24292962
submission
Thinkcloud writes:
SUSE and community volunteers new to the project have provided around 25% each of the commits, with a further 20% coming from RedHat and another 20% coming from the OpenOffice.org code base. Add to that the 15 million downloads and the estimate of 200 million LibreOffice downloads by the end of the decade does not seem far-fetched.
24292480
submission
bkoeller writes:
The Sith Lord Darth Vader, of Star Wars fame, often gets a bad rap, particularly in what we all think of as his 'dark years'. From a certain perspective his mass murder, brutal oppression, and frequent deception to serve his own ends makes him seem like a pretty bad guy. But if you look past all that to his action, you will find a very capable and effective project manager! In the name of finding silver linings in dark clouds, I'd like to present the top 10 reasons why Darth Vader was an amazing project manager.
24280728
submission
supersloshy writes:
Today marks the release of the latest edition of the GNOME Desktop for Linux-based operating systems. There are numerous fixes and improvements in this release such as smaller title bars (for small screens), the integration of GNOME Contacts and GNOME Documents for easy data management, web application integration, many more configurable settings, and other updates such as a more unified appearance and better chat integration. You can read the release notes on GNOME.org.
24271400
submission
cortex writes:
Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN), the world’s largest online retailer, unveiled its Kindle Fire tablet computer, taking aim at Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s bestselling iPad with a device that’s smaller and less than half the price.
The Kindle Fire will have a 7-inch display and sell for $199, compared with $499 for Apple’s cheapest iPad, Amazon executives said in interviews with Bloomberg Businessweek. The device, a souped-up version of the Kindle electronic- book reader, will run on Google Inc.’s Android software, the Seattle-based company said.
24270586
submission
Zothecula writes:
One of the main drawbacks of wind turbines is the fact that for maximum efficiency, the power that they generate must be fed into the grid right as the wind is blowing and their blades are spinning. While that power can be stored in batteries for later use, some of it will always be lost in the process. Sweden's experimental new SeaTwirl system, however, is designed to kinetically store wind energy until it's required — it's basically a seagoing flywheel.
24270528
submission
theodp writes:
When it comes time to get rid of an old computer, Nicholas Morgan gets all sentimental. And even though he's now the proud owner of a shiny MacBook Pro, Morgan couldn't bear to part with his over-the-hill Dell, with which he learned PHP, CSS, HTML, and JavaScript. 'The memories I have on this machine are worth more than the $200 or so I would get from selling it,' he writes of the laptop that now sits in his closet. In fact, Morgan still regrets trashing his first computer, an old Windows 95 Packard Bell machine with its top of the line Pentium processor and a software suite that included lots of educational games, Sierra's '3D Ultra Pinball', and 'The Incredible Toon Machine'. Nice. So, when it comes time to put down your aging computer like Ol' Yeller, do you trash it, sell it, give it away, or hoard it?
24264736
submission
PolygamousRanchKid writes:
Like the Moblin operating system before it, Linux-based MeeGo will will be merged out of existence.
MeeGo will become Tizen, Intel said today. "Intel joined Linux Foundation and LiMo Foundation in support of Tizen, a new Linux-based open source software platform for multiple device categories," the company said in a statement.
"Tizen builds upon the strengths of both LiMo and MeeGo and Intel will be working with our MeeGo partners to help them transition to Tizen," Intel said. The initial release of Tizen is expected in Q1'2012, enabling the first devices in the market mid-2012, Intel said.
Meego began as Moblin, an OS for small devices like Netbooks and smartphones. But its one shot at the consumer device big time came to an abrupt end when Nokia ditched it in favor of Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 platform. LG, less unceremoniously, also backed away from the OS after initially indicating it might use it on a smartphone.
PRK: It seems one of those strengths is not actually making it into a product on the market yet.
24261716
submission
daria42 writes:
Microsoft might have attempted to alleviate concerns expressed by the Linux world about its restrictive UEFI boot implementation in Windows 8, but it doesn't look as though the issue is going to die down. Confirmation arrived today that Linux users in Australia have registered a number of formal complaints with the country's competition regulator over the issue, claiming Microsoft's actions were anti-competitive. It looks so far as though the regulator has responded with a form letter, but attempts to push the issue are ongoing.
24249028
submission
migla writes:
Debian developer and author of Cahier de l’Admin Debian — "The Debian Administrator's Handbook" in French, announced campaigns for crowd-funding the translation and liberation of the book.
The translation is estimated to require six person-months, for which € 15K (about $20K) of donations are being solicited. The price-tag for the immaterial property of the publisher is set to € 25K (approaching $35K). Is it worth it?