A new operating system called JingOS was released with a look a lot like an iPad. With JingOS, users are able to run apps, access device features, and navigate with relative ease. This new operating system is just about the most sleek Linux distribution we've seen in recent memory, and it'll be available to the public on January 31, 2021.
A phone called F(x)tec Pro1-X is in the works with a promise for unmatched power user options. Where most other phones focus on an overall positive experience, thus limiting the software and hardware for quality control, the F(x)tec Pro1-X seems to want to do something rare: Trust the user. Of course, as the phone project partners with XDA Developers for development, it's implied that users of this phone will have the ability to troubleshoot.
Although not as common as towering desktops, the mini PC form factor has enjoyed increased popularity in recent years as consumers looked towards more general-purpose home computers. These relatively tiny PCs, however, are not exactly known for their performance and power, leaning more towards space-savings and power-efficiency, enough for basic computing tasks.
MINISFORUM, however, has long been trying to move away from such stereotypes with the likes of the H31G and its discrete NVIDIA GPU. With the MINISFORUM X35G, the company takes things in a slightly different direction, cramming in Intel's latest CPU generation and data storage tech to turn the small box into a capable workstation.
Today Linux users were given access to Microsoft Edge Dev Channel for the first time - in preview mode. Per Microsoft, the importance of this release goes beyond Linux, as this release means Microsoft Edge is available "for all major desktop and mobile platforms." This Linux release supports Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, and openSUSE distributions.
While the year of the Linux Desktop remains a dream, awareness and adoption of this open source operating system has perhaps never been better. That's partly thanks to companies like Canonical that push Linux not only to businesses but also to consumers. The latter, however, would probably prefer not to have to install Linux themselves on their new laptops or desktops. With the latest fruit of the collaboration between the Ubuntu maker and Lenovo, they won't have to, presuming they're buying a new ThinkPad or ThinkStation.
For a company that once painted Linux and open source as cancers, Microsoft has been doing a lot in the past years to embrace both. It's not going to be an open source company, of course, and many still view its actions with suspicion but it's hard to deny that open source (former) public enemy #1 is doing some things that are already appealing to both Linux users and especially developers. At its virtual Ignite developers conference, Microsoft announced a few upcoming treats that you may have never imagined it would ever do.
Logitech today announced the MX Anywhere 3, a wireless, compact mouse that’s meant to be taken on the go and used across multiple machines. Despite being significantly smaller, the MX Anywhere 3 borrows some features from the MX Master 3, including the mouse’s MagSpeed scroll wheel that’s built out of machined steel. In a few ways, the MX Anywhere 3 seems to be a smaller counterpart to the MX Master 3.
Google has been heavily pushing Chromebooks and Chrome OS almost as the all-in-one computer system you'll ever need, especially with the upcoming support for running Windows applications (at least on the enterprise). As a software platform, however, Chrome OS's story has never really been complete and that is manifested in the lack of quality or even notable apps and games for Chrome OS. Google is finally adding a new chapter to that story with ChromeOS.dev, its new one-stop-shop to help developers get up and running on making software for Google's OS.
It may have a rather amusing name but this new security vulnerability is no laughing matter. Researchers have discovered a bug in software that runs even before any operating system starts up that could grant hackers unbridled access to a computer. And while Linux computers are directly at risk from this BootHole exploit, almost all Windows computers from the past decade or so are also vulnerable to getting hijacked and hacked with almost no telltale signs of a compromised system.
For all its benefits in security, performance, and openness, the Linux operating system is still avoided by many computer users because of its software catalog. It's not that Linux lacks app but it lacks the sort of apps that people are used to on Windows and Mac or even on Android and iOS. There is no shortage of projects that try to bring some sort of compatibility with those apps, like WINE for Windows and Anbox for Android. A different strategy, however, is writing apps in a way that makes them run on all or most platforms. That's the premise behind Flutter and it's now coming to Linux, at least on the Ubuntu flavor of Linux.
A lot of focus has been placed on Huawei's predicament regarding its smartphones and networking business vis-a-vis US trade bans but those aren't the only things the company is worried about. It has also started to dabble in the PC market and it will face the same restrictions when trying to get its hands on Intel or AMD silicon and Microsoft software. Its solution is, of course, to roll out its own replacements for those but one review of a Huawei PC doesn't inspire confidence in its chances.
It is increasingly becoming evident that Google is grooming Chrome OS to be something like a dumping ground for anything and everything it can cram into what was originally a glorified Chrome web browser. From that modest beginning, Chromebooks have grown up to support not just Android and Linux apps but also triple-A gaming via Stadia. It seems that Google isn't done yet and may even be working on getting Steam games to run on future Chromebooks, further transforming their image from educational toys to serious work computers.