Sun Unveils Open Mobile Platform: JavaFX
Sun has unveiled a new open mobile platform called JavaFX, which it hopes will bring open rapid open development to the mobile space, an environment long dominated by telcos and cellular carriers.
Linux: CFS and 3D Gaming
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Some of the concerns expressed about CFS were reports that it might not handle 3D games as well as the SD scheduler. In a recent thread, Ingo Molnar noted, "people are regularly testing 3D smoothness, and they find CFS good enough and that matches my experience as well (as limited as it may be). In general my impression is that CFS and SD are roughly on par when it comes to 3D smoothness." He noted that all known regressions were reported against earlier versions of CFS that had long since been fixed, and that he was very interested in any new reports of regressions against the current version of the code, "there are no open 3D related regressions for CFS at the moment." Ingo then offered benchmarks illustrating the improved 3D performance of CFS, with numbers showing it to perform as well and in some cases considerably better than the SD scheduler.
Game Over for OpenDocument?
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"Is it game over for OpenDocument? Probably. We've been expecting Massachusetts ITD to publicly revise its open formats mandate to include Office Open XML ever since Louis Gutierrez resigned as CIO in early October 2006. That was as clear a signal that ODF had failed in Massachusetts as needed by anyone in the know."
Linux vs. Mac: Which Is the Better Alternative to Windows?
If you're a Vista-wary Windows user who would rather switch than fight, should you move to a Linux distro or Apple's OS X? InformwationWeek asked a Mac fan and a Linux advocate to lead a guided tour of each OS.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.1 Beta Released
"Red Hat is pleased to announce the availability of the beta
release of 5.1 (kernel-2.6.18-36.el5) for the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 family of products. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.1 is still in development and therefore the contents of the media kit, the implemented features, and the supported configurations are subject to change before the release of the final product."
Haiku WebKit Port Started, CUPS Under Way
Some interesting tidbits from the Haiku world. Firstly, the WebKit port bounty has reached its target, meaning Ryan Leavengood can get to work. Secondly, Vasper has made huge strides in getting CUPS ported to Haiku. And on a funny note, BeOS icons were used in the "24" TV show.
A History of the Amiga, Part 1: Genesis
When it first arrived, the Amiga was a dream machine, and some have said it was ten years ahead of its time. The first installment of this multipart history of the Amiga looks at the events that led up to the birth of the company and the PC that bore its name.
Apple Unloads Torrent of Patches, Plus First iPhone Update
If you own a Mac or an iPhone, chances are you'll need to download at least one of the security updates issued by Apple. Dozens of vulnerabilities and bugs were covered by a total of six downloads for Mac OS 10.3.9 (Panther), Mac OS 10.4.10 (Tiger) on PowerPC, and the Universal version of Mac OS 10.4.10, as well as the server versions of each of those operating systems. Each download contains several patches to correct flaws, and Apple is recommending that all users of those operating systems download the updates. In addition, Apple will make a Mac-related announcement coming Tuesday.
My Month with the iPhone
I was there, the first day, buying the iPhone, after months of reading all the speculation and argument about it. I was actually on the fence on it. When I walked into the Apple store on June 29th, I wasn't even certain that I'd be buying the iPhone. I had some serious concerns. But I made the plunge. I bought it, and I've been using it heavily ever since. With one month clocked with the iPhone, here's my road test report.
Acer: ‘No UK Demand’ for Linux Laptops
The Acer Aspire 5710Z has gone on sale in Singapore pre-loaded with Ubuntu Linux instead of Windows. Ubuntu is currently one of the world's most popular and easiest-to-use Linux distributions. But a spokesperson for Acer told ZDNet.co.uk on Tuesday that the company - one of the world's top laptop manufacturers - had 'no plans' to sell any Linux-based systems in the UK. " with Ubuntu pre-loaded are available at the factory level. However, there is no demand for it in the UK. Therefore, those configurations are not an option at the moment," said the spokesperson.
OS X Leopard Gets UNIX 03 Certification
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OS X's commercial credentials recently got a major boost from the Open Group. Thanks to the efforts of Apple's OS boss Kevin Van Vechten and his team, Leopard has cleared all of the hurdles required to attain UNIX 03 certification. Only Sun, IBM & HP are certified so OS X turns the Big Three to Big Four.
Windows Server 2008: Need to Know
"After many months of waiting, Microsoft finally released the Beta 3 version of Windows Server 2008 (previously codenamed 'Longhorn'), a major milestone pre-release version of the next version of Windows Server (more recently, a CTP, or Community Technical Preview, version was distributed to beta testers in June 2008). Windows Server 2008 has evolved quite a bit over time, and though the project hasn't suffered from the many feature drops and problems that dogged Windows Vista, there are certainly a few surprises in Beta 3 and the June CTP. Here's what you need to know about Windows Server 2008."
Microsoft Works To Become Free, Ad-Funded Product
"Microsoft's next version of its small-business/home productivity suite, due imminently, will be free and ad-funded. Microsoft Works 9.0 - which will be the new product's name, if Microsoft opts to stick with its current nomenclature - might also debut at some point as Microsoft-hosted low-end productivity service, as many have been speculating. A hosted version of Works would give Microsoft a head-to-head competitor with Google Docs & Spreadsheets and other consumer- and small-business focused services, analysts have said."
Mac OS X 10.4.11 Under Development
Apple on Tuesday afternoon began informing a select group of developers that it plans at least one more maintenance update to its Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger operating system ahead of October's planned release of Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. Since developers have yet to received the first pre-release seeds of the software update, details outside of the version numbering - Mac OS X 10.4.11 - are few and far between.
Fiwix 0.3.3 Released
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Fiwix 0.3.3 has been released. "Fiwix is an operating system kernel based on the UNIX architecture and fully focused on being Linux compatible. It is designed and developed mainly for educational purposes, so the kernel code is kept as simple as possible for the benefit of students. It runs on the 32-bit x86 hardware platform, and is compatible with a good base of existing GNU applications."
OpenHAL Cleared of Legal Uncertainty
"Development of OpenHAL, a wireless network component for Linux, can now resume unfettered after months of legal uncertainty. OpenHAL allows people with wireless cards based on technology from Atheros Communications, Inc. to connect to networks using solely free and open source software. Earlier this year, allegations were made that OpenHAL might include material that infringed the copyright of Atheros' proprietary HAL software. The Linux Wireless developers asked the Software Freedom Law Center to investigate these rumors, and SFLC agreed to help on a pro-bono basis."
Office Communications Server 2007 Hits Production
Microsoft's Office Communications Server 2007 and Office Communicator 2007 have been released to manufacturing. Microsoft has not revealed a launch date for Office Communications Server and Office Communicator, other than to say that they will hit the shelves sometime this autumn.
MEPIS To Switch from Ubuntu to Debian
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SimplyMEPIS, a very popular desktop Linux,
is going to change back to using Debian Linux for its core from Ubuntu. In March of 2006, MEPIS founder Warren Woodford, decided to switch to Ubuntu from Debian for the next version of SimplyMEPIS, version 6.0. The plan was to use Ubuntu 6.06 LTS (Long Term Service), a.k.a. Dapper Drake, as MEPIS' foundation. Things have changed.
The State of Haiku, Inc.
"A few days ago, everyone read about this year's WalterCon being canceled, which left people with non-refundable, non-transferable tickets (you can read Mikesum32's reaction here) in their hands. Fortunately for them, an alternative has now been set up, and they will be able to still meet, in San Francisco, on August 11th. The venue? Picnix 16, a Linux gathering. The name? FalterCon 2007. Read on for my thoughts on this."
Syllable Gets LibUSB, Scanner Support
Kristian Van Der Vliet ported libusb to Syllable, which gives applications direct access to USB devices. Libusb will allow Syllable to support devices such as scanners, digital cameras and digital audio players. The SANE scanner package has already been ported. Kernel support for libusb has already been checked into CVS and Builder packages for libusb, SANE and libgphoto2 will follow shortly. Also, there are new ports of Bochs (screenshot) and DOSBox (screenshot). More screenshots here.
