August 14, 2013
by sjvn01
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Most Mac and Linux users think anything Windows can do their operating systems can do better. Often, they’re right, but then there comes that day when they really need to run that one special Windows application and then they’re stuck.
Run Windows apps on both OS X & Linux with CrossOver 12.5. More >
August 12, 2013
by sjvn01
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Talk about having things both ways! A few months ago in its “Scroogled” ad campaign, Microsoft was complaining about how Google uses your search terms and Gmail contents to deliver targeted ads. Now, Microsoft is touting how Windows 8.1 uses your search terms to deliver targeted ads, even when you’re doing searches on local drives.
Do people at Microsoft ever talk to anyone outside their own groups? Does the Bing team need to be introduced to the Scroogled team? Scroogled? How about Bing-Bang-Bungled?
Windows 8.1 is still in preview, but when you do a local search in it, your results will include both local and Bing-provided hits. Microsoft will then use your search terms for targeted ads.
August 12, 2013
by sjvn01
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No one doubts that Android is the number one smartphone operating system and that Apple’s iOS is number two. The real question is “Who will be number three?”
Windows Phone is moving up; Blackberry is imploding; and, the Linux-based Ubuntu and Firefox want to be in the mix as well.
What’s a would-be number three smartphone operating system to stand out from the pack? Well, Ubuntu has proposed a do-it-all, crowd-sourced smartphone/PC hybrid. And, Firefox has also shown some creative thinking by partnering with smartphone OEM ZTE to sell the inexpensive ZTE Open worldwide via eBay for $80.
ZTE Firefox OS smartphone available globally for $80. More >
August 12, 2013
by sjvn01
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So, you’re finally considering giving Linux a try. It’s about time! And it’s really not as scary (or different) as you may think. The myth that you had to be some kind of computer guru to use Linux is utterly untrue. Today’s top desktop Linux distributions, such as Mint, openSUSE, and Ubuntu are easier to use than Windows 8.
Indeed, Mint’s Cinnamon interface will be a heck of a lot more familiar to XP and Windows 7 users than Windows 8’s “Metro” interface. And, while Linux power users may turn up their nose at Ubuntu’s Unity desktop, pretty much anyone can sit down and start using Linux with Ubuntu. Don’t believe me? Ask my 80+ year-old mother-in-law who uses Ubuntu every day.
That said, while it’s easy to use Linux, Windows 8’s Secure Boot made it very difficult to boot and install Linux — or any other operating system for that matter — on a PC. (Ironically, Secure Boot itself has proven none-too-secure.)
Running Linux on a Windows PC: Your getting started guide. More >
August 11, 2013
by sjvn01
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Canonical , Ubuntu‘s parent company, made a bet. It wagered that there were enough visionaries out there to crowd-source 32-million dollars for the first Linux-powered combination smartphone/PC, the Ubuntu Edge. It seems that the company will lose that wager, but in the long-run, I think Canonical will rise from the gadget gaming table a winner.
Canonical will win even if Ubuntu Edge doesn’t make its $32 million. More >
August 9, 2013
by sjvn01
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WeWi Telecommunications, a Canadian telecommunications company, is better known for its disaster recovery services than it is as a Linux or PC company. But if Wewi have its way about it, the business will be the first to build a fully solar-powered, Linux laptop.