Tatum and Denim blog

Filed under: Cellphones

The Palm rumor du jour calls for Palm to deliver its first, Linux-based smartphone in an October release. According to the DigiTimes source, the new OS will be based on Wind River System’s flavor of Linux already in use (and buggy) in Palm’s forthcoming Foleo folly. That’s right, Wind River, not ALP. Really, we don’t care whose OS it is, just as long as we never have to see Garnet rolled out on a new device ever, ever again. Of course, it makes sense for Palm to standardize on a low-risk, OEM-grade Linux platform so we’ll play along with the rumor for now. Oh, and make it ultra-thin with WiMax, please… pretty please, with sugar? We’ll even move to Baltimore if you do. Well…

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Apparently, Dell is working with VMware (makers of Fusion) and SWsoft (the team behind Parallels) to develop new computers with virtualization features for a new line of the company’s PCs. According to reports, Dell’s chief technology officer Kevin Kettler confirmed the collaboration at the Linuxworld conference in San Francisco. The plans right now are for the systems to tackle virtual versions of Windows and Linux which could run in tandem on a user’s machine, though when asked about support for Apple’s OS X on the virtual PCs, Kettler said “I can’t speculate on that,” but went on to say “virtualization is very powerful. It’s an environment that would allow many different operating systems to coexist. You can interpret that however you would like.” So — at least as far as we can tell — not an out-and-out “no.”

[Via Pocket-lint]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Home Entertainment

A clever group of whippersnappers have got the right idea when it comes to home entertainment, namely, LinuxMCE-based systems that don’t break the bank but offer a pretty stacked feature set. Fiire, a company which manufactures and sells modular media boxes and remotes aimed at unifying your media center has a few items it’d like you to see. The whole shebang is based around the FiireEngine, a $799 box that acts as a central hub to your media world, and features an AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ processor, 1GB of RAM, 160GB hard drive, RAID support for six internal eSATA drives (for a total capacity of 6TB), and an NVIDIA 6200 graphics chipset. The system has DVI, VGA, component, and S-Video outs, but strangely no HDMI — which might be a deal-breaker for some. The Engine is meant to be accessed through the company’s FiireStations ($499-899), set-top boxes or wallmount units that stream media from the FiireEngine to any location you want, using low voltage processors and a frugal selection of hardware. Finally, to control the open-source system, the company offers the FiireChief ($149), a multi-function remote which can “follow” a user from room to room, allowing you start a video in one spot, move to another, and have the players automatically switch locations. All in all, a fairly interesting package from a somewhat unknown company, though how integrated the system is remains to be seen, and the lack of HDMI support is a little troubling.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Laptops

We’re not sure why Lenovo (and anyone else) is making such a big stink about the fact that it’s going to be selling laptops bundled with SUSE Linux on there — they did announce this deal almost a year ago. Still, actually snagging a Linux ThinkPad is easier said than done (namely because the machines apparently weren’t made available to consumers and businesses), so put your tuxes on, the pre-loaded Linux party starts Q4 for anyone with enough cash to snag one.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Gaming, Transportation

While we’re sure a number of you have a Yellow Dog Linux-equipped PS3 around for leisure’s sake, Axion Racing is using a similar setup to “manage one of seven autonomous vehicle cameras.” The San Diego-based team is reportedly eager to show onlookers “things [other than gaming and Blu-ray playing] that can be done using a PlayStation console,” and expects the device to mesh well with its array of Dell computers, SICK laser finders, Bumblebee stereo cameras, and FLIR infrared cameras.” Of course, who knows what could happen if a stray android climbs on board and fires up a round of MotorStorm while it’s trying to concentrate.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Laptops

To say the least, Sweden’s Medison has attracted a fair bit of skepticism with its promise to release a $150 Linux-based laptop. The company looks to be doing its best to dissuade those naysayers, however, recently meeting with a group of Swedish journalists to make its case. While it apparently “did not exactly strengthen its credibility,” according to Computer Sweden, Medison did reveal a few new details, including a promised August 15th delivery date (at least for the first batch of units). The company also said that the laptop will not be its primary source of income, with it instead expecting to make most of its money from advertisements on its website (mainly from accessory-makers and the like). Further adding to intrigue/ridicule surrounding the company, Medison’s Valdi Ivancic reportedly also dropped the bomb that he’s considering declaring his candidacy for Prime Minister of Sweden. Really.

[Thanks, Eric S., photo courtesy of Computer Sweden]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Laptops

That $150 Medison Celebrity we glanced a few days back seemed to smell a bit fishy from the get-go, and a recent press release from the firm does a fairly terrible job of assuring us all otherwise. Typically, one’s in dire straits if it has to address mass concerns of scamming, and Medison is now blaming the unexpectedly large amount of orders and “tremendous” amount of website hits and support calls for an apparent “shift in the time frame” in which customers will receive their orders. Granted, the company still promises that it will deliver, and now claims that your money will be returned if your machine isn’t received in three months. Ah well, it’s not like you had better things to do with your cash than let someone else earn interest on it while you fret over ever seeing it (or a laptop in its place) ever again, right?

[Thanks, Valdi I.]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Portable Audio

We mentioned this workstation back in 2006 when it was only in prototype form, but the Trinity appears to be heading into production (see pic) with some minor changes in specs. The portable DAW sports an 8-inch LCD monitor and runs a custom build of Linux called Transmission, which is loaded with a handful of audio tracking and editing apps, as well as soft-synths, plugins, and sequencers, while control of the OS is handled by a touchpad and two buttons on either side of the screen. The system runs on a 500MHz CPU, with 256MB of RAM, a 20GB or 40GB hard drive, 802.11g, and it’s all jammed into a fanless aluminum case (which definitely raises some temperature questions) that kind of looks like an elongated Korg KAOSS Pad. The box has two XLR / TRS jacks for input, and two more TRS jacks to get audio out, which doesn’t provide a lot of options for multi-tracking (which appears to be its main use), and the provided USB port is only used for control of the built-in apps. There are still plenty of questions, not the least of which is why the “buy now” link on the company’s website is broken, and Linux doesn’t really have any presence in the recording world, but it’s still an interesting development in portable audio.

[Via Pro Audio News and Reviews]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

It’s not like this one was too difficult to see coming, but it sounds like Dell just may have a few more machines ready to take the Linux dip in the not-too-distant future. According to Mark Shuttleworth, noted as creator of Ubuntu, “Dell is happy with the demand it has seen for its Linux PCs,” and he also mentioned that “what’s been announced to date is not the full extent of what we will see over the next couple of weeks and months.” As if that wasn’t clear as glass, he concluded by stating that “additional offerings [are] in the pipeline,” and while Dell wouldn’t directly comment on the allegations, a spokeswoman did note that firm “was pleased with customer response to its Linux PCs.” Chalk another one up for the open-sourcers.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Desktops

Alright folks, those of you scrambling to get your palms around the totally green, subscription based Zonbu PC can put away your patience card, as the firm has officially launched the machine and the corresponding service plans to the masses. ‘Course, you already know how the court of public opinion feels about it, so it’s finally time to pull the trigger (or not) on the variably priced, modestly-spec’d PC. Check it out — you can snag your very own Linux-based mini PC for just $99 if you’re cool with a very awkward two-year agreement.

[Via Electronista]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds, Tablet PCs

Hearing that Intel now has a relatively fond view of Linux is far from surprising, especially considering that the chipmaker already has quite a few open-source projects out in the open. To help consolidate its efforts and spearhead future developments, Intel has apparently launched the Mobile & Internet Linux Project website, which showcases a number of ideas to improve “power management, user interfaces, use of wireless networks, web browsing, chatting, and software development for mobile devices.” Intel is reportedly hoping to garner interest from external programmers such as those found at Canonical and Red Flag Linux, who have both signed on already for the ride. Currently, the actual scope of the endeavor still seems a bit foggy, but Dirk Hohndel, Intel’s chief Linux and open-source technologist, dubbed it a “technology incubator for a lot of things that are going to be productized in the next three years.”

[Via CNET]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Handhelds, Laptops

We had a hunch that a once over just wasn’t enough time with Asus’ oh-so-intriguing Eee PC 701, so we’re quite pleased that the folks over at NotebookReview were able to get a little alone time with the mini-laptop and give us some food for thought. As expected, this decently spec’d (for the price, of course) machine booted into an Asus-customized flavor of Linux “in about ten seconds flat,” while the entire shutdown procedure took about half of that. Once inside, they seemed quite impressed with the amount of built-in applications and responsiveness, and noted that enough software was included to “definitely serve all of your basic needs.” Of course, the understandably scrunched keyboard “took some getting used to,” and although the display wasn’t jaw-dropping, it served the purpose. Best of all, they were able to snag quite a few shots of the wee device, so be sure and give their writeup a look if you could potentially see this thing in your future.

[Thanks, Patrick L.]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Desktops

PC World has gotten its hands on the semi-infamous Zonbu desktop — a Linux based, environmentally friendly, ultra-small, ultra-cheap PC which is being launched this month — and they’ve issued the first field report. The system, which we mentioned back in May, is based around a Via chipset and has no internal storage save for 512MB of RAM and a 4GB flash drive used for the OS. The $99 computer is meant to be used in conjunction with a $12.95-a-month service, much like a mobile phone (with a two year commitment and all), and provides 25GB of storage space on Amazon’s S3 servers. The reviewer seems impressed with the speed and stability of the computer, OS, and included apps, but underwhelmed with the online storage process (slow, small), and lack of an included optical drive. The critique also covers a “community” version of the Zonbu ($250), which axes the subscription and adds root access to the computer — which PC World seems to feel is a more sellable option for the new company — although overall they recommend the system to anyone with basic computing requirements. Of course, you could just get an Apple TV for around that price and hack it, but that might not be up your alley, so check the read link for the whole, exciting breakdown.

[Thanks, Corine]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

It’s been a week since version 3 of the GPL was released, and the ripple effect is starting to make some pretty big waves: Microsoft — which has been essentially selling Novell’s SUSE Linux since last year — released a terse statement today claiming that neither it nor its customers are parties to any terms of the revised license. Furthermore, “to avoid any doubt or legal debate on this issue,” Microsoft will decline to support any GPL v3 code that might be distributed with SUSE. Microsoft does have a point: since Linux remains under GPL v2 (and probably will for the foreseeable future), there’s very little binding them to the terms of GPL v3 — specifically, the patent protection terms that would essentially undo the major element of the whole MS / Novell agreement. How the inclusion of GPL v3 code with SUSE affects the overall license is another matter entirely — one that will result in a lot of legal chest-pounding until the GPL finally gets tested in an American court.

Disclaimer: While the author of this post is a copyright attorney, its contents are not meant to constitute legal advice or analysis.

[Via CNET]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Cellphones

That sound you’re hearing is the collective sigh from everyone patiently waiting for Palm to actually get its act together and unveil its depressingly overdue Linux mobile OS. Yet again, it seems we’ve been fooled into believing that Palm actually had its ducks in a proverbial row, as BrightHand is now reporting that Palm CEO Ed Colligan recently announced on a conference call that “products based on the new Linux-based platform won’t be available until some time next year.” Interestingly enough, Colligan also insinuated that the firm would “continue to use Windows Mobile and Garnet OS / Palm OS II for the foreseeable future.” Wait, they can actually see some light at the end of this perpetually growing tunnel? We sure as hell can’t.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

We witnessed the birth of TurboLinux’s Wizpy, watched it strike out in earnest and eventually earn a living on the mean, PMP streets. So how has the wee, bootable Linux distro cum PMP fared? Well, according to a review over at LinuxLookup, it’s a nice piece of kit and all although a bit finicky. 1GB of the 4GB is reserved for the OS and fully functional desktop (Firefox, OpenOffice, Skype, etc.) with the remaining 2.8GB allocated to OGG/WMA/AAC/MP3 audio and DivX video. However, as the reviewer points out (and we agree) the $290 price tag will limit its appeal to early adopters and Linux fanboys. Actually, strike the latter, any fanboy worth his salt will build his own bootable DAP (without the tiny 1.7-inch screen) for less than $40. Poor poor Wizpy, why’d you have to become such a snob?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Wireless

We’re not sayin’ we’d put one of these bad boys in our living room or anything, but adorning the board room table with a four-line VoIP phone that sports a built-in 3.5-inch LCD, webcam, and Zach Morris-style handset wouldn’t be a half bad use of resources. The SysMaster Tornado M20 uber-phone does a lot more than hold down IP calls, as it also manages to handle video conferencing, IPTV, video- / audio-on-demand, internet radio, voicemail, email / chat / news, and local weather information. This conglomerate even touts a dual-core processor, 32MB of RAM, and 32MB of flash memory, and the integrated Ethernet jack, WiFi, RCA audio outs, and Linux-powered UI are all welcome additions. Of course, we’ve no idea if you can rig up Tetris on this thing and use the 4, 8, and 6 keys to control your pieces, but it’ll only cost you $260 and a tick of your time to find out.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Media PCs

Attention Linux, Vista, and Apple fan boys: put on your gloves… it’s time to rumble! A 6-month vulnerability report issued by Jeff “Security Guy” Jones has caught the eye of Redmond and the ire of places beyond. The report which bases its security assessment upon vulnerabilities found (not actually exploited) claims that Vista is “more secure than OS X and Linux.” In fact, the much maligned XP even crushes the competition using their calculations. Of course, it’s worth noting that Jeff is a member of Microsoft’s Security business unit which will probably sway your opinion as to the integrity of the data. Still, as incomplete as the assessment may be, it certainly appears to be a good showing for Vista considering the vast community of hackers attempting to thwart its security. We can predict what Billy G’s probably saying right about now: Dy-no-mite JJ!

[Via vnunet]

Read — 6 Month Vulnerability Report [warning: PDF]
Read — JJ’s blog entry

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Desktops

If you keep abreast of technology news (and we know you do!) then you’ve surely been following the latest chapter of the Microsoft vs. Linux struggle, wherein Microsoft gets Novell, Linspire and Xandros to put pen to paper on shadowy and vaguely suspicious agreements concerning “interoperability” and “indemnification”, more than likely stemming from the 235 undisclosed patents Redmond claims Linux infringes upon. While some have bent to the will of Ballmer and Co., Red Hat and Canonical (makers of Ubuntu) are holding their ground. Red Hat says it will not pay “innovation tax” to Microsoft, while Canonical’s Mark Shuttleworth more poetically describes the aforementioned deals as, “Trinkets in exchange for air kisses.” As far as we can tell, that’s the kind of talk that immediately precedes a bar brawl.

[Via Digg]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Microsoft’s announced a new partnership with Linspire that’ll see the two companies work together to ensure greater interoperability between the two operating systems, as well provide some all-important intellectual property assurance. Among other things, that’ll apparently see various measures put in place to increase document compatibility between Microsoft Office and OpenOffice, along with the inclusion of Windows Media 10 audio and video codecs in future releases of Linspire, increased compatibility between instant messaging clients, and the licensing of Microsoft TrueType fonts to Linspire. Linspire users will also soon find Windows Live Search as their default option. To round out the deal, Microsoft and Linspire have also worked together on a framework to provide so-called patent covenants from Microsoft, which customers will apparently be able to acquire for a little extra peace of mind, and no doubt a little extra cash.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Handhelds, Tablet PCs

Having already successfully ported its OS to the OLPC, Pepper has now set its sights on slightly less colorful territory, announcing today that its Pepper Linux OS now officially supports the latest Intel-based Mobile Internet Devices (or MIDs). Among other things, the OS has apparently been optimized for the MID’s 4 to 7-inch displays, tweaked for optimal power management and battery life, and prepped to allow automatic WiFi and network configuration. The OS also boasts integrated malware protection, automatic system and application updates, and a full complement of audio and video codecs, with the entire OS weighing in at less than 500MB. While there doesn’t appear to be word of any MID manufacturers that have signed up to use the OS just yet, it’ll be ready to ship to any interested OEMs or ODMs sometime this fall.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Storage

As if TiVo honestly needed any more reasons to fear for its life, it looks like the forthcoming version of the General Public License could actually do more “harm to its business.” It the firm’s most recent regulatory filing, it warned that the third version of the aforementioned license “would prohibit manufacturers of consumer appliances that use open source software from implementing technical measures designed to prevent user modifications,” essentially giving the TiVo hackers of the world even fewer hoops to jump through. TiVo fears that if GPLv3 is widely adopted, it may be “unable to incorporate future enhancements to the GNU / Linux operating system into its software,” which would obviously affect the outfit in a negative fashion. Notably, Novell has also spoken up about how this latest document could “disrupt its Linux distribution partnership with Microsoft,” but unless something major happens rather hastily, the Free Software Foundation reportedly expects GPLv3 to be published sometime this summer.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

It seems the love / hate relationship between Microsoft and all things open source is swinging back to the mushy side of the equation, and while this isn’t exactly the retaliation we were expecting after getting blasted by Linus Torvalds, it’s intriguing nonetheless. In an agreement that eerily resembles that drawn up with Novell, Microsoft has reportedly “announced a broad collaboration agreement based on a set of technical, business, marketing, and intellectual property commitments” with Linux platform provider Xandros. The deal seeks to provide customers working in mixed operating system environments with “enhanced interoperability, more effective systems management solutions, and intellectual property assurances,” and the four major focal points include systems management interoperability, server interoperability, office document compatibility, and intellectual property assurance. Interestingly, that also means that Redmond won’t be suing Xandros for so-called patent infringement anytime soon, and the partnership even suggests that Microsoft will be “endorsing Xandros Server and Desktop as a preferred Linux distribution.” So while we may never know Microsoft’s true feelings towards the passionate open source community, there should be a whole lotta love spread to Xandros customers over the next five years.

[Via InformationWeek]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Portable Audio

Good news for folks waiting patiently for a DAP that allows them to carry a complete Linux desktop in their pocket, as TurboLinux has announced that its Wizpy device will go on sale to most of the world sometime this month. Users in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, India, and Singapore can expect the final unit to include a 1.7-inch color OLED display, text viewer, FM radio, and play nice with Ogg, MP3, WMA, XviD, MPEG4, and JPEG formats. Although the aforementioned countries should receive shipments sometime this month, a non-English language version should ship to other countries in late 2007 or early 2008. Interestingly, it sounds like the 2GB flavor will only be available to Japanese customers, while the other locales will have to be happy with a 4GB iteration that will cost around $278.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Peripherals, Networking

It looks like those digging Yoggie’s Gatekeeper mini computer but secretly hoping for an even more mini version will soon have their excessive demands met, as Yoggie’s now announced its Pico USB stick, which appears to pack all the same security features in an even smaller package. Like the Gatekeeper, the Pico is a Linux-based device that’ll give the stream of information coming in off the Internet a thorough cleaning before it ever reaches your PC, filtering out spam, spyware, and viruses, and protecting your computer from intrusions, among other measures. Also like the Gatekeeper, the Pico would seem to offer some potential for “improvements,” packing a 520MHz processor and 128MB of RAM, although it apparently drops the SD slot of its larger counterpart. Look for this one to be available in two different versions, with the Pico Personal setting you back $179 and the Pico Pro (with added VPN functions) running $199. Both will apparently start shipping on June 10th.

[Via Laptoping]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Transportation

Linux fans didn’t exactly get the publicity they were hoping for at the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, when the so-called “Linux car” they had sponsored proved to be the first in the race to crash, ultimately causing it to finish dead last. The car was the result of the Tux 500 campaign, which raised enough money to put the familiar Tux mascot front and center on Chastain Motorsports’ #77 car in the hope that it’d raise the profile of the OS. Faring considerably better in the publicity department was Joost, which sponsored the car that wound up finishing a respectable seventh. Maybe next time the Linux folks should work on making the whole car open source.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Handhelds

We’ve known for almost two years now that Palm has been cooking up a mysterious mobile computing device for what founder Jeff Hawkins calls the company’s ‘third business’ (with the other two being PDAs and smartphones, obviously), and now several sites are claiming that attendees of Walt Mossberg’s D: All Things Digital conference will be the first to learn hard details about this ambitious project. Although it’s been public knowledge that Hawkins would be speaking at next Wednesday’s D for some time now, both Brighthand and I4U are reporting that he will indeed be divulging material information on what many people are predicting will be a UMPC-like tablet codenamed ‘Hawk’ and powered by Palm’s recently-announced Linux-based OS; when we contacted Palm, they would only say that “Jeff…will be presenting something to do with Palm.” For whatever it’s worth, we do know that Hawkins shares our love of cramming as much power, storage, connectivity (well, for the most part), and usability into as small a package as possible, so to those folks who have been discounting Palm and its seeming inability to innovate, you may be in for quite a surprise next week.

Read - I4U
Read - Brighthand’s predictions

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Media PCs

It looks like Thursday will be the coming out party for Dell’s new-found love interest with Linux. Linux advocate Jeremy Garcia says we’re now just hours away from the ability to order an Ubuntu pre-load on a new Dell E520 Dimension desktop, Inspiron 1505 consumer laptop, or XPS 410 media rig — just like Michael Dell. While Dell has not yet confirmed the date or the eligible models, they did say on Monday that customers can expect their pre-load to include all the default software (including kernel and apps) from Ubuntu’s 7.04 “Feisty Fawn” media. Dell also noted that they’ll only be offering peripherals which have mature, open-source (or closed-source if necessary) driver support which Dell is testing in-house. Better yet, Dell says that they’ll be working with other vendors to create stable drivers for currently unsupported hardware; that’s good news for Linux users everywhere. While Dell’s move won’t likely cause any grief to Microsoft’s bloated bottom line, it certainly gives Linux some cred with mainstream consumers who don’t know the difference between Beryl and that thing you shoot fish in.

Read — Thursday rumor
Read — Dell tells us what to expect

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Media PCs

Aw snap. Just when you thought the Microsoft / open-source relationship was getting bad, it’s now getting even worse, as yet another turn has been taken in the on-again, off-again love affair between the two. Soon after Microsoft’s General Counsel claimed that free and open-source software (FOSS) — a bundle of which related to Linux — violated precisely 235 of its patents, Linus Torvalds decided to fire back on behalf of the little guy. In an interview with InformationWeek, Mr. Torvalds retorted by suggesting that it is actually “a lot more likely that Microsoft violates patents than Linux does,” and even noted that if “the source code for Windows could be subjected to the same critical review that Linux has been, Microsoft would find itself in violation of patents held by other companies.” Of course, he backed his statements by stating that the “fundamental stuff was done about half a century ago and has long, long since lost any patent protection,” and closed things up by insinuating that Redmond should put its cards on the table so that Linux users prove ‘em wrong, or better yet, “code around whatever silly things they claim.” As if you couldn’t tell, them’s fightin’ words, folks.

[Via IDM, image courtesy of TACTechnology]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Peripherals, Wireless

Right on cue, Belkin has coughed up the official details surrounding the Network USB Hub that we saw last month. As expected, this five-port USB hub will “work with your existing WiFi router to give you wireless access to printers, media readers, and external hard drives by simulating a direct USB connection that makes your computer think that the devices on the network are directly attached to the computer.” Moreover, we now know that “special caching techniques” will enable high-speed USB devices to be supported along with isochronous transfers at full speed. The F5L009 is still on track for a June release here in the US, with launches in Asia, Europe, and, Australia to “follow soon,” and while Windows users won’t have any qualms trying to best the purported “three minute setup time” that this thing promises, OS X users will be pouting ’til September waiting for drivers. Click on through for one last shot.

Continue reading Belkin Network USB Hub gets official

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Media PCs

If you thought that Microsoft’s deal with Novell was the end of Redmond v. Linux litigation, think again. In an unsettling story carried by Fortune over the weekend, Microsoft’s General Counsel claims that free and open-source software (FOSS) violates exactly 235 Microsoft patents: Linux kernel (42), Linux GUI (65), Open Office suite (45), email (15), and then another 68 patents violated across a variety of FOSS wares — the first time Microsoft has provided such specificity. Microsoft goes so far as to claim that that is the reason for open-source software’s high-quality. However, Eben Moglen, legal counsel to the Free Software Foundation and head of the Software Freedom Law Center, says that software is a mathematical algorithm which can not be patented and easily “invented around” — a case made even stronger last month by the Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling undermining patent trolls. Still, FOSS allies such as Sony, Philips, Novell, Red Hat and NEC were already banded together under the Open Invention Network with their own collection of patents meant to protect themselves from the kind of litigious quagmire Microsoft seems poised to launch. Ironically, that very pact between Microsoft, Novell, and more recently Dell makes Microsoft an uneasy Linux distributor (depending upon your legal interpretation of the deal) which could leave them powerless to bring patent suits against Linux customers and distributors. With Microsoft facing the Google goliath and a general consumer malaise, it’s really no surprise to find them prepped for a patent offensive in search of additional revenue. However, our biggest fear is for this sudden increase in posturing by Ballmer and Co. to turn into a full blown series of lawsuits and countersuits sure to stifle innovation into the next decade.

[Via Scobleizer]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

What with the OLPC project and Intel planning to make cheap computing for the masses, we’ve got to wonder what the world was playing at up until now. As the horribly termed “emerging markets” start to emerge, Red Hat is getting into the low cost computing game with the “Red Hat Global Desktop,” a low requirement operating system and software package which was announced at the Red Hat Summit in San Diego. The system will include a range of productivity applications, management systems that work on a scale of 10 to 10,000, plus what the Red Hat guys call a “modern user experience”: fingers crossed that means no command lines. The Global Desktop is part of Red Hat’s involvement with the One Laptop Per Child project, but it’ll also be supported on Intel’s range of lower specification and cost computer line; if your wish is to replace Microsoft’s little OS.

[Via The Inquirer]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Cellphones

While having a flavor of Linux on one’s smartphone isn’t unheard of, it could become at least somewhat more popular now that a common variety is scheduled to make its mobile debut. After years of Linux-on-a-handset talk from just about every direction imaginable, the developers of Ubuntu are hoping to “extend its open-source software development to handheld internet-enabled devices.” Reportedly dubbed the Ubuntu Mobile and Embedded project, the operating system could be headed to your mobile device thanks to a collaborative effort between Ubuntu programmers and Intel, which shouldn’t come as any surprise considering its recent infatuation with the open-sourced OS. Of course, Ubuntu is a surefire candidate for OS of the month given all the press its meandered into of late, but developers did note that designing a mobile GUI and configuring the power management capabilities would be quite a challenge. The best part, however, is how quickly the mobile rendition will be rolled out, as we can all mark our calendars for a simultaneous release with Ubuntu 7.10 this October.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

The adoration for Linux that has been flowing from Round Rock of late is both refreshing and curious, and Dell has just taken its respect for the open-source OS to another level by signing on with Microsoft and Novell. While Linux users have long griped (and protested) about Microsoft, it’s been no secret that Michael Dell has a thing for Ubuntu, and now it sounds like Dell will be “buying SUSE Linux Enterprise Server certificates from Microsoft,” and moreover, “will be setting up a services and marketing program aimed at getting users of open-source platforms to switch to the new SUSE Linux offering.” With the agreement inked, the Texas Powerhouse becomes the “first major systems provider to align with Microsoft and Novell in the collaboration,” and judging by all the other recent Linux happenings in the Dell arena, we’d say this deal aligns perfectly with its current strategy.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Desktops

While subscription based music services have their fair share of proponents and critics, an interesting new Linux-based computer is looking to become the poster child of month-to-month computing. Zonbu’s Zonbox is a SFF PC with a Linux OS and a minuscule pricetag that requires users to simply fork over $12.95 per month in order to keep their operating system and “$2,000 worth of applications” fully patched and up to date. The wee system features an elusive Intel-compatible ultra-low power CPU, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of flash-based storage, a fairly uninspiring graphics set, VGA out, audio in / out, WiFi, a CF reader, a pair of PS/2 ports, six additional USB ports for peripherals, and built-in Ethernet to boot. The company claims that the unit could save you “up to $10 per month” in energy bills with its uber-lean power requirements, and the 20 included open source applications should take care of most common tasks. The Zonbox itself will run users $99 (or potentially more) up front, and while we understand that the monthly fee includes unlimited internet support, remote data access, and network storage space, there’s no word on what happens to your machine (or your down payment) should you default on those monthly increments. [Warning: Read link requires signup]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Handhelds, Tablet PCs

If you’re the dedicated, hardcore type who can sit through minutes upon minutes of walkthroughs despite painfully bad video quality, this one’s for you. Of course, we can assume that even those of you who don’t fall in the aforementioned camp would still be interested in a sneak (video) peek at the MIDINUX operating system, which is proudly showcased browsing the internet, entering text, playing back a movie, and playing games. The finalized product could obviously change ever-so-sightly between now and then, but regardless, be sure to click on through for an in-action look at Intel’s Linux-based MID, and try not to become too envious, capiche?

[Via eHomeUpgrade]

Continue reading Linux-powered Mobile Internet Device video walkthrough

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Given Michael Dell’s admitted fondness for Ubuntu (Feisty Fawn, specifically) and Dell’s previous announcement that it was heeding the call of geeks everywhere to offer Linux pre-loaded on its consumer systems, it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that Ubuntu would be the company’s distro of choice, but it’s still nice to hear the word coming straight from the source. The company’s also getting a bit more specific on when we’ll finally start to see Ubuntu-based systems rolling out the door, saying that it’ll begin to offer Ubuntu 7.04 as an option on “select Dell consumer models” (both desktops and laptops) in the coming weeks. Now, if only they’d be as receptive to public feedback on their choices of hardware.

[Via CRN]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Laptops

Just when you thought you knew everything there was to know about the OLPC, Negroponte, and the Sugar interface, in comes the man himself using the “W” word in an open-sourced conversation. Curiously enough, Nik Neg has not only stated that the present is “perhaps the most critical stage of the OLPC’s life,” but he also blurted out a quasi-firm $176 pricetag that would be attached to them. Additionally, he went so far as to admit that “XO’s developers have been working with Microsoft so a version of Windows can run on the machines,” and while no direct linkages were drawn to the recent $3 software package that the firm had announced, the writing is somewhat on the wall. Furthermore, a whopping 19 state governors have reportedly shown interest in grabbing a few of the inexpensive machines for their own schoolkids, and while the creator initially stated that the XOs were “designed for a totally different situation,” he was also quoted as saying that business in the US “couldn’t be ignored.” C’mon guys and gals, how about a little less conversation and a little more action?

Read - Hints of Windows on OLPC
Read - US schools could adopt OLPC

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!