Technology News: Blogosphere

The Green Army's Social Network March
March 19, 2010

Companies of all sizes now routinely field the question, "What are your sustainability practices?" What's more, the people asking that question are increasingly organizing through the use of social networks large and small. Bloggers like Sharon Astyk of Casaubon's Book, for example, have thousands of regular readers and a series of books in print.

A Tale of 20 Interns, 1 Project and 1 Fiery 'Mythical Man-Month' Debate
March 18, 2010

Few geeks are unfamiliar with the concept of the Mythical Man-Month from Fred Brooks' classic software engineering tome by the same name. It's a classic for good reason, which is probably why the debate has been so intense in the past week over a high-profile example that some say refutes it.

North Korea's 'Red Star' Linux, and Is FOSS an Enemy of the State?
March 15, 2010

If a totalitarian regime uses Linux, does that mean Linux is an enemy of the state? That's the mind-bending question of the day following some politically charged Linuxy news that emerged over the past few weeks. North Korea, it appears, has developed its own Linux-based operating system.

Ubuntu Dumps the Brown
March 11, 2010

Color is not typically a topic of much discussion on the Linux blogs, but in recent weeks, it's been drawing a lot of attention. Why, you ask? Simple: Ubuntu recently announced a major change to its longstanding "Human" earthtone-palette theme and branding. "I don't know whether to call it 'poo brown' or 'dirt brown,' but either way it is seriously awful," said Slashdot blogger hairyfeet.

Microsoft and the Incredible 'Internet Usage Tax'
March 08, 2010

It's not often that Linux Girl is struck speechless by some tidbit of news in the tech world, but every once in a while it happens. Last week, it happened. Amid all the high-level discussion of Internet security at the RSA Conference 2010 in San Francisco, Microsoft's Scott Charney actually suggested a government tax to help the company improve Windows security.

Sour Grapes, Part Deux: SXSW Shows New Media Its True Colors
March 05, 2010

"OMG, somebody call the Waaaambulance!" went a comment on last week's column about South by Southwest. I had prepared myself for reader snark following my "it's all about me" piece regarding SXSW's denial of my complimentary press credential request. What truly surprised me, however, was the strength of a single tweet about the column.

A Big, Linuxy 'Thank You' to Matthew Katzer
March 04, 2010

Sometimes there's nothing like a good lawsuit to force people to acknowledge just how much something is worth. Take FOSS, for example. Sure, there are estimates made of its value from time to time -- the latest, in fact, just recently put the kernel alone at $1.4 billion -- but for many people out there, "free" in price tends to be viewed as free of value.

Compliant Media Help Apple Skirt Child Labor Scandal
March 02, 2010

You don't have to search very hard on Apple.com to find the 2010 Supplier Responsibility Report, the company's internal audit of how workers are treated on the assembly lines at the overseas third-party companies making its Macs, iPhones and iPods. "Read about Apple's continuing commitment to social responsibility" says the link on the lower right-hand corner of the home page.

The Echo of TomToms in the Amazon Deal
March 01, 2010

It's hard not to have an overwhelming sense of deja vu every time word of a new Microsoft patent deal reaches the news. Such was the case last week, when Redmond's legal eagles gleefully proclaimed their success in making a patent cross-license offer that Amazon apparently couldn't refuse. The is particularly notable for its relevance to open source.

How the Spinach Pie Got Forked, and Other Tales of Open Confusion
February 25, 2010

Fans of FOSS have no shortage of ways to enjoy openness in the technological world, but when it comes to the other aspects of life, such opportunities can be few and far between. It wasn't until just recently that we saw the open philosophy applied to fine dining. Yes, you heard that right!

On MeeGo, a Budding Geek and the 25 Most Dangerous Programming Errors
February 22, 2010

Well it's been a quiet few days on the Linux blogs, as geeks the world over hunkered down and waited for the Month of Love to come to a close at last. Out with the pink and red, we say! The blogosphere was not entirely without its diversions, of course. There was the news, for instance, of MeeGo, the joint project between Intel and Nokia that represents the merging of Maemo and Moblin.

Will the Decade's Best Distros Please Stand Up?
February 18, 2010

We may be halfway through February already, but that doesn't mean it's too late to look back at the past 10 years and ponder what has been. No indeed! Bloggers did plenty of backward-gazing last month as well, of course, but recently a fresh example came up that caught Linux Girl's attention. "Best Linux distributions of the decade" was the title of Jun Auza's post.

The Dating Game, Linux-Style
February 15, 2010

Well the Day of Love is safely behind us again for another year, and not a moment too soon! For some it may be a joyous occasion -- a time of bubbles, flowers and pink puffy pillows -- but let's just say that sentiment is by no means unanimous. No, at the other end of the introversion scale, Valentine's Day is fraught with anxiety, doubt and *way* too much time in the card aisle.

Pondering a Peck of Possible Pads
February 11, 2010

Well, it's been a few weeks since the launch of Apple's comically named "iPad," and there's no doubt the world has much to think over. That's particularly true for those in the FOSS community, of course, given the decidedly closed nature of Apple's new device. Fans of Cupertino may be swooning with delight, but the picture is less clear for those of us in the rest of the world.

Open Symbian: New World Order or Big Yawn?
February 08, 2010

It's not every day that a major operating system gets opened up, never mind one that leads the global market in its category. So, when the news came out last week that that's just what the Symbian Foundation had done -- and four months ahead of schedule, no less! -- it was hard not to get excited.

Motherboard Madness and Mayhem
February 04, 2010

Misery loves company, as the saying goes, and nowhere is that more evident than on the Linux blogs. Case in point: Linux Planet's Carla Schroder recently told a woeful tale about her attempt to upgrade the CPU on her ECS motherboard, and it has inspired a vast outpouring of sympathy from geeks far and wide.