GNOME-Shell Ice Cream Sandwich Theme Is All Kinds of Delicious

I'm hungry for Ice Cream Sandwich. Very Hungry. As it's going to be a while before the 4.0 update trickles down to my phone and tablet the following Android 4.0 GNOME-Shell theme by Faenza icon set creator tiheum is helping to stave off my hunger pangs...

20 January 2012
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You Can Now Install Deepin Software Center on Ubuntu

Installing software just got easier: The Linux Deepin Software Center is now available to install in Ubuntu 11.10. The software store is easily the gems in the crown of Ubuntu-based Chinese Linux distribution 'Linux Deepin'. It sports a clean layout, low-resource usage, and integrates package management features not present in the Ubuntu Software Centre.

20 January 2012
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The Importance Of Anonymity On The Web

Jacob Appelbaum stands on stage at Linux.conf.au 2012 to deliver the final keynote on Friday morning, patiently waiting for his introduction from the conference organizer. In his hand he holds a smartphone, capturing a photograph of his audience which he later says he uploaded in case his phone is confiscated at the airport on his way back to the United States of America, of which he is ironically a citizen. However this isn't hyperbole - Appelbaum has been detained for questioning at borders many times, in fact so many times that he's "lost count." In July 2010, Appelbaum was detained at Newark airport where his bag was searched, receipts photocopied, laptop inspected, and his three cellphones taken never to be seen again. Jacob Appelbaum was detained not because he's a genuine terrorist suspect, nor because he was trying to smuggle drugs or Kinder Surprises into the USA. Appelbaum was detained because he's fighting for freedom and anonymity on the internet, a cause that's as important as ever in our current society, often overlooked by the media, and under appreciated by most internet users.

20 January 2012
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Ubuntu One Team Seeking Mac Dev

A new job listing from Canonical is seeking a Mac Software Developer to join the Ubuntu One engineering team. The opening, titled 'Software Engineer (client applications Mac/Windows)', will require applicants to have at least 5 years experience of developing on OS X, 'including knowledge of low level APIs (Filesystem, shell integration)', as well as experience in 'Python, C and Objective C'.

19 January 2012
Kogan Ubuntu 11.04 laptop: the agora pro

Kogan Kill Ubuntu Laptop Line

Australian electronics company Kogan has 'no plans' to re-introduce Ubuntu-based netbooks, laptops or net-tops to their product range, a spokesman has told OMG! Ubuntu!

19 January 2012
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Ubuntu 12.04 Development Update 10

Welcome back everyone after the holiday break. Since we spoke the last time, there has lots been happening. By now we only have 14 weeks left until Ubuntu 12.04 a.k.a. Precise Pangolin, another LTS release gets out the door.

19 January 2012
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Wallpaper Switching Lands in Precise Login Screen

The user account wallpaper transition feature has landed in Ubuntu 12.04 default login screen. The effect shows the desktop wallpaper of each user as accounts are scrolled through. Although the current implementation is not quite […]

19 January 2012
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Unity’s Dash to Ditch Giant Shortcuts

Not a fan of the 8 giant shortcuts in the Unity Dash? Ubuntu 12.04 might just present you with something different... Ubuntu developers are testing a new layout for the Unity 'Home Lens'.

19 January 2012
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Canonical Reverse Java Uninstall Decision

Canonical have reversed their decision to remove Java from Ubuntu users' machines. Oracle, the owners of Sun Java, retired the 'distributor license' that allows operating system vendors to provide the package to users in August of last year. This change in terms forced Ubuntu's security board to announce that it would be removing Sun JDK package from its 'Partner' repository, and 'upgrading' the official Java release on Ubuntu 10.04, 10.10 and 11.04 with an 'empty' package, thus disabling it. as a 'security measure'.

19 January 2012
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GNOME’s Revamped ‘Web’ Browser Is Minimal, Mighty

GNOME's work on a revamped and repurposed 'Epiphany' web browser - which seeks to make the browser a core part of the GNOME experience - is coming along nicely. The redesign of Epiphany, which is relabelled 'Web' in the app itself, seeks to to offer GNOME users a 'simple, clean, beautiful view of the [internet].'

18 January 2012

“Four Seasons” Wallpaper Pack

If there is one thing that most people agree on about the wallpapers it's that no one likes looking at bad looking wallpaper. "Four Seasons" is a wallpaper pack I created inspired by the diversity of the four seasons of our planet. The pack includes wallpapers for each each season - Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, and a "Four Seasons" wallpaper which represents all of the seasons in a unified image.

18 January 2012
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Valve Posts Job Listing For Linux Software Engineer

In a turn of events not unlike we've seen before, Valve has posted a job listing for a Senior Software Engineer to work on their "highly available digital distribution platform" Steam. However, unlike past job postings which have mentioned Linux and left some ambiguity as to what exactly Valve might be working on in this area, this posting clearly says the word "games" in one of the responsibilities out of the six listed.

18 January 2012
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With Rising Power Costs, Are ARM Servers The Future?

With the move to "the cloud", increasing numbers of internet and mobile phone users, renewable resources on the decline, and a focus on green solutions to current problems, server rooms are getting more and more expensive to maintain and run.

18 January 2012
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Desktop YouTube Music Player Gets Updated

Innovative YouTube music player 'Musictube' has a new release out - but is it a hit?

17 January 2012
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Nautilus Quicklist Adds Bookmark Support for Precise

Support for accessing bookmarked folders through the Nautilus Quicklist in Ubuntu 12.04 has finally arrived. The feature, one long overdue, lists user's bookmarks - both custom and default - alongside a static entry for opening a new Nautilus window. Which is all very handy.

17 January 2012

Is This The World’s Smallest Linux Laptop?

Measuring at less than 100mm wide and 17mm thick with a dinky 3" screen, the Ben NanoNote might just be the world's smallest Linux laptop for the traditional definition of the word. While pulling this out in public might get you a few odd looks, the Ben NanoNote actually runs a relatively feature rich piece of software called OpenWRT. It also happens to boast entirely open hardware and software, which not only makes it crazy small, but also Stallman-approved.

17 January 2012
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LCA2012: Bruce Perens Says Open Source Needs To Do More

Wearing a suit when the rest of the 500-strong lecture theatre were dressed in shorts, jandals, and old conference T Shirts, Bruce Perens introduced himself by announcing his clothes as a lesson: Linux needs to be more outward facing. Perens is described as an open source luminary, the founder of a number of non-profits, groups and Open Source initiatives and projects including the well-renowned and globally used Busybox. A former Debian Project Leader, he represented Open Source at the United Nations World Summit on the Information Society in 2005. Perens is often quoted in the press, advocating for open source and the reform of national and international technology policy.

17 January 2012
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Leading GNOME Theme Designer Talks Tools and Trials of Working on Linux

If you've downloaded a good-looking GNOME-Shell theme in the past year then there's a good chance that the following 25-year-old Algerian designer was the hands behind it. Reda Lazri, or 0rax0 as he is better known online, is a prolific designer. GTK, Metacity and GNOME-Shell themes; application icons, wallpapers and a multitude of mock-ups line the walls of his DeviantArt Gallery. But it's not the quantity and variety that makes Reda's work so notable - it's the sheer quality.

16 January 2012