OpenLogic, makers of open source license compliance scanning software, have released some stats about open source license proliferation and popularity and it makes for some interesting reading. The big takeaway is that developers generally prefer the GNU General Public License while their enterprise employers prefer the Apache Software License. There are a number of ways to interpret this data. → Read More
Brand Thunder, the site that allows you to skin your browser, is rolling out a slick new theme creation utility called BT:Engage, which allows anyone to easily build and share interactive browser themes. The entire process is web-based with real-time previews of themes as you build them. It’s a little rough around the edges right now, but the long-term plan is to have a sophisticated suite of… → Read More
The Human Interface Guidelines for Android I posted about earlier this month generated considerable interest. The folks behind it, Mutual Mobile, received a lot of feedback. The most common request was for more information and guidance about designing for Android 3.0, aka Honeycomb. Mutual Mobile has wasted no time in responding to these requests, and are today releasing version 1.1 of their… → Read More
Word comes today that search pioneer Yahoo! is joining the Linux Foundation. Yahoo! spoke at The Linux Foundation Collaboration Summit earlier this month and demonstrated its use of Linux throughout the enterprise, and specifically for cloud computing. As a member of the Linux Foundation, they can “maximize these investments through collaborative initiatives that advance the platform in specific… → Read More
I don’t know that grocery list management is problem that need a dedicated gadget to solve them, but the SmartShopper does what it claims to do pretty well. When not in use it clings magnetically to your refrigerator, waiting patiently for you to speak to it.
That’s the big gimmick to the SmartShopper: it has voice recognition. Note that it’s not voice activated: you need to press a button on it… → Read More
Ever since I started contributing to the TechCrunch empire, my inbox has received a pretty steady stream of pitches for new (and not-so-new) products and services. Some of them merit a post, but the overwhelming majority of these emails are skimmed and then deleted. Sometimes, though, I’ll engage the sender in a discussion about the product or service they’re pitching, asking about details… → Read More
PogoPlug, the host-it-yourself file sharing appliance, has a few new things for you. First there’s the PogoPlug Video, which adds easy streaming of videos from your location, without the need to transcode the source. Videos are streamable to the PogoPlug mobile apps on iOS and Android, as well as Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and “most media players and Internet-enabled TVs.” The other big release is… → Read More
Linux, first released to the public in 1991, is celebrating its 20th birthday this year. The history of Linux is an interesting thing in its own right, and even more interesting when taken in context of the history of computing in general. The Linux Foundation has a number of events lined up to celebrate Linux’s 20th birthday, including a new 20th Anniversary Website and a video contest to be… → Read More
The world is hooked on plastics, but creating plastics — especially thermoplastics like nylon, polyethylene, and polystyrene — typically requires petroleum or natural gas. That’s bad, because it deepens the world’s dependence on those finite resources. Researchers at the Institute of Agriculture & Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln have presented new research at a… → Read More
There’s no denying that iOS apps are, on the whole, polished. This is due in large part to Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines, a document that “describes the guidelines and principles that help you design a superlative user interface and user experience for your iOS app.” There’s no ambiguity about what’s a good idea and what’s not: Apple tells you straight up what’s a good idea. The polish and… → Read More
In 2011 everyone should know that links are the currency of the web. And Twitter is one of the primary mediums for link exchange. A tweet is 140 characters long, and there is absolutely no dearth of link shortening services to allow you to cram as many links as possible into a tweet. But is that really exchanging value? The basic principle of supply and demand suggests that the more quantity there… → Read More
Ars Technica has a terrific look at the Linux graphics stack, from the original X protocol pioneered by MIT computer scientist Bob Scheifler up to the new Wayland display manager (for lack of a better word) by Kristian Høgsberg. Many of the current crop of Linux users might well be completely unaware of the robust network functionality built into X.org, the current iteration of the X protocol… → Read More
Word comes today that consumer electronics giant Panasonic is joining the Linux Foundation at the Gold level, which is the Linux Foundation’s second highest tier. Panasonic joins AMD, Cisco, HP, Google and other big names at the Gold level, confirming beyond any doubt that Linux is an integral part of the consumer electronics market. Panasonic had been a founding member of the Consumer Electronics… → Read More
One of the reasons a lot of big companies shy away from using open source software is because the plethora of open source licenses can make things confusing. The licenses themselves can be confusing, as there are a lot of grey areas with very little case law to help make things clear. Some open source licenses are compatible with certain other open source licenses, but completely incompatible with… → Read More
In my house, we have a baseline shopping list that contains the things we almost always need to buy — you know, the things we go through quickly like milk, butter, rubber bands, extension cords — and then a rotating selection of fancy cheeses we’d like to try. We usually don’t bother to write down our staple items because we buy them so regularly, but sometimes we get waylaid in the grocery… → Read More
Evernote for iPhone launched with the Apple App Store, and the app has ungone a number of evolutionary steps in the years since. Today Evernote is unveiling version 4 of their iPhone app and the changes, while maybe not revolutionary, are certainly substantial. The home screen, for example, is completely revamped to show snippets of notes making the app useful as soon as you launch it. → Read More
Everyone and their brother seems to be coming out with some kind of Android powered doohickey. This is generating a fair amount of fatigue in consumers, as well as developers, as they grapple with the differing features in each vendor’s Android product. The Linux Foundation hopes to help remedy some of this with their upcoming Android Builders Summit, April 13-14 in San Francisco.
This isn’t some… → Read More
Short version: The GoBiz i-Microphone is not a complete cure for your smartphone’s mic, but it’s a pretty cheap way to get better recordings. → Read More
A couple of timely education items hit my inbox this morning. First, a report suggests that U.S. students suck at science. From the report,”less than one-half of students are demonstrating solid academic performance and competency over challenging subject matter.” Granted, ‘science’ is an extremely broad term and encompasses many different disciplines, but the gist of that report is pretty… → Read More
2010 was a busy year for the Linux Foundation, and their recently posted 2011 schedule suggests that this year will be just as interesting. In addition to LinuxCon and the Collaboration Summit in the US, there’s also LinuxCon Brazil, LinuxCon Japan, and for the first time ever LinuxCon Europe. The latter is running concurrently with the Linux Kernel Summit and the Embedded Linux Conference Europe. → Read More
Short version: part useful application of new technology, part marketing gimmick, the HP eStation is a solid all-in-one printer that uses a wireless Android-powered touchscreen tablet as its primary interface. The printer is about what you’d expect from HP these days, while the tablet presents some interesting new usability options. You certainly shouldn’t buy the eStation just because… → Read More
We at CrunchGear want to make sure you’re dressed for success, or at least can go to Christmas Mass with your in-laws in something other than sweat pants and ironic t-shirts. To that end, as part of our 12 Days of Giveaways we’re giving away three gift certificates ($150, $100, and $50) for Blank Label, one of the design-your-own clothing services we’ve discussed this year. Use the gift… → Read More
In what is sure to be the start of a very big trend, JCPenny is announcing their new Facebook application that allows Facebook users to browse and purchase items directly from JC Penny’s Facebook page. Users will be able to browse and search JC Penny’s catalog, as well as “like” products and purchases. I’m not sure I see the point of “liking” your purchase of a new pair of boots, but then again I… → Read More
Short Version: Tracking your baby’s daily activities can be a time consuming process, but it yields some interesting and useful data to help you better understand everything that’s going on with your little one. The Onaroo Personal Baby Assistant is a stand-alone gadget to help you record the things your baby does: when and how much she eats, when and how long she naps, and what kind of dirty… → Read More
I started a new full time job at about the same time that my 2-year AT&T contract ended. My new job provided me with a Blackberry Bold 9700, to chain me to the corporate teat. I opted not to renew my personal AT&T contract, officially retiring my iPhone 3G, as it didn’t make sense to carry two smartphones. The Blackberry is not a perfect device, but I’m wholeheartedly convinced… → Read More
Isabella Products, the folks that brought you the Vizit interactive picture frame are planning to bring your children a 7″ tablet called the “Fable”. Aside from built-in mobile broadband and a camera, no real technical details are available. The product will incorporate the “carousel” interface used by the Vizit picture frame. Apps include an e-reader with… → Read More
Evernote is rolling out version 2 of their app for Android phones, and it represents the biggest update to functionality on any platform in a single release. Updated home screen, tighter integration with the Google Search widget, background synchronization, and simpler sorting with improved views are all great new features, but the most interesting aspect of this update for current Evernote users… → Read More
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