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Gnome-flavored Ubuntu desktop environment coming for purest purists
If you're a Linux user squarely in the Gnome desktop camp and sneer with disdain at the mention of Unity, there's good news -- your preferred flavor is coming, uncontaminated, to Ubuntu. Though "GNOMEBuntu" was originally floated as a name for the new environment, that idea was apparently kiboshed by the Gnome Foundation, leaving "GNOBuntu" and "Gnubuntu" as possible monikers, according to Mutkware. Neither Unity, nor cloud service Ubuntu One will be included in the distro, but you'll find a library of apps pre-installed, including the Epiphany browser and Rhythmbox music player. Customized settings will let you further tweak the purity level to suit your zeal -- so, if you're thinking about grabbing the upcoming alpha, check the source for more info.
Motorola rumored to have acquired Azingo, part of some grander OS plans?
This one isn't official just yet, but if some changes in employment status on LinkedIn is any indication, it looks like Motorola may have recently acquired mobile Linux OS company Azingo. It may not exactly be a major player in the mobile OS field, but its Linux-based Azingo Mobile OS does look to be capable enough (complete with a Webkit-based browser and Flash runtime), and the acquisition is especially interesting in light of some recent comments made by Motorola co-CEO Sanjay Jha. Back during Moto's Q1 earnings call, he said that he has "always felt that owning your OS is important, provided you have an ecosystem, you have all the services and you have an ability and the scale to execute on keeping that OS at the leading edge," adding that he continues to believe "that at some point, if we have all of those attributes, that owning our own OS will be a very important thing." Is Azingo Mobile that OS? Probably not, but it'll certainly be interesting to see where this leads -- as long as it doesn't lead to something called MOTOZINGO.
The birth of open-source software for your mobile
Ever wonder what the world would be like with open-source software being at the center of all the coolest handsets, from slimphones to semi-smartphones? Although we'll bet Symbian, ACCESS and Microsoft would love to keep their own mobile operating systems to themselves in a way, there may be a glimmer of hope on the horizon for open-source to make its way to mobile of all shapes, sizes and prices. That new software stack in a slick new Sony Ericsson or Samsung handset could one day be drive by a completely open OSS platform under auspices of the Linux GPE project, known as GPE Phone Edition. This marvel will be an open source project with specialties built-in for the mobile operating system environment. The question is -- will manufacturers take a second (and third) look? It looks like fans can try a fully-functional version of this in-process OS using a virtual phone environment on your PC.
