Free Republic

I can't believe there's yet more major news, all in one day. But there is, from the bankruptcy front. SCO's period of exclusivity is over, as you can see from the minutes of today's hearing [PDF]. Look at number 1 on the list under the heading "Proceedings" and you will see the word: "DENIED". This was regarding the SCO motion [PDF] to extend the period of exclusivity, it's 4th, the motion that Al Petrofsky objected to pro se, as you can see on the Notice of matters on the agenda for today. So now IBM and Novell and the US...

TomTom and Microsoft have settled the patent litigation. Here's TechFlash's coverage. According to the Microsoft press release, TomTom will remove functionality regarding the FAT patents within two years, which is no big deal, frankly, and in the meantime, they are covered "in a manner that is fully compliant with TomTom’s obligations under the General Public License Version 2 (GPLv2)": Peter Spours, Director of IP Strategy and Transactions at TomTom N.V., stated: “This agreement puts an end to the litigation between our two companies. It is drafted in a way that ensures TomTom’s full compliance with its obligations under the GPLv2,...

People like to publish top-10 lists of all sorts. And "reasons to switch to Linux" is no exception. Many of those have been published, and the latest entry is here. However, I think the author completely forgot a very important point. Also, some of the points he makes should be examined a bit more closely and critically. The comments on the original article reflect some valid and some unfounded criticism. Let me just run through those points (italics are quotes from the original 10-point list, my comments are directly below each point) and provide my own take on those: Free: ...

Better join the revolution while you can! NOTE: The author of this comic requests that you visit his web site and requests that you please refrain from copying the cartoon within this thread. Thank you!

Thought about dumping windows? Why not replace it with Cuba's Linux variant called "Nova." Check out this "Geeks on Caffeine" cartoon and see why "Nova" will be your next operating system! NOTE: The author of this comic requests that you please visit his web site and also please refrain from copying the cartoon within this thread. Thank you very much!

DroneBL DNS Blacklist service: We have come across a botnet worm spreading around called "psyb0t". It is notable because, according to my knowledge, it: is the first botnet worm to target routers and DSL modems contains shellcode for many mipsel devices is not targeting PCs or servers uses multiple strategies for exploitation, including bruteforce username and password combinations harvests usernames and passwords through deep packet inspection can scan for exploitable phpMyAdmin and MySQL servers

"Why put off what 'till tomorrow what you can do today?" When you're loading the Cuban Linux variant on a computer, you'd better take that advice! NOTE: The author of this comic requests that you visit his web site and please refrain from copying the cartoon within this thread. Thanks!

Cuba's official linux distribution features some interesting desktop patterns. VEEERY interesting indeed! NOTE: The author of this comic requests that you visit his web site and asks that you refrain from copying the cartoon within this thread. Thank you very much!

Nobody questions whether Mac OS X is ready for the desktop. Never mind that switching to it involves learning different assumptions and tools and a new desktop. It has a reputation for being user-friendly, and is backed by a proprietary company, just like Windows. With GNU/Linux, however, the story is different. For over a decade, columnists and bloggers have been explaining how GNU/Linux isn't ready for the desktop -- and, despite all the progress in the operating system over the last ten years, the arguments haven't changed much. Moreover, increasingly, they're outdated when they're not based on complete ignorance. In...

There are plenty of people who are lined up to use Cuba's "Nova" linux distribution. What kind of people you ask? Well, let's just say they aren't exactly the sharpest utensils in the drawer... NOTE: The author of this comic requests that you visit his web site and please refrain from copying his comic within this thread. Thank you.

Fidel laments that the Cuban linux variant is named "Nova," but believe it or not, there's an even bigger mistake in the computer world. NOTE: The author of this comic requests that you visit his web site and please refrain from copying the cartoon in this thread. Thanks!

Cuba has released their linux variant "Nova." There's problems in the Ministry of Marketing however, and Fidel isn't happy about it! NOTE: The author of this comic requests that you visit his web site and please refrain from copying the cartoon within this thread. Thanks!

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer knows not to blink. On the desktop front, Microsoft is not discounting the approximately 1 percent market share gain Apple has garnered in the past year, bolstering its position as the No. 4 player in operating systems behind Linux, said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, during a midyear update with analysts Tuesday. "We're very focused on both Apple as a competitor and Linux as a competitor," Ballmer said. And concerns regarding Google's open-source mobile operating system Android are not far behind. "I think the dynamics with Linux is changing somewhat," Ballmer said. "I assume we'll see Android-based,...

It's 100% TRUE! Cuba has just released its own variant of the linux operating system! One problem though: Commies are yet to grasp the idea of effective brand marketing. NOTE: The author of this comic requests that you visit his web site and please refrain from copying this cartoon within this thread. Thank you!

Netbooks are a relative newcomer to the world of portable computers. They sit comfortably at the opposite end of the spectrum from the "desktop replacement" notebooks, those laptops with big screens, beefy specs and full-sized keyboards. Netbooks sacrifice optical drives (CD/DVD drives) and have generally modest hardware specifications, smaller screen sizes and shrunken keyboards. They also tend toward smaller hard drive sizes ... oftentimes much, much smaller. What you get in return is a small PC that is truly ultra-portable, weighing less than two pounds in some cases. In other words, a netbook is an ideal travel companion. Is a...

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about Microsoft's suit against TomTom, which alleged infringement of eight of its patents - including three that relate to TomTom's implementation of the Linux kernel. I wrote there that this seemed part of a larger attack on Linux, and not just one on TomTom, as Microsoft nonetheless insisted. This called forth a fair amount of disagreement, so I was glad to come across this post on Harald Welte's blog: [MS] claim that this lawsuit has no relation whatsoever to Linux, and they're only targeting TomTom's specific implementation of Linux. I have actually reviewed...

Here is an example of a new 3d browser http://www.mb3dengine.com/ Be nice to the site, it almost can's handle more then a few users and make sure you give it time to load. Also use your scroll mouse.

Walk by the netbook display at Best Buy and you're likely to hear cooing and exclamations of how cute the little laptops are. But take one home and you may realize your new baby just can't do the same things that a standard notebook can do. Netbooks are just about the only thing these days that are generating any excitement in the hardware space. The form factor is appealing to many, for sure. With about a 10-inch screen, these are much smaller than the standard-sized notebook, and certainly much lighter, and quite a bit less expensive, too. Some are as...

Canonical offers Office 'alternative'LinuxWorld IBM is today expected to announce expanded backing for Ubuntu in a desktop and collaboration software deal to challenge Microsoft's Windows and Office. Canonical, Ubuntu's commercial sponsor, has agreed to re-distribute IBM's Lotus Symphony productivity suite with its public Linux repositories. More details are expected later today. The news follows IBM's decision earlier this year to offer a version of its Open Collaboration Client Solution (OCCS) for Ubuntu. Ubuntu is, according to the suits at IBM, "a Linux operating system that scores high marks on usability and 'the cool factor.'" The deal is expected to be...

All you need is ubuntu You and me, me and you, lots and lots, for us to do By Sean Coughlan BBC News Magazine Bill Clinton told the Labour conference to get into ubuntu. Eh? Ubuntu. That was what Bill Clinton told the Labour party conference it needed to remember this week. "Society is important because of Ubuntu." But what is it? Left-leaning sudoku? U2's latest album? Fish-friendly sushi? No, it's a word describing an African worldview, which translates as "I am because you are," and which means that individuals need other people to be fulfilled. The former president, husky-voiced...