Computerworld UK's Open Source Content

Freescale touts cheap Linux tablet

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:20:00 GMT

Protoype also runs Google Android and Chrome

$200 tablet PCs have been something of a pipe dream. There was the Crunchpad, which was supposed to be $200, but that didn't last very long, coming out as the $400 Joo Joo. If what Freescale showed off at Mobile World Congress becomes reality, though, the dream may finally come true.

Diagnosing the cause of poor application performance

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:51:00 GMT

Why having the right diagnostic tool can enable network professionals to quickly identify and resolve a problem

When it comes to troubleshooting application performance issues, there are two steps you can take to make diagnosis easier, faster and more accurate. First, understand the common causes of application performance problems; and, second, use the right tool to diagnose them. This paper will outline some of these causes and will explain why having the right diagnostic tool can enable network professionals to quickly identify and resolve a problem.

Essential guide to picking an open source operating system

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:15:00 GMT

Top questions to ask yourself before choosing a FOSS software package

There's a large selection of free and open source (FOSS) operating systems available these days, and choosing the right one for any given circumstance can be quite a challenge. This article is intended to help you pick the best operating system for your needs and experience level. Although this article is geared primarily toward those who have little to no experience with FOSS operating systems, we've included some pointers for more savvy open source users – say, those who use a FOSS operating system at home and would like to deploy one on the job.

A Class Act from the European Parliament

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:06:00 GMT

One of the most dispiriting aspects of the ACTA saga is that practically everything has been conducted behind closed doors. What we know is largely from leaks and a few, costive hints from officials when they deign to let us little people peak behind the curtain for a millisecond or two.

Linux struggles to make a dent in desktop

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:30:00 GMT

Everyone's favourite open source OS is still out in the cold

I'd love to see viable alternatives to the current mainstream operating systems. The PC market stands ready to be revolutionised by something new. But is Linux the agent of change that can do all of that? Not yet, I'm afraid. Every few years I take a fresh look at the question of whether Linux can make it on the mainstream desktop (or laptop). For a while last year, things were looking up for Linux. Many of the early netbook vendors were forgoing Windows licences and instead offering consumers machines that ran some form of Linux. That didn't last long, though. Return rates for Linux netbooks were much higher than for their Windows counterparts, and most netbooks today are sold with some version of Windows, not Linux.

Is Microsoft Afraid to Say the "L"-word?

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:40:00 GMT

It seems that, having lost its position as monarch of the world of computing, Microsoft has decided to become the industry jester. Last week I wrote about its amusing suggestion that we should all be taxed to clean up the mess its software has caused. Now we have this witty post on Microsoft's Port 25 site, which involves writing about open source software applications and the platforms they run on without mentioning “Linux” once.

Sun's open source chief leaves following Oracle merger

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:05:00 GMT

Simon Phipps: Open source success wasn't enough to rescue Sun

Sun's chief open source officer, Simon Phipps, has left the company following its acquisition by Oracle, the executive announced in his blog Tuesday.

There's Nothing New Under the Sun

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:53:00 GMT

One of the many sad aspects of Sun's disappearance into the maw of Oracle is that many will see this as “proof” that its strategy of building on open source was a failure. But as Simon Phipps, Sun's former Chief Open Source Officer, rightly says in his valedictory blog post:

Cloud Computing in Perspective

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:00:00 GMT

With all the noise in the market about cloud computing, how do you know where to begin?

Many CIOs recognise the power of cloud computing and are looking to implement the technology in their own IT realms. By understanding the underlying service-related delivery requirements that are needed, you can successfully take full advantage of cloud computing technology for your enterprise so that you can improve service delivery to the business. Here are some questions to help you get the process started:

Best Practice Insights: Focus on ITIL Service Operation

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:44:00 GMT

Meet ITIL objectives for service operation and manage IT from a business perspective

As discussed in Chapter 7 of this booklet, look for solutions that can help your organisation meet ITIL objectives for service operation and enable you to manage IT from a business perspective. These solutions should cover application management, asset management, configuration management, capacity management, identity management, infrastructure management, and IT service support.

Open Source Saves the Day (and Lots of Dosh)

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:00:00 GMT

It seems every day we hear about hideous cost overruns on public sector projects in the UK. What makes it even more frustrating is that open source, a real no-brainer for many applications, is rarely given the chance to prove itself here. Which means, of course, that there are no case studies to refer to, so no one gives open source a chance etc. etc.

Saving Becta: a great new open source venture

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:48:00 GMT

This post follows swiftly on from last week's blog in which I touted BECTA's demise. Things in edu-world after this weekend are looking much worse if you believe Ed Balls the Labour Secretary of State for Education and Michael Gove the Shadow Secretary.

Before Apple vs. HTC: Tech's 5 most sensational patent cases

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Patent litigation has become more than a cottage industry in Silicon Valley

Even so, patent litigation has become more than a cottage industry in Silicon Valley. On the one hand, it protects intellectual property developed by independent entrepreneurs and industry giants alike. But it also wastes untold millions of dollars a year that could be better spent on innovation, says Charlene Morrow, who heads the patent litigation practice of Fenwick & West. "When startup valuations were very high, and a new company got a round of funding, you could absolutely count on a non-practicing entity to file a patent suit," she says.

Open Source and Security: Are there Limits?

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:14:00 GMT

You might think that's a pretty ridiculous question to ask, since the canard about open source being less secure than closed source has been debunked many times. But it seems that some people didn't get the memo:

Group wants to open source data centre design

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:05:00 GMT

Open Source Data Center Initiative wants to pool engineering resources

A new industry group is trying to apply open-source principles to the design and construction of data centres, which it says could accelerate the use of new technologies and increase competition in the industry.

Google releases open source iPhone mail app

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:05:00 GMT

reMail email search relaunched

In February, Google acquired the iPhone mail search app reMail, and promptly removed it from the App Store. On Friday, reMail developer Gabor Csell announced that the reMail codebase is now open source.

Becta and school ICT: end of the line for the gravy train?

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:52:00 GMT

Becta and School ICT: end of the line for the gravy train?

Opportunities for the Cloud in the Enterprise

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:33:00 GMT

The next evolutionary step toward elastic IT

Cloud computing represents the next evolutionary step toward elastic IT. It will transform the way your IT infrastructure is constituted and managed, through consumable services for infrastructure, platform, and applications. This will convert your IT infrastructure from a "factory" into a "supply chain".

A Healthy Move for Open Source

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:06:00 GMT

Although free software has had huge success at the infrastructural level – it runs most of the Internet, most cloud computing services, and vast swathes of corporate computing – its roll-out to more specialised areas has been slower.

Open source reaches hardware products

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:45:00 GMT

Open source software is one of the great success stories of the past few decades. Could the same philosophy, the free and public dissemination of underlying code and specs with multiple developers from disparate sources contributing to the design, work for tech gadgets as well?

The Apache HTTP Server is the world's most popular web server, Linux has more than held its own against Unix and other proprietary operating systems, and Mozilla's Firefox browser has given Microsoft's Internet Explorer strong competition over the years.

Is Novell worth $2 billion?

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:00:00 GMT

Novell isn't the IT giant it once was, but the company may be well worth the $2 billion offered in a takeover bid by a New York hedge fund, analysts say. Novell's value is "at least that, and more," says Gartner analyst Earl Perkins.

In a letter sent Tuesday to Novell's board of directors, the hedge fund Elliott Associates said its offer of $5.75 per share represented a premium of 49% over Novel's enterprise value, a measure that includes a firm's market capitalization, preferred stock and debt.

North Korea develops Red Star operating system

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:55:00 GMT

Linux distro includes thinly disguised versions of Firefox, OpenOffice.org

The North Korean government appears to have developed its own graphical Linux-based "Red Star" operating system, though its people still prefer that symbol of Yankee high-tech imperialism, Microsoft Windows.

CeBIT: Firefox researchers show off 3D graphics

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 08:30:00 GMT

Native rendering of 3D graphics with XML3D

Some gaming companies have created plug-ins that allow 3D graphics to be viewed, but the latest method does not require one, which potentially would allow the capability to be used by more people, said Philipp Slusallek, a professor at Saarland University, at the Cebit trade show on Wednesday.

There are two ways to generate a three-dimensional image for a two-dimensional...

CeBIT: Fierfox researchers show off 3D graphics

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 08:30:00 GMT

Native rendering of 3D graphics with XML3D

Microsoft delivers Linux virtualisation drivers

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 07:06:00 GMT

Red Hat now runs on Hyper-V

Microsoft has released a set of drivers to allow production versions of Red Hat to run on Hyper-V. The drivers, otherwise known as integration components, have some limitations, but they come with the full assurance that both Microsoft and Red Hat will support such an implementation.