Linux News: Applications

Is Linux Suffering From Mono?
June 22, 2009

In the general population, "Mono" may be best known for infecting teenagers with the "kissing disease." On the Linux blogs, it's recently caused a different kind of anguish as geeks far and wide have debated whether it's infected Linux too. It's a different Mono, of course, but its effects -- or, at least, the discussion of them -- have been no less agonizing.

SourceForge Grows Up - and Out
June 19, 2009

SourceForge, a media services and e-commerce company that provides open source software downloads and development, is enjoying the best of both business worlds. It is one of the largest open source software repositories -- the SourceForge Web site has more than 30 million unique visitors per month -- and it reported more than $40 million in earnings for its last quarter, with no outstanding debt.

Google Chrome Sprouts Linux, Mac Versions
June 05, 2009

Google this week released early developer channel versions of its Chrome browser for the Mac OS X and Linux platforms. Google emphasized that both new versions are very much rough drafts intended for developers, not consumers looking for a smooth browsing experience.

Chrome 2.0 Juices Up JavaScript
May 22, 2009

Google on Thursday revealed Chrome 2.0, a purportedly faster and more feature-filled version of the search giant's Web browser. The extra speed comes from an update to its V8 JavaScript engine and from a new version of the open source WebKit rendering engine. However, Chrome's speed advantage may soon be overshadowed by rivals.

Mozilla Straps On Jetpack for Firefox Devs
May 22, 2009

Mozilla's call to developers to participate in its Jetpack project on Wednesday is the latest onslaught in the ongoing war of the Web browsers. Jetpack is an open source application programming interface that will let users create add-ons for Mozilla's Firefox browser using the Web technologies they already know.

Mozilla's Fennec Frolics on HTC Phones
May 19, 2009

Mozilla on Monday announced the first alpha release of its Fennec mobile browser for the Windows Mobile 6 operating system. This alpha is available only on the HTC Touch Pro from Sprint. Versions for other smartphones will be unveiled later. While Microsoft continues to upgrade the sixth version of its mobile OS, it is expected to release a new edition, Windows Mobile 7, next year.

Google Offers Chrome to the TV Advertising Gods
May 13, 2009

While most of us have been yearning for a return to the 1990s-era economy, an Internet company advertising its products on television was not the sign we had in mind. Yet that is what TV viewers who still watch commercials will get to see this weekend, according to news accounts -- and the advertiser is none other than Web 2.0 giant Google.

The Stack: Encouraging Adoption Through Ease of Use
April 07, 2009

I wonder if Levi Strauss would have made billions selling his blue jeans if he had said that the zipper was "sold separately." I wonder if cell phones would be as ubiquitous as they are today if everyone had to learn to speak binary in order to communicate using them. I wonder how many people would drive cars if they had to produce their own fuel. I wonder.

IT Cost-Cutting: Consider Virtualization, Look to the Cloud, Check Out Open Source
March 30, 2009

Doing more for less in IT? Sure, easier said than done. But who said it couldn't be done? We took the question of how to cut information technology costs in the downturn to five analysts and consultants, who can both say and do. The result is the latest BriefingsDirect Analyst Insights Edition, Vol. 38, a periodic discussion and dissection of IT infrastructure related news and events.

The Driving Force Behind the Open Source Mobile Movement
March 27, 2009

In a sagging economy, doing business as usual is rarely prudent and usually disastrous. Companies often must change the course of strategies, or in some cases accelerate them. After a spate of business meetings during the marathon that is Mobile World Congress, one takeaway is the acceleration in the mobile handset market of operators moving to open source software-based devices.

Novell Aims for the Clouds With Suse Enterprise 11
March 24, 2009

Taking aim at the next generation of computing -- virtualization and the cloud -- Novell on Tuesday unveiled Suse Linux Enterprise 11. Suse Linux Enterprise 11 has been optimized for the major hypervisors -- VMware ESX, Microsoft Hyper-V and Xen. It runs on the x86, Itanium, IBM Power and IBM System z platforms, all of which are used in IT infrastructure virtualization.

'Guitar Hero World Tour Mobile': Head-Bangin' Good
March 24, 2009

I'm not what you would call a major gamer, but I've played the console version of "Guitar Hero: World Tour," and I didn't get booed off the stage every time. So that makes me an expert, right? When you're playing "Guitar Hero" on a mobile phone, the most important thing to bear in mind is that you're playing it on your phone. That means, mainly, that you're not going to get the console experience.

Google Launches Chrome Beta for Adventurous Browser Users
March 18, 2009

Google opened a new channel on Tuesday to distribute its latest beta release of the Chrome browser. The company also began on Tuesday a blog devoted exclusively to the Chrome browser. Google launched Chrome as a beta in September of 2008; a final-release 1.0 version come out in December.

Instant-On Computing: The Killer OSS-Based PC Feature?
March 18, 2009

In our age of instant gratification, no one likes waiting for anything. That's why the sluggish launch time of a typical personal computer can make a consumer irritable. It's also why instant-on computing has become a sort of Holy Grail for hardware and software makers in the industry. The pursuit of instant-on is a quest that's given Linux traction in an arena that for years it has found a tough nut to crack.

QuickOffice for Android: Fills a Need but Not Worth the Price
March 17, 2009

If nothing else, you've got to give the people over at QuickOffice credit for being early movers. They are the first to bring us an application that will open Microsoft Word documents and Excel spreadsheets on an Android-based phone. They're also the first, to my knowledge, to figure out how to reorient the screen of a G1 using only the accelerometer.

Will IE8 Be Microsoft's Last Explorer?
March 16, 2009

There are few things more exciting to a journalist than being among the first to report important news, and we here at LinuxInsider are no exception. So it was with great glee that we learned of recent rumors that Internet Explorer 8 could be the end of the line. Special thanks to Slashdot blogger hairyfeet for calling them to our attention!