Open Source

Lifestyle
July 13, 2012
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Man attempts to live open source life for a year, including DIY condoms [video]

By on July 13, 2012 at 2:40 PM.

Man attempts to live open source life for a year, including DIY condoms [video]

Open Source Lifestyle

A 28-year-old New Zealand-born filmmaker from Berlin is attempting to drastically change his lifestyle. Sam Muirhead plans to abandon all copyrighted products for one year and instead make use of only open source products. The filmmaker’s goal is to raise awareness outside the world of technology about various open source projects. Muirhead, a Mac and Final Cut Pro user, will dive into the world of Linux for the first time, abandoning numerous programs he has come to know and love. More →

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Featured
June 5, 2012
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'Thank God' for Apple's beautiful crystal prisons

By on June 5, 2012 at 11:40 AM.

'Thank God' for Apple's beautiful crystal prisons

Apple iOS open source

The Electronic Frontier Foundation ruffled some feathers last week when it published a report calling for Apple to adopt a more open model with its mobile and desktop platforms. Apple is hurting users by making use of a closed model with iOS and OS X, which the EFF likened to “beautiful crystal prisons,” and also by imposing unnecessary limitations on its devices because the open source community is not being utilized. While a number of people agree with the EFF, highlighting the fact that Android’s open source model is part of the reason for its wide adoption among tech savvy consumers, many insist that Apple’s closed model is not just a benefit but one of the most important features of its mobile and desktop devices. More →

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Software
May 30, 2012
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'Apple's devices are like beautiful crystal prisons'

By on May 30, 2012 at 10:45 AM.

'Apple's devices are like beautiful crystal prisons'

Apple Open Source

Apple makes use of a number of open source technologies in its software products, but operating systems like iOS and OS X are hardly considered “open.” Apple has tight control over nearly every aspect of its mobile and desktop operating systems, ensuring that its products come as close as possible to resembling Apple’s vision from the moment they reach consumers’ hands until they are eventually replaced. While no one can deny the fact that Apple’s strategy has been a recipe for success thus far, a number of pundits believe Apple needs to loosen its grip on iOS and OS X if it hopes to maintain this success moving forward. Now, digital freedom fighters at the Electronic Frontier Foundation have weighed in on the issue. More →

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mobile
May 18, 2012
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Being open could close the door on Android

By on May 18, 2012 at 11:45 AM.

Being open could close the door on Android

Android Open Source

While I may recommend the iPhone to the majority of people who ask, Android is still my mobile operating system of choice. Google has created a truly amazing and innovative platform, and because it is open-source anyone can tweak it and customize it. Even devices that weren’t meant for Android, such as my HP TouchPad, can run the mobile OS beautifully thanks to dedicated third-party developers. As I spend more and more time with an iPhone, however, I realize that my love for open-source is slowly beginning to fade. While I used to believe open-source would play a huge role in pushing Android ahead of the competition, which it did, I now believe it may end up being the thing that kills it. More →

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Business
May 8, 2012
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Samsung looks beyond Android

By on May 8, 2012 at 11:45 AM.

Samsung looks beyond Android

Samsung looks past Android to find an alternative OS

Android has been good to Samsung. Very, very good. Samsung recently reported its second consecutive quarter of record earnings, thanks in no small part to its wildly popular line of Android-powered Galaxy smartphones. The South Korea-based vendor also just took the wraps off its next-generation flagship Android smartphone, the Galaxy S III. While the device may have opened the door for rivals to make some moves if they can act quickly enough, Samsung is currently the No.1 smartphone vendor in the world by volume and the Galaxy S III should help it retain that title. As good as Android has been for Samsung, however, the vendor continues to make it clear that it does not want to put all its eggs in one basket. More →

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Internet
April 16, 2012
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Google’s Sergey Brin: Apple and Facebook pose huge threat to Internet freedom

By on April 16, 2012 at 12:30 PM.

Google’s Sergey Brin: Apple and Facebook pose huge threat to Internet freedom

Google co-founder Sergey Brin said during an interview published on Sunday that Apple and Facebook pose serious threats to Internet freedom because of their closed approaches to software. While speaking with The Guardian, Brin said there are ”very powerful forces that have lined up against the open Internet on all sides and around the world. I am more worried than I have been in the past. It’s scary.” The executive pointed to the “walled-garden” philosophy that sees companies like Apple and Facebook maintain tight control over third-party software on their respective platforms as the cause for his concerns. Read on for more. More →

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Business
April 12, 2012
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Microsoft forms subsidiary to work on various open-source projects

By on April 12, 2012 at 6:50 PM.

Microsoft forms subsidiary to work on various open-source projects

Microsoft on Thursday formed a new subsidiary that will work with open-source projects, open-standards groups and interoperability initiatives. The subsidiary is called Microsoft Open Technologies Inc., and it will be formed from the company’s Interoperability Strategy team. Microsoft executive Jean Paoli will lead the new spin-off, which will consist of between 50 and 75 employees. In an interview with GeekWire, Paoli said Microsoft’s existing groups and divisions will continue to be involved with open-source projects, but at the same time the subsidiary will have the ability to work with outside projects at a faster pace. “We believe that the subsidiary will provide a new way of engaging with open-source communities in a more clearly defined manner,” he said, adding that the effort is about “bridging Microsoft and non-Microsoft technologies.” Microsoft Open Technologies will be a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft and will feature a board of directors that includes executives from the company’s business groups. More →

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mobile
February 29, 2012
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HP cuts webOS team in half during the transition to open source

By on February 29, 2012 at 8:35 PM.

HP cuts webOS team in half during the transition to open source

Hewlett-Packard will cut 275 of its 500 remaining employees on the webOS team as its mobile platform transitions to open source, WebOS Nation reported on Tuesday. “As webOS continues the transition from making mobile devices to open source software, it no longer needs many of the engineering and other related positions that it required before,” the company said in a statement. “This creates a smaller and more nimble team that is well-equipped to deliver an open source webOS and sustain HP’s commitment to the software over the long term.” While positions are being cut, HP hopes to redeploy employees to other areas of the company. The move leaves the webOS team with roughly 225 workers. More →

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mobile
February 16, 2012
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HP CEO: Say goodbye to ‘open’ Android

By on February 16, 2012 at 3:30 PM.

HP CEO: Say goodbye to ‘open’ Android

While speaking at HP’s global partner summit in Las Vegas on Wednesday, Hewlett-Packard CEO Meg Whitman discussed her company’s strategy moving forward, further emphasizing the potential of the now open-source webOS platform. Whitman is already on record saying that webOS offers big benefits compared to iOS (which is closed) and Android (which is fragmented), and now the chief executive is pushing things a step further. ”I think there is room for another operating system,” Whitman said at the summit according to Channel EMEA. “IOS is great but it is a closed system. I think that Android may end up as a closed system because of [Google’s] relationship with Motorola.” Google’s $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobility was approved by U.S. and European regulators earlier this week, and Whitman suggests the union may end up having a huge impact on Android’s future. Google has said that its Motorola buy won’t affect other Android partners adversely but as the company works to develop a new generation of own-brand hardware, the future of the platform as it stands today is anything but certain. More →

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mobile
February 3, 2012
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HP CEO says webOS will be better than ‘fragmented’ Android and ‘closed’ iOS

By on February 3, 2012 at 12:00 PM.

HP CEO says webOS will be better than ‘fragmented’ Android and ‘closed’ iOS

Though Hewlett-Packard was unable to produce webOS devices that consumers were interested in buying — at a positive margin, at least — CEO Meg Whitman still thinks the beleaguered platform has legs. After unsuccessfully trying to sell or license webOS, HP decided late last year to donate its $1.2 billion platform to the open source community. The firm still plans to launch new webOS devices in the future, however, and Meg Whitman explained HP’s position while speaking with CRN. Read on for more. More →

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mobile
January 25, 2012
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HP outlines the future of webOS, move to open source finished by September

By on January 25, 2012 at 3:40 PM.

HP outlines the future of webOS, move to open source finished by September

HP cut its losses last month and announced the company’s webOS mobile operating system would move to an open source model. On Wednesday, HP released a roadmap detailing the open source future of webOS. The company said it expects the software to be fully open-sourced by September, at which point it will be known as Open webOS 1.0. “HP is bringing the innovation of the webOS platform to the open source community,” said Bill Veghte, executive vice president and chief strategy officer at HP. “This is a decisive step toward meeting our goal of accelerating the platform’s development and ensuring that its benefits will be delivered to the entire ecosystem of web applications.” The second-generation Enyo framework, which debuted on the TouchPad, is now available with a bundle of related developer tools, and HP plans to release additional information nearly every month until September. The company also revealed that the mobile operating system will be moving to a standard Linux kernel in the hopes of attracting manufacturers who are experienced with Linux and Android. HP’s press release and roadmap can be found after the break. More →

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mobile
January 16, 2012
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Samsung to merge Bada OS with Intel-backed Tizen

By on January 16, 2012 at 1:35 PM.

Samsung to merge Bada OS with Intel-backed Tizen

During the Consumer Electronics Show, Samsung announced that the company is working on merging its Bada mobile operating system with the open-source Tizen operating system. “We have an effort that will merge bada and Tizen,” said Tae-Jin Kan, senior vice president of Samsung’s Contents Planning Team, in an interview with Forbes. While he wasn’t aware when the work would be complete, Kang indicated that is has already begun. Read on for more. More →

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mobile
December 13, 2011
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Android ranked most ‘closed’ open source OS [infographic]

By on December 13, 2011 at 10:00 AM.

Android ranked most ‘closed’ open source OS [infographic]

A new report has ranked Google’s Android operating system the most “closed” open source platform among eight major open source projects. VisionMobile on Monday published The Open Governance Index, a deep look at the relative openness of Android, Qt, Symbian, MeeGo, Mozilla, WebKit, Linux and Eclipse. Going beyond licensing models and using governance as a core metric, the firm determined that Eclipse is the most open open source platform with an Open Governance Index of 84% while Google’s Android was the most closed open source platform analyzed in its report. Read on for more. More →

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