Windows 10 and Windows 11 users, along with Linux users, face two huge security vulnerabilities it's been revealed, which could allow hackers to get their hands on sensitive PC data. The newly-identified local privilege escalation vulnerabilities could allow bad actors to take advantage of a simple loophole in the OS to effectively climb through levels of much more important data.
There have been Linux tablets in the market for years if you consider that Android is Linux-based. There have also been attempts to put "proper" Linux flavors on phones and tablets, but most of those have been aimed at developers and tinkerers. Linux mobile devices that are designed specifically for the consumer market are far and few in between, making the JingPad Linux tablet a rather interesting venture, one that seems to have resounded with quite a few backers on Indiegogo.
Valve has long been trying to get game developers and publishers to see Linux as a serious and profitable gaming platform and not simply because it loves the open source operating system. It basically wants games to be free from their reliance on Windows and Microsoft's development frameworks and, eventually, to have them available on its own Linux-based Steam OS. Steam OS and Steam Machines have largely failed but Valve seems to still be pushing for Linux support for Windows games and its latest attempt is to get NVIDIA's fancy DLSS technology to work on some of those titles.
Although gaming handhelds have been around since the days of the Nintendo Game Boy, the Nintendo Switch definitely kicked up interest by a notch, revealing a potentially profitable market for portable devices that can run AAA titles, even in medium or low settings only. That, in turn, has created a series of devices and concept designs inspired by the Switch, except running PC hardware and PC games instead. Given that trend, it's not surprising to hear that Valve, best known for the Steam PC gaming platform, is planning to jump into that fray and no later than the end of this year even.
A lot of people rely on the Web these days not just to say informed or connected but also to work. Web browsers have become critical pieces of software on any platform, so when those break, the Internet is filled with complaints and demands for explanations. That is what transpired over the weekend when Google Chrome on Windows 10 started crashing left and right. Google did quickly push out a fix and its solution is just as strange as the bug it fixes.
Although it has more market share, Chrome OS is closer to being the Google OS to rule them all compared to Android. Its ability to run apps from different platforms, including Android, Linux, and even Windows, makes it an all-in-one operating system for nearly every task possible. Of course, not all of those have the same level of stability and support and, in a few weeks, support for running Linux apps will finally be joining Android app support as it moves from beta to stable status.
A few decades ago, the powers that be at Microsoft characterized Linux and open source in general as a cancer. Today, the company has pretty much embraced and even extended them, acquiring GitHub and allowing Linux to run almost natively inside Windows. The latter, officially named Windows Subsystem for Linux, is perhaps one of the best and most perplexing embodiments of its newfound love for Linux. It has now taken one step further by upgrading WSL2 to allow running graphical Linux apps, no third-party workarounds needed.
Starting out as an overgrown browser on affordable but low-powered laptops, Chrome OS has now grown into something that Microsoft and Apple now consider to be a deadly rival, especially in education and enterprise markets. The platform has definitely grown to become a software powerhouse that could run almost any app, whether directly or indirectly. Its next trick, however, is gaming, and recent changes to Chrome OS's source code hints that Google might be getting close to making that happen.
There was a surge of interest in open source-friendly smartphones that ran "true" Linux operating systems in the past few years. Those haven't exactly disappeared but the focus has mostly remained on smartphones, save for one or two exceptions. Last January, a Chinese startup suddenly popped out almost out of nowhere with a curious proposition of a Linux OS that pretty much copies the iPadOS user experience. That same company has now started to get the ball rolling with an actual iPad-like product, the JingPad A1, which it claims is the world's first consumer-level Linux tablet.
Valve released a Linux version of its Steam Link app, allowing the connectivity system to work on even MORE devices than before. This is just the latest in a line of operating systems made available to work with Steam Link, including Windows, Android, iOS, and Raspberry Pi. And it's all free, provided you have a Steam account and own a game or two.
There was a great deal of celebration at NASA and around the world when the Perseverance rover safely landed on the surface of Mars. That historic moment, however, carries a few firsts for a lot of things, and not just for space science alone. While the rolling rover is already important in itself, its companion helicopter drone is just as significant as it is the first time NASA used the open source Linux operating system on Mars, opening up the possibilities for tech demos like it in the future.
This week the folks behind the video player app VLC announced that they'd be bringing a major new version of the product to the public later this year. VLC 4.0 will be released in the year 2021 with a brand new user interface, making the entire video watching experience more intuitive and full of features for videos of all sorts. This new update will bring VLC into the future with more than just local video playback - they'll be rolling with extensions for online content, too.