Linux

14 Stories

Potentially Huge Cyberattack Stopped by a Single Person

Microsoft engineer Andres Freund praised as the 'Silver Back Gorilla of nerds'

(Newser) - If you're not fluent in coding, just know this: "Had it not been discovered, it would have been catastrophic to the world," a security analyst at Analygence tells Ars Technica . He's referring to a carefully hidden "backdoor" found in the open-source software Linux that could...

North Korea's OS Has 'Malicious Functionality'

Linux-based Red Star operating system basically spies on whoever uses it

(Newser) - Check out North Korea's computer operating system, and it feels almost like you're using a Mac. Red Star OS is a "fully featured desktop system," German researcher Niklaus Schiess tells Motherboard , complete with word processing software and a revamped Firefox browser. But like almost everything else...

Tech Titans Throw $3.6M at Preventing New Heartbleed

Google, Microsoft, Amazon among firms backing effort

(Newser) - Competing tech giants don't want to see another Heartbleed, and they're putting their money where their mouth is to ensure that they don't. Some of tech's biggest names—Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Amazon, and Dell, to name a few—are now jointly funding an effort to support...

India Unveils $35 Tablet Computer
India Unveils
$35 Tablet Computer
Jul 23, 2010 11:35 AM CDT

India Unveils $35 Tablet Computer

World's cheapest could be in students' hands next year

(Newser) - India plans to roll out the world's cheapest tablet computer next year. The $35 touchscreen device—that's one-14th the price of an iPad, notes the AP —is aimed at students, and the price could eventually come down to $10 or $20. The government still hasn't lined up a manufacturer,...

Microsoft to Apple: Bring It On
 Microsoft 
 to Apple: 
 Bring It On 
ANALYSIS
Apr 11, 2009 9:48 AM CDT

Microsoft to Apple: Bring It On

(Newser) - With its snazzy ads and iPhone groupies, Apple has been winning the Mac vs. PC wars, but Microsoft is ready to strike back, Peter Burrows writes in BusinessWeek. Positioning itself as a cheaper alternative, the company has launched its own slate of “uncharacteristically cool” TV ads and is offering...

Big Dreams for Android Aren't Just Google's
Big Dreams for Android Aren't Just Google's
OPINION
Oct 21, 2008 2:45 PM CDT

Big Dreams for Android Aren't Just Google's

Operating system looks to potential well beyond phones: Malik

(Newser) - Google’s release of the code for its Android operating system today—a day before the G1 phone hits stores—paves the path for transformation of the cell-phone industry and beyond, Om Malik writes on GigaOm. As coders enhance Android and develop add-ons, either for existing devices or new ones,...

Microsoft Should Throw a Rock Through Its Windows

Operating system needs a fresh start

(Newser) - The window on Microsoft’s operating system agility has closed, and to fix it, Randall Stross argues in the New York Times, the tech giant needs to start from scratch. Windows “has become an obese monolith built on an ancient frame,” Stross says, and it “seems to...

One Laptop Per Child Embraces Windows XP

Move gives new life to seemingly immortal operating system

(Newser) - Now that Microsoft has signed on to the One Laptop Per Child initiative—aimed at getting low-cost PCs to kids in poor countries—its Windows XP operating system is again getting a new jolt of life, reports InternetNews.com. The project originally used only free, open-source software such as Linux,...

Computer Brainiac Guilty of Wife's Murder

'Geek defense' didn't work

(Newser) - A brilliant California computer programmer was found guilty of murdering his estranged wife yesterday—despite the fact that her body was never found. "I've been the best father that I know how," shouted Hans Reiser, 44, after the verdict, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. His wife's blood was...

Wiki Survey Aims to Find Out Who Posts — and Why

Site will try to ID its anonymous authors

(Newser) - Wikipedia wants to know more about its anonymous authors and has launched a worldwide survey to find out who they are, how much they post, and what type of people go from casual browsers to active contributors. In a first for the site, the survey will attempt to unearth authors'...

Snap Together Devices Could Revolutionize Electronics Biz

'Bugbase' & modules available within weeks

(Newser) - A line of electronic devices that snap together like Legos could revolutionize the consumer electronics industry. Discovery News reports a New York software developer came up with the system, which is open source, so that numerous innovators can contribute new devices. A hub called a Bugbase contains the basics electronics....

Google to Unveil Open-Source Phone Software

'Android' will bring familiar Google apps onto handsets

(Newser) - Google is set to unveil Android, a mobile phone software platform based on open-source technology which could be a bellwether for an industry sea change, news.com reports. A press conference next week is expected to unveil the platform and give specifics on its collaborators, dubbed the "Open Handset...

CEO Stakes Sun's Renaissance on Freebies

Java giant focuses on appealing to the masses over CIOs

(Newser) - Sun Microsystems’ latest CEO has an interesting strategy for getting profit out of the beleaguered tech giant—he's giving stuff away. “There’s value in volume,” says Jonathan Schwartz, who has made free Sun's Solaris operating system, microprocessor blueprints, and Java code. So far, so good: Schwartz turned...

File-sharing Felon Forced to Use Windows

Man must either ditch Linux or ditch his computer

(Newser) - An individual convicted of operating an illegal BitTorrent site shut down by the FBI will be forced to either make the switch from Linux to Windows or give up his computer altogether, ZDNet reports. Scott McCausland had previously been a user of the Ubuntu OS, a popular open-source Linux variant,...

14 Stories