Gizmodo: Linux

Dell Linux Systems Now Shipping With Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron

matt buchanan — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron has been out since April, but Dell wanted to do a whole bunch of testing and add support for stuff like fingerprint readers, Bluetooth, HDMI and MP3/WMA/WMV out of the box before rolling it out on their Linux systems. It's shipping on 'em as of this second. [Dell via Direct2Dell]

OpenMoko Neo Freerunner Finally Available on July 4th

Benny Goldman — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:30:00 EDT

The OpenMoko Neo Freerunner we caught back in January will be available to order on July 4th. That makes the Linux-based cellphone a perfect birthday gift for Uncle Sam, assuming he's into shell commands. It'll run $400, press release after the jump. [OpenMoko]

Openmoko Declares Independence for the Mobile Phone:
Neo FreeRunner to Hit the Market July 4

Openmoko committed to freedom for open mobile innovation
TAIPEI, TAIWAN — July 2 2008 - Openmoko, developer of the first open mobile computing platform today announced that on Friday, July 4, it will open the online store for purchase of the Openmoko Neo FreeRunner, a OpenMoko FreeRunner mobile phonemobile device that the company says will help to enable ubiquitous computing for the 21st century. Shipping to customers will commence on July 7, 2008.

The Openmoko Neo FreeRunner utilizes GNU/Linux and comes with core software for dialing, SMS and recording contacts. Openmoko will supplement these features with periodic downloads beginning with a software suite that takes full advantage of the phone's hardware platform. The new software, debuting at Linux world in August, will provide exciting new location based applications.

Two versions of the phone will be available: 850MHz or 900 MHz Tri-band GSM to match frequencies in different countries. Black, oval-shaped and weighing 6.5 ounces, the Openmoko Neo FreeRunner features a 2.8" 480 x 640 VGA touchscreen, Wi-Fi (802.1 1b/g), AGPS, GPRS 2.5G, Bluetooth 2.0, two 3-axis motion sensors and comes with 128MB WSDRAM and 256MB NAND Flash.

Open Mobile Free
Openmoko frees developers from constraints of closed mobile architectures so they can apply the power of mobility and a flexible development platform to create mobile applications for specialized markets. Using the Openmoko mobile platform, the Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) community and developers can create unique versions of the FreeRunner phone, modifying the way the phone operates and even the way it looks. CAD files publicly available under a Creative Commons license make it easy for industrial designers to change the appearance of the Openmoko Neo FreeRunner and select alternate materials and finishes to tailor the phone's look and feel.

Distributors in the EU have already received shipments of the Openmoko Neo FreeRunner.

Openmoko will be at LinuxWorld Conference & Expo in San Francisco, August 5-7, 2008 in booth 1625 and in the Linux Garage Pavilion booth 1234 in the Moscone Center North Hall.

Pricing and availability
The Openmoko Neo FreeRunner has a suggested retail price of $399. Openmoko will sell the phone directly from it its webshop www.Openmoko.com and via distributors in the EU, India and North America.

Everex Going Bigger With Tiny Cloudbooks and Adding Next-Gen Wireless Joy

Matt Hickey — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 21:00:00 EDT

The mini-notebook market is heating up, with today bringing stats and shots of the Asus's latest Eee PC with its tiny screen and keys that might work with normal hands. Then later, we get news of a leak about Everex, Asus's competitor in this market, about its next Cloudbooks, including one with a 10.2-inch screen and 3G connectivity, and another with an 8.9-inch screen and WiMax.

No definite word on if they'll be using Intel's Atom processors or competitors from Via, or if they'll be XP or Linux machines, but the makers of the reference design, FIC, would confirm a screen resolution on the 10.2-inch model at 1024x600. It will also feature a 1.3-Megapixel camera, 2GB RAM, card reader, dual USB 2.0 and an express card slot.

Less details are known of the 8.9-inch model, though the specs should be similar, including resolution. The devices might be subsidized by 3G carriers like AT&T or Sprint—if they ever hit the US shores, which there's no promise of.

We liked the Cloudbooks we've seen so far, and we can't wait to see if a slightly larger model will actually be usable for those of us with big, bear-like hands. [PC Advisor, via Slashgear]

First Footage: Same OLPC XO Boots Both Sugar and Windows XP

Wilson Rothman — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 12:01:00 EDT

This is the first footage of the same XO OLPC doing a dual-boot of Sugar Linux and Windows XP—something skeptics have said wasn't going to happen. Soon, XOs will ship with both Sugar and XP for Boot Camp-style dual-booting options. They will never come with only XP, though the team is working on adding more of the Sugar functionality, like the mesh network and the fun sharing apps, to the Windows side. Once again, little PCs are coming to the rescue of Windows XP.

To get both operating systems to run, the BIOS has been modified to behave more like standard PCs (rather than Macs or Linux machines). The original BIOS for the XO was originally conceived for AIX and Solaris servers, all running variants of UNIX.

In Windows, the screen flipper and directional pad both work fine, and I'm told by Michail Bletsas, OLPC's connectivity guru, that the camera is also not a problem, as the drivers were available for XP even before they were available for Linux.

You'll note that even sped up 3X what it actually took, Windows still seems a little slow to boot. Michail says it takes a little over a minute for Windows to boot on the XO with 2GB of onboard memory. 2GB of space is needed for Windows XP, though one gets the impression it would do a lot better with 4GB. The machines still have only 256MB of RAM.

And in case you're wondering what that red OLPC is doing in the background, we explained that last Friday. [One Laptop Per Child]

Android Running on a Nokia N95 Offers Lessons on Taking Video

Sean Fallon — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:30:00 EDT

By the looks of the following videos, someone has managed to get Android working on a Nokia n95 in one form or another. During the videos we can (sort of) see a dual boot Android / Symbian setup, Google maps running and a voice call being made. However, like most UFO footage and Bigfoot sightings, the video quality is absolutely hideous—which does nothing but generate skepticism. So the lesson here is if you have a genuine breakthrough that you want to catch on film, get a decent camera to do the job.

[intomobile]

Black Box Case Mod Scoffs at Server Crashes

Mark Wilson — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:45:00 EDT

While most of us wonder why planes aren't built of the crash-proof "black box" flight recorder material, one modder has requisitioned a black box of his own to use as a PC case. While the package itself is quite large (and disappointingly red), the interior is so cramped that only a Mini-ITX motherboard could fit inside, running Slackware Linux on a 800MHz Via C3. But have you ever seen the inside of a black box before?

That padding? It's not fluffy down. From the modder:

To clear out the storage half, I used a large auger bit and a drill. I also occasionally soaked the asbestos to help keep it from finding its way into my lungs. I started to question whether this mod was worth lung cancer, then decided it was.

(Ed note: we'd make a joke about death here, but were the modder to actually die of lung cancer, we'd feel like douches for the rest of our lives. So pardon our restraint.) [brettsprojects via technabob]

AMD Jumps Into Ultraportables With Low-Cost and High Performance Models

Sean Fallon — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 14:31:00 EDT

With Computex 2008 in full swing, the sub-notebook announcements are coming fast and furious. First came the Eee PC 901 and 1000, followed by the MSI Wind and the Asus Aspire One. Now we have learned that AMD is entering the fray with two new ultraportables.

These versions include a white 8.9-inch version with an AMD CPU, ATI's RS690 chipset, 1GB RAM and the Linux operating system along with a 7-inch black XP version featuring a 1280 x 600 display (possibly touchscreen) a 60GB or 80GB hard drive, and 1GB of RAM. Details are still sketchy at the moment, but more should be revealed in the next few days. [AVING via jkkmobile]

Acer Aspire One: Also Priced To Kick Assus, Soon To Pack 3G

Mark Wilson — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 09:22:00 EDT

Acer has just announced their new 8.9" Aspire One ultraportable laptop. With a starting price of just $379, configurations include an Intel Atom processor, up to 1GB of RAM and either 8GB of flash storage or an 80GB hard drive as well as a choice between Linpus Linux Lite and Windows XP. Nothing here is out of the ordinary for this new class of laptops except its competitive price and that future iterations are planned with 3G data support—yes, your computer may finally replace your smartphone. Read on for more details:

Acer Presents the Aspire one

Your New Mobile Internet Device
TAIPEI, Taiwan & SAN JOSE, Calif. —(Business Wire)— Jun. 3, 2008 Acer, the third largest vendor in the global PC market (source: Gartner data, 4Q 2007), today presented the Aspire one, an all-new communication device designed to make online activities fast, simple and cool.

The Aspire one is a brand new product which, despite its size, is not just another notebook: it's a stylish all-new digital device designed to deliver continuous access to the internet no matter where you are.

The Aspire one is something that can go everywhere and opens the door to new and unexplored areas of the online world. For this reason it was important to reduce weight and dimensions.

The result is a masterpiece of technological simplicity with an intuitive and specifically optimized software interface to support connectivity needs. At just 9.8-inches x 6.7-inches x 1.14-inches and weighing a little more than two pounds, the Aspire one is not only extremely compact (smaller than an average office diary) but offers numerous connectivity possibilities, a full and easy-to-use software application suite and battery life of up to six hours(1).

Get connected

Small and smart, the Aspire one can go anywhere and keeps users connected everywhere. The Aspire one comes standard with 802.11b/g WiFi built-in for easy access to available wireless networks and in the future may be specified with 3G(2) wireless technology for even greater online freedom. In addition, Acer Signal Up technology ensures maximum quality and stability to the wireless signal.

Let's get organized

The Aspire one is great for getting things done: whether checking email, managing online accounts or chatting with friends, the Aspire one offers a simple, intuitive Linux(3) interface that clearly organizes everything needed to surf the Internet, work or simply have fun. The pre-installed software is separated by functions and presented in four distinct areas on the screen - Connect, Works, Fun and Files - making it so simple it's difficult to get confused.

Ergonomics and reduced dimensions do not mean the view isn't spectacular: the Aspire one has an 8.9-inch CrystalBrite LED backlit display with a resolution of 1024x600 pixels. Integrated in the top of the screen is the unique Acer CrystalEye webcam for live video streaming, video chats and conferences.

Choose your Style

The Aspire one uses color to combine connectivity with inimitable style. Initially available in blue and white, the range of colors available for the Aspire one will be expanded later this year with two new soft, warm tones: brown and pink.

The four colors - sapphire blue, seashell white, golden brown and coral pink - give the Aspire one an individual and quite distinctive look and feel that matches the style and personality of its owner.

Bits & bytes for data freedom

The Aspire one is equipped with Intel(R) Atom(TM) processor, Linpus(TM) Linux(R) Lite or Windows XP(R) Home, and comes with 512MB or 1GB of RAM memory installed.

There are two alternatives for data storage: a NAND flash module of 8GB or an 80GB(4) internal HDD. In addition the Aspire one reads five different types of memory card - Secure Digital, MultiMediaCard, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, xD-Picture Card - for absolute data freedom.

To increase storage capacity, the Aspire one features the unique Smart File Manager, a simple solution that instantly and seamlessly merges extra storage from any SD card inserted in the second SD card slot into the memory available to the user.

Simple, Sophisticated Software

Acer has improved the user experience by designing a friendly, easy-to-use and comprehensive interface utilizing a more natural approach to screen layout and functionality, which simplifies interaction between users and the Aspire one. The Linpus(TM) Linux(R) Lite version is the result, guiding and accompanying even novice users through the Internet in an intuitive, "virus-safe" and super-responsive Linux environment.

The Aspire one features the one Mail software suite that lets users manage up to six email accounts with a single application interface, including office accounts. A small icon to the right of the message quickly and clearly shows the appropriate mail account. Nothing could be simpler to replace push e-mail services without using a corporate server.

The Aspire one uses Messenger for Instant Messaging, an application that allows users to simultaneously access Skype, Microsoft Messenger and various other instant messaging services. The software can be used with the integrated video camera for instant video-chats and video conferences.

The Aspire one series comes preinstalled with Linpus(TM) Linux(R) Lite version or Windows XP(R) Home. Additional software such as OpenOffice 2.3, one Mail, Messenger, Acer eRecovery Management, Acer Launch Manager, Adobe(R) Reader(R), McAfee(R) Internet Security Suite, Microsoft(R) Office Trial 2007 are also installed5.

Pricing and Availability

The new Aspire one will be available in early Q3 through Acer authorized resellers and selected retailers throughout North America, with pricing beginning at US$379.

The Aspire one comes with a standard one-year parts and labor warranty, which includes concurrent International Traveler's Coverage that can be extended to three years with the Acer Advantage service that also covers accidental damage to the notebook. Additionally, all Acer notebooks are backed by toll-free service and support.

About Acer America

Since its founding in 1976, Acer has constantly pursued the goal of breaking the barriers between people and technology. Focused on marketing its brand-name IT products around the globe, Acer ranks as the world's No. 3 vendor for total PCs and No. 2 for notebooks, with the fastest growth among the top-five players. A profitable and sustainable Channel Business Model is instrumental to Acer's continued growth, while the successful mergers of Gateway and Packard Bell complete the company's global footprint by strengthening its presence in the U.S., and enhancing its strong position in Europe. Acer Inc. employs 5,000 people worldwide. Estimated revenue for 2007 is US $14.07 billion. For more information, please visit http://www.acer.com/us.

(1) Up to 3 hours battery life with standard 3-cell battery; up to 6 hours battery life with optional 6-cell battery

(2) Coverage depending on network availability. Upon launch the Aspire one will be WiFi enabled only. Embedded WiMax and 3G will be available later this year.

(3) only for the Linpus version

(4) (2.5-inch)

(5) System memory and/or bundled software depending on version or installed OS

Motorola + Kodak's 5-Megapixel Cameraphone Leaked Shots

Jason Chen — Sat, 31 May 2008 13:00:00 EDT

We've been hearing about a 5-megapixel cameraphone from Motorola and Kodak for more than a year now, but we've only recently seen leaked photos of the actual device. Boy Genius says it's running on Motorola's MOTOMAGX Linux platform and has Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 100MB internal storage and a ROKR touch wheel. The problems? The camera isn't autofocus (ruh roh), and there's only EDGE. Someone's going to have some good times uploading blurry pictures over a slow connection when this is released. [Boy Genius]

Cheap IKEA Furniture Makes One Hell of a Linux Cluster

Mark Wilson — Fri, 30 May 2008 15:50:03 EDT

My IKEA experiences have been pretty hit or miss, but maybe that's just because I wasn't building Linux rendering clusters out of the POÄNG chairs. Because one modder took a $40 IKEA Helmer set of drawers and shoved in 6 Intel Quad Core processors. His end product featured 24 2.4 Ghz cores and 48GB of RAM. Where an example render on his DualCore Xenon 2.66 Ghz with 4 GB ram took 552 minutes (9.2 h), the IKEA machine breezed through the same task in just 64 minutes. Just don't try to pick up your Helmer case on a weekend. You could seriously die. [Helmer via MAKE]

Asus Notebooks Getting Splashtop Instant Boot Linux OS: Web Browsing, Skype in Seconds

matt buchanan — Thu, 29 May 2008 04:00:00 EDT

The lightweight Linux variant Splashtop that's been pre-installed on some Asus motherboards is shimmying its way over to a range of Asus notebooks, providing instant-on functions like wireless, web browsing, chat, etc. Since the software runs out of the computer's RAM, you don't have to wait for the full OS to boot up roll with basics (plus it saves battery life). Expect to see this and other software like it on more systems.

Splashtop comes to ASUS Notebooks
Complete range of ASUS notebook models provide 'instant-on' Internet and media access

May 29, 2008 - SAN JOSE, CA - DeviceVM today announced the release of their award winning Splashtop™ software on numerous ASUS notebooks. Splashtop is a light-weight operating system that allows consumers to use their computers seconds after hitting the power button. Models spanning a wide range of segments are to ship with Splashtop pre-installed by ASUS starting in June this year.

"The integration of Splashtop into notebooks represents a big step forward in portable computing, where instant 'on' and 'off' is essential," said Mark Lee, co-founder and CEO of DeviceVM. "We are pleased to introduce Splashtop to portable computing together with our partner ASUS."

Branded "Express Gate" by ASUS, Splashtop software enables users to browse the web, watch videos, listen to music, chat with friends, share photos, and more - just seconds after turning on their PC. Express Gate is already available on a wide range of PC motherboards from ASUS. The notebooks announced today are the first to integrate Express Gate for the broad consumer market, including the M70T, M50V and M51T multimedia series and the stylish F8Va/Vr series.

"ASUS is always committed to bring customers the most innovative solutions," said Henry Yeh, General Manager, ASUS Notebook Business Unit. "With Express Gate, users will experience a new, fast, and secure way to surf, chat and play on ASUS notebooks for a new computing experience"

**ASUS booth will showcase Express Gate at Computex in Taipei International Convention Center TF1L & 101B, June 3 - 7. Please come by for more information.

[Splashtop]

"Netbook Remix" Ubuntu for Ultraportables Coming in June

matt buchanan — Fri, 23 May 2008 18:30:00 EDT

Considering that one of the weak points of both the XO Laptop and the Eee PC were their OSes, and that not everybody wants to run Windows XP, this is pretty excellent news: Canonical CEO Mark Shuttleworth revealed that a new version of Ubuntu tailored to ultraportables, called Netbook Remix, will be announced the first of June. They're working with Intel on it—no surprise, considering Intel's a driving force behind the whole "netbook" concept. Computex takes place the first week of June, so I'm guessing that's where we'll see the announcement, along with more details. [Guardian via Ubuntu]

OLPC XO Laptop's Sugar OS Being Shopped to Four Other Laptop-Makers

matt buchanan — Fri, 23 May 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Even though the XO Laptop's Sugar-coated OS wasn't exactly the most vaunted aspect of the attempted laptop-for-all, following Windows XP's invasion of the project, former OLPC exec Walter Bender's newly formed Sugar Labs is shopping Sugar around. They're in talks with at least four "ultra low-cost" notebook makers who would use it for kid computers. This is the second OLPC splinter faction to license tech from the OLPC project, the first being Mary Lou Jepsen's Pixel Qi, which is licensing the XO's innovative indoor/outdoor display and aiming for a $75 laptop. I'm waiting for someone to sell me that sweet XO-2 unveiled the other day. [Betanews via Electronista]

Bestlink Alpha 400, The $250 "Eee"

Mark Wilson — Wed, 21 May 2008 19:30:00 EDT

We're a little sick of the Asus Eee metric too, but it sure makes for a succinct headline. The Bestlink Alpha 400 is a 7-inch Linux PC with a 400Mhz processor, scant 128MB of RAM and 1-2GB of internal flash storage. It's nothing impressive, but it only runs $250...through probably not much else, if you know what I mean. But order 100 or more and the price drops to $180 per unit. Pretty neat, since $18,000 could easily buy you just one computer in more advanced configurations. [Desktop Linux]

Question of the Day: Do You Use an Anti-Virus Program?

Sean Fallon — Mon, 19 May 2008 19:20:00 EDT

I don't know about you, but I get stuck with calls every so often from family and friends looking for solutions to their computer problems, only to find out that their systems are bogged down with viruses and spyware. Naturally, a lot of what your computer may be infected with comes down to your browsing habits and the OS that you use, but there has always been a debate about whether anti-virus programs are resource hogs that actually do more harm than good. So, the question is: Do you use an anti-virus program?

Full-Screen Multitouch Mac OS X Is Here (But Not from Apple)

Jesus Diaz — Fri, 16 May 2008 11:50:00 EDT

It's not from Apple, but it gives a pretty good idea of what to expect from them, especially knowing that only one guy—Christian Moore—got this system running at full speed on a simple Intel-based MacBook. His Lux free open framework enables true multitouch interaction in Mac OS X. In fact, he says it can work under any platform and even a web browser, enabling complex user interfaces and object manipulation comparable to Jeff Han's magic walls or the Microsoft Surface anywhere. We talked with Moore about how it works and what to expect from it.

Jesus Diaz: Tell me more about Lux. This is a framework that anybody can use, right? Under any platform?
Christian Moore: Well, yeah, is an open source framework I've been working on for experimenting with user interfaces. It's more a general framework than targeting one main deployment platform. That video is actually all AS3 running in Flash 9 over Mac OS X, but you can integrate it with any development system and platform.

JD: Why Flash?
CM: Because it's fast to prototype in. However, the software is broken into several segments. One C++ application that tracks hands that talks to Flash... WPF... or another C++ app... and basically everything you can imagine. You can enable multitouch in any environment, like Cocoa.

JD: So anyone can grab the framework and make native multitouch apps right in Mac OS X or Windows or Linux.
CM: Yeah. We have an Xcode-developed app for photo and paint coming, as well as a tracking application. But using Flash for this demo was the fastest way for us at the moment.

JD: How many people did this?
CM: I did the core system, but four people from the NUI Group contributed demos.

JD: What machine is running the demo in the video? Looks amazingly fast.
CM: Just a MacBook.

JD: And for the multitouch screen?
CM: I use a ~box from naturalui. It's ghetto tech, I know, but I developed the majority of Lux on a cardboard box. And it works great.

JD: Indeed, it looks like it works perfectly right. How does this compare to frameworks like UITouch, in the iPhone?
CM: Apple's UITouch its very, very well designed. It runs at the core level, while ours is more a free environment to develop on top... to learn about multitouch and share code.

[Lux and NUI Group]

Windows XP on OLPC XO Laptop Now Official

Adrian Covert — Thu, 15 May 2008 20:10:06 EDT

Microsoft has officially announced that Windows XP is coming to the OLPC XO with trial runs beginning as early as June. This comes after months of discussion and speculation of when the move would happen. The operating system has been specially modified to run on the computer and support its ebook reading mode, writing pad and camera. And according to the press release, the plan is to have both Windows and Linux running on the machines, to let users decide what's best.

The price increase for the OLPC loaded with XP will be about $3 on top of the $200 price tag. Users who want a dual boot version to the OLPC will pay $7 extra. The XP operating system will come preloaded on an additional 2GB flash chip, offering 3GB of storage space total (1.5 usable after OS install).

After months of opposition by Bill Gates, talks of the joint venture began at CES 2008, where both men were attending. Widespread distribution of the machines is expected to happen in August or September. Check out the video demo below. [Microsoft and NY Times]

MSI Wind Gets Final Specs, Packs an Atom

Mark Wilson — Wed, 14 May 2008 12:50:00 EDT

We've gotten the final specs on the Eee PC competitor from MSI called the Wind. The big news is that the sub-$500 Wind will be the first 10" laptop to pack Intel's new Atom processor, beating Asus to the punch by a couple of months. Maybe Intel's latest and greatest little chip will help the Wind reach its promised 2.5-hour battery life with a 3-cell battery (since the HP Mini Note and Lenovo U110 both fall short in the department). We're looking forward to finding out. Here are the full specs:

Still, maybe the most important spec is the keyboard—it's 20% small than full-sized.

LiMo Mobile Linux Becomes "Preferred OS" for Verizon

matt buchanan — Wed, 14 May 2008 09:30:00 EDT

It looks like Verizon Wireless is super duper committed to open development, because they've just joined the LiMo Foundation board of directors. LiMo is "an industry consortium dedicated to creating the first truly open, hardware-independent, Linux-based operating system for mobile devices." Verizon isn't dropping support for Android (or any other OS) as a result of the move, but LiMo will become their "preferred OS," with the first handsets dropping in 2009, starting out as simpler devices and moving into more complicated ones as they "get smarter." Unfortunately, it looks like the clunky red UI you've grown to loathe will remain intact, however. This gives Verizon a fair bit of say in how mobile Linux develops as well—and provides yet more competition for Android. Full press release below.

Verizon Joins LiMo Foundation™
With Verizon on Board of Directors, LiMo Expands Major Wireless Service Provider

Engagement Across North America, Asia and Europe

LONDON, England; TOKYO, Japan, and BASKING RIDGE, N.J., United States, May 14, 2008—LiMo Foundation, a global consortium of mobile leaders delivering an open handset platform for the whole mobile industry, and Verizon Wireless, the builder and operator of the most reliable wireless network in the U.S., announced today that Verizon has joined LiMo as a Core member and will fill the final seat on LiMo's board of directors. By participating in LiMo, Verizon hopes to help LiMo unify the mobile industry around openness and Linux as the key enablers to lowering development costs.

"Verizon Wireless is demonstrating itself a champion of openness in mobile innovation by joining the board of LiMo Foundation," said Morgan Gillis, executive director of LiMo Foundation. "Major wireless service providers from across North America, Asia and Europe are now engaged in committed collaboration through LiMo. This offers further concrete evidence that LiMo is positioned at the heart of the rapidly emerging, industry-wide trend to secure the benefits of openness and choice in technology."

"Verizon Wireless is committed and invested in encouraging innovation, providing developers the opportunity to deliver new wireless choices and expanding the mobile market," said Kyle Malady, vice president of network for Verizon. "We expect our involvement with LiMo to advance these principles."

LiMo Foundation is open to all vendors and service providers in the mobile communications marketplace, including device manufacturers, operators, chipset manufacturers, integrators and independent software vendors. Verizon Wireless joins the foundation's other 39 members in working within LiMo's transparent governance model to shape the evolution of the LiMo Platform™, while remaining entirely free to deliver their own compelling and differentiated services to mobile customers.

"The addition of Verizon Wireless to the LiMo roster is another critical milestone in our foundation's rapid growth and market impact," said Kiyohito Nagata of NTT DoCoMo, chairperson of LiMo Foundation. "In technical output, governance constructs and business models, LiMo lives out its belief that openness is the key to unlocking innovation to the benefit of the whole industry and mobile consumers everywhere."

Launched in January 2007 by six mobile industry leaders—Motorola, NEC, NTT DoCoMo, Panasonic Mobile Communications, Samsung Electronics and Vodafone—LiMo was formed to deliver an open and globally consistent software platform based upon Mobile Linux for use by the whole industry to catalyze next-generation mobile consumer experiences.

About LiMo Foundation

LiMo Foundation is a dedicated consortium of mobile industry leaders working together within an open and transparent governance model—with shared leadership and shared decision making—to deliver an open and globally consistent handset software platform based upon Mobile Linux for use by the whole mobile industry. A full description of LiMo, including its vision, goals, charter, guiding principles, bylaws, and membership information, can be found at www.limofoundation.org.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network, serving 67.2 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 69,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). For more information, go to: www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

[Verizon]

Control Your TiVo With Your Ubuntu Machine

Jason Chen — Mon, 12 May 2008 15:10:00 EDT

This Ubuntu app isn't quite as cool as the TiVo remote app for iPhone we saw last week, but the concept of controlling your TiVo over your network is just getting started. By allowing any network device to issue orders, you can essentially make your cellphone, laptop, PC, wall panel or internet connected dog into a remote for your TiVo. [Zatz Not Funny]

Microsoft Offers Mega-Discount on WinXP to Low-Cost Laptop Makers

Elaine Chow — Sat, 10 May 2008 19:00:00 EDT

Ultra low-cost PCs such as OLPC's XO laptop could end up bundled with copies of Windows OS after all, if Microsoft's most recent scheme to grab market share works. The company is giving computer manufacturers Windows XP Home Edition at a steep discount to put on ULPCs, in hopes of luring them away from Linux.

In order to be eligible for the price cut, tech firms need to be making low-cost PCs that limit their screen sizes to 10.2 inches and hard drives to 80GB and under. The computers must also not have more than 1GB RAM or a 1.0 GHz single-core processor, and come without touch-screen technology. These limitations help ensure that the ultra cheap laptops won't eat into the market for mainstream PCs running Windows Vista.

Microsoft will charge $26 for XP in emerging markets such as China and India, and $32 for developed markets like the United States. What do you guys think—will the price cut destroy the inroads Linux has been making into the consumer market? [ ComputerworldUK]

Harmony Universal Remotes Get Unofficial Linux Support

Jason Chen — Mon, 05 May 2008 13:40:00 EDT

If you absolutely refuse to let either a Mac or Windows inside your Penguin home, but still want to use a Logitech Harmony universal remote, there are now two solutions for you. The first is Concordance, a cross-platform application that runs on Linux to let you program your remotes without having to run any icky, icky corporate-backed operating system. The second is to get some therapy, because being so adamant about absolutely not using Windows or OS X even for 10 minutes to program a remote is probably signs of deeper problems. [Phil Dev via Hackaday]

Linux Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron Officially Released, Flapping in the Free Air

matt buchanan — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:20:00 EDT

A month after the beta dropped, Linux distro Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron is officially out. Besides running GNOME 2.22 and Firefox 3 Beta 5, a big new feature is Wubi support, which'll let Ubuntu live on the same partition as Windows and makes it easy to uninstall if you want to retreat back into Microsoft's bosom. If you're Li-curious, now's a good time to try. The site's getting hammered so torrent might be your best bet. [Ubuntu, Thanks nutbastard]

Negroponte Moots Windows XP Version of OLPC--Is It a Case of So Long, Sugar?

AddyDugdale — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 08:30:00 EDT

The founder and chairman of OLPC has admitted that only using open-source software has not been good for the project. Just a day after the resignation of group president Walter Bender, Nicholas Negroponte admitted that the choice of the Sugar operating system has hit the XO laptop project in two places: usability; and popularity.

With Windows XP already available for the XO on an SD card, the news that future OLPC machines may have Windows XP, with Sugar running on top, may dismay the non-profit brigade. But with no support for the latest versions of Flash—a staple on many educational websites—the XO may not be catering to its supposed target audience.

If Windows XP does become the XO's operating system, then a substantial reworking of the laptop will be in order. Currently just 1GB of internal memory is available, and XP needs around 1.1GB. Sticking a larger SSD inside the machine will just pump up the price, making the XO even further out of reach of those who need it. [ComputerWorld]

OpenMoko Neo Freerunner Pricing Details Surface

Haroon Malik — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 16:00:00 EDT

The OpenMoko Neo Freerunner has been in the making since before the Jurassic period, but it looks like official word has now been released regarding the final pricing details. The Linux based cellphone will retail at $399 for a single unit and $3690 for a pack containing ten handsets.

Currently, the OpenMoko fellows have received back their first production verification test devices and they are busy making the necessary tweaks to the hardware / software. As for a release date, we've been promised more details concerning distribution will be forthcoming in the "next few days." I'm kinda itching to try one of these out, but it looks like we'll all be waiting a little bit longer. We'll keep you posted on any developments. [OpenMoko]

Shuttle $99 PC Reviewed (Verdict: Great Value, But the Linux OS Is Bleh)

matt buchanan — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 19:30:00 EDT

A $99 PC obviously isn't going to deliver a blockbuster experience, but Shuttle's toaster-sized KPC actually has the hardware to get the lightweight job done: 1.8GHz Celeron processor, 512MB RAM and an 80GB hard drive, all of which is expandable. Overall, Tom's Hardware thought the cheap-o box delivered "surprisingly good" performance and value, except for the default OS Foresight Linux—its user-unfriendliness and bugs are the KPC's biggest problems. But, the Windows XP install "worked flawlessly" in case you've got an extra copy lying around and want a low-power mini-PC. [Tom's Hardware]

Vista Running 108 Apps Bites Mac OS X Back

Jesus Diaz — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 10:30:46 EDT

This video shows Microsoft Windows Vista with Service Pack 1 running 108 applications at only 30% processor usage, according to Reader Daniel Smith, who sent it to us in response to the picture of Mac OS X Leopard running 150 applications this weekend. His specs are nothing to write home about:

I'm runnin a stock Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 with 4GB of RAM. I counted 108 apps total and gave up bored after I had running anything from Photoshop, Visual studio 2008, Office professional 2007, Safari, and Media Center all the way down to that rescource hog, Minesweeper.

This fascinates me at oh-so-many levels:

• How the heck do you have 100 graphics applications installed in your computer in the first place?
• Why do people still care about this kind of things?
• What do you people really care about when it comes to the performance of your computer?
• How comes we haven't had any Linux user telling us he's running 250,000 apps simultaneously on six different monitors.
• How many applications can the Beamz run?
• And finally, how many graphical apps can you run in your computer without it burning down in flames?

Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines. Please write your opinions and personal benchmarks in the comments.

Adobe Knew of Vista PWN 2 OWN Hack All Along

Haroon Malik — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 15:30:00 EDT

The PWN 2OWN contest, as we all know, saw the Mac OS X weed crumble first, with Vista following soon after. Ubuntu was the only OS that was impenetrable to attack, but news is surfacing that Vista should have had a longer lifeline, if only Adobe had patched the flaw they knew about all along.

Yup, it's true; Adobe not only knew about the security flaw that Shane Macaulay used to hack Vista, they even had a patched prepared. Only thing is, they hadn't got round to releasing it. In fact, the patch was scheduled for release in the next Flash Player update later in the month.

Thankfully, Adobe were not in the dark about the security risk, however, if they were in the know, don't you guys think they have a responsibility to release the fix ASAP? Putting our systems at unnecessary risk due to our choice to support third party software just doesn't seem fair. Further, asking for system stability and security to be made a priority should be a given at all times, or so we reckon. Worse still, the defect may have cost Vista the title of impenetrable OS, and that's gonna hurt the MS fanboys dearly. After all, imagine if OS X had been the only hacked operating system; we think said fanboys may have had something to brag about, or at least a reason to punch Mr Smug Mac in his face. [Ars Technica]

Asus R50 to Be Reincarnated With Keyboard Later This Year

AddyDugdale — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EDT

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.The Asus R50 UMPC is already being updated—even though Mark 1 has yet to be released. Digitimes reports that the handheld with GPS and 3.5G connectivity, due out in June, will be sporting a keyboard come November of this year. As well as running Linux and Vista, the R50 has a webcam and TV tuner and is expected to sell for $500-plus. [DigiTimes via JKK Mobile]

Intel Classmate 2 Gets Official, Available for Individual Consumer Purchase

Haroon Malik — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 04:17:00 EDT

We spotted what we expected to be Intel's Classmate successor sometime ago, but now things have become official. The Classmate 2 PC was announced at Intel's Developer Forum in Shanghai, and the spec improves on the original machine's capabilities little by little.

The Classmate 2 will tote a 9-inch LCD display, six-cell battery, 512MB RAM, 30GB HDD, integrated webcam, 802.11b/g WiFi support, Windows XP or Linux OS and an Intel Celeron M processor, however, future versions will move to Intel's Atom platform.

Interestingly, the Classmate 2 will be available directly to the consumer. Amazon will stock the Classmate 2, which will carry the 2Go PC title and will be manufactured by CTL. The unit will be made available tonight, and will carry a $400 price tag. Of course, Intel will allow different manufatrers to tailor their base unit according to their need, but it seems CTL are first off the mark with their offering on Amazon.

The chaps at Laptopmag snagged some exclusive time with the 2Go PC, and they seemed to like the rugged design, bright display and good battery life. However, the machine was let down by "mediocre" performance, missing video output and low display resolution. Hit up the link to checkout Laptopmag's extensive review. [Laptopmag: 1, 2]

Linux Last Man Standing In PWN 2 OWN Thunderdome

Elaine Chow — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 17:15:00 EDT

The dust has settled on PWN 2 OWN and Linux FTW! The Ubuntu-equipped Sony VAIO was the only computer to get through the tournament unscathed, managing to elude the assembled hackers. On Thursday the MacBook Air was the first to go, followed the next day by the Vista-running Fujitsu, conquered by Shane Macaulay. No one, but no one, however, was able to bring down the penguin. [ PWN 2 OWN via PC World ]

HP Media Vault mv2120 Linux Server Reviewed: One Kick-Ass Little Penguin

Wilson Rothman — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 21:00:00 EDT

Why, in the midst of a major Windows Home Server push, would HP introduce a little Linux-based NAS at half the price? And why would HP make the $300 Media Vault mv2120 so full featured and easy that its $600-and-up MediaSmart Servers look
A) too bulky
B) too expensive
C) too overloaded
D) all of the above?
Is HP telling Microsoft there's no need for Windows Home Server, especially in light of its recent troubles? Or is HP saying that WHS is nice, but it'd be nicer if it was actually priced as an accessory? Whether the new Media Vault is a lurch away from Microsoft's gravitational pull, or whether it's a placeholder until Redmond can come up with a formula for $300 WHS boxes, it's a pretty cool little machine.

See, one of the reasons I liked Windows Home Server so much is that after dealing with many NAS products from the storage companies and networking hardware makers, the MediaSmart server was easier to setup and had a lot of useful apps ready to go at the start. Maybe you like a clean drive, an empty warehouse on your network, but it's nice when some of the initiative is taken for you.

That's why I was relieved (though a bit startled) that the 500GB Media Vault—again half the price of the 500GB MediaSmart Server—was ready to do so much right out of the box.

I plugged it in, ran the Windows-only set up, and was immediately able to back stuff up, either using the super-simple screen for music, movies, etc., or the more comprehensive tool, where you can tell it what you want to back up and when you want it done.I did it on both Vista and XP machines, and was happy to be able to check out my contents afterwards on the PCs and even on my Mac. (WHS only lets you see your backups via a tedious drive emulator, one that obviously doesn't run on Macs.)Even though the $299 version comes with just one fixed 500GB drive, it also has a bay so you can add another 3.5" SATA drive. I powered down the unit, dropped in a 500GB on that I had lying around, and fired it up again. The LED went purple to show that it saw the drive but needed a format. I went to the Media Vault control center, picked the drive, formatted it (as a RAID 1 mirror of the first drive) and voila, in minutes, we were set and, on the unit itself, Drive 2's LED had turned blue.I haven't done any HD video streaming or anything like that yet, but with a gigabit ethernet connection, I don't think I'll have a problem. In fact, though HP says that the Media Vault can't do multiple simultaneous video streams like the WHS, I can't really figure out what I, personally, would miss if I kissed the WHS goodbye and stuck with the Media Vault. (Update: Contrary to original comments, HP now says you can do multiple video streams, so one less advantage for WHS.) Here's how the comparison plays out:

What's not as good as MediaSmart Windows Home Server:
• ~~Won't do multiple streams of video like WHS~~
• Only two drive bays (a fixed and a spare) instead of four
• Lets you backup multiple PCs, but only one at at time from the PC itself, not through a WHS-style master control

What's the same as MediaSmart Windows Home Server:
• iTunes music aggregation
&bull Photo webshare
• Remote access and web-based file browsing (1-year free)
• Connect via Mac for basic use as a shared drive

What's better than MediaSmart Windows Home Server:
• Web-based remote controls work great on Macs
• Quieter, with less drive noise on a regular basis
• Easy to back-up the server itself to a USB drive
• Easier to access Windows backups, especially from a Mac
• Probably does not share the same data corruption bug as WHS

In the end, this product isn't just another NAS, but a bold statement that HP is making, that it doesn't have to be saddled by the rough riders of Redmond when it can build (license?) its own practically identical box at a lower cost. Now I know that there are some things that you can only do with a PC-like server running a full OS, but honestly, what are they? I mean, do most people, even die-hard server-needers, give a crap? I want to know from you folks: Why bother with Windows Home Server when the Linux-based alternatives are on the surface equally friendly, equally powerful and—oh yeah—half the cost? [HP]

Who Will Get Hacked First: Vista, OSX or Linux? Place Your Bets Here

Sean Fallon — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 17:50:00 EDT

Organizers behind the CanSecWest security conference in Vancouver are putting together a "hacker superbowl" of sorts, pitting attendees' skills against Vista, Mac OS X and Linux. Dubbed PWN 2 OWN (ewwww), the objective is to develop a brand-new "zero day" attack to take control of one of the three operating systems loaded onto laptops. There's a grand prize of $20,000, and the hacked laptop will go to the first contestant to pull it off. So, the question is—which OS do you think will go down first? UPDATE: A winner has been announced! Vote and then hit the jump to see if you were correct.

It appears that contestant Charlie Miller just earned himself $10,000 for hacking a Macbook Air inside two minutes. So, those of you who voted Vista as the first to go down are probably fairly shocked right now. Miller was also among the researchers who first hacked Apple's iPhone last year, so it may not be all that surprising to hear that he was able to work his magic with OS X so quickly.

During day one hackers were only allowed to use network-based attacks. Not surprisingly, no one even attempted it. Today the rules were relaxed to allow hacks that involve websites and email. So, Miller utilized a simple website that contained exploit code to get the job done—which leads us to believe that the flaw he exploited exists within the Safari browser. Too bad they cut the prize money in half with each passing day. [PWN 2 OWN via Yahoo and PC World]

Myka Brings BitTorrent to Your TV

Sean Fallon — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:30:10 EDT

The Myka is what many Torrent fans have been waiting for—a device that makes it easy to download torrents and play them on your living room TV. You can connect to the internet via LAN or WiFi, it has HDMI, Composite, S-Video and SPDIF ports (nice), your choice of 80, 160 or 500 gigabytes (and USB expansion) and the Linux OS with pre-installed BitTorrent software. You can even transfer videos directly from your computer. Prices are going to fall between $299 and $459, which is more than the Apple TV, but something tells me that there is some built-in value there. Additional pic after the break.

[Myka]

Linux Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron Beta Is Out

matt buchanan — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:00:36 EDT

Not everybody cares about OS X or Windows. Like nutbastard, who just wants a little Linux news. Here ya go: Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron beta is out and about, running GNOME 2.22 and Linux Kernel 2.6.24, with Firefox 3 beta 4 thrown in for more pre-release funtimes. If you're looking for a Mac/Windows alternative, this is the Linux distro to get, though you might wanna wait til the final version hits next month. [Ubuntu via /.]

Norhtec Gecko Laptop is Another Eee

Haroon Malik — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 23:00:00 EDT

Norhtec is set to release a UMPC Eee competitor, called the Gecko, which will run Linpus Linux Lite. The new OS is specifically designed for ultra portable platforms, but the Gecko will not be bound to Norhtec's operating system of choice, as other distributions of Linux and Windows will also be supported. The Gecko will retail for somewhere south of $300, have a 1GHz Via C7M ULV CPU, an optional PATA hard disk and what appears to be a 7-inch display. A formal announcement is expected to "happen soon," but in the meantime, a shot of the Linpus UI should tide you over. Jump for your UMPC Linux fix.

[Desktop Linux]

First Look at the Asus Eee EP20 Desktop

Sean Fallon — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 17:40:23 EDT

Somehow the world managed to miss the Asus Eee EP20 desktop when it was unveiled at CeBIT, but nonetheless, the first images have resurfaced showing off the desktop Asus promised us back in November. Not much is known about the device other than it will feature the Linux OS—but the word on the street is that it will boast a Intel dual core processor at 1.87GHz, a 2.5″ hard disk instead of flash and a price tag that should hover around 200€, or roughly $300. Additional pic after the break.

[matbe and eeextra via eeesite]

Skype For Linux Goes 2.0, Gets Video Calling

Jason Chen — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 16:00:29 EDT

Skype for Linux has just reached 2.0 status, bringing to it free video calling (interoperable with Mac and PC users) and other features that we've seen on other platforms already. Does it bring free video chats with a hot blonde called Tricia McMillan? We'd totally switch to Linux for that. [Skype]

Asustek: 60% of Eee PCs Will Ship With Windows XP

Sean Fallon — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 16:45:19 EDT

At a recent press conference, Asustek chairman Jonney Shih revealed that about 60% of the upgraded Eee PCs shipped this year will be running Windows XP, with the remaining 40% Xandros based. According to analysts, the move was based on customer familiarity with the Microsoft platform. This comes despite the fact that you will have to pay almost double to stay within your comfort zone. Branch out people! $200 is $200, right? [Yahoo]

Wal-Mart Stops Selling $199 gPCs In Store

Adrian Covert — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:20:12 EDT

Everex's gPC run on Wal-Mart store shelves has come to an end as the retailer decided that online-only sales made more sense for the $199 budget PC. Everex seems to agree. [Yahoo News]