Monthly Archive:: November 2011

Tiny Core Linux 4.1 Released

jackson 2011-11-23 Linux 13 Comments

Tiny Core Linux is an 11 MB graphical Linux based on the 2.6 kernel, BusyBox, Tiny X, Fltk, and Flwm. It's a minimal but extendable distro that runs from memory and loads from any bootable device. Version 4.1 has just been released with many improvements detailed in the release announcement, including app upgrades and bug fixes. 4.1 continues Tiny Core's rapid evolution, which has seen point release upgrades every month or two.

Improving Windows 8’s Setup Experience

Thom Holwerda 2011-11-22 Windows 48 Comments

The Windows 8 blog has a post about the improvements in Windows 8's installation process. "For Windows 8, our goal was to continue to improve reliability while also improving the installation experience and raw performance. Not only did we want it to be rock solid, but also faster and easier to use." Thankfully, the features us geeks like are still there.

S3 Graphics’ Case Against Apple Collapses at ITC

Submitted by anonymous 2011-11-22 Legal 6 Comments

"The US International Trade Commission today said that Apple is not violating patents held by S3 Graphics in its products and is terminating its investigation on the matter. The decision follows a mixed ruling in July, where an ITC judge found Apple to be infringing on two of S3 Graphics' patents, while not infringing on two others. A final decision on the matter was due last week, with the ITC electing to postpone it until today for reasons unknown." That's one of the 3958354635635627658358365367 cases closed.

Guest post by fran 2011-11-22 General Development No Comments

"The PyPy development team has released version 1.7 of its 'very compliant' Python interpreter with integrated tracing just-in-time compiler. The developers say that the focus of the new update was widening the range of code that PyPy can speed up, which the developers refer to as the 'sweet spot'. In their benchmarks, PyPy 1.7 performs approximately 30 per cent faster than 1.6 and 'up to 20 times faster on some benchmarks'."

Guest post by ddc_ 2011-11-22 Desktop environments 18 Comments

Calm window manager (mainly known for its shorthand name cwm) is a member of a once-powerful and now-declining family of minimalist X11 window managers. It is relatively unknown outside the OpenBSD community, but it deserves more notice.

Google Just Snuck Most of Chrome OS Onto the iPad

David Adams 2011-11-22 Google 24 Comments

With the announcement of its new Search app, Google gave iPad users more than just a slick and well-made native search app that bests the experience on any Android tablet. It also managed to squeeze the core elements of Chrome OS into Apple's ecosystem.

Submitted by fran 2011-11-22 Humor 12 Comments

"The world of software is made slightly crazy because of the huge flexibility within any computer language. Once you have absorbed the idea of a compiler written in the language it compiles what else is there left to gawp at? But... a Java Virtual Machine JVM written in JavaScript seems like another level of insanity."

EXOdesk: Surface for Everyone

Thom Holwerda 2011-11-21 Hardware 23 Comments

Okay, I think we can all agree on the fact that while Microsoft's Surface machines might not be particularly useful for most of us, we all secretly want one, or something similar. Thanks to EXOPC, you'll now be able to: for $1299, you'll have a 40" multitouch interactive desk.

Business Software Alliance Backpedals from SOPA

Thom Holwerda 2011-11-21 Legal 4 Comments

The Business Software Alliance is starting to backpedal from SOPA. "Valid and important questions have been raised about the bill. It is intended to get at the worst of the worst offenders. As it now stands, however, it could sweep in more than just truly egregious actors. To fix this problem, definitions of who can be the subject of legal actions and what remedies are imposed must be tightened and narrowed. Due process, free speech, and privacy are rights cannot be compromised. And the security of networks and communications is indispensable to a thriving Internet economy. Some observers have raised reasonable questions about whether certain SOPA provisions might have unintended consequences in these areas. BSA has long stood against filtering or monitoring the Internet. All of these concerns should be duly considered and addressed." Is the public outrage working?

The True Intent of SOPA

Thom Holwerda 2011-11-21 Legal 8 Comments

"The Stop Online Piracy Act is being constructed to allow a stranglehold on the American Internet. Make no mistake. Its constructors are building it with this intent in mind. Just like the Great Firewall of China, the Stop Online Piracy Act is a misnomer. Hidden behind an innocuous name, the bill's intent is not to stem piracy as its proponents suggest, its true intent is to control the Internet itself." McCarthy would be proud.

Submitted by moondevil 2011-11-21 OS News 82 Comments

You all know MINIX - a microkernel operating system project led by Andrew Tanenbaum. The French Linux magazine LinuxFr.org has an interview with Andrew Tanenbaum about MINIX' current state and future. There's some interesting stuff in there.

Pirate To Join European Parliament as Youngest Member

Thom Holwerda 2011-11-21 In the News 4 Comments

"In a few weeks Amelia Andersdotter will be the second Pirate Party member to take a seat at the European Parliament in Brussels. The 24-year-old Swede was voted in more than two years ago, but due to bureaucratic quibbles her official appointment was delayed. TorrentFreak catches up with the soon-to-be youngest MEP to hear about her plans and expectations."

How to Remove Your Wi-Fi Network from Google’s Map

jackson 2011-11-21 Google 49 Comments

Last June, CNET disclosed that Google collects and publishes the estimated locations of millions of phones, laptops, and other Wi-Fi devices. All without their owner's knowledge or permission. Google has finally announced how to exclude your home network from this database. Simply append "_nomap" to its name. Details over at CNET. Left unsaid is why the burden is placed on millions of individuals to opt-out, instead of on perpetrator Google.

Mobile Malware Skyrockets, Led by Android

jackson 2011-11-21 Bugs & Viruses 14 Comments

"What happens when anyone can develop and publish an application to the Android Market? A 472% increase in Android malware samples since July 2011." A study by The Global Threat Center over at Juniper Networks details mobile attacks that are increasing both in numbers and sophistication. This contrasts to the iPhone, more secure in part due to Apple's proprietary hold over the platform through its review process.

Minecraft 1.0 Released

Thom Holwerda 2011-11-19 Games 30 Comments

At MineCon in Las Vegas yesterday and today, Mojang has officially released Minecraft 1.0, signalling the end of the phenomenon's alpha and beta testing phase. It's been an interesting journey, and I've been playing the game since early summer 2010 - so it's weird to see it hit final now. Game of the year? Well, no, that title obviously goes to Skyrim - but for a game like Minecraft to be even considered for such a title is amazing enough. Thanks, Notch and the rest of the Mojang team!

Barnes & Noble Files 43 Pages of Prior Art to Microsoft Patents

Thom Holwerda 2011-11-19 Legal 25 Comments

The legal fire between Barnes & Noble and Microsoft is flaring up even more. B&N has filed a compilation or prior art to Microsoft's patents. B&N is proving just how easily and quickly Samsung, HTC, and other buckled to Microsoft's protection racket: we're talking 43 (!) pages of prior art, drawing from things like old Netscape releases, GNU Emacs, and much more. If B&N can create such a monumental list of prior art, why didn't Samsung or HTC? Amazing.

EU Speaks Out Against Stop Online Piracy Act

Thom Holwerda 2011-11-17 Legal 62 Comments

The saga surrounding SOPA will be dominating the headlines for a while yet, and today is no different. First of all, and most importantly, the European Parliament has adopted a resolution against SOPA, while also calling for net neutrality to become part of EU law. Second, and this is also interesting, we now have a list of software companies which are against freedom of speech on the web. Unsurprisingly, Apple and Microsoft are on this list. Update: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has spoken out against SOPA. Update II: Tumbler's anti-SOPA message on their website generated almost 90000 (!) phone calls to representatives. Amazing.

Guest post by snydeq 2011-11-17 General Development 21 Comments

Fatal Exception's Neil McAllister discusses why code analysis and similar metrics provide little insight into what really makes an effective software development team, in the wake of a new scorecard system employed at IBM. "Code metrics are fine if all you care about is raw code production. But what happens to all that code once it's written? Do you just ship it and move on? Hardly - in fact, many developers spend far more of their time maintaining code than adding to it. Do your metrics take into account time spent refactoring or documenting existing code? Is it even possible to devise metrics for these activities?" McAllister writes, "Are developers who take time to train and mentor other teams about the latest code changes considered less productive than ones who stay heads-down at their desks and never reach out to their peers? How about teams that take time at the beginning of a project to coordinate with other teams for code reuse, versus those who charge ahead blindly? Can any automated tool measure these kinds of best practices?"

Guest post by fran 2011-11-17 Intel 5 Comments

"Last week, Intel announced that it had added x86 optimizations to Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, but the text of the announcement and included quotes were vague and a bit contradictory given the open nature of Android development. After discussing the topic with Intel we've compiled a laundry list of the company's work in Gingerbread and ICS thus far, and offered a few of our own thoughts on what to expect in 2012 as far as x86-powered smartphones and tablets are concerned."

The Great Firewall of America?

jackson 2011-11-17 Legal 21 Comments

A New York Times guest editorial titled Stop the Great Firewall of America says "China operates the world's most elaborate and opaque system of Internet censorship. But Congress... is considering misguided legislation that would strengthen China's Great Firewall and even bring major features of it to America." The culprit is the proposed Stop Online Piracy Act. Sounds good until you read that "The bills empower the attorney general to create a blacklist of sites to be blocked by Internet service providers, search engines, payment providers and advertising networks, all without a court hearing or a trial." Rather like the Department of Homeland Security's seizure of websites for copyright violations without the constitutionally-required court orders. If you're not an American citizen, why should you care? Read this Techdirt article telling how the U.S. seized a Spanish domain name that had already been declared legal by the Spanish courts.