TalkBack: ubuntuguide.org deserves some credit | reader response on| CNET News.com

TalkBack: ubuntuguide.org deserves some credit | reader response on| CNET News.com: "That site is exactly to the point. Also, if you are too lazy to copy paste from ubuntuguide.org to get flash, java, mp3 support etc. up and running look no further than the Ubuntu Add-on CD found here
http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=150088&postcount=1

Install Ubuntu, put in the add on CD, run 'sudo sh $HOME/ug-install.sh -auto' and you are done."

Will Linux Benefit from Microsoft's SNAFU in Massachusetts?

Will Linux Benefit from Microsoft's SNAFU in Massachusetts?: "With all the pressure aagainst Microsoft, the levees had to experience a breech at some point. On September 23rd, I believe the levee broke. Only time will prove us right or wrong."

September 23rd 2005, the beginning of the end for Microsoft.

EmperorLinux Brings the ThinkPad X41 Tablet in Linux Flavor

EmperorLinux Brings the ThinkPad X41 Tablet in Linux Flavor: "EmperorLinux has announced the Raven Tablet, the ThinkPad X41 by Lenovo, to the Linux world with a 1.5 GHz Pentium-M, 1.5 GB RAM and a 60 GB hard drive, built-in ethernet and WiFi. "

Open Source Victoria Urges Australian Agencies to Follow Massachusetts in Open Document Standards - Sep 28, 2005

Open Source Victoria Urges Australian Agencies to Follow Massachusetts in Open Document Standards - Sep 28, 2005: "'Open Source Victoria congratulates the U.S. State of Massachusetts for taking the lead and acting to future-proof its electronic archives. We urge all Australian Governments, federal, state and local to do the same,' said OSV spokesperson Donna Benjamin. "

Americans for Technology Leadership - SourceWatch

Americans for Technology Leadership - SourceWatch: "Pro-Microsoft letter campaign discovered

In August 2001 the Los Angeles Times reported that a ATL was behind a 'carefully orchestrated nationwide campaign to create the impression of a surging grass-roots movement' behind Microsoft. 'The campaign, orchestrated by a group partly funded by Microsoft, goes to great lengths so that the letters appear to be spontaneous expressions from ordinary citizens."

TECTONIC: Shuttleworth buys into ImpiLinux

TECTONIC: Shuttleworth buys into ImpiLinux: "Ubuntu founder Mark Shuttleworth today announced his venture capital business HBD had made a 'significant investment' and taken a majority stake in South African distribution ImpiLinux. Other investors include empowerment group Khuselo Investments. "

Numenta, Inc.

Numenta, Inc.: "Numenta is developing a new type of computer memory system modeled after the human neocortex. The applications of this technology are broad and can be applied to solve problems in computer vision, artificial intelligence, robotics and machine learning. The Numenta technology, called Hierarchical Temporal Memory (HTM), is based on a theory of the neocortex described in Jeff Hawkins' book entitled On Intelligence (with co-author Sandra Blakeslee)."

InformationWeek Weblog: Why In The World Would Big Companies Use Open Source?

InformationWeek Weblog: Why In The World Would Big Companies Use Open Source?: "Why in the world would they use open source? Actually, the question has become: why in the world wouldn't they use open source?"

Peru's green light to open-source software - Breaking - Technology - smh.com.au

Peru's green light to open-source software - Breaking - Technology - smh.com.au: "In July 2002, Toledo clearly sided with the software companies, appearing with Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates to announce the donation of $550,000 (euro458,142) in funds, software and consulting services to the Peruvian government for educational and 'e-government' initiatives.

Several countries, including Brazil, China, France, Germany, Japan and South Korea have been actively moving toward open-source alternatives, like the Linux operating system."

Open Framework Systems AS

OFS�� - om

xG Technology says xMAX test a success

xG Technology says xMAX test a success: "Using an omnidirectional antenna 850 feet off the ground operating in the 900 MHz industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) band, xG said it achieved a data rate of 1.46 MB/s over a distance of 12.5 miles using just 50 milliwatts of power."

NewsForge | What has Microsoft done for Massachusetts lately? (Recommended links)

NewsForge | What has Microsoft done for Massachusetts lately?: "IBM's Bob Sutor and Sun's Tim Bray have already shared constructive and entertaining comments. Sutor, in particular, is keeping us nicely abreast of any worthwhile new items (here's his RSS feed). Nicholas Carr at Harvard Business School has weighed in, and Stephen Walli, an ex-Microsoft manager, gives us a valuable primer on open vs de facto standards in context of Microsoft's letter of response. I hope to amplify those valuable comments here in order to shed more light on Microsoft's extraordinary disposition."

University wastes millions on software for students

Minnesota Daily

Massachusetts Verdict: MS Office Formats Out

Massachusetts Verdict: MS Office Formats Out: "'We've had an active, ongoing conversation with Microsoft since January about this, and they've been open to hearing our position,' Quinn said. 'But I don't know one way or the other how they're ultimately going to react to this. Also, this isn't just about Microsoft. We're focusing on the formats here, not necessarily the software.'

Unless Microsoft starts supporting OO.org, Quinn said, the state will gradually phase out Microsoft Office in favor of OO.org."

State's Open Document Dispute Raises Legacy Questions

State's Open Document Dispute Raises Legacy Questions: "Government is trusted with preserving for its citizens the integrity of their public records. Because most, if not all, permanent records will eventually move from that universal data format—paper—to electronic formats, IT bears responsibility now and in the future to preserve access to those records. Consistent with that responsibility, we think Microsoft—and all software vendors—should support accepted and ratified open formats.

We think Massachusetts officials are right to take a stand."

BetaNews | Mass. Finalizes Plan to Drop MS Office

BetaNews | Mass. Finalizes Plan to Drop MS Office: "There's a bit of a recurring misconception here that Microsoft is encouraging the media to spread.

Firstly, the plan is plainly NOT primarily about 'cost', but (as the recordings and transcripts of the recent meeting make clear) rather about 'soveriegnty' (that is, the state's data belongs to the STATE and its citizens, not Microsoft Corporation or any other entity.). The focus is on ensuring that the state's data is in a format that is completely and openly documented, is readily implementable by anyone without restrictions (Microsoft carefully crafted their 'patent' license for their data format in a manner designed to forbid 'GPL'-licensed software from being able to agree to the terms), and is of a standard that is not under exclusive control of a single entity.

'Microsoft' has not, by any means, been locked out. They need only support the OASIS format in their 'Office' suite to remain in consideration"

PCWorld.com - Massachusetts Finalizes Plans to Phase Out Microsoft Office

PCWorld.com - Massachusetts Finalizes Plans to Phase Out Microsoft Office: "Massachusetts Finalizes Plans to Phase Out Microsoft Office

In a first for a U.S. state, executive branch agencies will adopt the OpenDocument standard by 2007.

Elizabeth Montalbano, IDG News Service
Friday, September 23, 2005

The state of Massachusetts has finalized a proposed move to an open, nonproprietary format for office documents, a plan that involves phasing out versions of Microsoft's Office productivity suite deployed in the state's executive branch agencies."

Industry Summit on the Commercial Adoption of Open Source Software - October 12 - Palo Alto, CA

The 451 Group | Products And Services | 451events: "Event Focus

The 451 Group is hosting a senior executive-level industry summit to discuss the impact of open source software in the enterprise IT arena and to identify how to build a successful business model around open source. The use of open source software is fundamentally changing the way that vendors, end users and investors do business and make money. Like all powerful tools, open source can do damage if used improperly; however, the potential benefits also are massive, and that's why it's important to understand where there is upside potential in the commercial adoption of open source."

Venture Capital: Open source startups are hot -- too hot?

Venture Capital: Open source startups are hot -- too hot?: "But lawyers aren't the only ones looking to cash in on what many believe will be a tectonic shift in the technology industry -- possibly shaking up the way software is developed, distributed and sold.

Venture capitalists are tossing money at open source startups every chance they get, prompting some to utter the dreaded 'B' word: bubble."

Government's role in open source | Open Source | ZDNet.com

Government's role in open source | Open Source | ZDNet.com: "In the developing world much of the open source excitement is driven by government.

Brazil's efforts in this area are well-known. While the general public may just pirate software and movies, government must be more circumspect. The Brazilian government figures it can save $500 per worker by switching to open source, and is thinking of making the switch mandatory.

This has caused big moves in the private sector. Look at the Zope Web site, for instance, and you'll find a grand training tour being undertaken this fall in Brazil by a local company. That's a lot of knowledge, and more on the way.

The point today is other countries are seeing this success and starting to emulate it.

Take South Africa, for instance. The State Information Technology Agency estimates it has 300,000 computers, and can save billions of rand in making the switch to open source. "

Irish Developer Network NEWS HEADLINES - Latest Technology News & Daily Expert Tech Features for programmers, software developers and ICT professional

Irish Developer Network NEWS HEADLINES - Latest Technology News & Daily Expert Tech Features for programmers, software developers and ICT professionals in Ireland: "The success of this test confirms what weve always believed, said Rick Mooers, Executive Chairman of xG Technology. xMax is likely to be an equation-changer in the wireless and wireline telecom industries."

LinuxWorld | Can open source companies innovate?

LinuxWorld | Can open source companies innovate?: "The interesting thing about this model is that when you strip it down to brass tacks it looks an awful lot like an insurance business. Customers pay for a number to call even though they hope to never dial it. The problem is that in practice these support contracts don't work like health insurance; they're more like dental insurance."

XML in Firefox 1.5, Part 1: Overview of XML features

XML in Firefox 1.5, Part 1: Overview of XML features: "open"

Google Wi-Fi Would Have a Big Impact

Google Wi-Fi Would Have a Big Impact: "Opinion: If Google does offer free wireless Internet access, it could change the political, social and economic fabric of the country. And that's not a bad thing. "

U-M statement on Google library project

U of M News Service: "'This is a tremendously important public policy discussion. In the future, most research and learning is going to take place in a digital world. Material that does not exist in digital form will effectively disappear. We need to decide whether we are going to allow the development of new technology to be used as a tool to restrict the public's access to knowledge, or if we are going to ensure that people can find these works and that they will be preserved for future generations.'"

Top Tech News - Tech Trends - Trusted Computing Making Headway

Top Tech News - Tech Trends - Trusted Computing Making Headway: "Research-firm IDC predicts that 50 percent of all computers shipped by 2007 will contain hardware-encryption chips, a key component of the trusted-computing initiative. Other industry watchers report that more than 20 million encryption chips will be shipped by year's end."

Overview: Gartner Open Source Summit

Overview: Gartner Open Source Summit: "Open source software is increasingly sharing the spotlight with traditional solutions across a great number of markets. Indeed in many areas open source has taken center stage."

Are the final open source skeptics coming around? Open Source ZDNet.com

� Are the final open source skeptics coming around? | Open Source | ZDNet.com: "It was a fairly balanced look at Linux, from a corporate perspective. It cited two main reasons to choose Linux, a 'drastic reduction of hardware costs' and 'fear of being locked into proprietary software.' It did say Linux isn't free, and called performance enhancements over Windows and Unix a myth, but it noted 'many firms do realize significant cost reductions' when they switch, and that 'Linux is the perfect service-oriented architecture.'

There was nothing remarkable here except the byline — Laura DiDio."

SourceWire | Press Releases - UK school switches to Linux

SourceWire | Press Releases - UK school switches to Linux: "A preparatory school with 350 pupils aged from five to thirteen, the Mall School has an excellent academic reputation and is keen to offer the very best IT facilities without blowing the budget. The new system, which came fully installed for less than �15,000, offered an estimated 60% saving over an equivalent proprietary solution. Installation took less than a week and the system is proving very easy to use and administer. "

Big Picture | Google builds an empire to rival Microsoft | CNET News.com

Big Picture | Google builds an empire to rival Microsoft | CNET News.com: "This feature allows you to view a selected story in a broader context by automatically expanding its related coverage.

Google builds an empire to rival Microsoft
Search giant could become more important than Redmond rival, says author who has studied its patents and engineering."

Good article!!!

PRESS RELEASE Bryant University Commits to Open-Source Future With IBM

PRESS RELEASE Bryant University Commits to Open-Source Future With IBM: "Bryant University is following a general trend in academia to advance the capabilities of applications using the Linux operating system, considered to be critical to any organization looking to build a reliable, innovative and flexible technology platform based on open-source solutions. By using the Linux OS, students are collaboratively building their computer skills foundation for application development and as a result, broadening their technical expertise for future job opportunities."

OpenOffice is great alternative to Microsoft

OpenOffice is great alternative to Microsoft: "Feature-wise, I'd guesstimate that OpenOffice 2.0 is only missing about 5 percent of MS Office's feature set, and nearly every missing feature is a power tool. Which is sort of an all-or-nothing thing: either it's a feature that you've never used and never will, or it's something you absolutely rely on each and every day."

Troubling Exits At Microsoft

Troubling Exits At Microsoft

Very interesting article!!

Ubuntu Norge (Fantastisk bra nyhende!!)

FrontPage - Ubuntu Norge: "Velkommen til Ubuntu Norge
Velkommen til sidene for Ubuntu Norge. Sidene er bygd på en wiki, det vil si at alle som vil kan bidra med innhold på sidene bare ved å registrere seg.

Noe av formålet med å opprette Ubuntu Norge er å samle alle norske Ubuntu-fans, og spre det videre. Vi håper å kunne være representert på flest mulige dataparties, LAN, osv. Alt er opp til de som vil være med i Ubuntu Norge av hva som skjer i den Norske Ubuntu-leiren. Vil du bli med, så heng på! Registrer deg på [WWW]medlemssiden, så kan vi kontakt når vi trenger en person til aktiviteter i ditt område!"

Slouching Toward a Flatter World - Computerworld

Slouching Toward a Flatter World - Computerworld: "In a nontechnical style, the author shows how IT breakthroughs such as open-source, global networks, Web browsers and search engines have driven the world to become increasingly flat."

Open Resource

Open Resource

Top Tech News - Tech Trends - Battle Lines Drawn Between Browsers Again

Top Tech News - Tech Trends - Battle Lines Drawn Between Browsers Again: "Leal says that even if Firefox use exploded, it would still be hard to get off Internet Explorer internally where Web-based tools, such as teller applications and virus monitoring, rely on the Microsoft software's features. 'Switching browsers isn't a decision we could make lightly. We would have to work with countless vendors to ensure their applications run,' he says."

Mozilla slams Firefox security critics - Security Strategy - Breaking Business and Technology News at silicon.com

Mozilla slams Firefox security critics - Security Strategy - Breaking Business and Technology News at silicon.com: "'Basically their vulnerabilities are more critical,' he said. 'With Firefox - yeah, you have holes but they're much less serious.' Nitot likened the differences between Firefox and IE vulnerabilities to injuries: 'Which would you prefer, to have a broken finger, or your head ripped off?"

FT.com / Technology / Digital Business - How open source gave power to the people

FT.com / Technology / Digital Business - How open source gave power to the people

Computerworld Singapore - Say no to software piracy! (Use open source)

Computerworld Singapore - Say no to software piracy! (Use open source)

Open-source solutions for eGovernance to be discussed

: "Ha Noi (VNA) - Specialists will speak extensively on the technical and economical aspects of open-source solutions for eGovernance at an international conference in Ha Noi from September 28-30, said the Viet Nam Institute of Information Technology (IOIT Viet Nam).

The conference aims to draw attention to the growing importance of open-source solutions in this field by presenting the political and economical incentives, business models and market opportunities that will arise from eGovernance."

O'Reilly Network: U.S. Patent Reform Bill: An Interview with Mark Webbink

O'Reilly Network: U.S. Patent Reform Bill: An Interview with Mark Webbink

Interesting interview!

A NEW PARADIGM FOR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IN SOFTWARE

A NEW PARADIGM FOR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IN SOFTWARE: "A Winter 2004 article by Bradford L. Smith and Susan O. Mann of Microsoft published in The University of Chicago Law Review suggests that the development and growth of the software industry in the U.S. is a direct outgrowth of the implementation of intellectual property regimes, specifically copyright and patent, with respect to software in the late 1970s and early 1980s. This paper suggests that such patents were neither the sole nor the principal factor for the development of the software industry, that concerns about patents manifested prior to or soon after their application to software have proven true, and that patents are, in fact, not serving the interests of either the U.S. software industry or the consuming public. To that end, this paper advances recommendations for reforming the U.S. patent system as well as consideration of a new schema for protecting software."

Tom's Hardware Guide: Tom's Hard News

Tom's Hardware Guide: Tom's Hard News: "Office 12 makes XML documents that can be translated using XSLT - an open standard mentioned here this week - into XAML, which produces front-end consoles that can be displayed through any browser, and which can be aggregated using RSS - another existing open standard - in order to derive the metadata that makes them publishable using SharePoint... which eventually becomes imported into Office 12."

The New Linux Standard

The New Linux Standard: "Efforts to create a Linux standard gained some ground today with the release of the Linux Standards Base (LSB) 3.0 specification. The latest LSB standard is an effort to help prevent the fragmentation of Linux and is widely supported by major Linux vendors."

British Computer Society - Member view: The trouble with open source

British Computer Society - Member view: The trouble with open source: "What we really need from government is an investigation of the long-term effects of OSS on our indigenous software industry, assistance to combat the threat to the industry's livelihood that OSS might pose and the development of a strategy to build on the opportunities that OSS has created. Without prompt action, my fear is that a further move towards OSS could result in the nightmare scenario of OSS at one extreme and Microsoft at the other with nothing else in between. Where would our freedom of choice be then?"

This is a good example on a well written LIE article. If the British Computer Society was interested in the small business then they would have been against software patents. So who is this organization that write that: "This might not be such a bad thing, as I'm sure that many of us would secretly welcome the collapse of the virtual monopoly that currently exists in the desktop software market."

IKT-Norge, the German Society for Informatics is also organizations that is corrupted by the big busines. Money talks!

LinuxWorld | Tax collects Linux for open source analytics

LinuxWorld | Tax collects Linux for open source analytics: "Despite its strong ties to proprietary software vendors, the Australian Taxation Office has finally dipped its toes into open source by establishing a Linux-based system for information analytics."

Chinese Internet vs. free speech / Hard choices for U.S. tech giants

Chinese Internet vs. free speech / Hard choices for U.S. tech giants: "Two asset management firms that concentrate on socially responsible investing have penned a shareholder resolution for Cisco Systems, which will come up for a vote at the company's next annual meeting. The resolution urges the company to draft and implement a human rights policy. It was submitted by Boston Common Asset Management, which holds 104,200 shares of Cisco common stock, and Domini Social Investments.

Cisco unsuccessfully challenged the resolution with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company said it has already done what the proposal suggests."

Opening the potential of OpenOffice.org

Opening the potential of OpenOffice.org: "So how do you help? 'Well, grok bugzilla / your personal collection of tricky MS files, find some scab and pick at it' he says. He continues, 'the first thing to do is to download the latest ooo-build, and build it yourself, then go over the My First Hack page. Be sure to pop onto IRC and ask for help.

A hugely important point to stress is that non-coders can help out with OpenOffice.org too. If you don't have an affinity for code but still want to contribute, head over to the contributions page and read up on the different ways in which you can help. The page gives details about helping with writing, marketing, helping users, graphics/art, translations and quality assurance."

If you read this, I urge you to contribute to this key to the success of GNU/Linux:-)

Moodle - A Free, Open Source Course Management System for Online Learning

Moodle - A Free, Open Source Course Management System for Online Learning: "Moodle is a course management system (CMS) - a free, Open Source software package designed using sound pedagogical principles, to help educators create effective online learning communities. You can download and use it on any computer you have handy (including webhosts), yet it can scale from a single-teacher site to a 40,000-student University. This site itself is created using Moodle, so check out the Moodle Features demos, the Demonstration Courses or read the latest Moodle Buzz."

Dear Congress: GPL threatens capitalism - TechUpdate - ZDNet

Dear Congress: GPL threatens capitalism - TechUpdate - ZDNet: "The way in which this issue is resolved will have very important ramifications for

* our nation's economy
* our continued ability to lead the world in technology
* our international competitive position in the global software industry, and even for
* our national security"

Yes, if the United States dont stop all ideas and knowledge sharing in the world promptly, they risk to loose in the international competition. Just wait and see, the "anti-terror" laws will perhaps soon include open standards and open source. Perhaps also clean energy like hydrogen will become forbidden to, because it threatens the "national security"???

Firefox secrets revealed

Firefox secrets revealed: "What's the most important piece of advice you have for IT professionals who want to migrate their companies from MS Explorer to Firefox?

Yank: Hurry up. "

Asa Dotzler - Firefox and more: search fud and lazy reporters

Asa Dotzler - Firefox and more: search fud and lazy reporters: "Well, Microsoft's FUD engine is coughing and sputtering as it cranks back up. Today Microsoft is telling a gullible media that they've got a search strategy that's better than Firefox's because, 'unlike with Firefox, Microsoft is using a standard that develops itself independent of the browser, and can thus let users add many search engines to IE without Microsoft having to code them all into the browser.'

WTF? Seriously. How is Firefox's standard not open and how does it require a Firefox update to add any of nearly 4,000 search plugins available today for Firefox. This is a clearly a case of Microsoft pushing lies and FUD to the to the press and the press happily publishing it as fact.

It's a shame that the press is so comfortable publishing without first fact checking. Nathan Weinberg should be embarrassed at having been made a Microsoft tool like that."

FIREFOX among the Top 10 products the last 10 years

Top 10 products - CNET.com: "Sure, Mozilla has been around for many years, but Firefox 1.0 brought the open-source browser into the mainstream. Some never thought Mozilla could make it as anything more than a geek badge of pride. The light, secure, and efficient Firefox is legitimately challenging Internet Explorer's stranglehold on Web browsing."

BBC NEWS | Technology | Netting the next five billion

BBC NEWS | Technology | Netting the next five billion

JabRef: Java GUI for managing BibTeX and other bibliographies

JabRef: Java GUI for managing BibTeX and other bibliographies: "JabRef is a graphical frontend to manage BibTeX databases, the standard LaTeX bibliography reference format. JabRef is build to be platform independant (requires Java 1.4.2 or newer). It merges and extends the functionalities of BibKeeper (Morten O. Alver) and JBibtexManager (Nizar Batada)."

UbuntuScientists - Ubuntu Wiki

UbuntuScientists - Ubuntu Wiki

There is many scientists at the Ubuntu-forum also.

UbuntuScientists - Ubuntu Wiki

UbuntuScientists - Ubuntu Wiki

There is many scientists at the Ubuntu-forum also.

Magnatune: MP3 music and music licensing (royalty free music and license music).

Magnatune: MP3 music and music licensing (royalty free music and license music).

" We call it "try before you buy." It's the shareware model applied to music. Listen to 409 complete MP3 albums we've picked (not 30 second snippets).

We let the music sell itself, because we think that's the best way to get you excited by it.

Our selection is intentionally small: we never waste your time with mediocre music. "

GOOD, CHEAP AND ETHICAL MUSIC!

Microsoft, Linux and Africa

Articles: "These observers suggest that Microsoft has acted as a corporate 'good citizen' in many African countries. They argue that the company has been seen as an important corporate advocate on behalf of emerging African countries trying to shake off reputations for corruption and instability as they attempt to attract foreign capital. Microsoft has been particularly active in a program called the New Partnership for Africa's Development. Nicknamed NEPAD, the program has been the centerpiece of Southern Africa's campaign to attract massive investment and technical resources for that country and its neighbors. Such advocacy, combined with the no-cost software, made it hard for the Mbeki government to turn down Microsoft's offer."

Lobbyism needs money and smart and sympatic people. Microsoft can afford to buy this.

getopenlab.com - Computing the cost of doing business

getopenlab.com - Computing the cost of doing business: "Many of our technically uninspired staff thought they were simply using another version of Windows, so simple and similar was the interface of the new system.

As for technical and financial aspects of the move to an open-source operating system, those were vastly different.

Support staff spend far less time resolving queries and computers operate almost without any problems at all – the majority of them have not been shut down or rebooted since they were turned on.

On a financial level, the cost of both new hardware and software licensing was far less than what the company would have spent on simply renewing its current Windows licenses.

If this is what it is all about, I would warn the guys at Microsoft to watch out. They may soon wake up one morning to find that they're not the most popular kid on the office block anymore."

RED HERRING | IBM Pushes Open Borders (3 GOOD NEWS)

RED HERRING | IBM Pushes Open Borders: "In the United States, IBM and Red Hat, two of the highest-profile vendors behind the movement, announced a joint effort on Friday to certify developers in areas such as India, China, and Russia on the combination of IBM systems and Red Hat’s Linux enterprise software.



In Jakarta, Indonesia, the Ministry of Research and Technology said on Thursday that it would standardize on Java Desktop System on Linux. The announcement, which was made jointly with Sun Microsystems, aims to promote the general use of open-source systems across that country.



In Johannesburg, South Africa, the open-source movement found a powerful ally in the Minister of Science and Technology, Mosibudi Mangena, who on Thursday urged South Africa’s government departments to switch to open source."

News - Doing Business in 2006 – Reforms Mean More Jobs

News - Doing Business in 2006 – Reforms Mean More Jobs: "September 12, 2005 —Imagine having a company in Sierra Leone where if you paid all your business taxes, it would eat up 164 percent of your company’s gross profit.

Or imagine being in Syria, where you’re expected to put up at least US$61,000 in capital – 51 times the average annual income – to register a business.

Perhaps try Mozambique – where an entrepreneur must go through 14 separate procedures over 153 days to register a new business.

In Lao PDR, the start-up procedures take 198 days.

By contrast, in Australia it takes 2 days."

� Should election software be open source? | Open Source | ZDNet.com

� Should election software be open source? | Open Source | ZDNet.com

Techworld.com - Novell: Linux is growing in data centres and workgroups

Techworld.com - Novell: Linux is growing in data centres and workgroups: "Q: Have you seen much traction with Linux on the desktop? A: It's now bigger than Macintosh. And it is growing. We see Linux on the desktop as the longer road. The shorter-term opportunities are in Web infrastructure, IT infrastructure, Web servers, database servers, database hosting and these types of things."

Dell Leads Industry in Number of Linux Servers Shipped; Offers Additional 'n-Series' Client Configurations to Meet Growing Customer Interest in Open S

Dell Leads Industry in Number of Linux Servers Shipped; Offers Additional 'n-Series' Client Configurations to Meet Growing Customer Interest in Open Source-Ready Desktops: "Dell Leads Industry in Number of Linux Servers Shipped; Offers Additional 'n-Series' Client Configurations to Meet Growing Customer Interest in Open Source-Ready Desktops "

Dell Puts Mandriva on Latitude for Students

Dell Puts Mandriva on Latitude for Students: "Dell Puts Mandriva on Latitude for Students "

Red Hat, IBM to give Linux a boost | Tech News on ZDNet

Red Hat, IBM to give Linux a boost | Tech News on ZDNet: "IBM and Red Hat have created a program to boost Linux-based solutions among independent software vendors in emerging markets."

Sun Microsystems Asia South

Sun Microsystems Asia South: "Jakarta - 10 August 2005 - Sun Microsystems Indonesia today announced a multi-year agreement with Indonesia's Ministry of Research and Technology to implement a nationwide standard desktop solution based on Sun's Java Desktop System. This nationwide standard desktop software is part of the Indonesia Goes Open Source (IGOS) program that aims to help eliminate the digital divide in the world's largest archipelago."

Linux Professional Institute LPI 1 and 2 exam

Linux Professional Institute (LPI) exam prep

A series of tutorials to help you learn Linux fundamentals and prepare for system administrator certification

Linux vs. Linux: Which Distro Should You Dump Windows For?

"So Which One Should You Pick?

After all that, I hate to say, "It all depends," but in many ways it's true. Your needs and budget will always play primary roles in choosing a distribution. However, if you take into consideration the criteria set up at the beginning of this article, it's easier to make a choice. If you want a user-friendly Linux distro but don't want to pay for it, consider SuSE's Evaluation Edition. You can download it from http://www.novell.com/products/linuxprofessional/downloads/suse_linux/index.html. There's plenty of support via email lists and user forums. If you're more computer-savvy, want access to thousands of software packages, and plan on running a web or FTP server, consider Debian or Ubuntu. And if you'd like a Linux desktop replacement for Windows that won't have you dual-booting or keeping two computers for different tasks, Xandros Desktop OS Version 3 Business Edition is the option you should seriously consider. At $129, it barely compares to the $399.99 you'll pay for Microsoft Office Standard Edition 2003 and $299.99 for Microsoft Windows XP Professional. Any way you look at it, Linux offers many viable Windows replacement options; so make your choice and take the leap."

I think this is some good advices!

GNU/Linux Courses: Beginners and intermediate

Beginners course here :-)

And best of all: Totally free if you have a computer and an internet connection!

Sun.Star Cebu - Many companies now prefer open source technology-consultant

Sun.Star Cebu - Many companies now prefer open source technology-consultant: "Wiley also said that what makes Ubuntu attractive is that if a virus destroys Windows, the user can just pop in Ubuntu and continue using his computer.

He said innovations have made the system easier and less complex.

To increase more awareness, OSCSL will launch a series of lectures on open source technology starting Oct. 1 with first-time open source users as main target. (ALC) "

Forum - Computerworld.no

Forum -: "Vi sparer kr. 180.000 (nesten to hundretusen) hvert år etter at vi valgte Novells Linux løsning. Jeg har ikek regnet med tid og kostnader bundet virusbekjempelse.

Regnestykket omfatter har ca 25 PC og bærbare.

Ingen tvil om at Linux sparer ressurser og er meget fornuftig økonomi.

Også eldre maskiner kan benyttes i et Linux-nettverk. Så du får faktisk en merkbar besparelse på hw-siden også. "

allAfrica.com: South Africa: Science Minister Wants State to Embrace Open Source

allAfrica.com: South Africa: Science Minister Wants State to Embrace Open Source: "EFFORTS to increase use of open-source software in government departments have found a champion in Science and Technology Minister Mosibudi Mangena."

GOOD! SMART! WISE!

LinuxElectrons™ - Preview of Linux DCC 3.0 Released

LinuxElectrons™ - Preview of Linux DCC 3.0 Released: "DCC 3.0 is an LSB 3.0 compliant, Debian 3.1 ('sarge') based core distribution designed to serve as the basis for custom Debian distributions. It is produced by the DCC Alliance, a diverse group of Linux vendors and nonprofits with strong Debian ties that have partnered to assemble a common, standards-based core for Debian-based distributions.

Founding members are credativ, Knoppix, LinEx, Linspire, MEPIS, Progeny, Sun Wah, UserLinux, and Xandros, with membership open to additional organizations with an interest in a strong commercial presence for Debian and Debian-based solutions. "

LinuxElectrons™ - Turbolinux Completes Initial Public Offering

LinuxElectrons™ - Turbolinux Completes Initial Public Offering: "Turbolinux is the first Linux distributor to complete an IPO in Asia-Pacific. "

Linux industry sees rapid growth

Linux industry sees rapid growth: "Thus, it can be easily seen that Linux is not simply a technology, a product but a kind of ecology and an industrial chain. With the supports from various IT manufacturers in the world and the collective efforts of Linux manufacturers, a chain with Linux as a core that involves CPU, chips, host computers, system platforms, development and applications, technical services, education and training as well as final users is gradually shaping up. It is believed that the inherent creativity of Linux will also drive the flourish development of the industry while bringing forth a strong driving force for this new economic pattern."

TECTONIC: Building an African Linux distro

TECTONIC: Building an African Linux distro: "'We follow the extreme programming method of constant re-evaluation, constantly involving people who are not developers directly into the process,' says Venter.

'That does mean that our development cycle takes a bit longer, but it means better software, which, in the end, is worth it to me.'"

PostgreSQL: About

PostgreSQL: About: "Best of all, PostgreSQL's source code is available under the most liberal open source license: the BSD license. This license gives you the freedom to use, modify and distribute PostgreSQL in any form you like, open or closed source. Any modifications, enhancements, or changes you make are yours to do with as you please. As such, PostgreSQL is not only a powerful database system capable of running the enterprise, it is a development platform upon which to develop in-house, web, or commercial software products that require a capable RDBMS."

EUPolitix.com - MEPs call for EU hydrogen economy

EUPolitix.com - MEPs call for EU hydrogen economy: "The MEPs said they are planning discussions on floating a European wide hydrogen bond which could raise billions of euros for building a hydrogen economy infrastructure.

A ‘roadmap’ will be presented by October 2005 which the MEPs said would represent the backbone of a totally new energy system across the EU."

Zinc Powder Will Drive Your Hydrogen Car

Zinc Powder Will Drive Your Hydrogen Car: "This process has many advantages over existing ways of producing hydrogen. First and foremost it uses a renewable form of energy - the sun. Furthermore the main material required for the process is the relatively inexpensive zinc oxide which is almost completely recycled back by the end of the process. Another important advantage is that the hydrogen could be produced where it is needed, i.e., at the local fuel station instead of transporting large amounts of explosive hydrogen across the country. Trucks loaded with safe Zn powder would transport it to the fuel station where it would undergo the relatively simple treatment of extracting the hydrogen using steam. Last but not least, the entire process is relatively clean and when biomass will replace the coal as an additive to the ZnO mix, the process will be completely nonpolluting. "

Armed and Dangerous Blog Archive Microsoft tries to recruit me

Armed and Dangerous � Blog Archive � Microsoft tries to recruit me: "I’d thank you for your offer of employment at Microsoft, except
that it indicates that either you or your research team (or both)
couldn’t get a clue if it were pounded into you with baseball bats.
What were you going to do with the rest of your afternoon, offer jobs
to Richard Stallman and Linus Torvalds? Or were you going to stick to
something easier, like talking Pope Benedict into presiding at a
Satanist orgy?"

Firefox Receives Softpedia User’s Choice Award - Softpedia

Firefox Receives Softpedia User’s Choice Award - Softpedia: "The Battle of Browsers is over! Until the new versions are released, here is the absolute champion. Sound the drums, ladies
and gentleman, the indisputable winner of the heavy-browser category is... Firefox!"

digi.no - RFID rydder opp på bibliotek

digi.no - RFID rydder opp p�bibliotek: "RFID-teknologi sniker seg inn stadig nye steder. N�r det nye biblioteket i danske Kolding �pner, vil 250.000 b�ker, CD-er og DVD-er v�re utstyrt med RFID-brikker. Strekkodene er historie. "

Technology news on Stuff.co.nz: Wainui backs Linux

Technology news on Stuff.co.nz: Wainui backs Linux: "Wainuiomata Training Centre hopes to raise $2 million from the Government and private sources to turn the suburb into a hotbed for open-source software development by late next year."

Group urges IT open standards in World Bank report - Computerworld

Group urges IT open standards in World Bank report - Computerworld: "The report outlines specific open ICT ecosystems employed by various nations, including Denmark's eBusiness initiative, aimed at creating a centralized ordering and invoicing process that is expected to save the country €160 million ($198 million). Denmark's initiative uses work by the OASIS Universal Business Language Technical Committee."

Nations urged to embrace open technology standards - Business - International Herald Tribune

Nations urged to embrace open technology standards - Business - International Herald Tribune: "The project was initiated by the Berkman Center at Harvard, but the center did seek support from International Business Machines and Oracle to help pay for a three-day meeting in February in Silicon Valley, when government officials from China, India, Thailand, Denmark, Jordan, Brazil and elsewhere gathered to discuss technology standards and economic development."

TECHNOLOGY: African Software Gains Global Popularity

TECHNOLOGY: African Software Gains Global Popularity: "The word 'Ubuntu is very difficult to render into a Western language,' writes Archbishop Desmond Tutu in 'No Future Without Forgiveness.' It means 'you are generous, you are hospitable, you are friendly and caring and compassionate. You share what you have.'

Ubuntu Linux calls itself the 'Linux for human beings'. In less than six months from its introduction in October 2004, Ubuntu Linux became the most popular Linux desktop distribution in the United States.

In July, PC World magazine named Ubuntu Linux one of its '100 Best Products of 2005'. And it has won numerous other awards. A special version was developed by Hewlett-Packard for its laptop computers that are sold in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. "

The China Yahoo! welcome: You've got Jail!

The China Yahoo! welcome: You've got Jail!

Schneier on Security: Trusted Computing Best Practices

Schneier on Security: Trusted Computing Best Practices: "August 31, 2005
Trusted Computing Best Practices

The Trusted Computing Group (TCG) is an industry consortium that is trying to build more secure computers. They have a lot of members, although the board of directors consists of Microsoft, Sony, AMD, Intel, IBM, SUN, HP, and two smaller companies who are voted on in a rotating basis.

The basic idea is that you build a computer from the ground up securely, with a core hardware 'root of trust' called a Trusted Platform Module (TPM). Applications can run securely on the computer, can communicate with other applications and their owners securely, and can be sure that no untrusted applications have access to their data or code.

This sounds great, but it's a double-edged sword. The same system that prevents worms and viruses from running on your computer might also stop you from using any legitimate software that your hardware or operating system vendor simply doesn't like. The same system that protects spyware from accessing your data files might also stop you from copying audio and video files. The same system that ensures that all the patches you download are legitimate might also prevent you from, well, doing pretty much anything.

(Ross Anderson has an excellent FAQ on the topic. I wrote about it back when Microsoft called it Palladium.)"

i-Newswire.com - Press Release And News Distribution - Microsoft Acts Against Foreign Country's Best Interests, Yet Again.

i-Newswire.com - Press Release And News Distribution - Microsoft Acts Against Foreign Country's Best Interests, Yet Again.: "(I-Newswire) - 'By using arguments that even the most ignorant IT professional would recognise are bogus, the Microsoft-backed China Software Industry Association ( CSIA ) is doing little more than insult the intelligence of China's IT decision-makers[1]. This gaggle of tired anti-Linux falsities were discredited years ago, yet are still trotted out as the only weapon against Linux they have,' said Con Zymaris, CEO of Cybersource, a Linux business with fifteen years experience. 'This attack is little more than an incompetently executed anti-Linux hatchet job.'

The reason for this sudden scaremongering? A projected 64% compound annual growth rate[2] for Linux over the next 5 years - making it the fastest-growing computer platform in China. Which is in turn, the fastest growing computer market and thus, a dead serious threat to Microsoft.

Against CSIA's message of Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt ( FUD ), here are the facts Microsoft don't want you to know:

1 ) Yes, you can build profitable businesses around Linux, there are many thousands of these around the world, ranging from giants like IBM to sole-proprietor micro-businesses.

2 ) Most open source developers have not 'died', as the CSIA has stated, nor have they moved on to other things. Most of the developers are healthy, happy and still coding on open source projects. In fact, there are over a million open source developers world-wide.

3 ) Linux and open source software are not 'locked in lawsuits over copyright infringements' any more than Microsoft's proprietary software - in fact, less so. The only major instance of a lawsuit against Linux, the SCO vs. IBM case, withered when SCO could produce not a single line of copyright infringement as evidence to the judge.

4 ) Software patents are not merely problems for Linux and open source, but for all software. While Linux developers are yet to pay a single dollar for patent infringement, Microsoft have paid out billions to Eolas, Alacritech, IBM, Gateway, Novel, Sun and others just in the last few years.

5 ) More importantly, U.S. software patents do not even apply in China, making this a baseless FUD tactic.

'The key question is why would the China Software Industry Association choose now as the time to launch a major offensive against Linux? We suggest the fact that Microsoft recently joined this organisation offers an answer. It is obvious that Linux's huge success in China coupled with the likelihood of massive growth for the coming decade, are seriously threatening vested interests,' continued Zymaris.

'In simple terms, Linux and open source software are the best means by which countries like China can avoid sending billions of dollars overseas to pay for software licences. It's the best way for the average Chinese citizen to afford high-quality software, legally. It's the best way for China to reduce copyright-infringement of proprietary software, which causes it embarrassment. It's the best approach towards fostering an indigenous software industry. Finally, it's the only way the Chinese government can be certain that it controls its own software destiny and security,' continued Zymaris.

'We see that once again, as in Europe and South America, areas which have similarly seen extraordinary Linux growth, Microsoft is meddling against the best interests of foreign countries. Our suggestion to these countries is simple: in almost all circumstances, Microsoft's best interests are not your best interests. Every dollar Microsoft makes is a dollar you lose. Your best option is Linux and open source software. Make the right decision for your country,' concluded Zymaris. "

Agenda Setters: Where are they now... Linus Torvalds - Operating Systems - Breaking Business and Technology News at silicon.com

Agenda Setters: Where are they now... Linus Torvalds - Operating Systems - Breaking Business and Technology News at silicon.com: "The past year has been a prosperous one for Torvalds' creation, with Linux migrations continuing in the public sector, new uses of the OS for voice over IP installations appearing, and an increasing acceptance of Linux in the mainstream corporate IT world. Sure, Microsoft still has plenty of customers and many businesses are still cautious about becoming an all-Linux shop. But it's no longer the taboo subject it was in years past."

TECTONIC: Preview of Breezy out now

TECTONIC: Preview of Breezy out now:

"Breezy also features better support for mobile users – the fastest-growing segment of the PC industry."

"Although Tectonic is of course impartial when it comes to these things, if we were to have a favourite distribution, it would be Ubuntu."

Rosetta: Translations to your own language through your own browser!

Rosetta: "Rosetta is a tool for translating open source applications into your language. You can read more about Rosetta or follow the links below to start translating."

TECTONIC: HP to ship Ubuntu PCs, serious about Linux

TECTONIC: HP to ship Ubuntu PCs, serious about Linux: "He said HP uses Linux beacause 'it allows us to create the infrastrucutre that we need. It is also the best operating system available out there.'"

Open Source Government - Speak, Search, Create - Government Technology

Open Source Government - Speak, Search, Create - Government Technology: "In contrast, The Sawyer Principles understands that open networks could give ordinary people -- who can speak, search and create in massively interconnected environment -- a significant role. 'We the People,' indeed. The paper suggests that government can innovate -- but not manage -- its way out of a tough spot."

Open source secrets laid bare : Mail & Guardian Online

Open source secrets laid bare : Mail & Guardian Online: "As the writer Charles Leadbeater recently observed, nobody owns the patent on the mountain bike, and yet most bicycle manufacturers benefited from its developments: they have sold a lot more bikes."

Linux starting to deliver says Gartner

Linux starting to deliver says Gartner

Gartner: Linux 'five years away from mainstream' use - silicon.com

Gartner: Linux 'five years away from mainstream' use - silicon.com

dn.no - Dansk hydrogenpille kan hindre energikrise

dn.no - Dansk hydrogenpille kan hindre energikrise: "Danske forskere har funnet opp en hydrogenpille som kan l�se store deler av verdens energiproblemer."

dn.no - Dansk hydrogenpille kan hindre energikrise

dn.no - Dansk hydrogenpille kan hindre energikrise: "Danske forskere har funnet opp en hydrogenpille som kan l�se store deler av verdens energiproblemer."

Oracle names Open-Source Evangelist | News.blog | CNET News.com

Oracle names Open-Source Evangelist | News.blog | CNET News.com: "Well, we are working on that and I am here to change this perception,' Tazi wrote. 'Soon Oracle will be the largest software vendor actively involved with the open source community.'"

CA releases 14 software patents to open-source developers - Computerworld

CA releases 14 software patents to open-source developers - Computerworld: "'Part of our motivation is to be able to say that we think the next generation of innovation is going to come from open-source, and we want the next generation of developers to be able to innovate,' said Mark Barrenechea, an executive vice president of technology strategy and chief technology architect at CA. That prompted CA to allow some of its relevant patents to be used by open-source developers for their projects."

MontaVista Linux Professional Edition 4.0 | Technology News Daily

MontaVista Linux Professional Edition 4.0 | Technology News Daily: "Multiple industry analyst firms, including Venture Development Corporation (VDC), have sized the 2004 embedded software market at approximately $1 billion. Although this market has traditionally been served by a variety of real-time operating system (RTOS) products, VDC’s Embedded Software Strategic Market Intelligence Program 2004 reports Linux is clearly on the rise, now commanding the largest share of current projects by more than 50 percent over the largest proprietary RTOS."

Linux gets thumbs-up down under - ZDNet UK News

Linux gets thumbs-up down under - ZDNet UK News: "'There's no doubt you can deploy Linux in any situation, it's truly robust and flexible,' he said.

'It has the potential to save huge sums of money.

'You get it all with Linux, there's no downsides.'"

InformationWeek > Linux > Microsoft Fights Piracy In China, Linux Wins > September 6, 2005

InformationWeek > Linux > Microsoft Fights Piracy In China, Linux Wins > September 6, 2005: "The Chinese government has started to realize that this is an obstacle to economic development. And if anybody pays attention to economic development these days, it's China. Now, China is beginning to look at open source software as a way out of the intellectual property quagmire that doesn't involve paying high costs.

Linux is a keystone in this strategy."

MontaVista Delivers 'Real' Linux Alternative to Proprietary Embedded Solutions; MontaVista Announces Professional Edition 4.0 with Hard Real-Time Enha

MontaVista Delivers 'Real' Linux Alternative to Proprietary Embedded Solutions; MontaVista Announces Professional Edition 4.0 with Hard Real-Time Enhancements and Latest Open Source Technologies

Toshiba and Sigma team up on Linux platform

Toshiba and Sigma team up on Linux platform

Australian IT - Linux group primes for float (Correspondents in Amsterdam, SEPTEMBER 07, 2005)

Australian IT - Linux group primes for float (Correspondents in Amsterdam, SEPTEMBER 07, 2005): "TROLLTECH, the world's biggest producer of Linux for mobile devices, has appointed two ex-Microsoft executives as it gears up for a possible initial public offering."

Bityard - United (Technology) Simplicity

Bityard - United (Technology) Simplicity: "Today, Linux is more powerful, useful, and practical than ever before! Moving to Linux, Second Edition, can help you migrate from Windows to the latest and best versions of Linux in just hours. By the time you’re finished, you’ll be able to do virtually anything in Linux—without the aggravation, crashes, security risks, or high costs of running Windows!

This is not a book for techies! It’s for people who write documents, create spreadsheets, surf the Web, use email, listen to music, watch movies, and play games—and want to do it in Linux, without becoming technical experts."

Valghjelp: Partiene svarer p�teknologisp�rsm�l - Teknisk Ukeblad

Valghjelp: Partiene svarer p�teknologisp�rsm�l - Teknisk Ukeblad: "Er du i tvil om hva du skal stemme 12. september? Er partienes holdning til en del sentrale teknologirelaterte spørsmål viktig for deg, bør du lese videre."

Flexbeta - Discovering Ubuntu Linux - Page 1 - Introduction and Installation

Flexbeta - Discovering Ubuntu Linux - Page 1 - Introduction and Installation: "For the longest time, I was a Windows zealot. I'd avoid Linux at every turn, simply because I thought it was too difficult and lacked the support and software I needed. Then I discovered Ubuntu 5.10 (“Hoary Hedgehog”,) and now I haven't booted into Windows in over two weeks. Ubuntu is, hands down, the best Linux distribution I have ever used."

The Korea Times : Linux Love Spells Bad News for MS

The Korea Times : Linux Love Spells Bad News for MS: "Affiliated with the Ministry of Information and Communication, the KIPA is now under the stewardship of Ko Hyun-jin, who took the reins of the state-backed institute in 2003.

From 1999 to 2003 Ko was chief executive of Microsoft Korea, the software giant’s affiliate here that is conducting an arduous fight against Linux. "

SV FOR EKSPORT AV MILJØTEKNOLOGI OG OPEN KJELDEKODE. SLIK SKAL DET GJERAST!!!

- Klimaet er sviktet- Aftenposten.no: "- Vi har en visjon om at Norge kan bli ledende p�eksport av milj�vennlig teknologi. Vi har tjent oss rike p�egne og andres klimagassutslipp. N�m�vi utvikle teknologien som reduserer utslippene, sier Halvorsen.

Hun innser at Norges kamp for �innfri Kyoto-forpliktelsene blir t�ff, men at de nye forslagene sist uke demonstrerer at det er mulig �kombinere milj�- og n�ringspolitikk i klimaarbeidet. Derfor tror ikke Halvorsen at LO vil bremse et slikt arbeid.

- Vi har f�tt s�gode n�ringspolitiske argumenter for CO2-tiltak at det skulle overraske meg mye om noen ville nedlegge veto mot dette."

BBC NEWS | Health | Rabies warning over minor bites

BBC NEWS | Health | Rabies warning over minor bites: "Experts have warned travellers not to be complacent if bitten by an animal in a country where rabies is common."

TECTONIC: OpenOffice.org gets closer to version 2.0

TECTONIC: OpenOffice.org gets closer to version 2.0: "OpenVoice offers local termination for VoIP calls
Telephony services provider OpenVoice now offers Asterisk users a service to terminate calls locally. This means South African organisations are able to download Asterisk and use OpenVoice as a provider of voice minutes. "

Nigeriaworld Feature Article - Pax Africana (UBUNTU and AMANA)

Nigeriaworld Feature Article - Pax Africana: "In these two closely related values of Ubuntu and Amana that constitute Pax Africana (and their variants in the diverse cultures across the continent); Africa has the tools with which to shape her future. I agree that the continent needs aid and debt relief, but Africa's cancer is in her soul and not her stomach."

Google Extends Book Scanning Operation

Google Extends Book Scanning Operation: "On Tuesday, the search goliath rolled out stand-alone book search services in 14 countries."

Google opens book project to Europe

Rocky Mountain News: Technology: "SAN FRANCISCO - Google Inc. is asking European book publishers to submit non-English material to its Internet-leading search engine - a move that may ease worries about the company's digital library relying too heavily on Anglo-American content.

Under an expansion announced Thursday, the Mountain View, Calif.-based company opened its ambitious Google Print book-scanning project to publishers in France, Italy, Germany, Netherlands and Spain."

License Simplification of OpenOffice (a small but GOOD news)

License Simplification FAQ: "On 2 September 2005 Sun announced the retirement of the Sun Industry Standard Source License (SISSL). As a consequence, no future Sun open-source project will use the SISSL. Projects currently using the SISSL under a dual-license scheme, such as OpenOffice.org, are dropping the SISSL and thus simplifying their license scheme as soon as the development cycle allows."

From Sun´s announcement: "On 2 September 2005 Sun Microsystems announced that it was retiring the Sun Industry Standards Source License (SISSL), an Open Source Initiative (OSI)-approved software license. In recent weeks, the OSI, which authorises open-source licenses, has been discussing limiting license proliferation, so as to make the process of choosing a license easier for developers and companies. Sun's move is in support of that objective."

PC Pro: News: Linux total cost of ownership cheaper than Windows

PC Pro: News: Linux total cost of ownership cheaper than Windows: "The hardware costs demonstrated in the study prove equally eye opening. The cost of the hardware to drive the applications to a similar level with Linux is half that of either Windows or Solaris."

Get a load of the new mortar for open source bricks | Between the Lines | ZDNet.com

� Get a load of the new mortar for open source bricks | Between the Lines | ZDNet.com: "In a matter of months — not quarters or years — many of the hurdles to a smooth, cost-effective, and IT staff-friendly migration to and general use of holistic open source platforms will be whittled away. In the place of the piles of bricks will be pre-configured and tested sections of 'wall,' with orderly inventories of defined and properly licensed code, off-the-shelf indemnification from insurers, and with an ecology of globally-placed professional services resources to cost-effectively assemble (and remotely monitor) the IT stacks of the users' choices.

This rapid maturation of open source components into refined stacks is due to a huge pile of venture capital money being poured into the creation of the required services mortar to make open source components into mission-critical-ready and tightly aligned solutions. The entrepreneurial, managerial, technical, marketing, and strategic business acumen that has been drawn to this task is staggering. Some of the best minds, with A-team success records in the commercial software business, have left or been recruited from such companies as BEA, Sun, Microsoft, Oracle, and IBM. This folks are now running open source ecology support start-ups; one can imagine their options will not end up under water."

Explore Open Source Alternatives (California, USA)

Explore Open Source Alternatives: " Recommendations
1. For potential immediate savings, departments should take an inventory of software purchases and software renewals in the Fiscal Year 2004-2005 and implement open source alternatives where feasible.

Every state agency has hundreds of different software products in use, from desktop applications and utilities to server and application development tools; all of which have their own maintenance and upgrade costs. From the tactical perspective agencies should look at all software contracts that are up for renewal, or software that is being purchased in FY 2004-2005. They would then evaluate open source software that could be implemented in place of the closed source solution.
2. Incorporate open source software as a viable alternative to any software procurement.

Today, when state agencies purchase software solutions they are required to look at best value, and often go through a formal procurement process wherein vendors submit proposals. Since open source code solutions do not fit the traditional procurement model in that there is not usually a vendor promoting and proposing the product, it is recommended that state departments actively research and evaluate open source code alternatives prior to considering use of the traditional procurement model for software.

"

Linux displaces 2,460 Windows XP desktops in rural Italian schools

Linux displaces 2,460 Windows XP desktops in rural Italian schools: "
Project co-director Antonio Russo, speaking for the Italian Scholastic Intendancy of the Province of Bozen, says that during the summer his team of 40 workers upgraded the computer infrastructure of all 70 of the province's private and public schools to FUSS Soledad GNU/Linux, a customized, multi-language distribution developed by a team of experts specifically for the region's schools, Russo said. FUSS Soledad is based on Debian GNU/Linux, he added."

Massachusetts mandates open-format docs, edges toward Linux

Massachusetts mandates open-format docs, edges toward Linux: "The state of Massachusetts will revamp its digital output during the next 16 months to create only open-format documents and is increasing its use of Linux and free and open source software (FOSS) among its workers, the state's chief information officer told DesktopLinux.com Thursday in a conference call."

Deliver World-class Intel Processor-based Client PC Linux* Solutions

Deliver World-class Intel� Processor-based Client PC Linux* Solutions: "Intel� processor-based systems are the platform of choice, regardless of software environment. As the demand for Linux* on the desktop increases, Intel is working with the industry to extend validation and tools to ensure that Intel� processor -based Linux PCs can be built faster, saving your organization time and money."

TheOpenCD.org

TheOpenCD.org: "TheOpenCD is a collection of high quality Free and Open Source Software. The programs run in Windows and cover the most common tasks such as word processing, presentations, e-mail, web browsing, web design, and image manipulation. We include only the highest quality programs, which have been carefully tested for stability and which we consider appropriate for a wide audience. Read more about TheOpenCD."