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Google Glass rooted and hacked to run Ubuntu live at Google I/O
Today at Google I/O the company held a session entitled "Voiding your Warranty" where employees demonstrated how to root Google Glass and install Ubuntu on it. What you're seeing above is a screenshot from a laptop running a terminal window on top and showing the screencast output from Glass on the bottom -- here running the standard Android launcher instead of the familiar cards interface. The steps involve pushing some APKs (Launcher, Settings and Notepad) to the device using adb, then pairing Glass with a Bluetooth keyboard and trackpad. After this, it's possible to unlock the bootloader with fastboot and flash a new boot image to gain root access. From there you have full access to Glass -- just like that! Running Ubuntu requires a couple more apps to be installed, namely Android Terminal Emulator and Complete Linux Installer. The latter lets you download and boot your favorite linux distro (Ubuntu, in this case). You're then able to use SSH or VNC to access Ubuntu running right on Glass. We captured a few screenshots of the process in our gallery. Follow the links below for more info -- just be careful not to brick your Glass okay? %Gallery-188641%
Ubuntu 13.04 available Thursday, brings a streamlined footprint to the forefront (update)
From an end user's perspective, it's always nice to see developers take a step back and focus on streamlining their code, rather than simply piling on new features. Apple used the strategy to great success with Snow Leopard, and now Canonical is set to follow suit with Raring Ringtail, also known as Ubuntu 13.04. The latest version of the popular Linux distro is set for general availability tomorrow, which follows a beta release and a controversial amount of secrecy. Raring Ringtail is characterized as "the fastest and most visually polished Ubuntu experience to date," with a particular emphasis on a smaller memory footprint and greater responsiveness. Much of the streamlining effort was in preparation for Ubuntu's future life in mobile, and to coincide with that effort, developers will find a preview SDK for app development and the ability to test apps within the MIR display server. The release is now a mere hours away, and yes, it'll be a good day. [Image credit: WebUpd8] Update: Aaaaaand, it's live!
Alienware X51 gaming PC now available with Ubuntu, starts at $600
While the Alienware X51 has been slated by Valve as a currently available Steambox, consumers still have to get rid of that pesky Windows to install the Linux-driven platform. As we've seen with the Razer Edge, a Windows 8-powered gaming system just doesn't work well for living rooms because it still needs an interface that's not a game controller. Fortunately, that barrier is slowly evaporating as the Dell-owned commodity is now providing Ubuntu as an OS option for the X51, paving the way for easier Steambox modification in the future. It'll come with Linux-friendly drivers from NVIDIA right out of the box, and you can of course install Steam for Linux on it from the get-go. As a reminder, the X51 is available in Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 models, and can be upgraded to 8GB of RAM with 1TB of storage, with either a NVIDIA GeForce GT645 or a GTX 660 card. Features include HDMI 1.4, eight USB ports (six are 2.0 while two are 3.0), digital 7.1 surround sound, on-board WiFi and gigabit Ethernet. Pricing for the base Ubuntu model is $599, which is about $100 less than its Windows counterpart.
China calls Apple's response to warranty complaints 'empty and self-praising'
Apple's products are overwhelmingly popular in the land where most of the devices are created -- China. But recent moves by the ruling Chinese Communist Party could spell trouble for Apple and other Western firms that currently command the smartphone market. The latest such move came yesterday when the government-controlled People's Daily newspaper ran a front-page article accusing the company of turning down journalists' requests for interviews and providing an "empty and self-praising" reply to a critical report broadcast by state-run China Central Television. According to an article in today's Wall Street Journal, this latest in a series of attacks suggests that the Chinese government is promoting the growth of home-grown smartphone companies like Lenovo, Huawei and ZTE, a move that could spell trouble for Apple. The company was recently accused by China Central Television of providing customer-service policies for Chinese customers that were different from those in other countries. Apple responded to the accusation on its website on Saturday, noting that "Apple's Chinese warranty is more or less the same as in the US and all over the world." The People's Daily article quoted a student who was upset with Apple's "double standards," saying that the company repairs broken phones in China but gives customers in other countries new replacement phones instead. Apple is not the only smartphone powerhouse being singled out by the Chinese government. Earlier this month, a government research institute published a report saying that the country relied too much on the Android smartphone operating system and accused Google of using its dominance in the smartphone market to discriminate against Chinese competition. The Verge reports that the Chinese government has approached Canonical for a custom version of Ubuntu to act as a national OS. The country is also pursuing standards that, if adopted, would force smartphone manufacturers to help the government identify users and track their use of apps.
China chooses Ubuntu for a national reference OS coming in April
China's government and people have historically been friendly toward Linux, although not quite on the level of a new deal with Canonical. The country's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is teaming with Canonical to create Ubuntu Kylin, a variant of the regular Linux distribution that would serve as a reference point for local hardware and software developers. A Raring Ringtail-based build due this April should bring Chinese calendars, character input methods and quick access to relevant music services. Later Kylin releases should integrate Baidu mapping, mass transit information, Taobao shopping and a common slate of photo editing and system tools from WPS. The hope is to foster open source development in China as part of a five-year government growth plan -- and, we suspect, get away from closed operating systems that Americans control.
KDE releases first version of Plasma Media Center
Linux devotees need media too, don'tcha know? Designed to cater to "media enthusiasts," Plasma Media Center has been released today for those looking to place photos, videos and audio clips on the highest pedestal. The build (v1.0.0) was crafted on Plasma and KDE technologies, and as you might expect, it aims to deliver a "unified media experience on PCs, tablets, networks, TVs and any other device capable of running KDE." PMC can be used to view images, play music or watch videos, and developers are free to create custom plugins for the software as well. The release -- as well as installation guides for Ubuntu and Fedora -- are housed in the read link, and if you're willing to give it a go, let us know how it turns out in comments below.
Canonical cuts support for non-LTS versions of Ubuntu, users now get nine months of bug fixes
Until now, people who downloaded non-LTS (long-term support) versions of Ubuntu were treated to a lengthy support period -- a full 18 months. Now, though, Ubuntu's technical board is shortening that support window to nine months, in the hopes that Canonical can assign its engineers to other projects. (If you look at the board's meeting notes at the link below, the group also agrees that most bugs get fixed within nine months anyway.) If you're wondering how this might affect you, the new policy applies to version 13.04, along with all future non-LTS releases. Separately, the board decided that it will switch to a rolling release model, in which users won't have to do a full system upgrade to take advantage of major OS updates. Many of the particulars there are still up in the air, though, which is a shame because this has already been a hot topic of conversation in the Ubuntu community, and quite a few folks are likely to be curious. In any case, for those of you who want to know more, we recommend checking out those meeting notes to soak up as much detail as you can.
Ubuntu Raring Ringtail hits beta, flagship desktop and server flavors left out
Canonical's taken the next step in pushing Raring Ringtail out of its nest by releasing the very first beta version, but only for Edubuntu, Kubuntu, Lubuntu, UbuntuKylin, Ubuntu Cloud, Ubuntu Studio and Xubuntu. Plain ol' Ubuntu for desktops and servers will arrive with the final 13.04 beta release on March 28th, so that devs will be able to focus on the software and keep things under wraps for a little longer. These early versions aren't for the faint of heart, but adventurous folks can download them at the source if they don't mind some kinks. However, those who aren't interested in tempting fate can wait for the polished release in April.
Early apps for touch-based Ubuntu reveal a mostly clean aesthetic
The clatter of ergonomic keyboards is already bearing fruit, just two months after the Ubuntu developer community was let loose on the SDK for the newly touch-enabled OS. Canonical's Michael Hall has posted an update on his personal blog detailing progress with some core apps, such as Calendar and Weather, as as well the broader effort to give mobile Ubuntu a sense of personality. The source link shows off some nice-looking puzzle games, news readers and even an app built around the disembodied head of a strapping lad called Jono, who in many ways symbolizes the minimal-but-cheerful look of the emerging ecosystem. A bit of debugging here, a swoosh of the razor there, and it could be perfect.
HP Pavilion 20 Linux AIO launches in the UK, ships with Ubuntu for £349
Ready to take the plunge on a new all-in-one, but not super pumped about tackling Windows 8? You're probably not alone, and it looks like HP's got a solution. The company's entry-level Pavilion 20-b101ea AIO desktop now ships with Ubuntu pre-installed, so if you've been considering a jump to Linux but wanted to avoid dealing with a system refresh, this might be just the opportunity you're after. The alternative rig is shipping to UK customers for £349 including VAT, which roughly works out to $530, for blokes across the pond. Interestingly, the Ubuntu machine has yet to appear in HP's US store, where you're only able to snag the Windows 8 configuration, with pricing starting at $450. Those of you with a mailing address in the United Kingdom are in luck, however -- hit up our source link to snag your very own Ubuntu-equipped all-in-one.
Canonical announces Mir, a custom display server that will serve up future versions of Unity
The X Window Server has been serving Linux users faithfully for the better part of a decade. And Ubuntu has been using the standard-issue display server to push its GUI to monitors across the globe since its color scheme was more sludge than slick. Canonical originally planned to replace the aging X with another display server called Wayland, but the developers apparently couldn't bend the compositing-friendly protocol to their cross-device whims. So, Mir was created. The goal for Mir is to easily scale from the TV, to the desktop, to tablets and phones while providing "efficient support for graphics co-processors." That means Canonical is relying heavily on GPU acceleration, which will require the cooperation of manufacturers like NVIDIA, AMD, Qualcomm and others. As part of the cross-form factor convergence, Unity will be getting a rewrite entirely in QT and QML (the current version uses a Nux-based shell on the desktop). The Unity Next project will incorporate several core components from the Ubuntu Touch interface, inching the Linux OS closer to its goal of a truly unified codebase. Mir should make its debut on the mobile variants of Ubuntu soon, with Canonical aiming to get the UI unified and stable in time for the next LTS in April of 2014. For some more technical details check out the source links.
Super Hexagon now on Linux, Steam alternatives now also available
Super Hexagon is now available on Linux, both through Steam and directly from its official website. PC and OSX versions of the game are also now available directly through the site, should you prefer to acquire your games straight from the tap.Like the recently ported Linux version of VVVVVV, Super Hexagon requires Ubuntu version 12.04 LTS, or "Precise Pangolin" for you codename types, a 2 GHz processor and 32 megs of hard drive space. By bringing the game to Linux, Super Hexagon has successfully made it to "all the platforms that it's ever likely to be on," creator Terry Cavanagh said on his official blog, which means we can probably stop holding out for a Game Boy Advance version.
Canonical posting daily builds for plenty more Ubuntu Touch devices
After letting us lay our hands on Ubuntu Touch for the Nexus 10, Canonical is now providing daily builds for its mobile OS on a variety of flagship devices. At this point in its gestation, the software is strictly developer-only, but people are beavering away on getting it running on smartphones like the Galaxy S III, One X and Galaxy Nexus, as well as tablets like the Transformer Pad Infinity, Galaxy Tab 2 and Kindle Fire HD. If that doesn't make you wish that you'd paid more attention to that early programming class, then perhaps you haven't seen this clip from Bill'n'Mark.
The Daily Roundup for 02.26.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Pwnie Express launches the Pwn Pad, takes hackproofing on the road
Pwnie Express-made security tools like the Power Pwn have mostly been stationary creatures that aren't much help when checking for network vulnerabilities on the move. There's now a more mobile version, though, in the Pwn Pad. The kit combines a Nexus 7 with USB-based Bluetooth, Ethernet and WiFi to gauge the security of a network beyond what Google's tablet can manage on its own. Ubuntu Linux is available in the Pwn Pad's software loadout, but part of the appeal comes from running a suite of tools in Android that aren't always available on the platform, such as Kismet. The $795 price will seem steep to those who bought the plain Nexus 7 at a quarter of the price, although it might end up being a discount for security gurus who want to leave bulkier tools -- even their laptops -- at home.
PSA: VVVVVV now flipping around Linux via Steam
Terry Cavanagh's reorientation-oriented platformer VVVVVV is now available on Linux by way of Steam, Cavanagh announced earlier today. The port requires Ubuntu version 12.04 LTS (aka "Precise Pangolin") running on a machine only slightly more advanced than a George Foreman grill, so chances are good that your box can handle it.Cavanagh recently revealed that testing has begun on an iOS version of VVVVVV, though its release shouldn't be expected anytime soon. Meanwhile, our desperate pleas to have Xbox 360 controller support patched into the PC version of the game have thus far gone unanswered. Sources familiar with our deepest desires inform us that we'd be prepared to offer Cavanagh upwards of five dollars and a sizable baguette in exchange for this functionality.
Ubuntu Touch Developer Preview now available for supported Nexus devices
Canonical's preview of a smartphone- and tablet-friendly flavor of Ubuntu has finally arrived for folks willing to flash a Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 4 or a Nexus tablet. Shuttleworth and friends stress that the release is intended for developers and enthusiasts -- not those eyeing it as a daily driver, mind you -- and that it's not yet kitted out with its complete functionality. As of now, the Ubuntu touch dev preview contains the shell, core applications, WiFi networking, support for front- and rear-facing cameras and Android Developer Bridge tool connectivity. In addition, the operating system allows Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 4 handsets to connect to a GSM network, make phone calls and send texts. Along with the sneak peak, the Ubuntu SDK has been badged with the alpha moniker since it's flaunting a host of new features, including the ability to deploy and execute apps straight from the IDE. Ready to download the OS image and development kit? Hit the neighboring source link to get cracking.
The Daily Roundup for 02.20.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Developer preview of touch-based Ubuntu is called that for a reason (hands-on video)
Ubuntu's Touch Developer Preview was originally put forward as something for "enthusiasts" as well as developers. Well, having been hands-on with the code that will be made public tomorrow, we'd say it requires enthusiasm a-plenty -- perhaps even amateur coder quantities of the stuff. That's because a lot of core functionality is still missing from the OS, such as the ability to play music files or import real-life contacts, and there's a long way to go if it's to be signed off as "code complete" in October. On the other hand, this is really just a statement of the obvious. Canonical has been pretty clear that the main purpose of this early release is to lure in developers and get them to contribute to the fundamental stages of the project. Furthermore, the video after the break shows that there are many aspects of the OS which work fine -- such as the gallery and video apps, the "side stage" and HUD features, and also general performance on the Nexus 10's hardware. The UI merges some Kindle- and Windows 8-esque features with things that are totally original -- like responsive design which allows the exact same OS and apps to run on a phone, tablet, TV or desktop. We certainly hope it generates interest -- not only among developers but also among device manufacturers who want to do more than just talk about differentiation.
The Daily Roundup for 02.19.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
