Practical Technology

for practical people.

August 12, 2013
by sjvn01
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ZTE Firefox OS smartphone available globally for $80

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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Running Linux on a Windows PC: Your getting started guide

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 will win even if Ubuntu Edge doesn’t make its $32 million

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 8, 2013
by sjvn01
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Linux desktop Trojan ‘Hand of Thief’ steals in

For years, Linux desktop users had it easy. Their Windows brothers and sisters had to deal with an unending stream of malware; but other than a handful of exploits aimed mostly at Linux servers, there were no real Linux Trojans or viruses. Oh well, all good things must come to an end.

RSA, the Security Division of EMC, has reported that a “Russia-based cybercrime team has set its sights on offering a new banking Trojan targeting the Linux operating system: Hand of Thief.”

Linux desktop Trojan ‘Hand of Thief’ steals in. More >