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The Academy teams up with Linux Foundation for open source tech
The Academy for Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), best known for running the Oscars, is diving into the technology world in a surprisingly new way. Together with the Linux Foundation, it's launching the Academy Software Foundation (ASWF), a neutral forum for the movie industry to organize and collaborate around using open source technology tools. And it's aiming to reach far beyond the film world and into other media industries, like virtual reality and sound engineering. The ASWF is the result of a two-year investigation into the tools being used by the movie industry. The Academy discovered that 80 percent of the film world is already relying on open source technology, but it's been difficult to keep track of licensing and different versions of that software.
Dronecode alliance aims to get more UAVs into the sky
Now that the FAA has unleashed drones onto film sets, farms and oil rigs (don't hold your breath though, Amazon), the nascent industry may start to boom. Dronecode, a new Linux Foundation Collaborative Project will help that along by giving UAVs common, open-source software underpinnings. The new initiative will use the APM/ArduPilot UAV software platform hosted by 3D Robotics -- the company led by Chris Anderson, who first proposed the idea. Dronecode's founding members include Intel, Qualcomm, 3D Robotics and Baidu.
EdX expands range of institutions that can offer free online courses
EdX's open online education system has drawn a lot of interest -- enough interest that the non-profit has just loosened up its membership structure to allow for more participants. The revamp lets 12 additional organizations offer free internet-based courses, including schools as well as non-academic outlets like the International Monetary Fund, the Linux Foundation and the Smithsonian Institution. Details of the new programs aren't available beyond the Linux Foundation's plans for an introductory Linux course, but edX's move is bound to improve the diversity of things you can learn without spending a dime on tuition. [Image credit: TU Delft, Flickr]
Linux Foundation finally gets Microsoft signature on secure UEFI bootloader
Whatever hoops the Linux Foundation had to waddle through to get an MS-signed bootloader for use on Windows 8 hardware, it appears to have worked. Whereas Ubuntu and Fedora already had UEFI Secure Boot support, and there was the Shim bootloader and other fixes for smaller distros, this official solution promises to be more user friendly and universal, albeit with a few caveats that are described by MJG59 at the link below. Once you're sure you want it, head over to the source with a USB key and do the honors.
Raspberry Pi says it'll run Minecraft, demos upcoming 5-megapixel, 1080P, $25 camera
The Raspberry Pi will soon be able to see all, thanks to an upcoming camera board that will mate with unused CSI pins on the $35 hobbyist board. The new 5-megapixel camera (in the video after the break) will be capable of 1080P, 30fps video, and though the prototype being shown at Electronica 2012 is attached using scotch tape technology, the Pi foundation promised it would come with a proper mount when it ships in the new year for $25. In other news, the group has also announced a new port from the Notch gaming group called Minecraft: Pi edition. You'll be able to play the game, of course, but if you're feeling more ambitious it'll also support several programming languages, letting you "modify the game world with code" to boot. The group promised you'll be able to download it next week at the source.
Linux Foundation vet explains setbacks in getting a Secure Boot key for Windows 8 PCs
Linux fans wondering why they still don't have a friendly UEFI Secure Boot option for Windows 8 PCs won't get a solution in hand this week, but they'll at least get an explanation. The Linux Foundation's primary backer for the alternative OS efforts, Parallels' server CTO James Bottomley, has revealed that Microsoft's requirements for signed, Secure Boot-ready code are tough if developers aren't entirely onboard its train of thought. The Redmond crew demands a paper contract signature (remember those?), agreements on work beyond the relevant software and a packaging process that complicates attempts to use open-source tools. Bottomley has already overcome most of these challenges, although he's still waiting for a Linux Foundation-specific key that should theoretically clear a major hurdle. Whether or not that leads to a remedy in days or weeks is up to Microsoft; in the meantime, we'll take comfort in knowing that a signature is so far a convenience for booting into Linux, rather than a necessity.
HP becomes a platinum member of the Linux Foundation
Snagging a first-class upgrade might empty out the contents of your wallet, but be glad you're not trying to buy your way to the Linux Foundation's top table. With a strategic investment of $500,000, Hewlett Packard has just become a platinum member of the body, alongside companies like Intel, Qualcomm and Samsung. In exchange for all that cash, HP gets a seat on the Foundation's board of directors and will have a say in how to advance the foundation's aims -- and hopefully give Open webOS a gentle push, too.
Linux Foundation proposes convoluted solution for UEFI Secure Boot
With Windows 8 Microsoft is pushing manufacturers away from a traditional BIOS to UEFI with Secure Boot. But that poses problems for alternative OSes like Linux, because UEFI requires any software have a signed certificate. The Linux Foundation has been looking for a solution and thinks that it may have one. The proposed work around is a little convoluted and surprisingly involves obtaining a Microsoft signature for a new barebones bootloader. This wouldn't actually boot Linux or any other OS actually. Instead, it would then start a second bootloader, the one associated with your OS of choice. It's a little messy, but it should mean that the signed bootloader will be a catch-all solution for any operating system. Of course, it could take a while for the Foundation to actually obtain a signature from Microsoft. So "Designed for Windows 8" systems might not be able to run Linux right away, but rest assured a solution is on the way.
Linux Foundation forms Automotive Grade Workgroup, aims to open-source your ride with Tizen
It doesn't take much driving to notice that many in-car infotainment systems are custom-built and locked down tight. The Linux Foundation sees it differently and wants our cars to embrace the same notions of common roots and open code that we'd find in an Ubuntu box. Its newly-formed Automotive Grade Linux Workgroup is transforming Tizen into a reference platform that car designers can use for the center stack, or even the instrument cluster. The promise is to both optimize a Linux variant for cars and provide the same kind of years-long support that we'd expect for the drivetrain. Technology heavy-hitters like Intel, Harman, NVIDIA, Samsung and TI form the core of the group, although there are already automakers who've signaled their intentions: Jaguar Land Rover, Nissan and Toyota are all part of the initial membership. We don't know how soon we'll be booting into Tizen on the morning commute, but we'd expect in-car systems to take a step forward -- just as long as we don't have to recompile our car's OS kernel.
Twitter set to become the newest addition to the Linux Foundation
The Linux Foundation's been racking up big-name brands since its early days, and one of the latest is mostly everyone's favorite rapid-blogging service, otherwise more commonly known as Twitter. Following in the steps of chip-maker NVIDIA and that Platinum-leveled Samsung, the Blue Bird recently announced it'll be joining the open-source association come next week, with the official revelation set to take place in a few days at the LinuxCon North American gathering in California. Twitter's Manager of Open Source, Chris Aniszczyk, says that by doing so "we can support an organization that is important to us and collaborate with a community that is advancing Linux as fast as we are improving Twitter." Needless to say, this is a win-win situation for all parties involved.
Samsung becomes a Platinum-level Linux Foundation member, open-source gets a Korean accent
Samsung's business virtually revolves around open-source code and Linux, both through obvious software like Android and Tizen as well as behind-the-scenes code for TVs and even home appliances. It almost shouldn't be a surprise, then, that the company just became a Platinum-level member of the Linux Foundation, giving it much more control over how the platform advances. The favor is being returned in kind, both through a $500,000 cash injection as well as a Samsung pledge to become a better open-source neighbor. Any long-term plans of Samsung's are being kept under wraps, but going to the Platinum tier puts it at a rare level enjoyed only by the likes of core Linux supporters like IBM, Intel and Oracle -- it's even higher than Google.
Tizen 1.0 Larkspur arrives, fuels your open-source phone dreams
The unveiling of Tizen left many mobile open-source aficionados wondering when the OS would reach its all-important 1.0 status. The answer is now: the coalition between Intel, Panasonic, Samsung and a raft of carriers has posted the first non-beta release in both source code and software development kit forms. The finished versions of either carry new features to reward developers for the wait: SDK users get a new browser-based simulator and a faster emulator, while those scouring the source code will find new point-of-interest and route searching features in location-aware apps as well as WiFi Direct and more HTML5 support. About the only wait left is for an actual Tizen phone to ship. [Image credit: Realnorth]
NVIDIA joins Linux Foundation, doesn't mention driver development
It's a big day for open source fans now that NVIDIA, the last member of the "big three" chip makers with AMD and Intel, has signed on with the Linux foundation. The company has previously kept the system at arms length, with users relying on reverse-engineering to get things working nicely with Linus' baby. It's joining Fluenco, Lineo and Mocana, three companies who also became signatories to the foundation at the same time. Whilst there's no commitment to provide drivers for its chipsets, at least there's a glimmer of hope that the company will contribute -- especially given the growing popularity of its mobile platforms.
Linux Foundation announces MeeGo Smart TV Working Group, Intel, Nokia and others sign on
The future of MeeGo may not look quite as bright as it once did, but there's plenty of folks still committed to it, and the Linux Foundation is now starting to place an increased emphasis on one area in particular: smart TVs. To that end, it's just announced the formation of the MeeGo Smart TV Working Group, and it's already signed up quite a few companies as members, including Intel, Nokia, Nokia Siemens, Sigma Designs and others. Not surprisingly, there's not much more than some generalities at the moment, but the working group has committed to meeting twice a year (the first meeting is next month), and it's promising to "begin defining software components providing platform standardization," while also encouraging "competitive differentiation within the TV market segment with tools such at Qt." Full press release is after the break.
AMD will contribute 'engineering expertise' to MeeGo development project
Now here's a very positive new sign for MeeGo's future. AMD, Intel's oldest and boldest nemesis, has added its name to the list of companies actively supporting the development of the platform -- which got its start as a joint project between Intel and Nokia -- and has pledged the contribution of its "engineering expertise" to the further advancement of the open source OS. In simpler terms, AMD must be aware of the great potential of MeeGo and is seeking not to be left behind, as illustrated by Ben Bar-Haim, the company's software development VP, who expressed AMD's hope that "this operating system will help drive our embedded plans and create expanded market opportunities for our forthcoming Accelerated Processing Units." Good to know, guys, good to know. Jump past the break for the full press release.
ARM, Samsung, IBM, Freescale, TI and more join to form Linaro, speed rollout of Linux-based devices
My, my -- what have we here? No, seriously, what is this hodgepodge of (rival) companies, and why have they suddenly decided to high five each other here at Computex? Frankly, we're still trying to piece it all together, but after sitting through a Linaro launch event in Taipei, we're beginning to get a better handle on the relationship that Samsung, ARM, IBM, Freescale, ST-Ericsson, Texas Instruments and the Linux Foundation have just made official. The outfits mentioned above are coming together to form the UK-based Linaro (a not-for-profit entity), which currently has 25 engineers but will see that figure shoot up to nearly a hundred around the world in the coming days. In short, the new firm -- which will have an annual budget in the "tens of millions of dollars" but below "$100 million" -- is seeking to "speed the rollout of Linux-based devices," with one of the key points being this: Linaro will "provide a stable and optimized base for distributions and developers by creating new releases of optimized tools, kernel and middleware software validated for a wide range of SoCs, every six months." Read on for more...%Gallery-94261%
MeeGo Gone Wild! Features detailed, companies come on board at IDF 2010 (updated)
Wow, the MeeGo news is flying fast and furious today! Our first stop is the Intel Developer Forum, where a recent talk detailed feature lists for netbooks and handhelds running (presumably) 1.0. For the former, you can expect to see it rockin' Chrome (or Chromium), and overhauled social messaging, media, camera, email, and calendar apps. That's in addition to touch and gesture support. As for handhelds, Fennec with Flash support popped up on the slides (probably a carry-over from Maemo, since they already have Mozilla with Flash), VOIP (at least until the carriers get involved), instant messaging, social networking, location-based services, cloud data syncing, and portrait mode support -- not to mention "the Intel app-store framework that can be used to make branded 3rd-party app stores." But that ain't all! According to some freshly minted PR, the Hotel Kabuki in San Francisco will be lousy with developers starting Wednesday when the Linux Foundation Collaboration Summit begins in earnest. To be announced at tomorrow's keynote are a host of companies that are throwing their lot in with the mobile OS, including: EA Mobile, BMW Group, Acer, Gameloft, Novell, ASUS, and more. Which is all well and good, but the question remains: when are we finally gonna get our hands on an LG GW990? PR after the break. Update: We added a couple shots of the very in-progress UI from Intel's slide show. See more after the break.
Linux Foundation sets up Job Board, cites 80 percent growth in Linux-related jobs
As the Linux Foundation tells it, the Linux-related job market is today 80 percent larger than it was five years ago. Whereas other industries have had to shed workers in the current recession, the Foundation is hopeful penny-pinching measures might actually encourage businesses to transition to Linux-based software and thereby further stimulate employment opportunities within the sector. We're not told exactly what "Linux-related" means in this context, but the newly set up Linux.com Job Board indicates that the vast majority of new openings are for system admins. That's right, the corporate world is crying out for more geeks -- won't you answer the call? [Thanks to Overlord59 for the Tux images]
Intel turns Moblin over to the Linux Foundation
If you love something, set it free -- and if it truly loves you back, it will return as the market's dominant MID and netbook OS. We're pretty certain that's what our mom said to us when we were kids -- it's a fairly hazy memory -- and it sounds like Intel's heeding that advice with Moblin, turning over "stewardship" of the fledgling OS to the Linux Foundation. It's an interesting move that seems to be more about politics more than anything else -- Intel still employs all the lead developers, so it'll basically be in charge of things, but companies that want to use Moblin can do so secure in the knowledge that it's formally controlled by a neutral body. Very clever. So -- now that that's out of the way, can everyone get back to work on that insane concept MID we've been drooling over for two years? Thanks.[Thanks, Chris]
