Sikalong

Japanese Gangster Vans

We must say that these are both bizarre and cool. Japanese gangsters are very creative in modifying their cars. Take a look at some pictures. Do you think you can find this on the Japanese road?

With only nine days left until Karmic Koala's official release, it's time to take a look into the past. Five years ago, on the 20th of October, 2004, Mark Shuttleworth and the "warm-hearted Warthogs" from the developer team announced the first official Ubuntu release. Version 4.10, code name "Warty Warthog," was only the first representative in a line of operating systems that were made by human beings for human beings, aiming to let normal people use Linux.

Let's take a quick look at when each of the Ubuntu versions was released, and what it brought new:
· Ubuntu 4.10 (Warty Warthog) - Released on the 20th of October, 2004
· Ubuntu 5.04 (Hoary Hedgehog) - Released on 8th of April, 2005
· Ubuntu 5.10 (Breezy Badger) - Released on 13th of October, 2005
· Ubuntu 6.06 LTS (Dapper Drake) - Released on the 1st of June, 2006
· Ubuntu 6.10 (Edgy Eft) - Released on the 26th of October, 2006
· Ubuntu 7.04 (Feisty Fawn) - Released on the 19th of April, 2007
· Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon) - Released on the 18th of October, 2007
· Ubuntu 8.04 LTS (Hardy Heron) - Released on the 24th of April, 2008
· Ubuntu 8.10 (Intrepid Ibex) - Released on the 30th of October, 2008
· Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope) - Released on the 23rd of April, 2009
· Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic Koala) - Planned for release on the 29th of October, 2009

Ubuntu 4.10 (Warty Warthog) was something weird for its time. It was common back then for Linux operating systems to ship on anywhere from two to even nine CDs, but Warty only had two: a Live and an Installation CD. Another thing that separated Ubuntu from the other Linux distributions of the time was the ShipIt service that sent Ubuntu CDs to anyone who requested them, free of charge.

The Warty Warthog was followed by Ubuntu 5.04 (Hoary Hedgehog), which brought another series of improvements that catered to non-technical users. The update manager and the notifier changed the task of updating the system from a deeply administrative one to something anyone could do. Under the hood, dynamic frequency scaling kept laptops running for a longer while, and the hardware database kept a tight watch on what components worked well out of the box.

The Ubuntu 5.10 (Breezy Badger) release hid the kernel start-up messages that looked like an alien language to most users under a graphical bootloader for the first time. At that time another defining feature of Ubuntu was created: integration with the Launchpad developer portal.

Fast forward to Ubuntu 6.04 and you will see that there is no such thing. Because the development was not complete, Mark Shuttleworth moved the release date to June that year, but made up to the users by giving them the first long-term support release: Ubuntu 6.06 LTS (Dapper Drake). This version changed the installation process in two ways: the two CDs that were typical for a release were merged into one, which served the double purpose of being a live and an install disk and, related to that, the setup process stopped using Debian's installer and switched to a graphical setup tool named Ubiquity.

You probably still remember Ubuntu 6.10 (Edgy Eft), because it was the first release that featured the finished Human graphical theme. Also, this version featured Tomboy, the note-taking application, and F-Spot, the photo manager. The Beryl desktop effects were also one of the attractions.

Those uber-cool desktop effects that were impressive for seasoned users and novices alike were made possible for the first time with the inclusion of Compiz in Ubuntu 7.04 (Feisty Fawn). Switching from Windows to Ubuntu was made much easier by the migration assistant that was created for this release, and virtualization was given a helping hand by including the Kernel Virtual Machine. Along with the packages was improved multimedia support with the restricted driver and codec installation tools.

I can actually remember Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon), because it allowed me to save files on an NTFS partition. NTFS-3G's inclusion opened the way for tighter interoperability with Windows systems, while AppArmor watched the system's security and Compiz Fusion took the graphical aspect of the desktop one step further.

Ubuntu 8.04 LTS (Hardy Heron) will continue to be on desktops for a while, because its official support will end in April 2011. It featured a new desktop search tool, Tracker, the Brasero disk burner, the Transmission bit-torrent application and many other new programs. Most of us remember it because of PulseAudio, that was a new thing back then and it caused a lot of problems with audio. Also, Hardy was another big step towards an easy installation, because Wubi allowed you to skip partitioning and stuff Ubuntu in a file on one of your Windows disks.

Ubuntu 8.10 (Intrepid Ibex) was released into a world where netbooks were starting to conquer the market. Since most of those portable computers had no optical drive, Ubuntu came up with the Live USB Creator that allowed you to transfer the bootable image to a USB drive. Also, 8.10 had a lot of security improvements, like home folder encryption support and a ready-made guest account. Rebuilding kernel modules by hand was made obsolete by the inclusion of Dynamic Kernel Module Support.

You must be familiar with Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope), because you're probably running it right now. It brought us the new Notify OSD and fresh graphics, along with faster boot times and web service integration. The hardware in netbooks was supported, and Wacom tablets were now hot-pluggable. On the development side, everything was moved to the Bazaar revision control system.

Now we're leaving the past and moving on towards the future. Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic Koala) will be here in nine days, should everything go according to plan. The anniversary presents will be a new graphical theme, ultra-fast boots and a Netbook Remix that truly deserves the Ubuntu name.

Since such a trip down the memory lane would not be complete without a mental image of each release, we prepared this screenshot tour. It represents the journey of a free operating system that truly changed the way people use their computer. Enjoy the Ubuntu timeline, 11 releases in 5 years!

Ubuntu 4.10 (Warty Warthog)

Ubuntu 5.04 (Hoary Hedgehog)

Ubuntu 5.10 (Breezy Badger)

Ubuntu 6.06 LTS (Dapper Drake)

Ubuntu 6.10 (Edgy Eft)

Ubuntu 7.04 (Feisty Fawn)

Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon)

Ubuntu 8.04 LTS (Hardy Heron)

Ubuntu 8.10 (Intrepid Ibex)

Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope)

Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic Koala)

Happy Birthday Ubuntu!

Mandriva Linux 2010.0 Alpha 2 Has KDE 4.3 RC3 and GNOME 2.27.5

The second alpha of Mandriva Linux 2010.0 was launched last night, on July 31st, by the Mandriva team. The development cycle of Mandriva Linux 2010.0 will continue with a beta release at the end of August, two release candidates scheduled for September and October, and the official public release expected around November, 2009.

Mandriva Linux 2010.0 Alpha 2 is still not available as a Live CD, the only way for you to test it is to grab the DVD and install it. It is available for both 32-bit and 64-bit architectures.

The features of this release are exactly what everyone was expecting, the newly released GNOME 2.27.5 and KDE 4.3 RC3 desktop environments, Linux kernel 2.6.31 RC4, and many more.

Highlights of Mandriva Linux 2010.0 Alpha 2:
· Linux kernel 2.6.31 RC4;
· KDE 4.3 RC3;
· GNOME 2.27.5;
· Xfce 4.6.1;
· X.org Server 1.6.2;
· OpenOffice.org 3.1.0;
· KOffice 2.0.1;
· Amarok 2.1.1;
· Digikam 1.0 Beta 3;
· Kipi plug-ins 0.5.0;
· KMess 2.0.0;
· Apache 2.2.22;
· PHP 5.3.0;
· Improved Drakxtools;
· Device permission handling changes.

Mandriva Linux 2010.0 Release Schedule:
June 19th, 2009 - Mandriva Linux 2010.0 Alpha 1
July 31st, 2009 - Mandriva Linux 2010.0 Alpha 2
August 20th, 2009 - Mandriva Linux 2010.0 Beta
September 17th, 2009 - Mandriva Linux 2010.0 RC1
October 8th, 2009 - Mandriva Linux 2010.0 RC2
November 3rd, 2009 - Mandriva Linux 2010.0 Final release

Download Mandriva Linux 2010.0 Alpha 2 right now from Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, and Here.
Remember that this is an alpha release and it should not be installed on production machines. It is intended for testing purposes only. Please report bugs to the Mandriva Bug Tracker.

By: Marius Nestor

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Switch to Ubuntu Today - Canonical's support services for Ubuntu Desktop Edition

Canonical has announced today in a press release that it will offer new support services for both individual and small businesses, which will ease the transition to the popular Ubuntu operating system, from Microsoft Windows or Apple Macintosh. Ubuntu is a 100% free and open-source Linux OS for both desktop and server platforms, with millions of users around the globe. With these support services offered by Canonical, users can take now take full advantage of the Ubuntu OS. They will include support for installations, desktop configuration and general assistance (see below for details about each package).

Steve George, director of Canonical's Corporate Services division says: "Canonical's Desktop Support Services provides an easy, inexpensive way to get Ubuntu up and running in the home, home office and small business - reaching the vast majority of computer users. [...] With our team supporting them, Ubuntu is ideal for people who just want their computer to work, where the goal is to get up and running with no fuss, focusing on the things they want to accomplish."

Canonical's Desktop Support Services includes three packages: Starter, Advanced and Professional:
- The Starter Desktop Service offers support for installations and basic configuration and functionality of the Ubuntu system, like creating various documents, playing audio and video streams, using various applications or setting up the Internet. The package's price starts from 34.73 Pound Sterling (GBP) + VAT;
- The Advanced Desktop Service offers support for power users who need help or assistance for migrating documents or settings from a Microsoft Windows or Apple Macintosh operating system. Advanced installations, personnel accounting and desktop publishing are also covered by this offering. The package's price starts from 72.62 Pound Sterling (GBP) + VAT;
- The Professional Desktop Service offers support for experienced users who already use Ubuntu as their main operating system, but need help with network installations, various applications support, advanced productivity, advanced system administration and more. The package's price starts from 138.03 Pound Sterling (GBP) + VAT.

All three offerings described above include:
- Live phone support 9x5
- Email support
- Security upgrades
- Product upgrades
- Duration: 1 year or 3 years

For more details and prices you can check out the Canonical Store.

By: Marius Nestor

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History of the PC Display

History of the PC Display - Long before the HD era unpleasant shades of grey stood before our eyes.

The problem
Since it was first mentioned, the electronic computing machine (today known as the PC) needed a display device. I mean what's the point of computing stuff if you can't see the final result? As so, the original name of the PC monitor was the VDU (Visual Display Unit).

Although early IBM computers followed the usual 3-part rule, comprising of a monitor, a computing unit and a keyboard (the mouse came at a later time), some companies manufactured the computing unit as an integral part of the display. It is actually funny that before monitors became the main display units for the PC, one interesting attempt to solving the output problem was to use printers as display units. As you can imagine this idea never became widespread.

The beginning
The first ever widely used display technology was the CRT (Cathode Ray Tube). The main concept was based on a negatively-charged cathode, an electron gun and a screen coated with a grid of phosphor dots. The electron gun shot electrons down the tube and the phosphorus would glow when struck by the electron beam. As the number of phosphor dots on the screen is limited, discretization was necessary in order to display images on the screen.

This discretization was accomplished taking in consideration the number of pixels the screen has. Each pixel contains three phosphor dots of different color (Reed, Green and Blue) which, if combined, could reproduce (with a certain degree of approximation) any real life color. This is not to say that the first CRT monitors were color displays. They were actually monochrome units that had very low resolutions. The low resolution was a result of the high manufacturing cost and the composite interface used for PC connection.

Ferdinand Braun, a German physicist, was the inventor of the CRT (in 1897) and, even if it may be difficult to imagine nowadays, the shape of the display was not flat. This was mainly due to the early technology used in the design. The problem was that the electron beam was altered by magnetic deflection (a varying magnetic field generated by coils) in order for the rectangular image to fit on a non-flat surface.

As a side note, I don't know how many of you ever wondered what was the true meaning of the screensaver. I know that nowadays its main goal is to allow computer users to relax using some kind of animation or even an image slide show, but the name itself surely suggests otherwise. In fact its first meaning was to “save” the screen. The thing is that the phosphor in CRT screens becomes less bright with time.

So, after a few years of displaying the Windows desktop, if a full screen picture was displayed on the device, users could observe an imprint of the taskbar on the bottom of the screen. To solve this problem, the screensaver was introduced. It would display a random animation used to regulate phosphorus usage so that no part of the screen would display a static image for an extended period of time.

The evolution
In time, CRTs evolved. Brightness, resolution and contrast improved. The color gamut became richer and images could be more accurately displayed. Resolutions ranged from the VGA standard (640 x 480) to 2304 x 1440 pixels. This evolution took place somewhere in the 90's, when Sony patented the Triniton tube. This was a more advanced cathode tube, which provided for a wider color gamut, higher brightness and contrast, as well as better electron focus across the screen.

Sony's patent expired in 1996 and as such other companies began using the the same technology, but under a different name (for example Mitsubishi called it Diamondtron). The 90's CRT market was led by Sony and their high quality monitors. Eizo for example only became popular because they were re-branding Sony's high end monitors. Soon other companies like Dell, Apple, IBM and Sun Microsystems joined the re-branding bandwagon.

This evolution was also made possible by an updated connector called HD-15 (widely known as the VGA connector or D-Sub). This was a 15 pin connector cable used to carry analog component RGBHV signal. The HV at the end signify horizontal and vertical sync signals.

The last update to the CRT technology was used in the FD Wega series (yes, Sony again). FD meant Flat Display and it translated to “perfect” image representation on a PC monitor. By improving the magnetic deflection technology, manufacturers began building almost flat screens by calibrating the coil position on the side of the screen. I say almost flat because some companies kind of cheated here and created screens that where not actually flat, but their surface was in fact part of a very large sphere and created the illusion of a flat surface. Sony was not one of those companies.

The revolution
The CRT era seemed to go on forever. Sony was in business with high quality models that where re-branded by other well known companies. But as history shows us, technology is continuously evolving and sitting around bragging about how you have the best technology and not investing into R&D is not a good policy. Sony learned this by being dethroned as the display manufacturing king.

Somewhere at the end of the 90's, other companies began introducing a new technology on the market, namely the Liquid Display Technology (a.k.a. LCD). The new technology used a grid of liquid crystals, placing three transistors behind each crystal. The three transistors where used to generate the RGB spectrum and in the end display more sharper images than CRT monitors. Monitors featuring LCD panels came in a slimmer form factors and with lower radiation emissions. They were a step up in design compared to the bulky CRT monitors people were so used to.

The first generations of LCD panels came with a few drawbacks. One of their biggest problems was the response time. Response time represents the amount of time a pixel takes to go from black to white and back to black again. The first generations had a response time of 25ms, which was acceptable when only using your PC for office related tasks, but became a serious problem when watching movies or playing games. The low response time introduced ghosting when the display was forced to render fast changing images (also known as image lag).

The further evolution of LCDs solved this problem and today's monitors have response times as low as 2 ms. Some companies tried to cheat by providing response times measured using different methods (like gray-to-gray).

Another problem that came along with these panels were the so called dead pixels. This was a result of some stage from the manufacturing process, when some of the transistors were damaged and pixels affected by this would always display the same color (usually red or black). Most providers refused to honor user's warranties, stating that this was not covered by the manufacturer.

Again, contrast ratios and brightness improved with each new generation of displays, only this time Sony was no more the leading manufacturer (actually the company's LCDs were not even among the best). At some point, rumors emerged that Sony was in fact re-branding Samsung panels.

Yes, the new leader of the PC display market was Samsung. The company manufactured high quality panels and allowed users to exchange panels that came with damaged pixels or offered them their money back.

The age of HD
Together with the evolution of LCDs came a new video interface called DVI (digital video interface). Compared to the analog VGA connection, this solution was no longer bound to the quality and length of the cable. DVI provided for a complete digital transfer of information between the graphics adapter and the monitor.

Later on (at some point in 2004) HDCP (high definition content protection) was introduced. This was developed to protect the new High Definition content of Blu-ray and HD DVD discs. In order for a Blu-ray movie to play, users had to have both a HDCP enabled player and display. For computer users, the graphics card needed to have a HDCP decoding chip.

The HDCP decoding can only be done by connecting the monitor trough the DVI interface, since this interface provides for non-display data to be transferred to the device. Samsung was among the first to provide users with HDCP enabled monitors (even though at first the feature wasn't even advertised).

Today's monitors range from 15 to 30-inch LCDs, with resolutions matching 2560 x 1600 pixels. They are outfitted with webcams, USB hubs and audio speakers. Design-wise, manufactures are trying to attract people by using slimmer and fashioned-focused devices. Companies are also trying to develop 3D monitors that provide a more interactive experience. Most of these tryouts fail with the first two or three generations, but (as the LCD market has shown us) will eventually replace current generation displays.

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Available Now: Mandriva Flash 2009 Spring - Mobile 3D desktop in your pocket

Mandriva announced yesterday in a press release that a new version of its portable USB Mandriva Flash Drive was available for purchase. The new edition is based on Mandriva Linux 2009 Spring, with the KDE 4 desktop environment, and it is available on an 8 GB USB flash drive.

Think of Mandriva Flash 2009 as your personal and private mobile desktop, which empowers you to perform your daily computer tasks from anywhere. Mandriva Flash 2009 Spring offers a fully protected and secure environment that allows you to store your personal data. No software will be installed on the PC; everything works off the USB flash drive. It includes the powerful Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird applications for a safe and secure web browsing and effective e-mail communication, respectively.

Highlights of Mandriva Flash 2009 Spring:
· KDE 4 desktop environment
· Windows launcher
· Microsoft Windows migration tool
· Amazing 3D desktop effects
· OpenOffice.org office suite
· Mozilla Firefox web browser
· Mozilla Thunderbird e-mail client
· Codeina audio/video player
· Adobe Flash
· Sun Microsystem's Java
· Skype VoIP client
· Google Toolbar
· Includes a boot and restore CD

Mandriva Flash has localization in English, German, French, Italian, Finnish, Spanish, Swedish, Portuguese and Dutch. It doesn't require an installation, you can boot directly from the USB key and most hardware configurations are supported. Here are the recommended requirements:
· Any AMD, Intel or VIA CPU;
· At least 512 RAM (1 GB recommended);
· Any Intel, nVidia, VIA, Matrox, SIS or ATI video card;
· Any AC97, Sound Blaster or HDA-compatible sound card;
· Any SATA, SCSI, IDE, SAS hard drive with at least 2 GB free space (16 GB recommended for a complete setup).

Mandriva Flash 2009 Spring is available right now from the official Mandriva Store at the price of $49.90. All orders will be delivered in 2 weeks.

About Mandriva
Mandriva, formerly known as Mandrakesoft, is the publisher of Mandriva Linux, an easy-to-use and innovative operating system, and one of the most popular Linux distributions in the world. Dedicated to making open-source technologies accessible to all users, Mandriva offers a full range of products and services to enterprises, individuals and government organizations. Mandriva products are available online, in 80 languages and in more than 140 countries through dedicated channels.

Mandriva Linux 2009 Spring can be downloaded right now from Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here.

By: Marius Nestor

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Piloting a jet fighter as if it were a Convertible!

A Russian movie involved a scene when a man has to pilot a jet fighter with the canopy open. The pilot not only performed the stunt but he broke the sound barrier while doing it. Quite a feature!