Stories by Katherine Noyes

With so many exciting new operating systems to choose from today, it can be tough to settle on just one -- particularly if you're an open source fan.

With the final version of Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" just around the corner, excitement about the new Linux release is reaching a fever pitch. Now, adding fuel to the proverbial fire, Australian tech vendor Kogan just announced two new ultraportable laptop PCs that will come with Natty Narwhal preloaded.

The pace of browser development seems to be reaching breakneck speeds as Mozilla, Google and Microsoft race to keep their contenders ahead in the ongoing battle for supremacy.

Following Twitter's decision to clamp down on third-party developers -- earlier this year, it now looks like an effort may be afoot within a leading provider of client apps to create a direct competitor to the popular microblogging service.

One of the big advantages of using Linux is that its security tends to be so much better than that of the competing alternatives.

Mozilla's Firefox 4 may still be fresh from the oven and cooling on millions of users' computers, but Mozilla has already set an aggressive schedule with specific dates for the release of the open source browser's upcoming versions.

The Linux Foundation on Wednesday kicked off what will be several months of celebrations in honor of the 20th anniversary of the Linux operating system with a range of festivities and events as well as key news announcements from three of its working groups.

Signaling a shift in its approach to online communication, Mozilla on Monday announced that it is bringing its Messaging subsidiary back within the fold of the main organization, where it will be absorbed into its Mozilla Labs group instead.

Back in January I wrote about some of the features of Puppy Linux that make it particularly suitable for use on old and slow computers, but over the weekend a new version of the open source operating system was released with even more reasons to check it out.

There's been no shortage of April Fools' Day pranks in the tech world this year, and the Linux community is no exception.

Hardware maker Hercules this week gave Linux fans a nice boost by unveiling two new additions to its eCAFÉ netbook line that use ARM processors and run the open source operating system.

Critics of free and open source software are fond of making the argument that software must be locked up, patented and jealously guarded if it is to serve as the basis for a successful business. Well, Red Hat just refuted such claims in a big way this week with its fourth quarter earnings report, which blew away analysts' expectations and placed the company well on track for billion-dollar revenues in the upcoming year.

At this week's CTIA Wireless 2011 conference in Orlando, tablets have taken center stage. Not only have multiple new devices been announced, but predictions have been made that tablets will ultimately replace laptops as the standard, "post-PC<" workplace computer.

Google, Facebook and Microsoft are among the heavy hitters of the tech industry that have teamed up to support a new, cloud-focused initiative called Software-Defined Networking (SDN).

Linux has long played a leading role in the world of servers, due in large part to its stability, security and lower total cost of ownership (TCO). What many don't realize, however, is just how ubiquitous it's becoming in other parts of life as well.