The final i686 and x86_64 builds of Ubuntu 8.10 and Fedora 10 were each tested.Ubuntu 8.10 ships with the Linux 2.6.27 kernel, X Server 1.5.2, GCC 4.3.2, and GNOME 2.24. Fedora 10 ships with the Linux 2.6.27.5 kernel, X Server 1.5.3, GCC 4.3.2, and GNOME 2.24. The tests we used to compare the Ubuntu and Fedora performance was Nexuiz, OpenArena, World of Padman, Lightsmark, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, Tremulous, timed Gzip compression, LAME MP3 encoding, Ogg encoding, BYTE Unix Benchmark, SciMark 2, GnuPG, and OpenSSL.Read d rest...
Earlier this year we shared that Valve's Source Engine is coming to Linux after receiving some information that pointed in this direction. In addition, a year ago Valve Software was publicly looking for a senior software engineer to port Windows-based games to Linux platform. There have long been rumors and hopes among Linux users that Steam games would become natively available for Linux, but we have additional confirmation that Valve Software has ported their Steam game client to Linux. In Valve's most recent title, Left 4 Dead, there are shared Linux libraries shipping alongside this Windows game client.We were tipped off this morning by an attentive Phoronix reader that in the demo copy of Left 4 Dead there were several Linux library files worth investigating. In particular, one of these files was even named steamclient_linux.so. This is in the Windows demo client -- we're not referring to the Linux dedicated server-only version. Left 4 Dead is a first person shooter developed by Turtle Rock Studios and then acquired by Valve and is written around the Source Engine. Left 4 Dead brings several new features to the Source Engine such as post-processing effects, rendering and AI improvements, and dynamic lighting and shadowing improvements. The Windows client was released earlier this month and a playable demo a few days before the release. The retail game is distributed via Valve's Steam client, but the demo is no longer available through the Steam network.With the demo version, there were shared libraries for Linux with the game client on Windows. The Left 4 Dead playable demo has twenty Linux library files shipping with the client (not simply the dedicated server version) and among them were steamclient_linux.so, studiorender_i486.so, vstdlib_i486.so, libsteam_api_linux.so, and engine_i486.so. We had bought the Left 4 Dead Windows game through Steam to continue our investigation, but the shared libraries were not to be found in that build at this time. The Linux files are obviously also present in the latest dedicated Linux server for Left 4 Dead through the HLDS utility.
We had explored the various shared libraries using the strings command. Among the many strings within steamclient_linux.so that caught our attention were k_EMsgClientRequestForgottenPasswordEmailResponse, k_EMsgClientGetLobbyMetadataResponse, k_EMsgClientPurchaseWithMachineID, k_EMsgClientGamesPlayed, k_EMsgAMSetCommunityState, SetOverlayNotificationPosition hates linux, Average %.2f fps, %.2f ms per frame, Steam_GSSendSteam3UserConnect, GetBillingAddress. These strings plus hundreds of other technically shouldn't be needed if this were simply for Linux server usage -- even though no Linux server binary ships with the Windows game on Steam.
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S3 Graphics today announced its next generation Chrome 500 graphics processors, the Chrome 530 GT.The GPU allows users to enjoy the latest Blu-ray playback, streaming HD video, DirectX 10.1, and OpenGL 3.0 applications on Microsoft Windows and Linux platforms.
The Chrome 500 Series suports Blu-ray picture-in-Picture features and 8-channel high fidelity audio with the S3 Graphics' built-in Dolby 7.1 digital surround sound processor. DirectX, OpenGL, and GPGPU applications can be efficiently processed with programmable shader cores to speed-up 3D and non-gaming functions.
Add-in cards featuring the first graphics accelerators from the new Chrome 500 series, the Chrome 530 GT, are available now on S3 Graphics GStore online retail outlet.
S3 Graphics Chrome 500 Series Highlights:
- Microsoft DirectX 10.1+ / OpenGL 3.0 Support: Chrome 500 supports the latest DirectX 10.1+ and OpenGL 3.0 graphics requirements to support the latest applications. Real-life 3D rendering and increased visual quality through improved Anti-aliasing (AA), Image/Texture improvements, higher precision formats, and programmable lighting effects allow users to experience the next level of 3D graphics.
- GPGPU (General Purpose GPU) Technology: Utilizing an array of S3 stream processors, the Chrome GPUs can accelerate parallel data workloads and perform work on thousands of concurrent threads to achieve Gigaflops (GFLOPS) of high-throughput computations. Applications that can utilize S3 GPGPU technologies include image processing, video transcoding, game physics, and many more.
- ChromotionHD Video Technology: Designed to offload video processing from the CPU and save overall system power, the ChromotionHD engine supports the latest HD standards including H.264, MPEG-2, VC-1, WMV-HD, and AVS.- Display and Audio Integration: Chrome 500 Series processors incorporate DisplayPort with HDCP, HDMI with HDCP, dual-link DVI with HDCP, and dual-channel LVDS transmitters for complete connectivity to a full range of digital monitors and panels.
- Integrated Dolby 7.1 digital surround sound and HD Audio controllers are supported natively in the GPU.
- PCI Express2.0: Chrome 500 Series GPUs support the latest high throughput PCI Express 2.0 bus technology for bandwidth intensive applications and games. The faster connection speed also allows users to take advantage of additional S3 Graphics technologies such as AcceleRAM which leverages system memory for image data storage, and MultiChrome Multi-GPU technology to unleash almost twice the 3D rendering performance on games.
S3 Graphics Chrome 530 GT Graphics Card
The first product introduced to the market in the Chrome 500 Series, the S3 Graphics Chrome 530 GT features an upgraded video core capable of dual-stream, PiP Blu-ray playback at lower power and clock speeds.The video card's GPU is clocked at 625MHz and the 512MB GDDR2 memory onboard runs at 500MHz.
Equipped with HDCP capable DVI-I and HDMI ports, the Chrome 530 GT supports DirectX 10.1 and OpenGL 3.0 applications and consumes under 25W of power, making it ideal as the graphics of choice for HTPC (home theatre PCs), DIY enthusiasts or existing PC users.
The Chrome 530 GT add-in card is available now for $44.95.
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Epson has just released their new Endeavor LX7900 computer system equipped with a TurboLinux Client 2008 Basic. Epson is also ready to launch their Endeavor LX7900 a desktop PC equipped with TurboLinux Client 2008 OS.There is a choice between an Intel Celeron 430, a Dual Core E2200, a Core 2 Duo E8600, or Core 2 Quad Q6600, together with up to 2GB of DDR2, 1TB of SATA II HDD, a DVD driver, and seven USB 2.0 ports.The starting configuration system will be available for around 350€.
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You may remember the tiny Linux PC we featured on the site previously, the Fit PC, well it looks like the Fit PC has gone on a diet and there is a new version out, the Fit PC Slim.The Fit-PC Slim measures 4.3 x 3.9 x 1.2 inches and weighs in at just 13 ounces, as well as being incredibly small it uses only 6 watts of power making it very energy efficient.The Fit PC Slim is powered by an AMD Geode LX800 500MHz processor, has 512MB of RAM and the option to add a 2.5 inch HDD.There is also built in Wi-Fi and Ethernet, as well as 3 USB ports.
Here’s the full specs.
* Processor — 500MHz AMD Geode LX800
* Memory — 256MB or 512MB of soldered-on RAM
* Display — VGA output
* Storage — Accepts 2.5-inch hard drive internally; factory offers pre-installed 60GB version
* LAN — 10/100 Ethernet with RJ45 connector
* WLAN — 802.11b/g (optional)
* Other I/O:
* 3 x USB 2.0 (2 front-panel, 1 rear)
* 1 x serial (with proprietary connector)
* Operating temperature — 0 to 45 deg. C
* Dimensions — 4.3 x 3.9 x 1.2 inches (110 x 100 x 30mm)
* Weight — 13 ounces (380g)
Prices start at around $220 for the bare bones unit.
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Some Linux users are getting a feel for what it's like to be one of the Windows faithful, as the open source community looks to be under siege. The U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT) has issued a warning for "active attacks" against Linux-based infrastructures using compromised SSH keys.Specifics remain scarce, but the attacks appear to use stolen SSH keys to gain access to a system, after which time the attacker uses local kernel exploits to gain root access and install a rootkit called phalanx2.
"Phalanx2 appears to be a derivative of an older rootkit named "phalanx". Phalanx2 and the support scripts within the rootkit, are configured to systematically steal SSH keys from the compromised system. These SSH keys are sent to the attackers, who then use them to try to compromise other sites and other systems of interest at the attacked site."
The US-CERT has outlined ways Linux users can reduce the risk of attack, as well as what steps should be taken if a compromise is already confirmed.
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Those who haven't yet tried out a netbook—the new category of cheap ultraportable laptops that have quickly followed on the heels of the Asus Eee PC's runaway success—may not appreciate the appeal of one, but it doesn't take more than a few minutes using a model like the Acer Aspire One to surmise the reasons behind their popularity. Like others in the genre, the Aspire One is a featherweight (tipping the scales at just 2.2 pounds) that's perfect for throwing into a bag or backpack or typing away in bed. And like the original Eee PC and the new MSI Wind U100, it makes use of Linux to keep startup and shutdown times short, though like those others (and HP's 2133 Mini-Note PC), it will be offered in both Linux and Windows XP flavors. The Aspire One is currently offered in blue or white (our test unit came in white), and Acer says brown and black versions will be available later this year.HP has so far marketed the Mini-Note as an educational product, which means Acer is the first top-tier laptop manufacturer taking aim at this nascent consumer market (Lenovo has just announced its forthcoming entry, the IdeaPad S10, and rumors are swirling about Dell and Sony soon joining the netbook fray.) The Aspire One probably won't disappoint the target audience of students or users looking for an inexpensive, highly totable second system, though we found the Wind unit we tested to be a more compelling buy.One reason is that the Windows XP-based Wind packs an 80GB hard drive, whereas the Aspire One we received has just 8GB of onboard storage. That storage does come in the form of a solid-state drive, which can boot faster than a hard drive and lacks moving parts that could get damaged if the laptop takes a tumble. But if you want to place a sizeable multimedia library on your netbook, this Aspire One configuration doesn't offer you a lot of room. (The Windows XP version, however, ups the ante on the Wind by coming with a 120GB hard drive.) Both versions of the Aspire One do offer a dedicated SD memory-card slot, as well as an additional multiformat memory-card slot (which also reads SD cards) and three USB ports, which you can use to attach external storage to the system.
The Wind's 10-inch screen is also slightly larger than the Aspire One's 8.9-inch display. Nonetheless, the glossy LED-backlit screen on the Acer has good viewing angles and is more than fine for everyday use, until it gets washed out in bright light; under those circumstances, the display also suffers from a moderate amount of glare. Speaker volume is decent, though audio lacks warmth since there's almost no bass output.
Like the Wind, the Aspire One uses Intel's new Atom low-power mobile processor, but because its Linux OS needs fairly meager system requirements to run, the Acer comes with just 512MB of memory. (The Windows XP configuration comes with 1GB of RAM, and Acer also offers a $449 Linux version with 1GB of memory.) It runs Linux, so we couldn't run any of our normal benchmarks, but we didn't experience any hiccups doing everyday tasks like word processing and Web browsing at the same time. Bootup time was indeed impressive, taking only 20 seconds to get to the main interface screen. It did take another 30 seconds, however, for the device to find and connect to our wireless network.
As you can imagine with a laptop that measures just 1.1x9.8x6.7 inches (HWD), the Aspire One's keyboard isn't full-size, but it is large enough to make touch-typing possible, though we suffered the occasional spelling mishap with the slightly cramped keys. More problematic was the touch pad, which gave us problems, even after turning down its sensitivity.
Acer has gone to great lengths to make sure that the Linux underpinnings have been gussied up enough for consumers used to a Windows-based GUI. The main interface (which can be reached at any time by clicking on the house-shaped icon at the bottom of the screen) is divided into four sections—Connect, Works, Fun, and Files—under which the Aspire One's apps are grouped. The home screen also features an Internet search bar to speed up jumping online even further.
Apps grouped under Connect include Browser (Mozilla's Firefox), Messenger (an instant-messaging client that supports AIM, Google Talk, MSN Messenger, and Yahoo Messenger), Mail (an e-mail app that supports IMAP4, Lotus Notes, Microsoft Exchange, POP3, and SMTP), an RSS reader, and direct links to Google Maps, Microsoft Hotmail, and Wikipedia. The free office suite OpenOffice.org makes up three of the programs in the Works quadrant, providing a word processor, spreadsheet program, and presentation software; Acer also provides calculator, calendar, contacts, and notes apps.
Under Fun, you'll find a media jukebox, photo and paint apps, a utility to make use of the Aspire One's built-in Webcam, and a number of games (including one identified as Tetris, but which is really a knockoff called LTris). Files houses icons that let you access your documents, music, photos, videos, downloads, and miscellaneous files.
In addition to its memory-card slots and USB ports, the Aspire One offers VGA out, an Ethernet port, and headphone and microphone jacks. It ships with a three-cell battery, but because it doesn't feature an optical drive, we couldn't formally test its stamina with our DVD-playback benchmark. In our everyday use, however, it lasted roughly 2 hours and 20 minutes per charge. That duration doesn't really jibe with the idea of the netbook as an ideal traveling companion—if you're looking for the Aspire One to stay juiced for a cross-country flight, you'll need to secure the optional six-cell battery for a pretty price.
With its availability in Best Buy and Circuit City stores, the Aspire One is going to be successful, especially since Acer has the jump on Lenovo and any other major laptop manufacturers that decide to join the netbook fray. That doesn't make the Aspire One—particularly this configuration, with its puny amount of onboard storage—the best choice in the category. It does have a more appealing price than the MSI Wind, however, and it largely succeeds in showcasing the (albeit limited) charms of the netbook, a laptop that can finally serve as a lifestyle accessory for the masses.
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Over at PCmag.com, they bring up an interesting point about Asus’ new ROM boot chip and "Express Gate"; how it will affect users psychologically. We are not talking about power users, but just regular end users and how they feel about Linux.For power users, there just isn’t much draw on Express Gate. So it lets you boot into a basic OS with a web browser and Skype in five seconds. Not really a big deal since most power users keep their machines on 24/7, or maybe let them sleep/hibernate. They also may have a dual boot system to a full featured Linux OS as well. This leaves power users scratching their heads asking why. Had Asus decided to make use of this Linux on ROM to provide things like diagnostics, data recovery, BIOS configuration/updating, or hardware systems monitoring, they would have had us at “hello”.End users on the other hand, are more likely to power their systems on and off. For these folks having the option to boot quickly to use a web browser for a few minutes before rushing off someplace makes sense. More importantly it gets them using Linux without being obvious about it. I am sure Asus likes this idea as it will warm users up to their Eee line using the Linux OS. This could spool up to be a big deal if other manufacturers pick up on the idea and start serving up their own Splashtop Linux ROM chips on their motherboards.
The effect becomes that there will be more users comfortable using Linux and that could eat into Microsoft’s market share. If this takes off, Microsoft has little choice but to make it’s OS capable of going instant on, or creating a super light and cheap version of Windows that can do the same thing (like Windows CE, but better).
Do you think this might take off? Can we expect Microsoft to follow suit and do their own instant on OS?
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Asustek (Asus) is trying out its Express Gate Linux software in laptop PCs, a bid to make multimedia files and Internet access a snap for users.Express Gate allows users to bypass Windows at start-up and go directly to the Express Gate screen in just five seconds. From there, users can go directly to the Internet, play games or access music and other multimedia files. The company has equiped its motherboards with the software in the pastand plans to put it in all future laptop PCs, including a few to be launched at Computex next week.
Next week, the company will show off the F8V, the first laptop PC with a hot key to access Express Gate directly instead of waiting for Windows to boot up.
From the end of June, all new Asustek laptop PCs will come with Express Gate on board, and all motherboards will come with Express Gate software on CDs so users can load it on their PCs if so desired, an Asustek representative said.
Next week, the company will show off the F8V, the first laptop PC with a hot key to access Express Gate directly instead of waiting for Windows to boot up.
From the end of June, all new Asustek laptop PCs will come with Express Gate on board, and all motherboards will come with Express Gate software on CDs so users can load it on their PCs if so desired, an Asustek representative said.
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Verizon Wireless is backing a free operating system that competes with programs from Microsoft Corp., Google Inc. and Qualcomm Inc. and expects it to become the "preferred" software on its network.
It's the first U.S. carrier to join the LiMo Foundation, which aims to unite handset makers, software companies and carriers on a software platform that will make it easier and cheaper to create a wide variety of phones.
The carrier's endorsement Wednesday is an important boost to the stature of LiMo, or Linux Mobile, and its prospects in the U.S. It already has the backing of large Asian and European carriers, as well as handset makers like Motorola Inc., Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics.
"There is now no doubt that LiMo-powered devices will comprise a significant percentage of many operators' portfolios," said Stuart Carlaw, cell-phone industry analyst at ABI Research.Kyle Malady, vice president of network for Verizon, said he expects the company to sell both simple and "smart" phones using LiMo next year. That's a potential blow to Qualcomm, which supplies the software for most of Verizon's phones, excluding smart phones.
"We expect that Linux Mobile will rapidly become our preferred operating system," Malady said. "As the development community looks at how best to bring new applications to the marketplace, they should check out LiMo and Linux Mobile first."
But the company is not adopting LiMo to the exclusion of other operating systems, he added - it now sells phones with a variety of operating systems, and expects to continue doing so.
Verizon Wireless is also in the process of opening up its network on a wholesale basis to any device that meets basic technical requirements, but Malady made clear that the backing of LiMo is separate from that initiative, and the company plans to sell LiMo devices under its own brand.
While Verizon Wireless expects the adoption of LiMo to speed development, the difference between it and current cell phone software may not be apparent to users. The software package does not include a user interface, so the look and feel of LiMo phones may be borrowed from current phones.
LiMo's software is based on Linux, a freely distributed operating system that's mainly used in server computers and in niches like TV set-top boxes, where Microsoft's dominant Windows system doesn't reach.
The foundation released the first version of its software package in March, and Motorola, Samsung, LG and Panasonic have showed off phones using it. Motorola also has older phones that use its own flavor of Linux.
While more than 90 percent of PCs run Windows, the market for cell-phone software is much more fragmented. Microsoft has its own software for "smart" phones. Symbian Ltd., whose main backer is Nokia, sells the competing Series 60 software. Verizon Wireless uses a system from Qualcomm Inc. for most of its phones. Apple Inc. created its own software for the iPhone. Google Inc. is backing an Open Handset Alliance that is creating yet another system, called Android. The first phones running that software are expected later this year.
"The mobile industry really was very reluctant to follow the path of the PC industry and cede the heart of the device to any single company," said Morgan Gillis, executive director of the London-based LiMo foundation. "This is really why Microsoft has not gained any significant traction with Windows Mobile, and also why Nokia has not been successful with Series 60 as an industry platform proposition."
To try to unite the industry, four major handset makers, plus overseas carriers Vodafone Group PLC and NTT DoCoMo, set up the LiMo Foundation last year as an organization that is not governed by any one company, making software that will be free for everyone to use.
Malady said Verizon Wireless chose to put more weight behind LiMo than Android because LiMo unites diverse industry participants in an inclusive governance structure and has software available already.
Also joining the LiMo Foundation on Wednesday were SK Telecom Co., the largest carrier in South Korea, and the Mozilla Corp., which puts out the popular Firefox Web browser. Like Linux, Firefox is maintained on an "open source" basis, where everyone has free access to the software's blueprints.
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One of the things that Apple has always prided itself over and promoted in no uncertain terms, has been the so-called 'robust security' offered by its OSX operating system. However this supposition of Apple's took a huge beating on Thursday when a team of researchers from Independent Security Evaluators (ISE) managed to hack a MacBook Air in just two minutes using a previously unknown security vulnerability in Apple’s own safari browser.
The people who did the 'hack' were ISE security researchers - Charlie Miller, Jake Honoroff, and Mark Daniel – who were participating in the "PWN to OWN" competition at the CanSecWest security conference, in Vancouver, British Columbia.In this competition there were 3 laptops, with different OS’s offered for being hacked into. These included an Apple Macbook Air running OS X 10.5.2, a Sony Vaio VGN-TZ37CN running Ubuntu 7.10 and a Fujitsu U810 running Vista Ultimate SP1. Anyone who could successfully hack or exploit these machines would win a $10,000 price from famous security company Tipping Point.
The first to go was of course the Macbook, followed by Windows Vista. Ubuntu stood strong despite repeated attempts.
For further details on this hack, check out this post here on Tipping Point.
The people who did the 'hack' were ISE security researchers - Charlie Miller, Jake Honoroff, and Mark Daniel – who were participating in the "PWN to OWN" competition at the CanSecWest security conference, in Vancouver, British Columbia.In this competition there were 3 laptops, with different OS’s offered for being hacked into. These included an Apple Macbook Air running OS X 10.5.2, a Sony Vaio VGN-TZ37CN running Ubuntu 7.10 and a Fujitsu U810 running Vista Ultimate SP1. Anyone who could successfully hack or exploit these machines would win a $10,000 price from famous security company Tipping Point.
The first to go was of course the Macbook, followed by Windows Vista. Ubuntu stood strong despite repeated attempts.
For further details on this hack, check out this post here on Tipping Point.
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If you are an avid gamer, you probably dual-boot your favorite Linux distribution with Windows, because that's where you find most new cutting-edge games. But what if you could run your Windows games on Linux? PlayOnLinux is an open source Python-scripted front end that helps you install and play tons of Windows-only games -- and then some!
At the core of PlayOnLinux is Wine, a compatibility layer that lets you run many Windows programs over Linux. But Wine isn't always easy to use. It's a command-line program, and using it for tasks like tweaking the Windows environment or individual programs remains a complex task that you can accomplish only via command-line options. This is where PlayOnLinux comes into play. PlayOnLinux provides a front end for most Wine options to help you install, manage, and uninstall Windows-based games and applications.
I installed PlayOnLinux on a Fedora 8 system that I created with the installable Fedora Live games spin. The minimal installation instructions are in the 491KB tar package. There's also a 497KB precompiled PlayOnLinux binary for Debian-based systems like Ubuntu.
Using PlayOnLinux you can install full games, expansion packs, and patches. Since PlayOnLinux uses Wine, it'll run everything that runs with Wine, which includes several productivity, office, and graphics apps as well. PlayOnLinux installs each program within its own individual environment, called a wineprefix, similar to CrossOver's bottles implementation. To uninstall a program, just select it from the list of installed applications, and from under the File menu choose the Remove option.
Click to enlarge
But PlayOnLinux is much more than a front end. The program also includes bash scripts that will create the correct environment for a particular game and guide you through its installation. In addition to the 10 official scripts, you can enable a community repository from within PlayOnLinux, which will add another 50+ scripts. From the two repositories you can install games such as Call of Duty 2, Max Payne 2, Soldier of Fortune, and World of Warcraft.Along with the game scripts, PlayOnLinux packs another subset of scripts called WorkOnLinux that will create an installation environment for freely available Windows applications including Blender, Google SketchUp, Safari, and Winrar.
Don't despair if you can't find a script for your favorite Windows-based game or application. Using PlayOnLinux's LiveInstall script, you can install any game or app and use it with all the various PlayOnLinux tools (such as WineBooster, WineMaster, and WineConfig) as if it had been installed with an official script. Once you've installed PlayOnLinux, these tools are available from PlayOnLinux's Tools menu.
Using the tools, you can configure Wine from the Wine configuration window, where you can tweak audio, video, and other settings. You can also tweak the various Wine options to improve performance, like DirectDrawRenderer mode and VideoMemorySize, with WineBooster. You also have the option to install DirectX and Wine versions for a particular game and use WineGit to compile and install Wine from its Git repository. The tools menu also lets you install and change the Wine theme, and edit the Windows Registry Editor. Most of these changes are followed by a quick simulated Windows reboot.
PlayOnLinux can also run a battery of graphic tests, such as Glxgears, Glxmulx, and GlxTinou. This is done from under the Settings menu, from where you can also enable or disable the community repositories.
Even with all its nice options, PlayOnLinux has some drawbacks as well. The biggest is language; most of the developers are from non-English-speaking regions. While there is an option to switch the interface to English, some error messages and other bits of information haven't yet been translated. Also, many of the WorkonLinux scripts (such as the Safari script) take you to the non-English download page of the application.Also, most of the scripts keep looping endlessly. For example, if you've just installed a game using one of the PlayOnLinux scripts, it should end when you've decided to create a desktop shortcut for the game you just installed. But, irritatingly, the script loops the icon creation section and exits only when you ask it not to create an icon. In some scripts, like the WineGit script, the Cancel button doesn't exit the process, but merely skips to the next step.
Yet PlayOnLinux, despite its minor peculiarities, is a good mechanism to manage and play Windows-based games on Linux.
At the core of PlayOnLinux is Wine, a compatibility layer that lets you run many Windows programs over Linux. But Wine isn't always easy to use. It's a command-line program, and using it for tasks like tweaking the Windows environment or individual programs remains a complex task that you can accomplish only via command-line options. This is where PlayOnLinux comes into play. PlayOnLinux provides a front end for most Wine options to help you install, manage, and uninstall Windows-based games and applications.
I installed PlayOnLinux on a Fedora 8 system that I created with the installable Fedora Live games spin. The minimal installation instructions are in the 491KB tar package. There's also a 497KB precompiled PlayOnLinux binary for Debian-based systems like Ubuntu.Using PlayOnLinux you can install full games, expansion packs, and patches. Since PlayOnLinux uses Wine, it'll run everything that runs with Wine, which includes several productivity, office, and graphics apps as well. PlayOnLinux installs each program within its own individual environment, called a wineprefix, similar to CrossOver's bottles implementation. To uninstall a program, just select it from the list of installed applications, and from under the File menu choose the Remove option.
Click to enlarge
But PlayOnLinux is much more than a front end. The program also includes bash scripts that will create the correct environment for a particular game and guide you through its installation. In addition to the 10 official scripts, you can enable a community repository from within PlayOnLinux, which will add another 50+ scripts. From the two repositories you can install games such as Call of Duty 2, Max Payne 2, Soldier of Fortune, and World of Warcraft.Along with the game scripts, PlayOnLinux packs another subset of scripts called WorkOnLinux that will create an installation environment for freely available Windows applications including Blender, Google SketchUp, Safari, and Winrar.
Don't despair if you can't find a script for your favorite Windows-based game or application. Using PlayOnLinux's LiveInstall script, you can install any game or app and use it with all the various PlayOnLinux tools (such as WineBooster, WineMaster, and WineConfig) as if it had been installed with an official script. Once you've installed PlayOnLinux, these tools are available from PlayOnLinux's Tools menu.
Using the tools, you can configure Wine from the Wine configuration window, where you can tweak audio, video, and other settings. You can also tweak the various Wine options to improve performance, like DirectDrawRenderer mode and VideoMemorySize, with WineBooster. You also have the option to install DirectX and Wine versions for a particular game and use WineGit to compile and install Wine from its Git repository. The tools menu also lets you install and change the Wine theme, and edit the Windows Registry Editor. Most of these changes are followed by a quick simulated Windows reboot.
PlayOnLinux can also run a battery of graphic tests, such as Glxgears, Glxmulx, and GlxTinou. This is done from under the Settings menu, from where you can also enable or disable the community repositories.
Even with all its nice options, PlayOnLinux has some drawbacks as well. The biggest is language; most of the developers are from non-English-speaking regions. While there is an option to switch the interface to English, some error messages and other bits of information haven't yet been translated. Also, many of the WorkonLinux scripts (such as the Safari script) take you to the non-English download page of the application.Also, most of the scripts keep looping endlessly. For example, if you've just installed a game using one of the PlayOnLinux scripts, it should end when you've decided to create a desktop shortcut for the game you just installed. But, irritatingly, the script loops the icon creation section and exits only when you ask it not to create an icon. In some scripts, like the WineGit script, the Cancel button doesn't exit the process, but merely skips to the next step.
Yet PlayOnLinux, despite its minor peculiarities, is a good mechanism to manage and play Windows-based games on Linux.
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This air travel safe multi-tool includes a USB flash memory drive! You get the classic tools and world-famous construction that Victorinox & Swiss Army are known for, with a USB flash drive that can be detached for travel convenience. One of the coolest things about this gadget is that the LED mini light is perfect for finding that hidden USB port on the back of your computer. Use the light, plug it in, and go! Includes USB flash drive, red LED mini light, retractable ballpoint pen & keyring
Product Features
* USB 2.0/1.1, port-powered, detachable flash drive
* 39" USB extension cable
* Windows 98SE/Me/2000/XP; Linux 2.4x+; Mac OS 8.6+
* Downloadable Secure-LOCK software prevents unauthorized access
* USB Flash drive swings out and can be removed
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Price: $279 (with two-year service subscription at $14.95 a month)Pros: easy to use Linux OS with all software applications pre-installed and configured; automatic updates, data backup, and remote access included in monthly subscription
Cons: limited support for peripheral devices and/or your own software; no cheaper than an entry-level Windows notebook after factoring in two years of subscription costs.
The name conjures up (at least to us) images of some kind of evil galactic overlord, but fortunately Zonbu is not here to enslave us, but to offer freedom from much of the hassle associated with owning and maintaining a conventional (read: Windows) notebook PC. Pricing
Zonbu's notebook — also known as the Zonbook — runs Linux rather than Windows and is sold with an accompanying subscription service. The pricing model is similar to that of the cellular phone industry. In other words, the longer you commit to maintaining your subscription, the less you have to pay up front for the hardware (the company also offers a desktop model under a similar arrangement).
A Zonbu subscription costs $14.95 monthly and gets you automatic and transparent updates (for operating system, applications, and drivers), automatic data backup to online storage, and remote access to your data from Zonbu's Web site. Zonbu also offers subscribers e-mail and phone support, and should your Zonbu hardware go south on you, the company says it will ship a replacement unit the same day.Hardware and Setup
The size, weight, and specs of the Zonbook (which is built by Everex) are on par with what you'd get with a conventional entry-level notebook. At 14.1 x 10.7 x 1.5 inches and 5.3 pounds the unit isn't exactly small or light, but neither is it especially large or unwieldy. Zonbu rates the unit's lithium-ion battery at 2.5 - 3 hours of life, and we got within that range during our time with it.
The Zonbook is powered by 1.5 GHz Intel-compatible Via C7-M processor and offers fairly modest amounts of RAM and hard disk space at 512 MB and 60 GB respectively. There are three USB ports, a DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive, and built-in wired Ethernet plus 802.11g Wi-Fi. Topping it all off is a 15.4-inch widescreen display capable of 1440 x 900 resolution (plus a VGA connector for use with an external monitor).
When you turn on the Zonbook, it takes a minute or two before it finishes booting and you're able to log in to your Zonbu account. (Given how long Windows can take to load, we were hoping for a bit more alacrity here.) If no wired network connection is detected, a wizard will let you locate and connect to available WLANs — we were able to connect to a WPA2-encrypted network with no difficulties.
Operating System and Applications Once logged in, you're presented with Zonbu's operating system desktop. Like many of the more user-friendly Linux variants, this one looks and feels very much like Windows, so suffice it to say if you've used Windows for more than an hour you'll probably acclimate to the Zonbu without much difficulty.
For tackling daily computing chores, Zonbook comes with a host of applications preinstalled, many of which are familiar open-source tools that are also available on Windows, such as the Firefox Web browser, OpenOffice.org productivity suite (a half dozen applications including word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation graphics that work with most Microsoft Office files), and Pidgin multi-protocol instant messaging software. There are a number of other programs too, including Skype, GNUCash (a Quicken-compatible personal finance manager) and for those not using Web-based services, an e-mail client called Evolution.
In addition to workaday computing tasks, the Zonbook is also adept at handling multimedia content like photos, music and video through a host of built-in utilities. We didn't have any problems playing things like MP3 audio files, JPEG images, MPEG videos, or recorded DVD movies. In addition to basic multimedia playback tools, the Zonbook comes with software to organize (and often edit) various types of content. (It's worth mentioning that the Zonbook has only a single mono speaker, though you can listen to stereo sound by connecting headphones to the unit's standard 3.5mm audio jack.)
Generally speaking, the applications you get with Zonbook are roughly equivalent to those you'd find built into or used with Windows, and as with the Zonbu OS itself, the learning curve required by the bundled software should be minimal for most. But while the interface and capabilities are similar to popular Windows-based applications, they're not necessarily identical, so in some cases not all expected features will be available or work the same way. (Zonbu offers money back guarantee within the first 30 days.)
In a testament to the efficiency of Linux in general and Zonbu's hardware/software combo, in particular, the Zonbook remained responsive when using and switching between applications. Even when a half-dozen were running at once, about half the RAM was still available — try that with equivalent Windows-based PC. (Actually, don't — you won't get a good result.) Only video playback — clips more so than DVDs — seemed to noticeably tax the Zonbook, pegging the CPU at or near 100 percent if more than one or two other applications were running.
Peripherals
As mentioned above, the Zonbook sports a trio of USB ports for connecting various peripherals such printers, Web cams, and. But because this is Linux and not Windows, you're not free to use any device you want. Instead, your choices are limited to those with driver support within Zonbu's OS, and limited availability of hardware drivers is a notable weakness of most flavors of Linux.
To simplify peripheral selection, on its Web site Zonbu maintains a list of compatible devices in various categories. While there's essentially full support for things like keyboards, mice and USB storage devices and decent support for recent and name-brand printers, there's no support for devices like scanners and Bluetooth accessories. As it turns out, our HP OfficeJet 7310 was on the compatibility list, and we got it working with the Zonbook with no difficulties. The catch-- although the 7310 is a multifunction device (printer/scanner/fax), it's only supported as a printer.
Subscription FeaturesZonbu provides a decent amount of value and convenience for your subscription fee. For starters, our unit was updated with a new version of the operating system within 24 hours of turning it on for the first time. And because Zonbu's operating system is Linux rather than Windows, it's not in the crosshairs of every malevolent malware writer on the Net, if for no other reason than Windows is far more popular. That saves you from having to buy, install and maintain any add-on security software like firewalls, anti-virus and spyware scanners and soon. (The Zonbu OS includes a built-in firewall that needs no tweaking because all the software is pre-installed.)
Zonbu's automatic backup feature worked without a hitch — as we began filling the notebooks hard drive with our own data files, they were invariably uploaded up to the online storage account without any input from us (there was more than enough online capacity to accommodate the Zonbook's 60 GB hard disk).
You can get remote access to your backed-up files by logging into your Zonbu account from any Web browser, and there's no plugin to install first. Similarly, if you'd like to make some of your files available to others, you drop them into the Public folder on your desktop and they'll be available via a personal public page hosted off my.zonbu.com (files published this way are available to all comers. However, you can't provide specific individuals access to particular files.
The Bottom LineSo how does Zonbu compare to a conventional Windows-based notebook? An entry-level Windows notebook with specifications similar to the Zonbook can be had for about $600 these days. (We won't assign an additional cost to software since there's tons of free software available in virtually every category, and many of the Zonbu applications — like Firefox and OpenOffice — are available for Windows as well.)
By contrast, the $279 Zonbook will have cost about $640 after two years worth of subscription payments, so in the long run the cash out of pocket is pretty much a wash. But while the Zonbook won't necessarily save you big money, it can save you something almost as valuable — time and aggravation — by eliminating the need for to find, install, configure and update all kinds of software on your own. It's this convenience, combined with the data backup and remote access (that you'd likely have to pay for separately in the Windows world) that will make the Zonbook an attractive option for some.
While Zonbu's approach will not satisfy anyone who likes the capability to tinker with their computer or needs unfettered access to the widest possible range of software and peripherals, for those that are looking for a reasonably priced, competent and low-hassle notebook computer Zonbu deserves a close look.
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Following the success of the $199 gPC it introduced in November, Everex has made no secret over the past few weeks that it is cooking up a low-cost laptop based on the same recipe—VIA hardware, a Linux operating system, and a rock-bottom price tag.Everex has now officially launched the laptop, which it calls CloudBook. The CloudBook is scheduled to become available from Walmart.com on January 25, and it will cost just $399. It will include a 7" 800 x 480 display, a 1.2GHz VIA C7-M ULV processor, VIA UniChrome integrated graphics, 512MB of DDR2-533 RAM, a 30GB 4200RPM hard drive, 802.11g Wi-Fi, and a five-hour battery. Some luxuries will be in the mix, as well, such as a DVI display output, a 4-in-1 card reader, and a 1.3-megapixel camera. The whole system will measure a slender 9.06" x 6.73" x 1.16" (23 x 17.1 x 2.95 cm) and weigh in at just 2 lbs (0.9 kg). On the software side of things, the CloudBook will be pre-loaded with the same Linux-based gOS operating system as the gPC. gOS is built on Canonical's popular Ubuntu Linux distribution, and it features a stripped-down desktop with shortcuts to Mozilla Firefox, Skype, OpenOffice.org, Google web applications, and popular websites.The CloudBook's price and form factor will position it right up against Asustek's $399 Eee PC 4G for what could be an interesting showdown. Compared to the Eee PC, Everex's new baby will have a roughly similar footprint, a similar display, the same weight, and the same amount of RAM, but 7.5 times as much storage capacity and an extra 1.5 hours of battery life. However, the CloudBook's VIA processor could be slower than the Eee PC's Intel chip. The CloudBook's conventional hard drive could also make it less rugged than the Eee PC, which features a 4GB solid-state drive.
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