Joey Sneddon is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of OMG! Ubuntu. Since 2009, he has reported on Ubuntu and the wider open-source ecosystem, documenting every major Ubuntu release since 9.04 to the present. With over 16 years of hands-on experience in Linux desktops, distros and apps, Joey's insights and reporting have been cited by leading technology outlets including Ars Technica, The Verge, Engadget and Forbes.
It's somewhat apt that Ubuntu's 'Lenses' feature has brought Unity into clearer focus for many of its initial critics. The search-orientated display windows - called 'Lenses' - make finding specific files, apps or information easy to do thanks to their tuned 'search backends' - called Scopes'. Inside we lost 10 of the best Lenses and Scopes available for Ubuntu 11.10.
The headline to this article might sound inflammatory but it's a question currently being debated on the Ubuntu Desktop mailing list. Ubuntu's Jorge Castro makes the case for 'jettisoning' the tool from the the Ubuntu Universe repositories (i.e. removing it from the Ubuntu Software Centre).
If you've upgraded Unity in Precise so you can play with Ubuntu's new 'HUD' feature then you also have another slick new update ready and waiting to be checked out...
A handful of new configuration options have landed in the Ubuntu 12.04 'User Interface' settings pane.
Ubuntu 12.04 adds a (much longed for) option to choose your own custom color for the Unity Dash. In Ubuntu 11.10 however the Dash colour is not configurable and relies solely on the 'Chameleon' approach (unless you've braved the upgrade to Unity 5.0). So what to do if you really wish your Dash was another colour, but don't fancy switching through reams of wallpapers to try and 'get it'? Reader Guillaume mailed in with a trick so simple you'll kick yourself as to why you didn't know about it sooner.
Naval strategy game Oilrush has finally washed up on the welcoming beach of release-land.
A new set of KDE releases has been announced by the KDE development team. KDE 4.8 provides 'major updates to KDE Plasma Workspaces, KDE Applications, and the KDE Platform'.
Do you own any books about Ubuntu? The first one I ever bought was Ubuntu Unleashed 2008 (covering Ubuntu 8.04 and 8.10) - and it taught me a great deal about using, configuring and getting involved in Ubuntu.
Reading about a new feature is all well and good - but there's nothing quite like playing with it, right? HUD, Ubuntu's new modern approach to using application menus, will land in Unity on Ubuntu 12.04 over the next month or so. But chances are you can't wait that long so, assuming you're using Ubuntu 12.04, a HUD-enabled version of Unity can be installed from the Unity Team HUD PPA.
A brand new way of using application menus in Unity interface is coming to Ubuntu. HUD - Heads UP Display - uses an intelligent search-based approach to finding and accessing menu items you need. It's smart too; HUD is capable of remembering what items you use most often and prioritising them in the results.
The wallpaper contest for Ubuntu 12.04 has kicked off. The contest runs an open submission process that allows anyone to submit their own photographic and illustrated wallpapers to a public pool on social networking Flickr. Of the submissions received by the deadline a dozen or so will be selected to form Ubuntu's default wallpaper pack and ship on the Ubuntu CD.
The hostname of the Ubuntu install on my netbook reads more like a barcode than a 'computer name'. Thankfully changing it to something more memorable is a snap. Read on for instructions...