OSnews - Exploring the Future of Computing

Inside the Linux MediaMVP

Submitted by IdaAshley 2006-09-29 Linux 1 Comment

"As an MP3 and MPEG player, the Hauppauge MediaMVP lets you play digital media through your television set. As a tightly purposed embedded device, it is an excellent example of a compact Linux implementation on minimal hardware."

First Look at Quad-Core Performance

Submitted by Jeremy 2006-09-28 Intel 21 Comments

ExtremeTech was able to get an exclusive peak at Intel's newest quad core processor, the Core 2 Extreme Quad E6700. After running through the gauntlet of 3DMark and content creation tests, among others, the quad core CPU boasts impressive performance results, particularly in video and 3D tests. According to the article, video creators and 3D animation artists should probably start saving up.

Submitted by csousa 2006-09-28 Mozilla, Gecko 141 Comments

Debian adheres to a strict interpretation of what is Free Software and what isn't. The Firefox logo is trademarked, so Debian doesn't consider it to be Free and will not include it as part of its distribution. Mozilla claims that using the Firefox name without the official branding is a trademark violation. Furthermore, Mozilla claims that if Debian runs any patches to the version of Firefox included with Debian distros, it has to run them by Mozilla first for approval. What all this ultimately could mean is that the Firefox name is wiped from the face of Debian and its offshoots. Debian developer Eric Dorland confirmed to internetnews.com that Debian will re-name Firefox and that the re-naming process could be completed as soon as next week.

Submitted by csynt 2006-09-28 IBM 11 Comments

Lenovo and IBM have announced a battery recall of Sony-made notebook batteries. "Lenovo and IBM Corporation, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and other regulatory agencies, have announced the voluntary recall of certain lithium-ion batteries manufactured by Sony Corporation. In the interest of public safety, Lenovo will offer customers free-of-charge replacement batteries for all recalled batteries." Apple, Dell, and Toshiba have all also recalled Sony batteries due to fire hazards.

Review: Samsung D900

Eugenia Loli 2006-09-28 Wireless 18 Comments

The folks over at Hi-Mobile.net were very kind to send us the Samsung D900 feature phone for the purposes of this review. What's special about this phone is that it's the slimmest slider in the market today with a 3.2 MP camera on it, a technological marvel. Read on for our review, screenshots of the system, camera samples and a hands-on video.

Ubuntu 6.10 Edgy Eft Beta 1 Released

Thom Holwerda 2006-09-28 Ubuntu 49 Comments

The Ubuntu team has released the first beta of Ubuntu 6.10 Edgy Eft. It includes GNOME 2.16, OpenOffice.org 2.0.4 RC2, Xorg 7.1, Linux kernel 2.6.17, and a new init system. Download locations are listed in the release announcement. Update: Kubuntu 6.10 beta 1 has been released as well. Other than that, Ubuntu is taking over the BBC. And all they show is underwear. I don't get it.

Hands On: A Mac Fan Takes on Vista

Eugenia Loli 2006-09-28 Windows 43 Comments

"Earlier this month, when I found I could install Windows Vista Release Candidate 1 (RC1) on my MacBook Pro, I quickly took the plunge, practically chortling at the thought that my dual-core laptop could run Microsoft's next operating system. What better way to show that when you buy a Mac you get two computers in one? I've been using Vista off and on for a couple of weeks now, but I'm not chortling as much." More here.

VMware ‘Miles Ahead’ of Microsoft Virtual Server, Expert Says

Eugenia Loli 2006-09-28 OS News 8 Comments

IT managers gathered in New York City earlier this week to get advice from experts on when, why and how to virtualize their server environments. The takeaway from the conference? If you want to run an enterprise-class virtualization platform in production today, stick with VMware.

Submitted by Moulinneuf 2006-09-28 Open Source 106 Comments

Friday Several kernel developers issued a position paper criticizing the GPLv3 drafts. That prompted Software Freedom Law Center chairman Eben Moglen to issue a 'renewed invitation' yesterday to kernel developers to participate in the GPLv3 process. Linus Torvalds responded to Moglen's statement by saying that his position on the license is clear and that he's "fed up" with the FSF.

Submitted by Moulinneuf 2006-09-28 KDE 4 Comments

"The KDE contributors conference part of aKademy 2006 in Dublin kicked off Saturday morning bright and early, much to the dismay of those who had been out late the evening before at the registration desk, conveniently located in a pub. Read on for a full report."

Duval: Ulteo Can Be Installed and Is an Ordinary OS

Thom Holwerda 2006-09-28 Linux 5 Comments

Gael Duval has emailed us to let us know of an error in our previous coverage of his new project, Ulteo. "There is small confusion in the Linux Format article which leads to confusion. In fact, what is shown in the LXF article is the 'Ulteo Connected Desktop', which is actually to way to use Ulteo within a web-browser, with all basic applications, for free. Anyway, this feature is just a part of the Ulteo concept, and of course the full Ulteo OS can be installed on a PC." Stay tuned for a short interview with Duval which will give some answers concerning Ulteo.

IEs4Linux: Internet Explorer on Linux Made Easy

Submitted by devnull 2006-09-28 Internet Explorer 28 Comments

"IEs4Linux is the simpler way to have Microsoft Internet Explorer running on Linux (or any OS running Wine). No clicks needed. No boring setup processes. No Wine complications. Just one easy script and you'll get three IE versions to test your Sites. And it's free and open source." Very handy for web developers, it will allow you to test your websites without rebooting.

Submitted by Moulinneuf 2006-09-28 Hardware 19 Comments

Taiwanese integrator E-Way Technology Systems is shipping a tiny, 200MHz x86-compatible mini PC for USD 99, in single quantities. The TU-40 is passively cooled, comes with 128MB of RAM, and can run lightweight versions of Linux, such as Puppy, the company says.

Microsoft Accused of Withholding Vista APIs

Thom Holwerda 2006-09-27 Microsoft 73 Comments

Anti-malware company Symantec has accused Microsoft of withholding key information about its upcoming Vista OS, in an attempt to gain an unfair advantage in the security market. Symantec claimed this week that Microsoft is refusing to hand over the APIs for Windows Defender, its anti-spyware product which will be included in Vista. Without the APIs, Symantec claims that it isn't able to ensure that its own security products are compatible with Vista. Microsoft, though, insisted on Wednesday afternoon that the APIs are now available.

Judge Dismisses Part of AMD’s Intel Claim

Thom Holwerda 2006-09-27 Legal 8 Comments

A federal judge has dismissed a large portion of AMD's antitrust lawsuit against Intel, saying US law does not cover many of AMD's claims. The decision by Judge Joseph Farnan of the US District Court in Delaware follows several quarters in which AMD, the world's number-two maker of chips used in personal computers, had taken business from its larger rival.

A Look Into the Feature Design Process in the Windows Team

Thom Holwerda 2006-09-27 Windows 3 Comments

"My favorite part of the product cycle is right before we start the development phase. For me it's extremely exciting to work with all of the different disciplines to build a feature that will affect millions of people across the world. At this point, I spend almost all of my time working with my 'feature team' composed of dev, test, design, and usability to map out how the features that I work on are going to look and behave. Today I'd like to give you some insight into the process of designing a feature inside the Windows organization."

Submitted by worldsuksgo2mars 2006-09-27 OS News 7 Comments

"LivePCs are virtual PCs that you can create and share just as you can share the rest of your digital life (photos, music, videos, etc.) A LivePC contains everything needed to run a virtual computer - an operating system and a bunch of applications. You can create and share your own LivePCs, or use the public LivePCs created by others in our BetaGarage. You can use LivePCs on your desktop, or you can take them with you everywhere on a portable USB drive."

Microsoft Aims .NET at Gadgets

Submitted by anonymous 2006-09-27 .NET 4 Comments

Microsoft has beta-released a developer kit for the .NET Micro Framework, a low-end software platform aimed at deeply embedded applications. The .NET MF extends the advantages of .NET and the Visual Studio toolset into small devices with tight constraints on cost, memory, processor, and/or power consumption, Microsoft says.

Ultr@VNC: Poor Man’s Virtual PC

Submitted by Sunidhi C. 2006-09-27 OS News 21 Comments

"Believe it or not, you don't need to purchase Win4Lin or Virtual PC to easily access your old Windows OS that you still find yourself relying on. As a matter of fact, if you already own a Windows machine, you're already halfway there. Enter the headless PC. Today, I'm going to share with you a technique that I feel has been lost, thanks in part to virtual PC options, such as VMware and Win4Lin. It's a utility that many of you may even still use to this very day - VNC."

Mac OS X 10.4.8 Appears To Be Ready for Release Soon

Submitted by bababooie 2006-09-27 macOS 31 Comments

Users of Apple Computer's Mac OS X Tiger are soon to receive a handout from the Cupertino, Calif-based company - a new software update to the operating system that will offer increased stability and some performance enhancements. Under development since the summer, Mac OS X 10.4.8 Update will represent the eighth such maintenance release issued to users of Tiger since the system made its debut in late April of 2005.