Have Laptop Will Travel

MeeGo: Maemo and Moblin merge

Originally posted on March 4, 2010 @ 9:49 pm

Well, this was unexpected. Nokia and Intel, the companies behind the Maemo Linux-based OS for Nokia Internet Tablets like the Nokia N900, and the Moblin Linux interface for netbooks, have announced that they’re merging the two projects to form one operating system designed for netbooks, tablets, mobile devices, in-vehicle entertainment systems, and internet-connected televisions.

The new OS will be called MeeGo. While nobody has any idea how the new OS will look like or how it is going to run, they have announced that the first version of MeeGo will be available by the end of March. The Nokia N900 will be compatible with MeeGo. Applications from the Intel AppUp Center and Nokia Ovi Store should be able to run on the platform. The Linux Foundation will be hosting the project. [Read more…]

Chrome OS pre-release on Marvell Armada 510 chipset

Originally posted on January 24, 2010 @ 9:42 pm

marvell-chromeWhile I can’t say that I’m really excited for the Google Chrome OS (look, guys, based on what I’ve seen so far, Jolicloud’s a way better cloud OS), I can’t deny the impact Google Chrome OS will have once it comes out. We all know that this cloud-based Linux flavor is being back by no less than Google, so I think Windows has reason to be scared at least in the netbook market.

On smartbooks, however, I think Chrome OS will be more than a threat. I’m pretty sure Chrome OS will become the de facto OS for smartbooks in due time, since smartbooks can’t run Windows. Speaking of smartbooks, we can see a pre-release version of Google’s OS on a Marvell Armada 510 chipset.

More from Liliputing:

Google has already stated that its upcoming Chrome Operating System can run on x86 or ARM-based processors. But it’s still pretty nifty to see a pre-release version of the OS running on devices with low power ARM-based operating systems.

We’ve seen Chrome OS running on a tablet prototype from Freescale using the company’s i.MX515 chipset. Now Charbax from ARMdevices.net has posted a video of a prototype device from Marvell using the Armada 510 chipset running Chrome OS.

There’s no support for Flash yet, and Marvell is still just testing the operating system. But seeing as how the Marvel Armada 510 platform is powerful enough to run Ubuntu 9.10 Linux with support for 1080p HD video playback, I can’t imagine why a light weight OS that’s basically a glorified web browser wouldn’t run smoothly on the same hardware.

[via]

BrowserLinux: a Linux distro with a browser, and nothing much else

Originally posted on December 26, 2009 @ 11:19 pm

BrowserLinux_1

Ok, so I guess you’re pretty excited for Google’s entry into the operating system market with Google Chrome OS. I don’t know how anyone could get pretty excited over an OS running a web browser and nothing else, but if you’re into cloud computing and you would want to have a feel of what Chrome OS might turn out, you should try BrowserLinux.

BrowserLinux is a fast and small linux distribution for surfing the web. In fact it’s so small that it claims that it eats up only 78Mb upon installation. It’s actually based on Puppy Linux, which is by itself one of the most lightweight Linux distros available.

Unlike Google Chrome though, BrowserLinux is not all browsers. It also has a few applications installed, and you have options to add extra software if you want to.

The applications that come preinstalled on BrowserLinux are:

  • Web-browser (Firefox 3.5.5)
  • Flash 10
  • PDF-reader
  • Music Player (Alsaplayer)

To install BrowserLinux, you need to download the ISO and run Unetbootin.

Okay, if you’re looking to install this on your main computer, I really wouldn’t advise doing that. Having a lightweight operating system is well and good, but to run a system as stripped-down as this, you’re going to run into something that’ll need an application not available for your OS. Better stick with a bootable flash drive if I were you.

Opera Mobile 10 Beta Ready For Download

Originally posted on November 7, 2009 @ 6:09 am

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I know, I know, this isn’t laptop related news at all, but I would just like to let you guys running Symbian S60 on your phones know that Opera Mobile 10 Beta is out.

The new mobile browser borrows a lot from its java-based sibling, Opera Mini 5 Beta. However, from using the two browsers side-by-side for a while now, I can say that Opera Mobile 10 is the snappier of the two. It obviously benefits from being a native Symbian app. It features touch screen support, speed dial, and a password manager. However, it’s still a bit buggy. (Just now, Opera seems to have misplaced the upper half of mobile Plurk’s screen.)

Either way, when I’m on the go and I don’t have a laptop with me, I’ll just grab my E63 and open Opera Mobile. It’s awesome that way, really.

Download it here.

Firefox 3.6 Beta 1 now available for download

Originally posted on November 1, 2009 @ 6:09 am

Firefox_3.6_Beta_1

If you haven’t heard yet, Firefox 3.6 Beta 1 is now available for download. To be honest, I’ve stayed away from Firefox for some time now because of the darned 3.5 version. It’s just too crash-happy on my Asus Eee PC.

I’m using it, and so far so good. Firefox 3.6 Beta 1 incorporates the following new features:

  • Users can now change their browser’s appearance with a single click, with built in support for Personas.
  • Firefox 3.6 will alert users about out of date plugins to keep them safe.
  • Open, native video can now be displayed full screen, and supports poster frames.
  • Support for the WOFF font format.
  • Improved JavaScript performance, overall browser responsiveness and startup time.
  • Support for new CSS, DOM and HTML5 web technologies.

Web developers and Add-on developers should read more detail about the many new features in Firefox 3.6 for developers on the Mozilla Developer Center. For the full list of changes since the alpha release, see this list (it’s big).

Please use the following links to download Firefox 3.6 Beta, or visit the beta download page:

Since this is a beta release, the usual caveats apply of course. For those using netbooks, how is Firefox 3.6 Beta 1 doing so far for you?