Who killed the netbook?

June 22, 2011, 9:46 PM — The netbook has been murdered. The concept of an inexpensive computing device with high value for the third world has been sufficiently co-opted so as to make the category meaningless. Some called netbooks a sub-category of "ultra-light" or "sub-notebooks", but netbooks became legitimized by the announcement of the $100 OLPC laptop.

OIN-A patent pool to protect Linux users from lawsuits

OIN or the Open Invention Network is an industry-supporting independent group consisting of Linux users in a royalty-free environment and be protected from lawsuits for license infringement by proprietary software owners. The confrontation between SCO vs Novell; Microsoft’s claim of more than 235 patents being violated by Linux and open software community;

the list is long and lawsuits plenty. The organization protects small users from being exposed to corporate lawsuits given the larger patent pool and protection Open Invention Network offers.

Unity Grab Handles Are Beautiful, Learn How to Enable it in Ubuntu 11.04 Natty Narwhal

Unity Grab Handles are a fun and aesthetically beautiful way to resize windows in new Ubuntu Unity. Even though they are not enabled by default in Ubuntu 11.04 Natty Narwhal, you can easily turn Unity Grab Handles on by following a few easy steps.

How to Enable Unity Grab Handles in Ubuntu 11.04?

7 Good Dropbox Alternatives for Linux

Dropbox is probably the most popular online file storage and synchronization tool among Linux users. And as we have seen earlier, it is rather easy to install Dropbox in Ubuntu. But as a Linux user, what really are the alternatives to Dropbox for online file storage? Lets find out.

Linux boots in 2.97 seconds :really fast

Japanese embedded Linux house Lineo has announced a quick-start technology that it claims can boot Linux in 2.97 seconds on a low-powered system. The technology appears similar to but much faster than Linux's existing "suspend-to-disk" capability.

Researcher reveals how “Computer Geeks” replaced “Computer Girls”

Asked to picture a computer programmer, most of us describe the archetypal computer geek, a brilliant but socially-awkward male. We imagine him as a largely noctural creature, passing sleepless nights writing computer code. According to workplace researchers, this stereotype of the lone male computer whiz is self-perpetuating, and it keeps the computer field overwhelming male. Not only do hiring managers tend to favor male applicants, but women are less likely to pursue careers a field where feel they won’t fit in.

It may be surprising, then, to learn that the earliest computer programmers were women and that the programming field was once stereotyped as female.

The “Computer Girls”

More Android 3.2 and Amazon tablet details

More details have surfaced about Android 3.2, including support for seven-inch screens and Qualcomm processors. The release may appear on Amazon.com's Android tablets, which are rumored to be arriving in August bearing Texas Instruments processors and could hasten the fall of the monochrome Kindle.

Google and its Android tablet vendor partners face a double-edged sword in their epic struggle against the almighty Apple iPad. Android 2.x is both functionally and aesthetically lacking on larger screens, especially beyond seven inches. Meanwhile, Android 3.0 solves this problem and introduces some cool features not found on the iPad, but is widely criticized for being buggy and complex.

Firefox 5.0 Update Arrives in Official Ubuntu Repositories

Firefox 5.0 was released few days ago. But this time, its going to be a different experience for Ubuntu users. You don't need to add any additional third party repositories to get the latest Firefox update, its already available in your default Ubuntu 11.04 repositories. 

Archos unveils bare-bones Arnova 7 Android tablet, priced at $99

We caught a brief glimpse of Archos' new Arnova 7 tablet when it hit the FCC last week and now,

Nokia's first Windows Phone: images and video, codenamed 'Sea Ray'

Ok, this one's odd. In fact, we didn't believe the images until a video just surfaced showing Nokia CEO, Stephen Elop, foolishly asking a crowd of people to "put away their cameras" for the unveiling of something "super confidential," codenamed "Sea Ray." Naturally, a few people ignored the plea for "no pictures please" and, indeed, someone leaked what appears to be a Nokia-produced video of the unveiling to the blogosphere. What is it? Why, it's Nokia's first Windows Phone

Archos intros 80 G9 and 101 G9 Android 3.1 tablets: 1.5GHz CPU, 250GB HDD, 3G-ready (hands-on)

Angling for a new Android 3.1 tablet, are ya? If so, Archos has a new pair emerging from Paris today, the 80 G9 and 101 G9. Predictably, the biggest differentiator between the two is the screen size, with the former offering an 8-inch panel with a 1024 x 768 screen resolution and the latter stepping up to a 10.1-incher (1280 x 800). Both of 'em are proudly using Seagate's 7mm Momentus Thin in order to scale to 250GB, but of course, only time will tell how a power-hungry HDD will do in tablet form factor.

Prototype dual-screened 2-in-1 Android smartpad from Imerj

From the front it looks like yet another plain smartphone -- dark, nondescript, and maybe a little like an iPhone 4 that's had its right-most extent sliced off. Pick it up, though, and you realize this little thing isn't so nondescript. In fact, it feels oddly substantial, with a strange bevel cutting around the edge and a curious amount of heft. And then you flip it open. Suddenly it's a little tablet, two screens forming one 6-inch slate bisected by a few millimeters of bezel.

Mac OS X 10.6.8 update now available

It looks like Apple's getting another fix in before Lion slinks on to the scene. Mac OS X 10.6.8 is now available for download, and brings with it a number of "general operating system fixes," including further support for IPv6,

GNOME vs. KDE Apps: Which Are Best For You? :- 2

In many ways, KDE's Dolphin and GNOME's Nautilus are similar in structure, with a directory tree on the left, and a pane for displaying the contents of the current folder beside it. Both, too, have the zooms and icon and details view that you would expect in a file manager, to which Nautilus adds the ability to add an additional emblem as a sort of tag (a feature I have yet to find a use for). Both, too, support tabs and additional panes.
However, Dolphin adds a pane on the right that gives detailed information about the currently selected file. This system is much handier than Nautilus' zoom feature, which gradually displays more information as you zoom in. You can choose in the preferences what files are displayed in this pane, in case the feature uses more memory than your machine can easily handle.

GNOME vs. KDE Apps: Which Are Best For You? -1

A desktop is more than just panels and widgets. It's also an ecosystem of applications specially written to use its resources and to fit its concepts of usability. That means that when you weigh GNOME against KDE, you need to consider their applications as much as the desktops themselves.
Not all software categories vary with the desktop, of course. The time is long gone when KOffice and the only partly realized GNOMEOffice vyed with each other for users -- although KOffice is becoming increasingly mature, and GNOMEOffice's AbiWord, and Gnumeric are all going concerns, most people just use LibreOffice.
Similarly, while some KDE users still favor Konqueror, and GNOME ships withEpiphany, neither web browser is widely used compared to Firefox and Chrome.

GNOME vs. KDE Apps: Which Are Best For You? :- 3

Movie Players: Totem vs. Kaffeine

Considering the simplicity of the interface, Kaffeine could almost be a GNOME app. It opens on buttons for five basic functions -- playing a file, an audio CD, a video CD or DVD, and Digital TV, and a simplified version of the menus on the left side of the window. Things get more detailed when you actually select a function, but, on the whole, the interface is highly usable throughout.
Yet somehow, GNOME's Totem manages to be even simpler, providing basic playback features and an optional sidebar that displays details about the current selection. Totem's only real drawback is a screensaver that runs when audio files are playing, but that can be turned off in the preferences.

50 Must-Have Open Source Apps for Your Home Office:- 3

PDF Tools

34. PDFedit
You don't have to purchase expensive Adobe software in order to make modifications to existing PDF files. PDFedit lets you edit text, delete and renumber pages, add markup and more. Operating System: Windows, Linux.
35. Sumatra
This alternative to Adobe Reader boots up fast and offers a very simple interface. In addition to PDF files, it also reads XPS, DjVu, CBZ and CBR files. Operating System: Windows.

50 Must-Have Open Source Apps for Your Home Office:- 2

Graphics

19. Dia
Similar to Microsoft's Visio, Dia helps you create org charts, network diagrams, flowcharts and similar types of documents. It creates XML files by default, but can also export to EPS, SVG, XFIG, WMF, PNG and some other graphic file formats. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.
20. Gimp
Similar to Adobe's Photoshop, Gimp is a photo manipulation program that's full-featured enough for professional photographers and graphic designers, but user-friendly enough for amateurs. Key capabilities include a full set of painting tools, sub-pixel sampling, powerful gradient and blend tools, full alpha channel support, layers, quickmask, transformable paths and more. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.
21. Inkscape

50 Must-Have Open Source Apps for Your Home Office -1

These days, more and more people work at home at least part of the time. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, more than half of the 29.6 million small businesses in the country are home-based.
If you add to those figures the number of people who telecommute to their jobs part of the time, the Telework Research Network estimates that between 20 to 30 million people work from home at least once a week. And WorldatWork claims that approximately 44 million Americans work at home at least one day a year.
Whether they work for themselves, a small business or a large multinational corporation, all of these workers need good software for their home offices. And many of these people who work at home don't have a lot of money to spend on that software -- especially if they work for themselves.

Nokia N9 first hands-on! (update: video)

The N9 has arrived. Functional units of Nokia's long-awaited MeeGo smartphone have finally landed into our eager hands and we've got a gallery of images to provide you with below. What we can say from our first experience is that we're in the presence of a fantastically designed device with a gorgeous AMOLED screen and some highly responsive performance. Hold tight as we're updating our fuller impressions after the break, where you'll soon be treated to our first hands-on video with the Nokia N9.

Installing Nginx With PHP5 (And PHP-FPM) And MySQL Support On Ubuntu 11.04

Nginx (pronounced "engine x") is a free, open-source, high-performance HTTP server. Nginx is known for its stability, rich feature set, simple configuration, and low resource consumption. This tutorial shows how you can install Nginx on an Ubuntu 11.04 server with PHP5 support (through PHP-FPM) and MySQL support.

AVM violating license of the Linux kernel

Linux kernel at centre of battle for control of embedded devices

Berlin, 20th June - Tomorrow on June 21st a legal case will be heard before the District Court of Berlin which may have enormous consequences for the way that software is developed and distributed. The adversaries in the case are the manufacturer and distributor of DSL routers AVM Computersysteme Vertriebs GmbH (AVM), and Cybits AG (Cybits) which produces children's web-filtering software. Both companies use the Linux kernel, which is licensed under the GNU General Public License, version 2 (GNU GPL); a Free Software license permitting everyone to use, study, share, and improve works which use it.

Fuduntu 14.10 - Now Available

The Fuduntu team is pleased to announce the general availability of Fuduntu 14.10.  This release continues our tradition of small incremental improvements bringing new versions of several important packages, and bug fixes to the Fuduntu Linux distribution.

Included in this release:

• Linux kernel 2.6.39.1
• Adobe Flash 10.3
• Chromium 12
• Shotwell 0.10.1

First glimpse of Ubuntu Software Centre 5.0!

One thing in Ubuntu, which has always hit rock bottom in terms of popularity, is Ubuntu Software Centre. The reason often cited is its weak design and layout. Lot of attempts were made, but none of them brought a wind of change in perception among the user community. The guys at Canonical have been under fire recently to resolve this problem. One more attempt is round the corner, Ubuntu Software Centre 5.0 is expected to launch soon.

It seems the design teams at Canonical are now working at full stretch in trying to design, test and evaluate a possible layout for the Ubuntu Software Centre in the next and soon to be launched version christened the Ubuntu Software Centre 5.0.

Upcoming Android Devices to Get Super Excited About

Android fans, can you believe how far we have come? From the humble days of Android 1.5 and its bare-bones, rudimentary operation, to where we stand today. With Superphones like the HTC Sensation, theMotorola Atrix, the Samsung Galaxy S II, and all the amazing Android tablets released or in the process of being released, 2011 really looks like the year that Android is set to gain truly widespread global adoption by hoardes of hungry tech lovers everywhere. So – what do we have in store to be most excited about? Well, I’ve got some good news, and i’ve got some great news. First off – Android is only going to continue to improve in every conceivable way. Secondarily, the aggressive product cycles that manufacturers are maintaining these days means that Android devices will always be one step ahead of that fruit company that we all know. So, without further adieu, I bring to you, today, the five most amazing Android devices I am most excited about for 2011!

40 best free Android apps - part 2

21. 3banana Notes/ Catch Notes
A simple note-taking tool that lets you sync those disjointed, late night thoughts you have together into one huge, incoherent database. If you have a Snaptic account you're able to sync the Android app with that too - or you can simply log in with your Google details for instant mobile jotting. Once written, notes may also be pinned to the home screen, creating a little post-it note-style reminder icon.
UPDATE: 3banana has undergone a name change and is now known as Catch Notes.

40 best free Android apps - part 1

Top free apps for your Android phone

OK, so the Android Market is more akin to Lidl or Asda than the iPhone's enormous, indulgent Selfridges-at-Christmas time approach, but the open source nature of Google's OS means there are plenty of apps for Android to be found.

And best of all, most of the good stuff on Android is free, thanks to the work of developers who do it for love alone. So here's our pick of the top free Android apps you should install.

You can also check out our video of the top 10 free Android games

The Best QWERTY Android Phones of 2011 – Part Two!

Welcome back folks. Let’s continue looking at the best QWERTY Androids in 2011 as mentioned in the last post.

The Best QWERTY Android Phones in 2011 part 1

We happen to believe that QWERTY smartphones are craved by mobile enthusiasts. An Admob report in 2010 showed that 54% of Android traffic was driven by devices that feature a full QWERTY keyboard. It’s hard to deny that a huge amount of people still want a powerful smartphone with a physical QWERTY keyboard. Following that, let’s take a look at what’s in the store for you this year in the world of Android QWERTY Phones!

Apple IR Tech Could Stop You from Recording Concert Videos

Though Amazon, Apple and Google have all rolled out cloud music players this year, Amazon and Google made it to market first by passing up deals with record companies and releasing simple storage solutions for uploaded music. Apple took the time to set up those deals and created iCloud. One of the company’srecently unveiled patents patents seems to build off those relationships with record companies--in designing a system for future iPhones to detect infrared light, Apple has demonstrated a way for concerts and movie theaters to stamp out video recording at live events.

Concertgoers absolutely love to whip out their smart phones, record songs and upload them to YouTube. Apple’s patent could stop that practice by allowing infrared stage lights to shut off the camera of any iPhone picking up the IR beam.

Comcast Shows Off 1Gbps Cable Internet Connection

While most broadband subscribers rely on cable and DSL lines to serve up their daily dose of Internet, a few companies like Verizon are enticing customers with new fiber optic networks that make aging DSL lines look like a joke. Can you imagine getting 35Mbps upload speeds on a DSL or cable connection? Comcast wants the world to know it’s still got the chops to compete on fiber’s level: yesterday, CEO Brian Roberts demoed the company’s latest broadband technology with a 1Gbps connection.

Roberts’ demo ran data along an 11 mile hybrid fiber-coaxial cable network and downloaded 23 episodes of 30 Rock in less than two minutes. Obviously cable’s DOCSIS standard still has plenty of life left in it, but how many of us are actually going to see the benefits of this kind of speed?

Google's SPDY Project: The Successor to HTTP?

If there’s anything Google loves as much as search, it’s speed. Chrome was built on a foundation of speed. Faster JavaScript, faster graphics acceleration, faster browser startup. Google Code has a page dedicated specifically to speed. And on top of all that, Google started a project called SPDY (SPeeDY. Get it?) that aims to reach beyond the influence of the Chrome browser to speed up the entire web.

Until now, SPDY has been an internal experiment at Google--as you can imagine, rolling out a protocol that modifies HTTP is no easy task. That’s exactly what SPDY does, and Google’s used the protocol to lower page load times by as much as 64%. To take the first step into the web at large, Google’s partnering with an optimization company called Strangeloop--together they’ll insert SPDY into a software layer between Internet servers and users.

Windows Phone 7 vs Android: The Real Fight is Here

Right now, the iPhone and Android are considered the two big platforms to watch in the mobile space. This might be a little shortsighted because we're forgetting about Microsoft. Yes, that software stalwart that basically skipped an entire generation of mobile products by pushing Windows Mobile is about to change things up with the release of Windows Phone 7. This platform intends to offer a number of interesting design conventions and features. While Windows Phone 7 seems to be chasing the iPhone, it's going to have to go through Android to get there. 

Here's how Windows Phone and Android stack up. 
 

Browser Speed Test – iOS 4 Vs. Windows Phone 7

Folks at Modmyi point us to a speed test conducted by an Israeli technology blog where the browser speed on iPhone 3GS running iOS 4and a Samsung handset running the upcomingWindows Phone 7 operating system are compared.

The test, a video of which is embedded further down in this post, shows that the new Windows OS may not hold a candle to iOS 4 with respect to browser performance.

For the study, the website measured the page loading time on the Mobile Safari browser on an iPhone 3GS running iOS 4 and compared it with the loading time on a mobile IE browser on a Samsung handset running Windows Phone 7.

Boot Up Speed Test: iPhone 4 (iOS 4) Vs. HTC HD2 Vs. Nexus One (Android 2.2) Vs. LG Panther (Windows Phone 7)

Folks at Pocketnow have compared the boot up (startup) time of iPhone 4 (running iOS 4) with HTC HD2 andNexus One (running Android 2.2) and LG Panther (running a beta version of Windows Phone 7).

Since I hardly restart my iPhone, I must admit that I had never paid attention to boot up time until I watched the video comparing the boot up times of the iPhone with other smartphones.

iOs4 vs Windows Phone 7

iPhone (iOS 4) Vs Windows Phone 7: UI Compared

Folks at Pocket Now have published an interesting comparison of iOS 4 running on aniPhone 4 with Windows Phone 7 running on a LG phone.

In the video, they have compared the user interface of the unlock screen, homescreen,multitasking and accessibility to audio playback controls of the two mobile operation systems.

Here are some of the observations from the comparison:

Unlock Screen:

IN DEPTH: IOS VS ANDROID VS WEBOS VS MEEGO

Pitting iOS vs Android vs WebOS vs MeeGo doesn\’t appear like a fair fight.

It’s akin to putting a couple of our TechRadar writers in a boxing ring with the Klitschko brothers. With Apple\’s iPhone/iPod/iPad OS, Google\’s Android, plus the Symbian, Microsoft and Blackberry platforms, do we truly need any more pretenders to the mobile OS throne?

Yes – due to the fact \’competition drives innovation\’ (or so the saying goes). Android improvements will make iOS much better and vice-versa. Whilst lower-league operating systems will have to work harder to stand out, they\’ll assist to make sure that the massive two do not get complacent.

And yes again – simply because beyond the smartphone battleground, the next big tech confrontation is about to be fought on tablet devices.

It\’s not just a straight iPad vs Android face-off, either. HP is prepping a very good-searching \’PalmPad\’ running WebOS, and Nokia is looking to show off its mobile expertise in a MeeGo-powered tablet.

Let\’s see how the four mobile platforms compare.

iOS 4.3 vs Android 3.0 vs webOS: which is the best tablet OS?

We've already pitched iOS vs Android vs webOS vs MeeGo on TechRadar, but that was purely on the specs and and experience of earlier versions. We've now used and evaluated all the three main tablet OS options.

And although we won't have Windows on a tablet quite yet, the battle between the tablet operating systems is set to hot up over the next few months as iOS 4.3 emerges with the iPad 2 and we see the plethora of Android 3.0 Honeycomb devices hit the streets with the Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and others.

Apple iOS 4 vs. Google Android 2.3: How Do They Stack Up?

The competition between Apple and Google is getting intense as the two companies battle for supremacy in the smartphone business.

Last month, Google updated its Android operating system, introducing Android 2.3, aka FroYo.  On Monday, Apple shot back by making its latest mobile operating system, iOS 4 — formerly called iPhone OS 4.0 — official.