Ubuntu Intrepid Ibex raises the bar.
Each new Ubuntu release has raised the standard by which other Linux distros are judged. With the new Ubuntu 8.10 Intrepid Ibex, the focus is on mobility and 3G network support. I found Intrepid to be a fast and stable release, yet I experienced some minor issues that keep it from absolute perfection. more... and Ubuntu 8.10 has been released and Ubuntu Linux 8.10's five best features and Ibex design: user switching, presence and session termination.

Court Greatly Limits Software And Business Method Patents.
The summary is that the court has said that there's a two-pronged test to determine whether a software of business method process patent is valid: (1) it is tied to a particular machine or apparatus, or (2) it transforms a particular article into a different state or thing. In other words, pure software or business method patents that are neither tied to a specific machine nor change something into a different state are not patentable. more... and The Bilski Decision Is In: Buh-Bye [Most] Business Methods Patents.

Theora 1.0 released.
The Xiph.Org Foundation announces the release of Theora 1.0. Theora is a video codec with a small CPU footprint that offers easy portability and requires no patent royalties. While the Theora bitstream format was standardized in 2004 and our beta releases have been used by millions, this 1.0 release is an important milestone reflecting the maturity and stability of the Theora codebase. more... and Open source Ogg Theora video codec completes beta phase.

TimeVault simplifies data backup for Ubuntu users.
Backing up data can be difficult, especially when you only want to copy files that changed since the last backup. It can be even more troublesome when you have to remember to start the process manually,or you have to delete old backups to make room for new ones. more...

OpenOffice.org 3.0 now in a browser with Ulteo.
The latest and full featured version of OpenOffice.org 3.0 is now available through Ulteo.com using a web browser with a single click of a mouse. No download or installation process of the productivity suite is required. This new service by Ulteo offers many benefits for users of the productivity suite, and is compatible with any operating system that can run Firefox 2.0+ or Internet Explorer 6.0+. more...

VMware Server 2 shows some improvement.
In the early days of desktop virtualization, there were few low-priced alternatives to VMware Workstation that didn't involve a steep learning curve. Even the freely available VirtualBox didn't affect Workstation's market domination and instead faced competition from the newly rebranded VMware GSX server, which was offered for free as VMware Server. more... and Secrets for controlling VirtualBox from the command line.

Applications.
DansGuardian filters the content of pages based on many methods including phrase matching, PICS filtering and URL filtering.
Mondo is reliable. It backs up your Debian GNU/Linux server or workstation to tape, CD-R, CD-RW, NFS or hard disk partition.
Secret Maryo Chronicles is an Open Source two-dimensional platform game with a style designed similar to classic sidescroller games.
Nautilus-Sound-Converter is Nautilus extension to convert audio files using the GStreamer framework.

Misc.
A look at pdftk.
ALSA 1.0.18 Final Now Available, Lots of Changes.
15 Scariest Tux Icons for Halloween.
Using Your Linux Computer As A Media Center (Part 1).
BD+ busted - Blu-ray on Linux one step closer?
Using fslint to take control of your filesystem openSUSE.
Happy Penguin – Linux games.
Intrepid Update FAQ.
Photoshop Express Is An Awesome Cloud App.
Dreamlinux - Review & Tutorial.
Comix - User firendly Comic book & general image viewer in openSUSE.
Hugin panoramic photo editor extends its reach.

How To Tips.

How To Blender 2.46 Tutorial - Boning.
How To Install VMware Server 2 On A Fedora 9 Desktop.
How To Print Directly To PDF in Ubuntu 8.04.
How To Upgrade Ubuntu 8.04 To 8.10 (Desktop & Server).
How To Create A Minimal And Beautiful Desktop With Conky.
How To Compile a custom kernel for Ubuntu Intrepid.

See you next Thursday 7 P.M. at Dooley's, 442 Water Street, Eau Claire, WI.

EC_LUG