Screenshot of Gwibber on Ubuntu 10.04 LTS Beta 1

Big changes are coming to arguably the worlds current leading desktop Linux distribution. Canonical’s Ubuntu is getting a new long term support release on April 29th. This new release will drop the classic brown/orange colors we’re used to, for a more Mac OS X inspired purple theme. The new eye candy isn’t the only big change, it will also come integrated with social news aggregater Gwibber, which lets you view feeds from all your favorite social websites right on your desktop! Along with this, it has the usual Empathy for instant messaging, Evolution for email, Transmission for torrent downloading, OpenOffice.org office tools, and much more. The default web browser is Mozilla’s Firefox 3.6 but like with prior releases, there is full support for Google’s Chrome beta and Opera. Programs you would like to install can be easily added through the Ubuntu Software Centre, and many Windows programs are supported after the installation of Wine.

I have been using Ubuntu 10.04 Beta 1 for several weeks now and I must say that I am impressed. I love the look, the feel, and usability of everything that comes bundled. I have however installed Pidgin for all my instant messaging needs instead of using the pre-installed Empathy, only because Empathy does not offer web mail alerts. If you’re used to using a program like Outlook Express for all your mail needs, the combination of Empathy and Evolution will be perfectly fine for you.

If you’re sick of Windows and wished there was a viable alternative for your PC, Ubuntu 10.04 LTS is a great first Linux distribution to wet your feet with. The free Operating System will be available on Ubuntu.com on release day. Once you download it, you can burn it to a CD/DVD or put it on a Flash Drive. With your newly created disc or drive you can install Ubuntu, or boot it up without even installing it. Windows users may also choose to install it from within Windows using a handy program called Wubi which helps you install/uninstall Ubuntu just as you would any other program.

Mission Statement: The Linux Box: The creation of a distribution of Linux made specifically for playing video games. One that is solely focused on gaming to ensure no precious computer resources are wasted on background processes.

Conceptual Art of the "Linux Box"

The Software: A freely distributed Open Source Linux OS stripped down to the basics. Extremely light weight with the sole purpose of being quick for gaming. No resources will be wasted on background applications like messenger clients, web browsers, desktop effects, etc. It will have its own UI that focuses on only gaming alone (picture the Xbox 360 Dashboard, but for your Computer). It should be easily installed on existing PC/Mac’s and run from a dual boot menu with your existing OS as your alternative for normal computing tasks.
The Hardware: Besides being able to install the software on your PC or Mac, an Open Source console for Television’s can be made to specification. As long as the specs are met, and OS used, any electronics manufacturer can create a console in their own image (think 3DO). The Games will be released to the same specifications as the console to ensure constant upgrading of your PC/Mac Computers isn’t needed. Instead, the specifications for the console will be increased in incremented periods (ex: every 4 years) and new consoles will be released to suit.

The Games: This will be the real driving force behind the Linux Box. The only piece of the pie that will not be Open Source will be the Games. Gaming companies like EA, Activision, 2K, etc. will be compelled to create games for it as the distribution of the gaming OS will only be limited to people that don’t want to easily install/dual boot it on their existing PC and Mac’s. There are multiple ways games can be released:

• Cloud Games: Games can be stored and processed in the cloud. An off-site server can be used to store/process games before sending the pre-rendered games directly to the Linux Box to limit processing required on-site. This could possibly be an option for advanced games that exceed the console specifications to ensure that the Linux Box can always play the most innovative games out there even with the incremented specs. The only requirement would be an internet connection.
• Online Distribution: Like all modern consoles, the OS will have a built in Game Store used for the distribution of games. The console version will require a hard disk for storage of specified type (not size). Again, an internet connection will be required.
• Physical Distribution: Games can also be released on a physical medium. USB flash drives may be ideal because of no size restrictions and all PC/Mac’s come with the appropriate drives. An internet connection will not be required. If the size of a medium is exceeded (think DVD’s), priority code can be placed on the physical medium and upgrades can be available for download via an internet connection. (ex. Map Packs)

So what do you think? How can this idea be improved? What parallel’s can be drawn to existing tech? Have any ideas of your own you’d like to share? Leave a comment below, or sign up to the Geek Board to join the conversation.

On the other hand, we as geeks are rather forgiving with the technology companies that burn us, (think Windows Vista vs. Windows 7) and as long as they come back with something innovative we will always jump back on the bandwagon. The things Apple does right with its iPhone like its extremely responsive touchscreen, ever growing selection of top notch DS competing games and most notably its App store with nearly 300,000 applications will all be coming to the iPad, plus more! If you compare the good with the bad, things almost start evening out. That being said, you’re a geek and you know you want one. I do too, its alright to admit.

Well if you have the clams in your bank account, beginning today the iPad is up for pre-order. Starting at $499 for the most basic unit, or $829 for the works, pre-orders will be delivered with no added shipping fee on April 3rd for WiFi units, and WiFi/3G units later in April. Now go and get burned by Apple for the sake of being an early adopter (again), visit their pre-order website today.

But wait, there’s more!

• From within the board you will be able to participate in oneGtA at large. That means the community has the chance to post articles in the ““ section with the chance of being published on the front page! Special consideration will be given to professionalism and “Geek Cred” which is awarded by your peers.
• Something I am very proud of and looking forward to seeing grow is a Brainstorming section. Simply called ““, it is where you go to brain fart. Have a technology in your mind you want to see developed? Well post your idea in one the three Think Tanks and grow that idea with the help of the oneGtA Geek community.

So sign up today and lets get Geeky!

1. Microsoft announced that two former PS3 exclusives are hitting the 360, “Final Fantasy XIII” and the “Metal Gear Solid” series.
2. Old favorites are becoming new again, including: “Crackdown 2″, “Forza Motorsport 3″, “Tony Hawk Ride”, “Splinter Cell Conviction”,”Modern Warfare 2″, “Left4Dead 2″, “Halo: ODST” and the biggest surprise “Halo Reach”, coming in 2010.
3. Xbox Live is getting a revamp, and will now be offering Twitter and Facebook, not to mention will now have 1080p HD TV shows and Movies broadcast on demand with no download required.
4. Motion sensing is coming!!!! Codenamed “Project Natal”, Microsoft is taking a stab at the Wii. An external camera peripheral attached to the 360 will detect human motion and transfer it into an assortment of functions on your screen and will also include voice recognition functionality.

To watch the whole conference yourself, G4TV has graciously provided us internet geeks the archived footage of it on their website. Check it out right here and please try to not drool on yourself.

The movie version stars Bruce Willis in a time when people live virtually through a robotic version of themselves or as IMDB whimsically puts it: “Set in a futuristic world where humans live in isolation and interact through surrogate robots, a cop (Willis) is forced to leave his home for the first time in years in order to investigate the murders of others’ surrogates.”

I have never read the comic book myself, but the trailer has me intrigued:

Expect to see “Surrogates” on your local big screen September 25th 2009 and in the meantime, you can check out their viral marketing website for a few kicks: http://chooseyoursurrogate.com/

As I’ve titled this post with a searing question mark, you may be asking yourself “what is the catch”? Well, the movie only exists in theory and they are in need of funding. The trailer was created “to show producers that it’s worth the investment” as they put it on their website.

What do you think, does it have the fortitude to take on the likes of Judd Apatow and Adam Sandler at the box office? I think the world is long over due for a movie that causes knee jerk laughter, and doesn’t take itself too serious. Even if it is straight to DVD/Blu-Ray/Netflix, I will be watching it.

Check out the embedded trailer:

Now drink your Powerthirst and run like a Kenyan to tell all your friends “HEY, Picnicface made a movie”!

Having only replaced TinyURL.com as the default link shortening service for Twitter a day or two ago, bit.ly is now the King of the shortening realm. Statistics published by Tweetmeme show that bit.ly now accounts for 46% of URL’s that have been ‘shrunk‘ on Twitter, while TinyURL has dropped to 43%. These statistics really hit home when you realise that only one month ago, TinyURL had a share of 75%.

I have been using bit.ly for some time myself as it is the built-in URL shortening service offered in the Twitter application TweetDeck. In my experience as a Twatter… errr.. Twitter… or maybe just Twit, I have shortened many web addresses from almost as many services. Both TinyURL and bit.ly offer solid services, however the convenience of going to the shorter bit.ly is hard to pass up along with its built in feature to post directly to Twitter from their website. Although I doubt TinyURL is going anywhere soon, we will only see bit.ly’s growth continue.

Read on at TechCrunch

YouTube announced recently it’s intent to create a paid video service with content similar to what Hulu offers, however with this latest announcement and uncommitted networks dwindling, the content they offer could be limited. One has to think that it won’t be long until CBS and Warner Brothers sign similar deals or risk being left behind in the dust. If YouTube wants a solid foot hole in the professional video distribution realm and wants to avoid being passed by Hulu as the number one general video service, they will undoubtedly be in talks with networks like CBS about locking in exclusive content worthy of a large subscription base.

Competition in any market is usually great for the end user. It will be interesting to see how this will advance Internet video distribution from how we know it. Until then, lets all chant “Go Team End User!”

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Hawking has been suffering for 45 years from ‘amyotrophic lateral sclerosis’, “a progressive, fatal, neurodegenerative disease caused by the degeneration of motor neurons, the nerve cells in the central nervous system that control voluntary muscle movement.”

A world renowned physicist, he is perhaps best known for his best selling science book “A Brief History of Time” which he published on April 1, 1988, as well his prediction that black holes emit radiation.

In a world of geeks, Stephen Hawking is at the top of the pecking chain. He has had a hard run at life but succeeds in being one of the greatest minds that has ever existed. He is an inspiration to all people, the world over, geek, or no geek. Get well soon Professor Hawking, from one geek to another.

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