It was inevitable that as soon as Apple's iPad hit the market, every other device manufacturer on the planet would scramble to develop their own. Slightly more surprising, however, is the rumor currently swirling that Google is just inches away from launching its own gPad.

As The New York Times tells us, Google will be entering the pad market in the near future, along with nearly every other big-name manufacturer. Only a few details are mentioned in the Times story, shared by individuals supposedly privy to the secrets but unable to discuss them publicly. Read More

Part of my job is finding and testing open sourced solutions for already prominent commercially available software. The concept is simple: If it's open sourced, it can be customized, be platform independent, and it can be free. In the business world, this poses two key benefits. Having software that can be customized means fewer problems and more functionality. Getting it for free means lower cost for the services we provide to our customers, and having more money to spend on employees and infrastructure. As simple as this sounds, finding the right fit can be a laborious task of trial and error. Part of my job is minimizing the trial and error. Read More

Here's what finally convinced me that Ubuntu was worthy of the average desktop user: I installed it on my Mom's computer. Clichéd, but true.

Actually, this happened quite some time ago, so this is not necessarily news. But it's key to note that I indicated "average" desktop user. While I was very willing to recommend Ubuntu for users who just needed to handle day-to-day operations like surfing, e-mail, word processing, and the like, I was personally holding back from using it myself, preferring instead to use openSUSE, which enabled me to complete more advanced tasks, like video editing and conversion, pretty easily. Read More

Though you can usually manage your network settings via the GUI in most Linux distros these days, it's always good to be familiar with the command-line tools. So we're going to review some select commands from a couple of tools that are typically included in the popular Linux distros. Remember, if you want full details on the tool and its options, refer to its man page: type man followed by the tool name. Now bring up a terminal and let's get started! Read More

This two-day introduction to Linux broadens attendees horizons with a detailed overview of the operating system. Attendees learn how to effectively use a Linux system as a valuable tool. They get familiar with the architecture and various components of the operating system, learn both graphical and command line tools, and learn to do basic networking. This class is scheduled for April 15th - 16th, 2010.

It's tough to compete in an industry where your customers expect your product to be free. Such is the case with software, where giveaways have seemingly become the norm. (Try selling a Web browser or an audio player in 2010.) Some developers have turned to advertising to underwrite their efforts. More recently, a few software vendors have begun offering Internet services as a way to add value to their products and raise revenue. But the latter model is not without its pitfalls. Read More

There are more and more Laptops nowadays which do not have a CD/DVD-ROM facility build in but are able to boot from USB memory stick. This small guide provides all needs on how to create a bootable USB memory stick to install a Debian without a need for CD/DVD drive.

Before you continue make sure that you have backed up all your data from your USB memory stick. After completing this guide your USB memory stick will contain a new partition table and all your data will be lost. Read More

Every two years, Canonical releases a new "long-term support" version of its Linux operating system and on April 29, it will release the next one, 10.04 LTS, according to Gerry Carr, head of platform marketing for Canonical. Named for the month/year of its release, it will include a Desktop Edition as well as a Server Edition and with the latter, Canonical believes it is ready to replace whatever competitor (Linux, Windows or Unix) you've got on your servers now. Read More

The Ubuntu Linux distribution isn't the only open source project with a long-term-support release on the horizon. The Asterisk open source VoIP PBX (define) project is moving ahead with its own long-term support (LTS) plans with its 1.8 release.

Asterisk's LTS releases are maintained for at least four years, as opposed to regular releases, which are only supported for a minimum of one year. The Asterisk 1.4 release, which came out in 2006, is considered the current LTS version, with the more recent Asterisk 1.6 branch designated as the regular release. The move to an LTS model is a new approach for the Asterisk project. Read More

LinuxCertified,Inc. a leading provider of Linux training, will offer weekend Linux system administration bootcamp on March 27th - 28th, 2010 in South Bay (CA). This workshop is designed for busy information technology professionals and is designed to cover the most important Linux administration areas. Read More