Software Blog » Programs

Radio Tray: Tiny Web Radio Player Is Handy but Picks Up Some Static

admin — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:00:00 +0000

If you spend a lot of time at your keyboard, no doubt you dabble a lot in listening to Internet radio. Radio Tray is a relatively new Linux app that can make tuning in to your favorite radio stations a new experience. Radio Tray is a streaming player for online radio that sits on the Linux desktop panel. Think of this app as a shortcut that hides the browser interface. It is not intended to replace a full-featured music player. Rather, its was created as a fast and simple way to play streaming radio with a barely-there interface.

Google Mashes Up Eggheads’ Big Ideas With Solve for X

admin — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:50:43 +0000

Google has launched a new program devoted to fostering discussions and ideas among leaders in the science and technology industries. The project, dubbed “Solve for X,” aims to be a seeding ground for solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems. The site is meant to inspire “moonshot” thinking, out-of-the-box technologies and projects that might seem closer to science fiction than real-life solutions to global problems. The program hopes to sponsor thinkers and doers that can highlight a widespread problem and present concrete and radical solutions.

Google Hires Bouncer to Give Android Malware the Heave-Ho

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:49:00 +0000

Google announced a new layer of security for its Android Market on Thursday, unveiling a program called “Bouncer” that will automatically scan apps and developer accounts for malware. Bouncer works by analyzing each app as it’s uploaded to the Market, scanning for threats, spyware and trojans. It also takes a look at developer accounts to make sure they don’t have a malicious history. If they do, Bouncer will discourage them from returning. The program will do repeated scans on existing apps to keep tabs on the entire marketplace.

Spark Tablet Coming for the FOSS Crowd

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:00:00 +0000

The recently announced Spark tablet might prove to be the first Linux-running open source tablet fully capable of being modded by users. It has an open Linux stack on unlocked hardware, and it will come with an open content and services market. The Spark will come under the Gnu General Public License from its inception. Pricing will be about US$265, according to KDE developer Aaron Seigo. The Spark will be offered as a device made for customization and project-specific integration.

SMPlayer: A Flexible, Feature-Filled Media Player With a Frustrating Flaw

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:00:00 +0000

When it comes to playing audio and video files in Linux, media players pretty much all work the same way and have a very similar user interface. It usually all comes down to features. With SMPlayer it depends on what you want to play. Unfortunately, this bug of sorts is something its developer Ricardo Villalba has yet to resolve in the latest release, version 0.7.0. It is more of an inconvenience than an all-out reason to reject using SMPlayer completely. The problem is this app’s inability to read directories from CD/DVD music collections inserted in the optical drive.

Meeting the Productivity Challenge in a Consumerized IT World

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Employees are growing more comfortable working from their own devices, particularly with the increasing adoption of portable technologies like the tablet computer. They are also accustomed to self-service delivery of applications in their personal lives, with almost instant access to apps and new services. Rather than fight a losing battle with device regulation, IT managers need to learn how to get a handle on these devices, so they can lead the way to the greater user productivity that is possible within a more diverse technology environment.

SC Rules Cops Need Warrant to Slap GPS on Cars

admin — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:57:13 +0000

The U.S. Supreme Court decided Monday that law enforcement officials need a court-approved warrant before using a GPS device to track a suspect. Justices offered different opinions regarding how Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures applied to the balance between law enforcement and privacy. However, the court decided unanimously on the need for a warrant. The decision was based on the case of Washington, D.C., nightclub owner Antonine Jones.

Ultrabooks, Tablets and the Space Between

admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

The stage is set for a new battle of mobile form factors. The winner could set a new non-desktop standard for consumers and office workers looking for a better alternative to bulky laptops. Lighter, thinner and more powerful are the key factors guiding the designs of tablets, convertibles, hybrids and Ultrabooks. All four form factors challenge the range of sizes found in traditional notebook computers. The netbook is perhaps a casualty of the last round of form factor skirmishing.

LiVES: A Rich Video Editor With Layer Upon Layer of Features

admin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

LiVES is an advanced video editor that can double as a video jockey tool. It is surprisingly powerful. But its interface makes it rather simple to learn. In fact, it has so many feature levels that this app would be right at home as the video editor of choice in any professional film editing studio. I had almost no trouble putting LiVES to work on a current project before I even finished my initial shakedown of this application. This trial-by-fire test run proved highly successful.

Lenovo Unwraps Android 4.0 ‘Ice Cream Sandwich’ Smart TV

admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

At the Consumer Electronics Show on Sunday, Lenovo unveiled a smart TV it says is the world’s first to run Android 4.0, or Ice Cream Sandwich. Powered by a QualComm 8060 Snapdragon dual core CPU, the smart device — called the “K91″ — features a 55-inch screen, a gamepad, and a user interface that combines Video On Demand, Internet applications and traditional TV programs. Thirty console-quality games will come bundled with the TV, with many more apps available in the Android Market and the Lenovo App Shop.

The K91 is now available in China, but information on pricing and availability elsewhere was not provided.

Going All-FOSS With a New Computer

admin — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Linux bloggers’ New Year’s resolutions tend to be many and varied in any given year, but one most can surely agree upon is the desire to outfit a new PC with nothing but free software. That sentiment, indeed, is just the one that was anticipated over at Computeractive UK, which published a compelling little story along those lines back in December. “I want to use only free software on my new PC. Where do I start?” the piece began. Of course, as any good Linux geek knows, there’s a wide world of FOSS out there.

Minitube Puts More You in YouTube

admin — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

YouTube is a great source for watching an eclectic collection of videos on music, human stupidity and worldly comedy. But I find it much too easy to go far afield as I click on “also watched” videos when viewing a particular topic line. Minitube solves that problem for me. Not only does Minitube better filter the flow of videos I take in, but it also creates a more pleasant viewing experience that resembles a high-def TV environment. And it does this without Adobe Flash Player or a Web browser just to get them to play.

No Shelter From a Cybercrime Storm

admin — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

The Anonymous hacker collective has run riot this holiday season, and security experts predict more pain from cybercriminals at large for the coming year. Anonymous announced earlier that it had also cracked the systems of gear vendor SpecialForces.com. As a follow-up to its breach of private think tank Stratfor’s systems last week, the hacker collective, or its stepchild Antisec, dumped all the information stolen from the Stratfor break-in on the Web on Friday.

Clonezilla: A Drive-Duping Monster With a Fearsome Face

admin — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Backing up data and restoring a crashed computer are two of those “I wish I hadda” moments in the life of every computer user. When you maintain a collection of computers for your job or organization, those tasks can be critical. One of the fastest and most reliable ways to restore an afflicted computer is to copy its previously saved image onto the hard drive. This is particularly useful when the cure for what crashed your computer is a failed hard drive. Clonezilla is one of my top choices for open source imaging solutions. But using it comes with a caveat: Its interface is intimidating.

The 5 Pillars of Master Data Management

admin — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

In the last three years, corporate views of master data management have rapidly evolved from data-centric confusion to a point where companies now focus on the consumers of master data and the business processes that consume it. In the next two to five years, the companies that use this MDM momentum will gain a strategic advantage. Companies are often tempted to start by defining what master data looks like versus starting by asking, “which applications and processes need master data” and then asking what data they need.

gDesklets: Semi-Sweet Eye Candy

admin — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

My interest in desktop eye candy vacillates with the seasons. The added productivity it brings to a particular desktop design is also a factor. Now that GNOME 3 forces a desktop without icons, I took a look at how useful the gDesklets Project might be. When it comes to little desktop applets or widgets on the Linux platform, you have two choices: gDeklets and Screenlets. While both projects have a similar look and feel, gDesklets is more of a latecomer to the party. It has a good amount of catching up to do in order to grow beyond the basics.

HTC: If Thine Feature Offends Thee, Pluck It Out

admin — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 20:14:17 +0000

The United States International Trade Commission has ruled that Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC violated an Apple patent under Section 337 of the U.S. Tariff Act of 1930. It has issued a limited exclusion order that will take effect in April prohibiting the importation “of infringing personal data and mobile communication devices and related software.” HTC responded by stating that it will remove the technologies affected by the ruling from its devices.

Apple Gears Up to Create a Star TV

admin — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:14:49 +0000

Apple is holding talks with media executives to discuss the future of television, according to a recent report. It’s also allegedly working on providing wireless streaming capabilities, voice and motion controls, and features that enable the sharing of content across multiple devices. “We believe it’s very likely that Apple’s working on a set-top box or iTV or whatever you’d like to call it, because the TV is the next growth area for Apple, and it’s the only one screen they haven’t conquered yet,” said Jia Wu, a senior analyst at Strategy Analytics.

2011′s Tribulations and Triumphs for FOSS

admin — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Well December is halfway over for another year, and that means 2011 is drawing to a close.
It’s been a tempestuous year, most would surely agree, and one that wrought momentous change in this already fast-paced industry of ours. Which were the biggest, most monumental events here in the world of FOSS, you ask? Ask four different Linux bloggers and you’ll get four different answers — which is just what Linux Girl did. “No question about it — THE technology story for 2011 is the death of Steve Jobs,” said Slashdot blogger Barbara Hudson.

Facebook Tackles Suicide Prevention

admin — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 19:20:07 +0000

Facebook has teamed up with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to help bring emergency counseling services to members in need. The partnership aims to provide Facebook with the ability to spot comments or material users post that could be indications of severe distress. If another user sees worrying content posted by a friend, that user will then have the option to click on a “suicidal content” label, listed under the “harmful behavior” menu.