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News

• Google releases Chrome desktop-sharing feature

  Google isn’t reinventing the wheel with a new feature it is testing that allows any two computers using its Chrome browser to connect with each other.

• Ubuntu 11.10 to feature Arm support, cloud orchestration

  The next version of Canonical's Ubuntu Linux distribution, to be released next week, will be the first to run on the Arm architecture, as well as the first edition to offer a new cloud service orchestration engine, called JuJu.

• Excited for Ubuntu Linux 11.10? The countdown has begun

  It may not compare with the hype that comes out of Cupertino or Redmond, but there's no denying that the new This Is the Countdown” website launched in the past few days adds a considerable dose of excitement to the upcoming launch of Ubuntu 11.10, or Oneiric Ocelot.

• Looking for Free Software? A new directory can help

  There are free and open source alternatives to just about every proprietary software package available today--the trick is just finding the right ones for your business.

• Meego and Tizen will have some interoperability

  Applications written for Meego netbooks will work on devices running Tizen, the new Linux-based mobile OS project from Intel and Samsung, but Meego apps written for smartphones won't work on Tizen devices, Intel said.

• Linux and Windows 8's secure boot: What we know so far

  Ever since it was first brought to light that Windows 8's secure boot mechanism could cause problems for Linux users, speculation has been running rampant as to the exact nature of the difficulties that may arise.

• A bundle of updates give 10 Linux distributions a boost

  With so many Linux distributions to choose from, it can be difficult to keep tabs on them all. Over the past few weeks I've written about Bodhi Linux--a lesser-known but nice (and increasingly popular) flavor of Linux--as well as Arch Linux and Mandriva. But today I'd like to round up other distributions of the free and open source operating system that have released key updates recently.

• Microsoft, Red Hat spar over secure boot-loading tech

  Is Microsoft using a next-generation computing boot-loading technology to lock out the use of Linux and other OSEs on certain computers? While Microsoft has denied malicious intent, one Red Hat developer maintains that this may be the case.

• Will Windows 8 PCs shut the door on Linux?

  It seems safe to say that a sizable proportion of Linux PC users in the world today installed the free and open source operating system on hardware that originally came loaded with Windows. After all, while there are preloaded systems available, it often ends up being cheaper to buy a Windows PC and load Linux yourself.

• Microsoft gets Casio to sign Linux patent protection deal

  Lest we forget that Microsoft still insists Linux violates 235 of its patents, Microsoft issued a reminder today.

• Why be a pirate? Use open source software instead

  Close to half of all computer users around the world tend to get their software illegally, and business decision-makers are no exception.

• How to hire the Linux talent you need

  Hiring good help is never easy, but the difficulty is compounded considerably when demand for the skills you're seeking exceeds supply.

• Will Ubuntu Linux switch to a monthly release cycle?

  There seems to be no end to the major changes being tossed around for Ubuntu this year.

• Try Bodhi Linux for beauty and customizability

  Scarcely a day goes by without an update being released for one Linux distribution or another, but today saw the launch of one I think is worth some attention.

• Countdown to Ubuntu 11.10: The first beta version arrives

  Just a few weeks following the official feature freeze on Ubuntu 11.10 “Oneiric Ocelot,”the first beta version of Canonical's free and open source Linux distribution was released on Sept. 1.