The first screenshots have emerged of the new official Ubuntu meta package 'ubuntu-restricted-extras'. This package enables the multiverse/universe repositories (after a warning), after which it installs various non-free packages such as Flash and various codecs. The package is for the upcoming Feisty Fawn release only. More information can be found in the Wiki. Thanks to Digg.com for pointing this out.

"Ever wonder what KDE 4.0 is going to look like when it is finally released some time this year ? As far as end users should be concerned, it is going to be much more beautiful, responsive and usable than KDE 3.5. Some of the features that it will have are as follows." Note: I thought the Kickoff menu was a SUSE thing, instead of being a KDE 4.0 thing?

Microsoft has pulled four bulletins from its announced list of Patch Tuesday fixes, but did not specify why it was backpedaling on the security releases. It now plans to issue four security bulletins on Tuesday, rather than the eight originally announced, the software giant said last week in an updated notice on its Web site.

"For only being a release candidate the Linux 2.6.20 kernel has already generated quite a bit of attention. On top of adding asynchronous SCSI scanning, multi-threaded USB probing, and many driver updates, the Linux 2.6.20 kernel will include a full virtualization (not para-virtualization) solution. Kernel-based Virtual Machine (or KVM for short) is a GPL software project that has been developed and sponsored by Qumranet. In this article we are offering a brief overview of the Kernel-based Virtual Machine for Linux as well as offering up in-house performance numbers as we compare KVM to other virtualization solutions such as QEMU Accelerator and Xen."

Long standing user of Arch Linux side-steps the typical OS-review template and takes a fresh look at several features of Arch Linux that make it an interesting and exciting distribution. Update: A recent interview with Judd Vinet, Arch's founder.

Normally Linux systems can only read from Windows NTFS partitions, but not write to them which can be very annoying if you have to work with Linux and Windows systems. This is where ntfs-3g comes into play. ntfs-3g is an open source, freely available NTFS driver for Linux with read and write support. This tutorial shows how to install and use ntfs-3g on a Ubuntu Edgy Eft desktop to read from and write to Windows NTFS drives and partitions. It covers the usage of internal NTFS partitions (e.g. in a dual-boot environment) and of external USB NTFS drives. Additionally, one more FS-related article (How To Resize ext3 Partitions Without Losing Data), and one Ubuntu (Why Ubuntu Is Number One).

Nokia has quietly begun delivering an upgrade to its Linux-based 770 Internet Tablet. The Nokia N800 Internet Tablet is available now from at least two retail stores in the U.S., priced at $399.99, CompUSA's Chicago "superstore" has confirmed. The device features GTalk and a VGA video-call camera via WiFi.

Right before the end of 2006, Paul Thurrott completed his 8-part review of Windows Vista. His final conclusion: "Vista is a better operating system than the competition, for reasons that are both technical and practical. But for the hundreds of millions of people who will move to Vista in the coming years, all that will really matter is that it's a major improvement over XP. And it most certainly is that as well."

"There's been radio chatter this week of a possible new addition to the Windows family: a 'Home Server'. If the chatter is right, Microsoft will unveil it at CES, which kicks off next week. 'Home Server', according to my sources, is about centralized storage, home automation and security."

At OSNews, I try to bring to attention smaller Linux distributions that try to be different, such as SymphonyOS, or more recently, Elive. Today, I want to introduce you to the LG3D-LiveCD, a distribution using Sun's Looking Glass desktop environment. Version 3 was released yesterday: "The new release features lg3d release 1.0, the possibility to install lg3d-livecd to an USB device and an experimental harddisk installer."

Hardware Widow Sony has taken the wraps off its spring laptop collection, darlings, touting not only the notebooks stylish looks but also the fact they'll all come bundled with Windows Vista. Desktop Vaios will ship with Microsoft's flash new operating system too, it said.

MauriceK writes about security in the ZETA operating system. Apparently magnussoft, sole distributor of ZETA, makes security claims that with ZETA "it is not possible to examine a system from the outside without notifying the user due to the architecture of this software." MauriceK seems to think differently, and even gives examples on how code can be executed without the user's knowledge in ZETA. In related news, BeUnited is no more. Instant update: the discussion concerning security just made its appearance on the Haiku m-l.

"The basic idea behind Mac OS X's Dock is that when you need an application, you click on its icon on an on-screen bar, and the application is launched (if it has not been yet) or switched to (if it has). Stefano Zingarini has borrowed this concept for KXDocker, a KDE variation of OS X's Dock (which is also usable with GNOME and other desktop environments)."

Apple Computer chief executive Steve Jobs has never been keen on the concept of a tablet-based Mac but an Apple cell phone may be a completely different story, according to personal accounts from one of the company's former higher-ups published by the UK's Guardian on Thursday. In the meantime, some took matters into their own hands.