Tuz, the new Linux mascot

Without bringing in too much alarms about news from Linux world, or to attract too much noise from the "hankering" Linux fans, I think it's fair enough to let you know a little about the new mascot Linux: Tuz.

Ladies & gents meet Tazzie Tux, or in short called as Tuz, the mascot for January's Linux conference in Australia, which was held in Tasmania and where the show's annual charity auction was dedicated to raising funds to research devil facial tumor disease (DFTD).

Tazmanian Devil; the meat-eating marsupial that can only be found in the Tasmania-Australia currently faces extinction by a transmittable face cancer disease, the Linux kernel team is trying to bring awareness to the animal's plight. After the conference, the Linux creator Linus Torvalds decided to insert Tuz image into the kernel.

Jonathan Corbet, a Linux kernel contributor, wrote this on his Linux Foundation blog: "There are a lot of reasons why developers create open source software. Beyond the fact that it's simply fun, many of us are motivated by a desire to make the world a better place. The strong support in the development community for causes like the Tasmanian devil shows that this desire to improve the world goes beyond the creation of great, free software. It's something we can all be proud of."

Sources are from PC World & Wikipedia.

OpenOffice Portable 3 will drives storage maniacs go crazy

This is the type kinda news that will drive storage maniacs and Linux die-hard fans go crazy at the same time, did I say storage? Yes indeed, storage. That's three times mentioning storage for you. ~LOL~

A'write, here's the news: OpenOffice.org 3 has gone portable and ready for your thumb drive.

OpenOffice.org Portable is a full-featured office suite that's compatible with Microsoft Office, Word Perfect, Lotus and other office applications. It's easy-to-use and feature-rich, performing nearly all of the functions you'd expect in an office suite, but at no cost. OpenOffice.org Portable is an integral part of the PortableApps.com Suite™.

By default, the 86.4MB (download), ~240MB (installed) portable app includes the Galaxy icon set. To add the Classic, Crystal, High-Contrast, Industrial and Tango icon sets users can install the OpenOffice.org Portable 3.0 Image Pack.

Strange enough, this OpenOffice.org 3 Portable is only available for Windows, or via Wine under Linux/UNIX. Hopefully this doesn't dissappoint open source enthusiasts, and keep on cheering for a Linux version soon.

Sources are from PortableApps, via Lifehacker.

Linux is dead. It’ll then rise to save the economy. Long live Linux!?

Linux, the embodiment of most seeable creation of open source to average computer users, is often bullied and mocked as much as Linux itself do the same thing to its rival; the proprietary software.

I’ll get back to what I’ve just said at the bottom of this post, and to why I seemed look like praising Linux with the title of this post but then make fun out of it with the controversial picture above there. But first, let’s clear some things up before I borrow your ears to hear what I’ve got to say later. Or in this case, your eyes to read… Aw, you know what I’m talkin about. ~LOL~

The Linux I’m referring to is not the person who invented the Linux kernel OS, but I’m only symbolizing it as the open source. And it’s not me who actually said Linux or open source is dead, it is taken from a very interesting article by Bill Snyder (InfoWorld, via PCW Business Center). Bill starts his intriguing editorial with this:

Put three geeks in a room and it won't take long to start an argument. ... all three have provocative opinions about the future of software in general and of open source in particular. Dennis Byron, who has 30 years of technology experience under his belt, thinks that the open source era is coming to an inglorious end, with Linux and the like becoming "an asterisk in the history and future of technology.”

Bryon’s words must have made plenty of Linux die-hard fans ears turn to red, sure enough no one has the right to call an end on the champion result of open source like that. But apparently the other geek; Stuart Cohen from BusinessWeek is the one who answer on why we should see Linux could actually is dying: "Open source code is generally great code, not requiring much support. So open source companies that rely on support and service alone are not long for this world."

Cohen then explained what he really meant by that: "The health of open source software has never been better when we are talking about the quality of the code. The number of people using it and the number of enterprises deploying it have never been higher. But the classic open source business model no longer works very well, and so it has to change."

A fine example is given by Cohen: “Red Hat, arguably the most successful open source company, ... It adds substantial layers of software on top of the kernel, a solid piece of software that needs little support,... If Red Hat relied on supporting the Linux kernel, it would go out of business simply because the code is so sound.”

But things have starting to turn around for open source, especially for Linux, because now IBM has started to offer a “Microsoft-free” desktop solution to corporate environments. The package is based on three components:

1. Ubuntu Linux
2. Virtual Enterprise Remote Desktop Environment (VERDE) from Virtual Bridges
3. IBMS’s Open Collaboration Client Solution software (OCCS) based on Lotus Symphony, Lotus Notes and Lotus applications.

The Linux-based software package, which is available now, runs on a back-office server and is accessible to customers on thin clients. With the recent economic depression, IBM is hoping its “Microsoft-free” desktop solution will look more appealing.

According to IBM, market forces are shifting and there is “growing demand for economical alternatives to costly Windows and Office-based computers.” The company claims that “Linux is far more profitable for a PC vendor and the operating system is better equipped to work with lower cost hardware than new Microsoft technology.”

The Virtual Linux Desktop ranges in price from $59 to $289 per user, IBM estimates that the software package could save corporate customers up to $800 per user, when compared with the cost of maintaining Microsoft's Vista operating system, Office suite, and collaboration tools.

Just after reading all of these reports, I remember one contentious argument from an article by Mitchell Ashley (NetworkWorld, via PC World): “You knew the argument had to come up sometime: survive the economic down turn by using open source to help you save money."

Mitchell was responding on a blog post by ComputerWorld blogger Steve J. Vaughan-Nichols, where in Steve’s post claim that we can survive the economy turbulence by ditching Microsoft and switching to Linux. Mitchell argued that the idea is provoking but not likely to take a foothold anytime soon, and he has other reasons too on why Steve’s idea isn’t completely true:

”There's also the matter of practicality. Yep, Linux software is free, but Linux isn't. Especially converting to Linux. Converting could actually lead to laying off people on your IT staff to get the skills necessary to move to Linux. ... Plus there's the cash outlay to replace all the other software you use (systems management, virtualization, etc.)."

Can Linux (or open source) really help us to save more money in these hard times? Is this finally the right time for Linux to rise and shine? The answers may lie on the same stage on why IBM is offering Ubuntu Linux and its Symphony (the “Microsoft-free” desktop solution) free of charge; because IBM wants to make money too with this offering. Besides helping to market VERDE, IBM stressed that it can “help” customers to “out this offering, as well as other customized virtual desktops.”

The next question is; will Linux and open source be able to win the love of computer users who are already too accustomed with proprietary software? IMHO it’ll depend on how Linux is offered…

This take us back to what I’ve got to say that I’ve mentioned at the beginning of this post, about how Linux has been presented so far. I’ve been so many times talked and pulled by Linux die-hard fans to convert into Linux, no matter how many times I argued and tried to avoid the subject, they’ll keep on telling me the good things about converting to Linux, very persistent they are.

I’m serious, I’ll physically hurt someone if there’s one more of them forcefully telling me how better Linux is than Windows, or how more user friendly Linux is than Mac OS. Because even though Linux does have the advantages over those popular OS, it also has its own disadvantages; and they are not little in quantity.

I like how Mitchell Ashley put this better in his own words: “Whether it's iPhones, Linux vs. Microsoft, or Macs vs. PCs, there's always a group who are so overly passionate about their favorite hammer that everything else looks like a nail. ... to know that taking your favorite technology too seriously creates other blind spots in your logic and decision making.”

Talking about operating system nowadays, is like talking about religion. The harder you try to convert someone into your belief, the harder rejection you’ll get. Sometime persistent may work if you try to date someone, but more often it felt as irritating than when it works. Can Linux be presented not like this?

Sources are from:

• Open Source Is Dead -- Long Live Open Source! (PCW Business Center)
• IBM’s idea to save more than $1276 on a corporate PC (TG Daily)
• IBM offers a 'Microsoft-free' desktop (Business Tech)
• Linux Not The Savior For Our Economy (PC World)
• Linux can save us (ComputerWorld)

What matters from LinuxWorld expo

The LinuxWorld expo has just ended, and although there's a huge lack of excitement found from the open source annual event, there are still some news worthy to be heard. I'm just gonna do a quick recap on few of the news that matters most, here they are:

Netbook sparks Linux redesigns

"The sparsely populated floor at Linuxworld was a disappointment, ..." that's what Agam Shah (IDG News Service) has said about the last LinuxWorld expo, shows how much Linux is in a great need of push from every "hankering" Linux die-hard fans and from every major computer manufacturers + open source developers.

Agam also noted that most of the expo visitors are more interested to look at the netbook products from Canonical & gOS, and thus this could be a sign of a new movement from open source developers/distros to make better Linux OS that's more compatible with netbook's hardwares.

Stormy Peters, executive director of the Gnome Foundation explained why: "Standard Linux distributions could work on netbooks but they are mostly designed for standard laptops. For example, the Linux footprint could be reduced as the limited netbook resources -- including processing power and storage capabilities -- are not the same as in standard laptops."

Read on the rest of the news at this link.

gOS will be equipped with Google's apps

The San Francisco-based company announced the details of gOS 3 Gadgets, the newest version of its Linux OS. Dong Ngo (Crave) was reporting that the main feature of gOS 3 Gadgets is its ability to instantly launch Google Gadgets for Linux on start-up, allowing users access to more than 100,000 iGoogle and Google Gadgets applications. These applications, though graphically rich, are small enough to be added to the computer in seconds over an Internet broadband connection. The new operation system will also be loaded with WINE 1.0, Lightweight X Desktop Environment (LXDE), and other Google software for Linux to improve the user experience.

Zimbra now available for Ubuntu

Zimbra, the open-source e-mail software that's acquired by Yahoo last year, is now available for ubuntu. As reported by Caroline McCarthy (Webware); Ubuntu users have been able to access Zimbra for the past year. But now, the e-mail software will be in the Ubuntu Partner Repository, providing easy access to both offline and online Yahoo Mail, Gmail, AOL Mail, and any IMAP or POP e-mail accounts. Zimbra also offers document and spreadsheet functions, as well as mashup features with services like Flickr, Amazon.com, and Yahoo Maps.

"Since we first announced general availability of Zimbra for Ubuntu last year, we have seen incredible adoption within the Ubuntu community," Andy Pflaum, senior director of business management for Yahoo's Zimbra division, said in a statement. "We are eager to offer our world-class collaboration experience, Yahoo Zimbra Desktop, to the vibrant community of Ubuntu users worldwide."

Shuttle's XP19 monitor makes an appearence

Shown along side with Shuttle's KPC mini desktop K4800 ($299) & K4500 ($199), there's a look alike iMac monitor also sat down next to them: the XP19. Shuttle says the XP19 is 0.9 inches thick, has a 5-millisecond response time, a 9-millimeter border, and integrated speakers. Also, there will be a tablet version of the XP19 in late October or early November. --click on the image to enlarge it--

Bug Labs' Bug Base refreshed

Erica Ogg (Crave) who attended the LinuxWorld expo said that the Bug Base gadget hardware is essentially the same from the previous model, but the software interface for the Lego-like gadget prototyper has been improved. The device now runs Poky Linux--which is intended for small devices--and now has a Web browser and window environment. The software update, available in either late August or early September, will also support Wi-Fi. Also, we hear the MMCmicro card slot will be switched out in favor of microSD in the next version.

[blogged with my Treo 750v]

Q&A with Linus Torvalds, by simple-talk

The Linux and open source have became the most talked about topic for a brief time especially this end of the weekend, with the OSCON 2008 is wrapped up.

I know some of you are bored and fed up with the open source and Linux topics, and few of you can't get enough talking & brag about them.

Although I'm not particularly interested to talk about Linux, this can't be avoided since Ubuntu is taking the spotlight at last OSCON 2008 with the release of Canonical's Ubuntu Netbook Remix beta. The future of open source is looking bright, so many software developers and computer manufacturers have gathered and shared their ideas on what to be expected from it in the future.

But open source's key; its openness, is the key to its success and it's also the problem need to be solved together. With so many people are taking part in open source, miss-communication and chaos are easy to happen. Without a strong party to take the lead on where Linux should head to, it'll take a lot more time to make it grow. But who should be the leader? The people and fans behind open source are usually indepent, open minded, and a bit self-centric people ~LOL~, so it'll be hard for them to accept big companies to take the lead.

Thus making the open source die-hard fans can't stop reminiscing of the maker, the father, the godfather, the first brain of Linux: Linus Torvalds. Perhaps, it should Linus who take the lead and pointed out where Linux should go from here; after years he gave birth of his brainchild idea.

But Linus Torvalds is not a type of person who gloat over power and famous, instead he's a low profile legend who rarely share what's in his mind with mass media. So Richard Morris from simple-talk is indeed very lucky to have Linus for an interview, and get some of what the godfather of Linux himself is thinking about Linux nowadays. Here are some parts of the interview that I cut-off, which I think might interest you my dear or PalmAddict readers to know:

• RM: 'In your famous debate with Tanenbaum on micro versus monolithic LT: kernels you say that "From a theoretical (and aesthetical) standpoint [micro kernels are better]". Could you foresee a day where the practical matches the theoretical and aesthetical and the Linux Kernel does become obsolete?' --- LT: 'I can certainly imagine the Linux kernel becoming obsolete - anything else would just be sad, really, in the big picture. That said having now worked in the OS area for the past, what, 17 years or so, I don't think it's micro kernels per se that would make it happen. ...But what can make a big deal to what is the best way of doing things is simply hardware changes or changes in what users do and how they interact with their computers. And while I don't see any big fundamental shift in how things are done, I think that is ultimately what may make Linux obsolete. -not in the near future, though. Software and hardware have an amazing inertia, and ways of doing things tend to stay around for decades. So I'm not exactly worried.'
• RM: 'Many significant projects such as Apache, PHP etc do not use the GPL license. Do you think this damages the free software source community or do you think the heterogeneity of open source licenses has allowed more people to contribute to the overall effort? ' --- LT: 'I think heterogeneity is good. People don't agree on their goals and their motivations, and they shouldn't. There's no real reason why everybody should agree on a single license - it's not only unreasonable to expect people to all agree to begin with, but different areas of endeavor may simply have fundamental reasons why they want to do things in different ways. ...So even from a purely rational standpoint it makes sense to have different licenses. And no, I'm not claiming that programmers are always purely rational. There's a lot of ego involved, and a lot of personal quirks, which may explain exactly why there are so many subtly different licenses to try out. But hey, choice is good! And there really isn't a lot of confusion, since there really are just a handful of very popular and common licenses.'
• RM: 'Recently we interviewed Dr Richard Hipp of SQLite fame, what do you think about his decision to remove all restrictions on the use of his code and place it in the public domain? Why didn't you do the same with Linux - surely then the code would really be free? ' --- LT: 'That word ‘free’ is actually a word I try to avoid using, because it means so many different things. And no, I don't mean just the trivial difference between ‘free of cost’ (as in ‘gratis’) and ‘freedom’. Even in just the ’freedom’ meaning, different people have so many different ideas of exactly what and who should have the ‘freedom’. It's one reason I use the term ‘Open Source’, and one reason I'm actually known to butt heads with the FSF. They make a big deal about the "freedom" term, and they define it in just very particular way.'
• RM: 'What do you think of Microsoft's efforts to take part in the open source community? Do you think they are sincere in their efforts or do you see it as some sort of embrace-extend-extinguish approach? ' --- LT: 'I have no real way to judge that. I personally think that parts of Microsoft certainly are sincere, and other parts are almost certainly not. It's a pretty big and bloated company, and when one hand says it wants to participate in open source, I doubt the other hand knows or cares about it.'
• RM: 'If Microsoft were to approach you to go and work in their Open Source labs would you consider it?' --- LT: 'I'm not a Microsoft hater, so I'm not going to say ‘No! Never! I will fall on my sword before I give in to the Dark Side!’ That said I find it unlikely that MS would ever offer anything that I would consider relevant. Money? Hey, they have it, and I like it, but I obviously don't value it over everything else. And they are unlikely to offer the things I really value.'
• RM: 'Which Linux distro do you use? ' --- LT: 'I've used different distributions over the years. Right now I happen to use Fedora 9 on most of the computers I have, which really boils down to the fact that Fedora had fairly good support for PowerPC back when I used that, so I grew used to it. ...
• RM: 'Do you think that products such as open office can gain acceptance by being clones of more widely used commercial products or do you think they need to innovate before they will gain acceptance?' --- LT: 'I think that ‘innovation’ is a four-letter word in the industry. It should never be used in polite company. It's become a PR thing to sell new versions with. ...
  RM: 'Is the proliferation of Linux distributions, a good or a bad thing on balance? Would he rather there was more focused effort on fewer distributions. ' LT: 'Me personally, I'm a believer in choice. Yes, it can be confusing, and yes, it can cause the market to look more fragmented, but on the other hand, it also begets competition. And competition is good - and it's good even within a project. It's what makes people try different things, and it ends up being very motivational. ...
• RM: 'I can’t end without asking you about the Steve Ballmer quote. You know the one where he said 'Linux is a cancer that attaches itself in an intellectual property sense to everything it touches.' What do you think he meant by this?' --- LT: 'I have a hard time really seeing what the heck Ballmer is doing. First the monkey dance, then the chair throwing. At some point he called Linux 'un-American', apparently because he doesn't like the competition. Then the cancer thing. And now this fixation with Yahoo! When will it end?So what can I say? I think he tried to say that open source grows very aggressively and takes over (which is good - if you're into that whole expanding markets thing), but he wanted to put it in terms of something that grows out of control and is bad for what it is growing in. Thus: cancer. So I can certainly see the logic of choosing that word.'
• RM: 'Do you think it makes any sense?' --- LT: 'Do I think it makes sense? No. Of course open source grows aggressively: what's not to like? Low cost, great quality, and a lack of being shackled to some commercial company that you can't really trust further than the fact that they'll happily continue to take your money. Sure, it grows. And yes, it does grow at the cost of Microsoft, but that's called ’competition’. It doesn't make it 'cancer' any more than it ever made it 'un-American'.

For the detailed interview, please head-on to simple-talk website.

[blogged with my Treo 750v]

Ubuntu takes the spotlight at OSCON 2008

The OSCON 2008 that I've told you about is currently underway, and alive kicking at Portland, Oregon.

Amongst the Linux and other open source apps or OS, there's one peculiar Linux OS that has taken center stage of the convention held from July 21-25: it's Ubuntu.

But that is not an ordinary Ubuntu we usually find from the famous distro on the net, it's one of Canonical's special product; called Ubuntu Mobile Internet Device (MID). What so special about this Ubuntu Linux, is because that's designed specifically for Intel Atom-based netbooks.

If you're still clueless on what is OSCON 2008, Canonical's MID, or netbooks; then I suggest you read my previous posts by clicking at the respective links there.

Canonical has made its promise to keep the Ubuntu spirits within its MID product, where there are only few packages of interface modified, streamlined to be exact so the OS's user interface is easier to navigate on the netbook's small screen. And now Canonical called it with a new name: Ubuntu Netbook Remix. --click on the main picture to view it larger--

Robert Strohmeyer from PC World took a spin on this Ubuntu Remix beta on an Atom-based Acer One Netbook, and this is his impression:

"Although the Netbook's Atom processor is decidedly anemic even by subnotebook standards, the OS booted quickly. Navigation in the simplified UME menus was quick, and applications such as OpenOffice.org Writer, Firefox, and Pidgin launched about as rapidly as I would expect. Though not terribly snappy, it was competent compared with other Netbook OS installations (including Windows XP)."

Canonical's representatives indicate that they're currently working with Netbook manufacturers to offer the new OS as a standard configuration option competing directly with Windows XP on netbook market. Although At press time, they declined to comment on which company they are working with, but they did say that Netbook Remix is expected to appear on retail devices by the end of 2008.

With the growing interest on netbooks, it'll be interesting to see how the consumers will react when Ubuntu Netbook Remix hit the stores at last.

[blogged with my Treo 750v]

OSCON 2008 officially underway

The Open Source Convention (OSCON) has kicked off yesterday, it's basically a gathering for open source & Linux developers which annually held. And this time it's held on Portland, Oregon, at July 21-25.

Like what O'Reilly explain: OSCON is the crossroads of all things open source, bringing together the best, brightest, and most interesting people to explore what's new, and to champion the cause of open principles and open source adoption across the computing industry.

There are around 2,500 of them that are currently honing their skills on open source and Linux in OSCON 2008, while the big players (like Microsoft, Intel, Google, IBM, Sun, etc.) are eyeing them all and steering the crowds in secret the future of open source's softwares (Linux, Android, QTopia, etc.) & hardwares (MIDP, netbook, etc.).

One of the main event of this OSCON 2008 is Open Mobile Exchange (OMX); a look at the state of open source in general--and Linux in particular--on mobile device. As the Web becomes one of the most crucial components of extending the mobile opportunity, this event explicitly seeks to bridge web apps and mobile functions.

Why mobile, and why mobile devices in particular? Robert Strohmeyer from PC World has a very good perspective why: By most estimates, Linux and other open-source operating systems represent about 1 percent of the PC market. But on mobile devices, Linux is growing fast. As of 2007, more than 18 percent of all embedded devices--from cell phones to PDAs to e-book readers--ran a Linux-based OS, while less than 17 percent ran embedded Windows. So it's no great surprise that this year's OSCON open-source conference is leading off with a new program focused specifically on mobile gadgets.

Thus the program started and presented by Linux Foundation executive director; Jim Zemlin, where in his opening talk Zemlin attributed much of this enthusiasm to a convergence of important technical and business considerations.

Those two considerations have become the basic ideas behind OMX; from a business perspective Zemlin attributes the interest in mobile Linux, in large measure, to the lower development costs of royalty-free code. However, Linux also offers developers a chance to brand, skin, and customize their products in ways that major platform vendors Microsoft and Apple would never allow.

While On the technical side, said Zemlin, Linux presents developers with a flexible platform that makes it easy to launch new software products quickly.

For more new coverage on OSCON 2008, you can follow it on this link. And you can also see some of the live photo shots from the events, that are going on the floors of OSCON 2008 at this link. That is if you're one of the "hankering" Linux fans ~LOL~

While for the rest of us who are not, let's just cross our fingers and hope for the best from OSCON 2008. Who knows, maybe after the convention there might some new and exciting mobile products come out. Till then, we can only hope...

[blogged with my Treo 750v]

OpenMoko/FreeRunner gets unboxed

The line from Engadget Mobile says it all: "If you're a Linux fanboy with a hankering for some mobile action...", and so this one is for you "hankering" Linux fanboys/girls.

The Canadian tech entrepreneurs who like to wear Scottish skirt, Holden Karau got his OpenMoko/FreeRunner handset along with spare kits & debug board; has announced: "The North American OpenMoko FreeRunners are starting to arrive. It would appear that the OpenMoko still has problems with some 3G networks, including AT&T. Although, in my own personal completely unscientific test, 2 out of 3 AT&T SIM cards worked."

Unfortunately, Karau's didn't shot the handset while on action. I for one, would love to see how this Linux-powered handset shine on its 480x640 screen. But nevertheless, you can enjoy plenty of unboxing photo shot pictures at his gallery. At above, are some of the pictures I've collected from Karau's gallery. --click to enlarge it--

And if you're not satisfied by just seeing the blurry photo shots, then you can order one for yourself at OpenMoko store. Sources are from Holden's Blog, via Slashdot, via Engadget Mobile.

[blogged with my Treo 750v]

Linux mobile groups join forces, good or bad sign?

The tough competition in mobile market has forced the shrinking force of Linux Phone Standards (LiPS) to announce plans to fold and join in to more active Linux mobile group: the Linux Mobile Foundation (LiMo).

It's a sad news if we see it in the competitive point of view, but a good news to see it in the standardization for Linux mobile in general.
For you who haven't know, LiPS was working to create a standard that would define APIs (application programming interfaces) for developing applications to run on a mobile Linux kernel.

And so far LiPS has released a first specification for Linux mobile, where Linux mobile developers may download it from their website. Bill Weinberg, general manager for LiPS assured us that "The specification itself lives on and will end up being hosted on the net somewhere."

By contrast, the LiMo Foundation is aiming to build a de facto standard software platform that handset makers can use to create Linux phones.
But what are the real reasons behind this plan to join forces together between these two independent Linux mobile platforms?

With all of the hypes in mobile world, actual growth in Linux mobile phones has stagnated. Worldwide shipments of Linux phones in 2007 were essentially the same as the previous year, according to research from Canalys. Where analysts have blame fragmentation for the slow growth.

"The mobile landscape is shifting in a rapid manner and it's important that there be a common software platform that companies can implement and deploy," said Andrew Shikiar, director of global marketing for the LiMo Foundation. Some companies that switched allegiances from LiPS to LiMo earlier this year said they had become impatient with the pace of the standards process.

Some of the big mobile companies such as Orange, France Telecom, Trolltech, Montavista and Purple Labs were active in both groups while others said they'd given up their work with LiPS. At that time it became apparent that the momentum behind LiPS was slowing as LiMo's growth was picking up steam.

"From the LiMO perspective, this has been an interesting week," Shikiar said on Wednesday. "We've seen one emerging platform face some well publicized challenges, we've seen a leader in the mobile industry embrace openness and we're excited about tomorrow's announcement further signifying consolidation and unification behind LiMo as a meaningful Linux OS," he said.

Some have said that the delayed release date of Google's Android on time, has given time and good opportunity for Apple or other mobile vendors to make a quicker start by releasing newer handsets; and thus gain better mobile market momentum. While other also believe the delay will hurt Android itself, which expected by many to become a main player in mobile world (backed up with Google's enourmous muscles).

And let's not forget the upcoming iPhone 3G, which is scheduled to launch on July 11th has caused so many commotions already. In my personal watch, many mobile manufacturers have boldly challenge iPhone's popularity by releasing their new handsets near iPhone 3G release date. Like the rumored Palm Treo 8.xx (a.k.a. Treo 800w) said to be launched on July 13th, T-Mobile's Moto Rokr E8 set to be released on July 7th, and not to mention Nokia set to release more handsets in months to come.

While Google seems to take more cautious steps to take the competition head-to-head with iPhone, especially when Apple has introduced more advanced iPhone SDK in the iPhone 2.0 platform. The real intention on Android's delayed release date, might be affected by the growing interest of mobile consumers on Apple's App Store.

For more in depth stories on Linux mobile, please read my previous blogs posted here at PalmAddict:

• Google's sticky attitude on Android might costs the launch date delayed
• Ubuntu Mobile Internet Device (MID) Edition released

Sources are from PCW Business Center & Engadget.

[blogged with my Treo 750v]

Ubuntu Mobile Internet Device (MID) Edition is released

Just two days ago, I was talking about the probability of delayed release date of Gphone or known as Google's Android-based handsets; and about Linux problems that might affect its mobile version in the future.

And now another Linux-based platform mobile OS has came out from the horizon, and this time the name itself is very close to Linux we've already familiar with: Ubuntu Mobile Internet Device (MID) Edition.

It's Canonical, the commercial sponsor of Ubuntu who has released the Ubuntu Mobile MID Edition (UMME) v8.04 for public testing. Which according to its press release, this public release of Ubuntu MID Edition will work on these hardwares:

1. Probably the easiest way experience Ubuntu MID Edition is through the KVM image.
2. One for the McCaslin platform targeting a Samsung Q1U. The Q1 was used as a development platform while we were waiting for Menlow hardware to become more widely available.
3. One is for the Menlow platform (Intel(R) Atom Processor) built for the Intel Crown Beach development station.

If you're still don't know what MID device is, you might want to reference it to Ubuntu MID Edition's own specifications where MIDs typically have the following features and attributes:

• Small size/form factor
• 4 to 7 inch touch screen
• Physical and/or virtual keyboard
• Wi-Fi, 3G, Bluetooth, GPS, WiMAX
• 2GB to 8GB Flash or disk storage, 256MB+ memory/512MB+ recommended
• OpenGL 3D
• USB, camera, head phone jack, speakers, microphone

Ubuntu MID Edition will start to follow the normal Ubuntu 6 monthly release cycle with the next version at v8.10. And for you who are interested to dig deeper for informations surrounding this exciting new Ubuntu MID Edition, you can go to these places:

• For information about UM&E, see http://wiki.ubuntu.com/MobileAndEmbedded
• For information about Intel's MID Linux Moblin project, see http://moblin.org
• For information about Canonical custom engineering services, email mobile@canonical.com

blogged with my Treo 750v]

Linux Foundation urges Nvidia to provide more open source kernel driver

One of the most inspiring about Linux is its openness, where its source codes can be accessed and exploited by everyone. But what happened when the platform itself is now has to face many closed kernel drivers, that are needed to run the hardwares installed on Linux?

You'll get irritated & disgruntled people who are trying to develop Linux, and when they can't contain their dissatisfied feelings anymore; then come out a statement of act.

Like what Linux Foundation (LF) did, LF has issued Position Statement on Linux Kernel Modules on last Monday. The important content is basically to: "urge vendors to adopt a policy of supporting their customers on Linux with open-source kernel code."

The LF doesn't exactly pointing finger at Nvidia, but LF Technical Advisory Board Chair James Bottomley said in a phone interview with Brooke Crothers (nanotech: the circuits blog): "My intent is to point out the problems Nvidia has been causing themselves with their binary-only (drivers). They are certainly one of the few companies sticking to a binary-only strategy." Binary-only means the drivers are essentially closed.

Bottomley gets much more specific than this. "Their (Nvidia's) binary module is one of the top causes of kernel crashes, which makes Linux look bad," he said.

When Nvidia was asked about this, they responded in an email saying: "Nvidia supports Linux, as well as the Linux community and has long been praised for the quality of the Nvidia Linux driver".

And Nvidia also gave a reason on why they stand firm on the binary-only policy: "Nvidia's fully featured Linux graphics driver is provided as binary-only because it contains intellectual property Nvidia wishes to protect, both in hardware and in software".

It is a complicated situation, both for the openness spirit of open source code in Linux platform and for the purpose of protecting the intelectual properties belong to vendors. But for the betterment of future computing and technology, both parties must make compromises; and if needed: sacrifices.

My best hope is they'll be able to work this out, because they are going to play an important role in our mobile world soon. Where Nvidia will provide the graphic core along with the processor for mobile devices thanks to its advanced tech, and Linux will become the unlimited base platform thanks to its open source policy. These two will provide us; end users, with more alternative options besides the already existing strong players (such as ARM/Intel processors, Windows Mobile, Symbian, etc.)

Specially for Linux, which is the soul foundation of the Palm Nova OS and Google's Android. And those two upcoming mobile OS are expected to be the rock of our mobile world, in next years to come.

[blogged with my Treo 750v]

Is Ubuntu ready for non-Linux users?

There are so many reasons on why some of you dislike Windows, or don’t want to use Mac OS X; which I can’t name them one by one because the list will take up this whole weblog. So, then Linux will become the best choice and usually Ubuntu is the most famous distro chosen by Linux-ers (Linux users). Aside from having many Linux developers support, Ubuntu also provides rich user interface that similar and even at few areas are better than the two previous pay-per-licensed OS above.

Ubuntu also has gain a great title based on Linux-ers experiences with it; it’s called “Linux for human beings”. But you’ll have to keep one important thing in mind when we’re implying on that title, is that for Linux-ers or for non? That’s what a Linux fans wanted to find out, by challenging (he actually tricked her, he said) his girlfriend named Erin, who’s a Windows user and never use a Linux before.

The challenges are simple basic tasks, they’re to test how fair is a university philosophy student’s knowledge of Windows computer on a new freshly installed Ubuntu 8.04 computer. The Ubuntu was installed in basic config, without any additional apps. And Erin must finish the tasks with no help at all from her boyfriend, can Erin survived and complete the tests? Read on below to find out.

~Erin logged-in, and she adore the stylized Heron wallpaper~
1. Tell me what the capital of Bosnia is: Passed, she opened Firefox and use Wikipedia
2. Watch a video on YouTube: Failed, although Ubuntu shipped Firefox with its own special modification, but it doesn’t tell Erin how to install Flash Player.
3. Download a Spice Girls Album: Passed, Erin had trouble first but then with self-satisfied smirk she used Transmission to download it.
4. Draw a little picture and save it in 3 formats: Passed, but she saved them into unfamiliar formats because she used “Save As...” command instead of “Export…”.
5. Burn an album from my music collection: Failed, Erin couldn’t find the music directory, there is no specific file search in Brasero Disc Burning.
6. Change the speed of the mouse: Passed.
7. Change the theme: Passed.
8. Find a picture in the net and set is as wallpaper: Passed.
9. Change screen resolution: Almost succeed, she set it at 720x400 which is too small for the screen to display it properly, and she can’t change it back.
10. Photoshop a pic of her face onto my body: Passed, she was confused with GIMP’s scattered windows but eventually succeed.
11. Log onto MSN: Passed, after second try.
12. Install Skype: Failed, although Skype has provided a special download page for Linux, Erin can’t find it in Ubuntu.

Looks like Erin got through most of the tasks assigned to her, but her boyfriend make an interesting comment about the result: “It’s surprising how many seemingly simple things become complicated and even out of reach for someone without knowledge of Linux. If she had as much trouble as she did, what chance to the elderly or at least the middle-aged stand?”

So let’s come back to Ubuntu’s slogan up there, can it really provide a friendly user experience for non-Linux-ers? If “friendly” term is a bit vague, how about “isn’t scaring away” new Linux-ers? Just like Erin, she immediately told her friends at IM on how she hates Linux while she was still at task #11. She does probably never will touch a Linux computer ever again after that…

Before you rage into arguments or conclusions, an answer has been provided by Erin’s boyfriend when he updated the blog post; “…we can’t expect people to rely on their “intuition”, because it really doesn’t seem to work, ....I just want windows users to be able to learn it themselves without their own research on the internet or by searching through manual pages."

I’m not gonna prolong this post with discussion on which is better between Windows & Ubuntu / Linux, or what should be fixed in Ubuntu, or any arguments that why does Linux should be build more like Windows. Because Linux is simply a Linux, and as for non-Linux-ers, they should get used to it if they want to use it. Be “intuitive” with Linux to be able to use it, as Jim has said in his comment (#4). Isn’t that what we have done when we first introduced to Windows OS?

The main difference is, Linux is an open platform made by various distros around the globe and that’s the root of these whole issues. I’ll quote Jonathan’s fine comment (#6) to explain this further: “Geeky programmers and designers are the ones who are driving Linux development as you said, and Linux should (and probably will) always cater to them first because of this.”

Read on “The Great Ubuntu-Girlfriend Experiment” blog here to know more on the comments & feedbacks, a little advance warning though: be prepared to open a very long web page because of the 510 comments! And also if you wanted to read the whole Erin’s quest in Linux land, since I summarized the long story to fit into this post.

And how about Palm’s newest OS; Palm Nova, which is made based on Linux platform? It’s our greatest hope that Palm will be able to deliver a powerful OS for its next smartphones, and still have the same “friendliness” & easy to use factor in it as in our beloved ~old~ Palm OS Garnet. And if it does come out as the opposite of all that, then we’ll just have to “get used” to it; won’t we?

Sources are from Content Consumer, via Switched.

[blogged with my Treo 750v]