Linux News: Tech Stew

Tech Volunteers Build New Tools to Aid Haiti Relief Efforts
January 20, 2010

Hundreds of tech volunteers spurred to action by Haiti's killer quake are adding a new dimension to disaster relief, developing new tools and services for first responders and the public in an unprecedented effort. "It really is amazing the change in the way crisis response can be done now," said Noel Dickover, a Washington, D.C.-based organizer of the CrisisCamp tech volunteer movement.

Auld Lang Syne on the Linux Blogs
December 28, 2009

With just a few days left to 2009, the mood on the Linux blogs has been uncharacteristically quiet and contemplative. Mostly gone are the fire and vitriol so often seen in the community's many contentious debates, replaced instead by discussions of a kinder, gentler nature.

A Linuxy Christmas Carol: Visions of FOSS Past, Present and Future
December 21, 2009

As one year winds down and the dawn of the next looms large, it's only natural to ponder what has come and what may be in the coming days. Such, indeed, was essentially the premise behind Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, and it also seemed to be the case with Linux bloggers of late, as evidenced by a number of conversations looking back at 2009 and venturing predictions for 2010.

Geek Holiday Guide: Gifts, Stress-Busters and a Fast Track to Jan. 4
December 14, 2009

Now that the holiday season has descended upon us once again -- or, come crashing down on us, depending on your perspective -- it seems safe to say that not everyone is filled with glee at the prospect of the countless determinedly cheerful festivities and gift-giving occasions looming on the horizon.

One More Turkey? 'Fired for Using Linux'
November 30, 2009

The Linux Blog Safari "Tech Turkeys" column may have come and gone, but there's one more story to share that could almost have been included. What else can you call it, after all, when a Linux professional is apparently fired for using Linux? Sound too strange to be true? Better read on.

An 'Historical Blunder' and Other Tech Turkeys of 2009
November 27, 2009

So Thanksgiving has come and gone for another year here in the U.S., and all that remains is a bunch of leftovers. What better diversion as we all make our way through Avogadro's number of turkey sandwiches than the Linux Blog Safari's first annual "Tech Turkeys" column? Yes, you heard that right! It's time to talk turkey here in the Linux blogosphere.

What I Need to Help Sell Linux
June 26, 2009

I believe with the right approach, Linux can take a great chunk of the market; you just have to give the market what it needs and wants, while allaying its fears. What's needed is a true Linux SMB Edition, targeting specifically the needs and fears of those businesses that are using Windows -- especially those that are still using Windows 2000, which is going to lose support in 2010.

Lilliputian Linux, and Do We Need More Critics?
April 09, 2009

Good things come in small packages, as they say, and that's perhaps never been more true than it is today, thanks to the emergence of increasingly diminutive devices equipped with Linux. Perhaps most notable of late is the $99 Marvell SheevaPlug, a wall-wart-sized device that runs Linux on a 1.2-GHz CPU with 512 MB of RAM and 512 MB of Flash -- and with power consumption of just 5 watts.

What Apple and Google Could Teach AMD and FLOSS
March 16, 2009

Last week, I got into an argument about whether Microsoft was using TomTom to go after Linux. I also attended several events where the massive costs of the AMD vs. Intel litigation were discussed. I got to thinking how both entities -- AMD and FLOSS -- are currently defined by the dominant company in their space.

Nonstop Parties, Patent Trolls and Members Choice Awards
February 19, 2009

Well it's now been nearly a week since 1234567890 Day, but for many geeks, the fun still hasn't come to an end. Party on! Specifically, following the original Digg post last Wednesday alerting readers to the upcoming occasion, not one, not two, not three but four additional posts on the topic have been among the site's most popular stories.

Fitness Tips for Chair-Bound Computer Users
August 08, 2008

When Jeffrey Spencer prepared for his college exams, he would tape his notes to the handlebars of his bike and ride to school, studying all the while. To him, it made perfect sense. "I am a kinetic learner, which means I learn and mentally perform best when I am moving," he says.

Prize Power: How Competition Inspires Tech Innovation
August 06, 2008

Bob Weiss knows a thing or two about dreams. "I grew up with the promise that if one wanted to go to space, they would get the chance," said Weiss, president of the X Prize Foundation. The trouble was that nobody kept the promise. "It became obvious that the only people that were going to space were government-trained employees called 'astronauts.' Other folks were not getting to go," Weiss said.

Yahoo, HP, Intel Give Ivory Towers a Stairway to the Cloud
July 30, 2008

Yahoo, HP and Intel are collaborating on an ambitious research endeavor called "Cloud Computing Test Bed" -- designed to support cloud computing research and education at universities. Users will be able to develop and test software, data center management, and hardware associated with cloud computing on this large-scale grid.

The Coming of the Nerdettes and Linux's Big Chance
June 16, 2008

Given the heavy proportion of males in the Linux world, we here at LinuxInsider have trouble resisting any topic that brings females back into the picture. Imagine our glee, then, when we spotted mention of a recent Newsweek article titled "Revenge of the Nerdette"! Indeed, some of us fairly fell off of our pink leatherette chairs.

The Fall of Reiser
April 30, 2008

It is unusual, but not unheard of, for a murder case to go forward if a body has not been found. It is even rarer for the charge to be first-degree murder -- and less common still for the defendant to be found guilty. Those were the exact circumstances, though, under which Hans Reiser was convicted Tuesday of the murder of his estranged wife, Nina.

The New Dungeon Master
April 13, 2008

It must be tough to be 34 and already see your children overshadow you. That's what's happened to "Dungeons & Dragons," the roleplaying game that for decades has drawn geeks to roll dice and pretend to be elves, sorcerers and other fantasy heroes. It has never quite become mainstream entertainment, but it has inspired roleplaying computer games like "World of Warcraft."