Linux Journal - Breaking News

NASA Takes the Internet to Outer Space

Justin Ryan — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:08:42 -0600

With the advancements in technology available today, you can make contact with just about any place you'd like within a few seconds, thanks to the border-crossing and barrier-smashing power of the Internet. If it's Mars you're trying to reach, though, your best chance is more likely to come on the end of a probe than a DSL line. That may well change, however, as scientists at NASA have just completed testing new technology aimed — quite literally — at blasting the Internet out of this world.

Adobe is Back to Flash Us Again – With 64-bit

Justin Ryan — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:54:19 -0600

Just a month after the release of Adobe's Flash Player 10 — with, for the first time, full Linux support out of the box — Adobe is back with another surprise: a 64-bit Flash Player — exclusively for Linux.

Mozilla Squashes a Dozen New Bugs

Justin Ryan — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:08:52 -0600

It's been six months since Mozilla's Firefox 3 leapt onto the scene. In that time, the browser required a tuneup only three times — until Wednesday, when patches for a swath of vulnerabilities upped the count to four.

Dell CTO Trading Tech for Family and Vines

Justin Ryan — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 10:39:12 -0600

Just months after losing 10% of its workforce in a mass layoff, and mere days since it came to light that employees were being asked to take unpaid leave to avoid additional cuts, Dell is now facing another loss: Kevin Kettler, the company's Chief Technology Officer, is cashing in his chips and going home.

Mozilla to Say Ta-Ta to Foxy Part Deux

Justin Ryan — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:35:58 -0600

Mozilla's Firefox browser is unquestionably one of the most popular web browsers on the market — topping 20% at times while the browser-to-beat continues to slide — and certainly so among Open Source users. The release of Firefox 3 in June was a major milestone for Mozilla, but still, nearly six months later, there are those who have eschewed the new for the comfortable, homey, well-worn-in welcomeness of Firefox 2. That will be changing soon, though, as funeral arrangements for the second-era Fox are in full-tilt at Mozilla HQ, and the service is fast approaching.

Google Gets to the Root of the Problem

Justin Ryan — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 13:06:45 -0600

It was this time last year — almost to the day — that Google revealed their plan for gaining a share of the ever-so-profitable mobile phone market. Though we all thought it would be a true gPhone — designed, manufactured, and marketed entirely by Google — we were nonetheless excited and intrigued by what was actually revealed: Android, an Open Source, Linux-based mobile OS.

It's Time to Put on Your Fedora and Step Up to the Table

Justin Ryan — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 13:30:21 -0600

Election Day has come and gone in the U.S. — though it will likely linger in the memory for quite some time — but that doesn't mean that all the electing there is to do has been done. No, another election is upon us: the December 2008 election for the Fedora Project has begun!

FCC Stages Coup for Wireless Innovation

Justin Ryan — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 11:00:00 -0600

The Federal Communications Commission — the government agency that generally concerns itself with policing wardrobe malfunctions and the like — took an enormous step into the 21st Century yesterday as its five commissioners voted unanimously to open previously restricted areas of the wireless spectrum for public use.

Two New Flowers Join the Garden GNOME

Justin Ryan — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 17:17:48 -0600

One of the hottest areas of Linux development these days is in mobile Linux — it seems everyone has their hand somewhere in the Linux-on-cellphones pie. Two of the big players in the field — Google and Motorola — kicked their involvement up a notch yesterday by becoming official members of the GNOME Advisory Board.

German Government Drinks to the Greatness of Linux

Justin Ryan — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:55:33 -0600

It's been nearly a month since the strains of the 175^th Oktoberfest died down, but the reasons to celebrate live on. Behind the scenes at the Auswärtiges Amt (Foreign Office), the diplomats are toasting freedom — not with beer, but Open Source software.

Ubuntu 8.10 Charges Up the Mountain

Justin Ryan — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 15:48:22 -0500

The hot story-of-the-week this week is, of course, the ninth release of the popular Ubuntu Linux distribution, officially designated Ubuntu 8.10 but far more recognizable by its colorful code-name, Intrepid Ibex. The release comes with much more than just a flashy name, though.

For the First Time, OpenSUSE is Board

Justin Ryan — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 11:00:00 -0500

The openSUSE Project — responsible for the openSUSE Linux distribution upon which Novell's SUSE line is based — has completed a major transition, more than a year in the making, with the announcement this week that the first-ever openSUSE Board Election is complete.

Putting Linux Behind the Wheel

Justin Ryan — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:00:10 -0500

More and more, it seems the cool thing to do these days is to put Linux everywhere. It's on computers, of course, from the biggest to the smallest, but it's also powering DVRs, mobile phones — even toasters. Now, BMW is planning to take it a step further, and offer up heated seats, active cruse, and a killer sound system — along with your favorite brand of Linux.

Google Finally Gives Up the Ghost – Er, Source

Justin Ryan — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 15:11:57 -0500

Google's Linux-based Android mobile phone platform is the talk of the town this week, as just about everything heretofore unseen makes a grand public appearance.

KDE Shines Up New User Forum

Justin Ryan — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:07:52 -0500

The KDE Project — the desktop environment preferred by 43% of Linux Journal readers — likes to hear from its users. From annual conferences to IRC channels, KDE is listening — and beginning last week, they have a new opportunity to hear what the people have to say.