linux

$100 OLPC tablet to debut at CES

One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) will show a $100 tablet at CES, a follow-on to the organization's low-cost laptop, which has been distributed to over 2 million children globally.

OLPC's mission is to provide one connected laptop or tablet to children who have little or no access to education because of insufficient resources.

"We're proud to introduce the XO 3.0 tablet, showcasing the design, durability and performance features that make it a natural successor for our current laptops, which have been distributed to more than 2.4 million children in 42 countries and in 25 languages," said Edward McNierney, chief technology officer of One Laptop per Child, in a statement. … Read more

XP still top OS, but Windows 7 hot on its trail

Windows XP is still the dominant OS worldwide after more than 10 years, but Windows 7 continues to narrow the gap.

XP ended last year with a 46 percent slice of the OS market, according to December data from NetApplications. Although impressive after a decade, that number proved a hefty drop in use for XP, which kicked off 2011 with a 55 percent share and has fallen each month since then.

On the upswing, Windows 7 rang out the year with almost 37 percent of the market, a solid gain from 22 percent last January and further proof of its … Read more

Update Java to thwart active cross-platform exploit

There is a rather serious vulnerability in Java version 1.6.0_26 that is apparently being actively pursued by hackers, one that is easy to implement and allows hackers to compromise systems without being detected.

The exploit was found a couple of months ago and was addressed in the latest round of Java updates both from Oracle and from Apple for OS X users; however, many people have not yet updated their systems and hackers are working to take advantage of this flaw on these systems.

The vulnerability allows a maliciously crafted Java applet to run undetected on many browsers … Read more

Four ways to share your printer

How many computers are in your household? Two? Three? More? Many households have more than one computer, but having multiple printers is probably overkill. Here are four ways to share your printer:

1. Integrated Ethernet/Wi-Fi printer The most obvious and convenient way to share a printer is to use a printer with a built-in Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection, like the Brother HL-2270DW. Wi-Fi printers are convenient if you want to put your printer somewhere that isn't near your router, but using the Wi-Fi connection isn't the only way to print wirelessly. If your printer has an Ethernet … Read more

How to control Google Music with keyboard shortcuts

Google Music, like most of Google's services, supports keyboard shortcuts. Here's what you can do with them in Google Music:

Space bar : play/pause music Right arrow : next track Left arrow : previous track Shift+right arrow : search forward in current track Shift+left arrow : search back in current track Up arrow : select item above current Down arrow : select item below current Delete : delete track

= : volume up - : volume down Alt+= : thumbs up Alt+- : thumbs down s : shuffle on/off r : toggle repeat (off, all, and one) p : make new playlist i : make new instant mix from current … Read more

Ubuntu Linux eyes tablet territory

Canonical wants to get its Ubuntu Linux operating system onto tablets and smartphones.

The company plans to make an announcement to that effect at the Ubuntu Developer Summit taking place this week, according to Stephen J. Vaughan-Nichols, a blogger for CNET sister site ZDNet. The platforms beyond the desktop that Canonical is targeting include not only those mobile devices but also smart TVs.

"It's important for us to reach out to our community on these platforms," Canonical founder Mark Shuttleworth told Vaughan-Nichols. "So, we'll embrace the challenge of how to use Ubuntu on smartphones, tablets, … Read more

Photo editing for nondesigners

Not every shot is perfect, but most are worth salvaging. Sadly, for most of us, image-editing software can be too intimidating or frustrating to use. Even GIMP, the open-source image-editing software, isn't immediately intuitive.

A Canadian usability research team has released AdaptableGIMP, which lets users search for tools based on what they want to do. It makes life much easier for nondesigners. Here's how to use it:

Download and install AdaptableGIMP. Page through the intro screens and agree to take part in the research. (It will record some usability data.) Set up an account, if you'd like. … Read more

How to change the boot order of a dual-boot Linux PC

Linux is a great operating system, but it can be hard to completely switch over. For this reason, many people prefer to dual-boot Linux with Windows.  The Linux boot loader though (called Grub), usually defaults to booting Linux.  If you'd prefer to have Windows boot up by default, here's how to change it:

Note: The Linux distro we're using for this How To is Ubuntu.

Graphical method

If you're not quite comfortable with the command line yet or just prefer the pretty graphical interface, this is the method for you.

Step 1: We need … Read more

Microsoft addresses Windows 8 secure boot issue

Microsoft is trying to shed light on the new secure boot process in Windows 8 to address concerns from people who may want to dual-boot a non-Windows OS, such as Linux.

In an update posted Thursday to the Building Windows 8 blog , Tony Mangefeste, a member of Microsoft's Ecosystem team, discussed how secure boot attempts to protect the PC against boot loader attacks, which can compromise a system before the OS even loads.

Secure boot is actually a feature of Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI), a new type of boot environment that has gradually been replacing the standard BIOS … Read more