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The GNOME Desktop project released a vastly overhauled version of the leading desktop Linux environment, said to be its biggest update in nine years. GNOME 3.0 features a new, streamlined GNOME Shell desktop, as well as improvements to search, user messaging, system settings, and the GTK+ libraries, plus a major revision of the Nautilus file manager, says the project.
Gartner says global smartphone sales will rise 57.7 percent in 2011 year-over-year, with the boom continuing through 2015 — bolstered, more than harmed, by tablet sales. This year, Android will take the lead in smartphone sales with 38.5 percent, and represent 48.8 percent in 2015, followed by second-place Microsoft Windows Phone, which will soar to 19.5 percent, projects the research firm.
Google's Android creator Andy Rubin said the open source platform will remain open despite suggestions to the contrary. Rubin disputes recent allegations that Google's non-fragmentation policy has been tightened, and denies any “lock-downs or restrictions against customizing UIs.”
The Obama Administration's well-intentioned drive to quickly approve wireless broadband in rural areas could end up killing most GPS use in the United States, according to this eWEEK opinion piece. Opposition is said to be growing to the FCC's approval of broadband spectrum directly adjacent to GPS, which could cause disruptions from “receiver desensitization.”
Motorola's Android-based Xoom tablet and Atrix smartphone are experiencing slow sales, according to analysts. Differentiating in a crowded tablet market, advises one analyst, will be the key to the success of other Android tablets.
The Linux Foundation announced the availability of the Yocto Project Release 1.0, which includes a version of OpenEmbedded's bitbake build system, major improvements to its developer interface, and Linaro technology for improved ARM support. The Linux Foundation also announced new Yocto Steering Group members Dell and Mentor Graphics to help oversee the embedded Linux standardization project.
The Linux Foundation announced the availability of the Carrier Grade Linux Version 5.0 specification, featuring new streaming media, security, diagnostics, debugging, tuning, and High Availability (HA) file system support. The non-profit foundation also announced a new HA Working Group that will help define an open source HA spec.
Novell announced the availability of Mono for Android, which enables Microsoft .NET application development for Android. Mono for Android consists of a plug-in for Microsoft Visual Studio, a core Mono runtime, a software development kit, and bindings for native Android APIs, all starting at $399 per year, says the company.
The MeeGo project released a pre-alpha version of its promised Tablet User Experience (UX), officially opening up development for the UI layer. Based on MeeGo v1.2 core and Linux 2.6.37, the preview version includes a touch-optimized user interface for tablets, as well as a new panel UI concept and a suite of built-in browser, personal information management, and media playback apps.
Android platform fragmentation is worrisome to mobile developers, while Apple's iOS is seen to offer advantages in platform stability, app store management, and billing, according to a recent survey by Robert W. Baird and Co. Nevertheless, respondents appeared to be equally bullish on writing apps for either operating system, both of which beat other platforms such as BlackBerry or Windows Phone by a large margin in the “future outlook” category.
Phytec announced what it claims is the first computer module based on the Texas Instruments OMAP4430 system-on-chip (SoC). The PhyCore-OMAP4430 clocks the SoC's dual ARM Cortex-A9 cores to 1GHz, measures 1.6 x 2.0 inches (41 x 51 mm), offers up to 1GB LPDDR2 RAM and 1GB NAND flash, provides Ethernet, USB, and I2C connectivity, and draws only three Watts.
While it looks like a leftover April Fools joke, a 21st century revamp of the classic Commodore 64 computer is orderable now and will ship with Linux. Equipped with a classically styled case and “color-matched” keys, the device offers a dual-core Intel Atom processor, an Nvidia Ion 2 GPU, up to 4GB of RAM, dual SATA ports, and a Mini PCI Express slot, says Commodore USA LLC.
Google has added Location History to Google Latitude in its latest Maps 5.3 for Android application. Users may also check-in from home and leave tips via the Hotpot recommendation engine, says the company.
Kontron announced a ruggedized rackmount server designed to serve up infotainment to train passengers. The Linux-ready KISS 4U KTC-5520 Transportation server complies with EN 50155, EN 50121, and EN 60068 railway standards, offering dual Intel Xeon 5600 or 5500 processors, up to 96GB of DDR3 memory, four drive bays, PCI and PCI Express slots, and remote management functionality.
Qnap Systems announced a four-drive, rackmountable network attached storage (NAS) “TS-412U” server supporting up to 12TB and aimed at the SMB and workgroup markets. In other Linux-based NAS news, Buffalo Systems started shipping its home-focused Pogoplug-based Cloudstor NAS device, which offers free cloud based-storage in addition to up to 2TB local capacity.