Software posts

In a shocking announcement, Tech Radar declares Linux non-sexy with appeal only to nerds, geeks and basement dwellers. In an article addressing the challenges faces by Linux in it’s ongoing quest to unseat either Windows or Mac OS as a mainstream operating system, Tech Radar concludes that lack of sex appeal is it’s biggest obstacle. Citing the iPad as an example of what the open source community is lacking, Jim Zemlin, Executive Director of the Linux Foundation says that for Linux to jump ahead in popularity, a little magic and sex appeal will go a long way. Other factors cited include the massive…

Lee Brimelow is a Flash evangelist and developer at Adobe, and the author of the Flash Blog. Needless to say, Brimelow is less than pleased at Apple’s decision to “slap developers in the face” by removing Flash support on the iPhone OS 4 update. While the blog was obviously changed at his employer’s request after the fact, before the redaction Brimelow had typed “What is clear is that Apple has timed this purposely to hurt sales of CS5.” What has remained on the blog is the resounding conclusion of “Go screw yourself Apple” and the fact that Brimelow refuses to purchase any Apple products under there…

According to InternetSafety.com, Safe Eyes Mobile will provide protection for children using Apple’s latest creation, the iPad. Safe Eyes Mobile employs award-winning filtering technology and was the first filtered web browser for Apple’s iPod Touch and iPhone. It will allow parents to limit access to inappropriate websites that their kids might come across on the iPad. Safe Eyes Mobile will automatically block 35 categories of websites on the iPad, while still offering the same pinch and tap zoom, bookmarks and built-in Google search as the Safari browser it will be replacing. “The…

The folks over at Six Revisions have posted some very interesting materials that reveal the greatness that is Firefox. The numbers are, for the most part, really impressive. However, when you get to the “security” section, it raises questions. Is Internet Explorer more secure than Firefox? The infographic clearly depicts that many people love Firefox, as over 1.3 billion people have downloaded the browser since 2004. The graphic also points out that — as far as vulnerabilities are concerned — Firefox has some serious flaws. The number of vulnerabilities that Firefox has had over…

I’m not going to make a joke about how nobody reads books anymore. But I might end up making some jokes about how nobody’s going to read Vooks, either. What’s a Vook? I thought you’d never ask. No, it’s not a big sweaty Slavic man cursing through his moustache. The posted video describes the Vook experience as…well, basically, an experience. ‘Vook weaves together content from incredible writers and professionally shot and edited videos by filmmakers,’ says Yahoo News about the technology. …Right. ‘Weaving’. ‘Blending’. ‘Seamlessly integrating two mediums’….

The makers of the Smart car have now created an iPhone application designed for cars that will allow users to turn their iPhone into a useful device while people are driving down the highway. The point of this iPhone application — supposedly called “Smart” — is to provide access to critical tasks you would need to perform in a car, and it provides an interface useful for drivers (big buttons, easy to use navigation, etc). …

Let’s face it: the iPad hype is starting to reach a fevered pitch in anticipation of its April 3rd launch. But even those who yawned – or laughed – when Apple announced the product might now have a reason to be excited: Netflix streaming is coming. Yep – it may not have Flash, but the iPad now has access to one of the best, and certainly the most famous streaming service around as Netflix have announced that an app will be available on the App Store in time for the iPad’s launch this Saturday. The application will essentially be a mobile version of the Netflix Instant Watch available on PCs, Macs and home…

Well it’s difficult to imagine what might go wrong this idea. Unvarnished, which today launched into a private beta, is a new service that lets people leave anonymous reviews of you. Yep. Anonymous reviews. About you! Fun! In theory, the site is meant to be a sort-of open version of Linked-In where anyone can post a review of you (in whatever capacity) and you, if you like, can claim your profile. Site founder Pete Kasanjy argues that anonymity is crucial to the system because, instead of the glowing recommendations of Linked-In, you’ll get real, honest feedback on a person. With the need to appear…

Some see abstract art as a mess while others see it as a beautiful piece of work, but regardless of the side you favor, this project by a motivated group in the UK is sure to impress any tech-savvy person. Extracts of Local Distance is the work of Benjamin Maus, Frederic Gmeiner and Thorsten Posselt, all of which whom have created something special: a computer software that analyzes vanishing points of photographical architecture, organizes all these points and segments of images, and creates new images based from the contents of hundreds or thousands of other images. The result is an image that…

Chatroulette. What can be said about this social media sensation that is gaining huge exposure? It is a fascinating piece of Web-based software that connects you to a total stranger for a one-on-one video/audio conversation — it is really that simple. If you are one of those who have tried Chatroulette, you are probably aware of the fun that can be had with such an application. However, you are probably just as aware about the pitfalls as well: There are people out there (a disturbingly high amount) who lack common sense, courtesy, and social skills, and Chatroulette is a medium that seemingly…