Filed under: Linux

Amarok 2.0 Linux music player released

by Brad Linder Dec 11th 2008

Open source music player Amarok 2 was released this week. The latest version of the popular KDE-based application features a completely retooled user interface, integration with online services like Shoutcast, Magnatune, and Jamendo, and support for the KDE 4 desktop environment.

That last bit is important, because if you try to install Amarok 2 on a system running KDE 3.5 you'll probably need to download a whole slew of other updates in order to get the music player working.

There are Windows and OS X ports of Amarok, but right now online Linux distributions (including Kubuntu, OpenSUSE, Fedora, Debian, and PCLinuxOS) are officially supported.

[via Ubuntu Unleashed]

Tags: amarok-2, kde, linux, music

Filed under: Linux, Freeware, Open Source, Analysis, Education

Teacher confiscates Linux CDs, claims no software is free

by Lee Mathews Dec 10th 2008

If you're not familiar with it, the HeliOS project is an effort to get computers into the hands of kids who might not otherwise be able to afford them. To date this year, they've distributed over 300 machines. Apparently that's not enough to keep them from making an enemy.

A middle school teacher named Karen observed one of her students demonstrating the abilities of his Linux-powered laptop to his classmates. What a great thing, a student exposing his peers to technology they probably weren't familiar with before....Right?

Wrong. Karen sprang into action, confiscated the CDs the student had brought to share, and unleashed the Spanish Inquisition.

Who is the charlatan who convinced this poor, misguided student that "free software" is something that actually exists?

Who could be so evil as to distribute non-Microsoft software to children? How can that person expect our children to survive in an MS-powered world? Once she had her answer, she sent Ken an email.

In her own words:

At this point, I am not sure what you are doing is legal. No software is free and spreading that misconception is harmful. These children look up to adults for guidance and discipline.

Tags: education, free-software, ignorance, linux, penguin

Filed under: Windows, Macintosh, Linux, E-mail, Open Source, Beta

Thunderbird 3 Beta 1 open source email client released

by Brad Linder Dec 10th 2008

More than half a year since the folks at Mozilla Messaging released the first alpha version of Thunderbird, the team has released Thunderbird 3 Beta 1. The latest release features a bunch of bug fixes and some new features, including:

A tabbed interface for mail
Integration with Windows Vista Search
Integration with the Mac OS X Address Book
IMAP improvements for faster message viewing

You can also use the Add-ons Manager to search for, download, and install plugins and themes much the same way you can with the Firefox 3 Add-ons manager. You can find more improvements in the release notes.

Thunderbird 3 Beta 1 is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Tags: thunderbird, thunderbird-3-beta-1

Filed under: Windows, Linux, Office, Freeware, Open Source

AbiWord 2.6.5 supports OpenOffice.org, MS Word 2007 files

by Brad Linder Dec 5th 2008

The latest version of open source word processor AbiWord adds support for Office Open XML filters, which means you can now use AbiWord to open, edit, or save OpenOffice Writer or Microsoft Word 2007 documents.

AbiWord 2.6.5 also includes a number of bug fixes and an improved LaTeX export filter. AbiWord is available for Windows or Linux. And if you don't want to install it to your PC, a portable version which you can run from a USB flash drive is also available.

I've been using AbiWord for most of my word processing needs for ages. It's quite capable as a light weight standalone word processor. But in the past it has had problems dealing with the formatting of some imported Office documents, which is why I've always kept OpenOffice.org around as a backup. It'll be interesting to see if the new version does a better job with Office docs.

Tags: abiword, abiword-2.6.5, word-processor

Filed under: Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Freeware, Browsers

Opera 10 Alpha 1 web browser passes the Acid3 test

by Brad Linder Dec 4th 2008

The latest version of the Opera web browser gets a perfect score on the Acid3 web standards test, which is pretty impressive until you realize that Firefox and Internet Explorer fall short of that score. And if the two most popular web browsers on the face of the earth don't fully meet these web standards, what good are they exactly?

That said, Opera 10 Alpha 1 includes a number of other tweaks that make this web browser worth checking out:

Inline spell checking
Automatic updates
Updated Presto 2.2 rendering engine

Opera Mail has also been improved, as has the Opera Widget engine for the Linux version of the cross-platform web browser.

Tags: acid3, opera, opera-10, opera-10-alpha-1, web-standards

Filed under: News, Windows, Macintosh, Linux

Windows market share reaches new low - 89.6%

by Brad Linder Dec 2nd 2008

If you gauged the market share of various operating systems by counting the number of Macs vs PCs you see in the typical urban coffee shop, you'd probably believe that Apple and Microsoft were duking it out like Republicans and Democrats in a close US presidential election.

But the truth of the matter is that Microsoft is the dominant company when it comes to consumer oriented computers. In fact, according to Net Applications, a company that tracks these things, Microsoft had more than 90% of the market share. Until last month, anyway.

In November, 2008, Microsoft's market share dipped to 89.62%. Which is to say, Microsoft's Windows operating systems still dwarf the nearest competitors, Mac OS X and Linux. But a slightly smaller percentage of people who visited web sites tracked by Net Applications in November were using the operating system.

Net Applications reports that OS X has also seen a slight jump in usage, and that Windows Vista use is up while Windows XP use is down. More than 20% of computer users were running Windows Vista for the first time in November.

[via Computer World and Slashdot]

Tags: linux, mac-os-x, market-share, net-applications, os-x, windows, windows-vista, windows-xp

Filed under: Audio, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Mozilla, Freeware, Open Source

Songbird 1.0 released

by Brad Linder Dec 2nd 2008

Just over a month after the first release candidate made its ways to the masses, Songbird 1.0 is available for download. Songbird is an open source music player built on Mozilla code.

The cross-platform music player comes in Mac, Windows, and Linux versions, and can handle playback of most music formats. Like most Mozilla-based software, Songbird supports plugins, including a QuickTime Playback plugin that adds the ability to play music purchased from the iTunes store. There's also a plugin that allows you to sync your music with portable media players including an iPod.

Songbird is much more than a music player. It's also an online music browser. You can visit web sites using the built in browser and automatically stream or download MP3 music from those pages. And thanks to the Last.fm integration, you can get additional information about songs and artists you're playing, or stream related songs from Last.fm.

Tags: itunes, mozilla, music, songbird, songbird-1.0

Filed under: OS Updates, Linux, Web services, web 2.0

gOS Cloud - From zero to web browser in just a few seconds

by Brad Linder Dec 1st 2008

gOS is a Linux distribution based on Ubuntu that's designed to make it easy to interface with web-based applications like Gmail, YouTube, and Meebo. It uses the slightly OS X-like Enlightenment desktop environment, and the developers have been pushing it as a good operating system for low powered netbooks, thanks to its integration with web applications.

The latest version of gOS goes a few steps further, by emphasizing the web browser above all else. gOS Cloud is a stripped down Linux distro that can load in just a few seconds. And instead of loading a typical desktop, the first window it opens is a web browser (which looks suspiciously like Google Chrome in the press shots).

You also get a dock-style program launcher for starting desktop applications. And the operating system is designed for dual boot systems that also run Windows XP. Good OS, the company behind the Linux distro are working with netbook makers Gigabyte to build an ultraportable laptop that will come preloaded with gOS Cloud and Windows XP in early 2009.

Tags: cloud-computing, good-os, gos, gos-cloud

Filed under: Video, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Freeware

HandBrake now encodes any video file, not just DVDs

by Brad Linder Nov 25th 2008

HandBrake is a cross-platform utility for ripping and encoding DVDs in high quality, compressed video formats including XviD and H.264. And the latest version of HandBrake lets you use the powerful application to encode any video file, no DVD required.

There are a handful of other changes as well, including a GUI for the Linux version, improved video quality, and more control over audio tracks. Queued jobs are also saved to your disk so that if Handbrake crashes, you'll be able to recover the list of queued jobs without starting from scratch.

HandBrake 0.9.3 is available for Windows, Linux, and OS X with Intel and PPC versions available for OS X 10.5.

[via TUAW]

Tags: compression, dvd-ripping, encoding, h.264, handbrake, handbrake-0.9.3, xvid

Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Mobile

BitPim: Bluetooth syncing for CDMA phones

by Jay Hathaway Nov 24th 2008

BitPim isn't a new app, but I've been using it for quite a while, and I thought I'd share. We write a fair amount about the iPhone here at Download Squad, but some of us are stuck with less-than-smart phones that are over a year old, on CDMA networks. Not that I'm bitter, or anything, but how are you supposed to get data like contacts and ringtones onto (and off of) these things? BitPim!

Bitpim is an an open source app that lets you access your phone's data via Bluetooth. I use it to get custom mp3 ringtones onto my junky Samsung dumbphone, and it works phenomenally well. There's a list of compatible phones on the Bitpim site, but chances are that yours will work. Be aware that Bitpim could potentially mess up your phone, although I haven't any issues with it personally.

Tags: bluetooth, CDMA, open-source, phone, ringtone, sync

Filed under: OS Updates, Linux, Canonical

Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope Alpha is now available

by Brad Linder Nov 23rd 2008

Ubuntu 8.10 Inteprid Ibex is still warm, but the folks at Canonical are already hard at work on the next generation of the popular Linux distribution. The first Alpha version of Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope was released today.

As a first Alpha, this release is not recommended for users in search of a stable desktop environment. And there's really not much benefit to downloading it unless you plan to help test and develop Ubuntu 9.04. For the most part Jaunty Jackalope looks a lot like Ubuntu 8.10. The desktop theme and other graphics haven't been altered at all, and for the most part, the operating system comes with the same set of applications as Intrepid Ibex.

So what's different? The developers have been busy re-merging of changes from Debian, the Linux distribution that Ubuntu is based on. Canonical is also working on porting the operating system to run on machines with ARM processors which could lead to Ubuntu showing up on more Mobile Internet Devices and netbooks next year.

There's currently no LiveCD version of Jaunty Jackalope, so if you do decide to download the Alpha, you'll have to grab the alternate or server installation CDs. The full version of Ubuntu 9.04 is scheduled for release on April 23, 2009.

Tags: alpha, jaunty-jackalope, ubuntu, ubuntu-9.04

Filed under: Internet, Linux, Adobe, Beta, Browsers

Adobe releases alpha 64-bit Flash plugin for Linux

by Lee Mathews Nov 20th 2008

What exactly is Adobe trying to prove? First, they release a 64-bit version of CS4. Now they're showing 64-bit Linux users some love by releasing an alpha version of the Flash player for their OSes.

It's been a long time coming. For ages, users have been forced to use nspluginwrapper to enable the 32-bit Flash player in their browser. With the official alpha release from Adobe, there's light at the end of the tunnel. Adobe's increased attention to Linux may have something to do with the fact that nearly a quarter of all Firefox crashes on Linux systems are related to the Flash plugin.

Availability of the 64-bit version is yet another boost for Flash on Linux. Version 10 made significant strides in terms of performance and compatability.

Linux users can get their hands on the plugin from this page at Adobe Labs.

Since I've recently installed Vista Ultimate x64 on my workstation, I'm hopeful that Adobe will do the right thing and roll out a Windows version as well. The company has stated that next major release the plugin will feature 64-bit versions for all three major platforms.

[ via Ars Technica ]

Tags: 64-bit, adobe, flash, linux

Filed under: Internet, Utilities, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Freeware

Free CrossFTP handles basic FTP chores on any OS

by Lee Mathews Nov 20th 2008

Java Web Start apps intrigue me, and I'm still surprised how few I've come across to share - last month's look at MuCommander was the first. If you're interested in an FTP client or server, give CrossFTP a try.

Both apps download and run in a flash. All of the functions I need for most FTP chores are available in the free, basic version: upload, download, site/connection manager, rename, delete, CHMOD. CrossFTP also remembers your browsing history and supports favorites, which makes queueing bulk uploads a breeze.

The server works nicely, and can be set up with minimal fuss. It's extremely configurable and an easy way to quickly provide FTP access to any system's files.

As with MuCommander, memory usage is an issue: the client consumes about 40mb and the server another 70mb. That's substantially more than FileZilla ( 11mb / 5mb ).

The pro version provides additional functionality, like support for SSL and SFTP and the ability to move remote files instead of deleting and re-uploading.

While I'm not going to forsake FileZilla for this one, it's a nice app to bookmark just in case.

Tags: cross-platform, ftp, java

Filed under: Audio, Internet, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Freeware

FlyCast mobile radio app comes to the PC

by Brad Linder Nov 19th 2008

Over the last year we've seen a lot of companies race to come out with iPhone-specific versions of their applications. But FlyCast is moving in the other direction. The company makes a mobile application for iPhone and BlackBerry users which provides easy access to hundreds of internet audio streams including music, news, entertainment, and tech podcasts. Now FlyCast also has a desktop client based on Adobe AIR, which means it can run on Mac, Windows, and Linux computers.

The FlyCast Desktop Player appears to be a direct port of the iPhone software. It would have been nice if the company had spent a few minutes coming up with a new design so that you didn't feel like you were playing with an iPod while flipping channels. But the application works as you'd expect, making it easy to find internet audio streams in a number of different categories.

[via Zatz Not Funny]

Tags: adobe-air, flycast, flycast-dekstop-player, internet-radio, iphone

Filed under: Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Mozilla, Beta, Browsers

Firefox 3.1 beta adds new tab functions

by Brad Linder Nov 17th 2008

Mozilla has added a tab tearing feature to Firefox 3.1 beta, which can best be explained by saying, "watch the video above." But in a nutshell, what tab tearing lets you do is drag and drop tabs, not just within your browser window, but outside of it as well. For example, you can click and drag a tab outside of your Firefox window and it will open a new browser instance. Or you can grab a tab from one browser window into another browser instance.

Now before you say anything, yes, I know that the Opera web browser has been able to do this for ages, and Google Chrome has supported similar behavior since it was launched. But that doesn't make mean it's not nice to see the feature come to Firefox. It takes more than innovation to make a good web browser. You also have to be willing to recognize good ideas where you find them and be willing to implement them in your product.

[via Mozilla Links]

Tags: firefox-3.1-beta, google-chrome, opera, tab-tearing, tabs, web-browsers

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