Open Source

Computing

The Tablet Linux Lovers Have Been Waiting For

5:00AM February 2, 2012 | Jamie Condliffe

While most people just want their devices to work so that they can do stuff, some people love tinkering with operating systems. Until now, the tablet sector’s been ripe for hacking, but there hasn’t been anything that’s truly open-source and easy to fiddle with from the get-go. This Spark tablet puts that straight. More »


Science

Awesome! High-Altitude Balloon Launch At Linux.conf.au In Ballarat

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6:00PM January 18, 2012 | Angus Kidman

What’s better than launching a high-altitude balloon into space from Adelaide 20 times? Doing it live from Linux.conf.au in Ballarat. Check out our exclusive video and learn more about the Project Horus team after the jump, including their plans to launch an Internode Node Pony into space. More »


Science

How To Work For NASA, The Easy Way

10:05PM January 6, 2012 | Jamie Condliffe

OK, so you’ve always wanted to be an astronaut. But you looked at the application form and realised you weren’t quite what NASA needed. No problem! There’s an alternative. More »


News

WebOS Lives!

5:42AM December 10, 2011 | Brian Barrett

In the most dramatic stay of execution since Robin Hood shot an arrow through Little John’s noose, HP has decided that WebOS will live on as open source. And there was much merriment and back-slappery throughout the land! Also: good work, HP. More »


Gadgets

The iNecklace Shows Strangers If You’re Turned On

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10:00AM September 2, 2011 | Alex Kidman

OK, it doesn’t actually indicate your arousal. But the folks behind the iCufflinks are at it again, with a glowing power button necklace that looks suspiciously like the power button found on a certain computer company’s systems. More »


Software

Linux Turns 20 Today — And Shut Up, Yes, It Still Matters

7:00AM August 26, 2011 | Sam Biddle

We get it. Linux is just for nerds. Not mere nerds — we’re all nerds — Linux nerds. It’s a hobbyist OS for contrarians. It’s an antique. An oddity. Pointless. Right? Very, very wrong. Happy birthday, Linux — let’s celebrate you like we should More »


Mobile

Apparently, Android Is The Least Open Of The Open Source Platforms

11:14PM August 4, 2011 | Casey Chan

Sorry Android. You get by with having this reputation of being open but in reality you’re the least open/most closed “open platform” around. In a study with eight other platforms, Android finished dead last. And it wasn’t even close. More »


Online

Why Ratings Will Ruin Wikipedia

6:17AM July 23, 2011 | Mat Honan

Did you know you can rate pages on Wikipedia now? It’s new. And it’s meant to get you involved, with the ultimate goal of increasing the site’s accuracy, diversity and completeness. It won’t work. More »


Entertainment

SageTV Acquisition Could Aid Fledgling Google TV With Potential DVR-Style Devices

3:00AM June 20, 2011 | Jack Loftus

Google’s not saying much about it, but one can’t help but think the company’s late-week acquisition of open-source home theatre and DVR software developer SageTV is related to its struggling Google TV offering. More »


Software

Google’s Witholding Honeycomb Over User Experience Concerns

7:28AM March 25, 2011 | Adrian Covert

Yes, you can buy a Motorola Xoom with Android Honeycomb on it. But according to BusinessWeek, Google isn’t releasing the tablet variant of Android to developers publicly, because they’re worried people will try and shoehorn it into phones. More »