OpenMoko Neo1973 - an open source Linux based iPhone killer in the making ?

OpenMoko is a GNU/Linux based open software development platform. What this means for the lay person is that using OpenMoko software development kit, phone manufacturers will be able to bring out mobile phones which have more or less the same features of the now widely known iPhone from Apple and much more - all this under an Open license powered by GNU. This also means that for the first time there is potential for you to be completely free from being tied up with one mobile carrier or even a single phone manufacturer (read Apple) for want of anything better.

Fig: Openmoko touch screen phone

Recently OpenMoko a project set up by "First International Computings" (FIC) released a developer version of a mobile device named Neo 1973 which is a completely open, Linux-based, GPS-equipped, quad-band GSM/GPRS phone and which has a touch screen equivalent to that in Apple iPhone but which additionally comes with a stylus. The Neo1973 is priced in the $300 to $450 range. Below I have included the rough specifications of both the Openmoko's Neo1973 and Apple's iPhone for comparison.

Openmoko Neo1973 cell phone specifications

• 2.8" VGA TFT color display (640x480 resolution)
• Touchscreen, usable with stylus or fingers
• 266MHz Samsung System on a Chip (SOC) (ARM9 processor)
• 128 MB RAM
• 64 MB Flash memory
• USB 1.1, switchable between Client and Host (un-powered)
• Integrated AGPS
• 2.5G GSM – quad band, voice, CSD, GPRS
• Bluetooth 2.0
• Micro SD slot
• High Quality audio codec
• 1200MA Lion cell battery which the openmoko team guarantees to provide a minimum of 4 hours of power when used continuously before a recharge. The battery can be easily replaced by the users.
  

Additional freebies thrown in with Neo1973 phone include...

• 512 MB Sandisk SD card.
• A good quality set of ear phones.
• A USB connectivity cable.
• Stylus
• A very functional pouch to hold the phone and
• A Lanyard to safely tether your phone.
  

Apple iPhone specifications are as follows :

• Powered by ARM11 processor
• 128 MB RAM
• 4 or 8 GB flash memory
• Screen resolution of 320x480
• Bluetooth and WiFi enabled
• Integrated 2 Megapixel camera and
• an accelerometer
  

When compared to an iPhone, the Neo1973 from OpenMoko is a bit behind as it doesn't come with a camera, no accelerometer (Which is promised in the next version of the phone), no multi-touch, does not provide WiFi support and does not have gigabytes of storage space.

But in many respects, people buying this phone will have a decisive advantage that the phone runs on GNU/Linux which means that third parties can easily develop applications using openmoko software development platform and thus provide an enhanced end user experience.

Additionally Apple's iPhone has a number of drawbacks such as ...

• The battery is soldered to the circuit. So it is not possible for the iPhone owners to replace the battery by themselves.
• iPhone software development kit is proprietary to a fault so much that third parties will not be able to develop software to run on an iPhone.
• There is no USB connectivity.
• There is no GPS.
• And you can't switch carriers.
  

Here is another interesting thing... you can charge the Neo1973 phone by merely connecting it to the USB port of your PC and you can browse the internet using the phone as a modem more specifically using its GPRS data connection. And it has GSM multiplexing capabilities provided via a custom patch to the Linux kernel (2.6.18) which means you can browse the net and at the same time receive a call too.

Slackware 12.0 released

So after nearly a year since Slackware 11.0 was released, Patrick Volkerding has finally deemed it fit to release the next major version of this very popular Linux distribution namely Slackware 12.0. I have always been a Slackware fan and I especially liked its BSD style ways of maintaining the scripts which made configuring Slackware really simple once you get the hang of it.

Some of the new features of Slackware 12.0 are as follows :

• Use of Linux kernel 2.6.21.5 which is patched with Speakup to support speech synthesizers providing access to Linux for the visually impaired community.
• X11 7.2.0
• Support for fully encrypted network connections with OpenSSL,OpenSSH, OpenVPN, and GnuPG.
• udev dynamic device management system for Linux 2.6.x. This means Slackware now can automatically mount a USB stick as you insert it.
• New development tools for a wide variety of programming languages.
• Latest versions of different web browsers - the list includes Sea Monkey, Konqueror, Firefox 2.0.0.4, and thunderbird email client.
• KDE 3.5.7 - This is no surprise as Slackware is essentially a KDE centric Linux distribution.
• A number of GTK+ programs such as pidgin Instant Messenger, Gimp, Pan news reader and so on.
• Sun's Java runtime environment (JRE ver 6.0)
  

One thing I really wish to see included in Slackware and which has not (to my knowledge) been included in version 12.0 is a Personal Finance software such as GnuCash or KMyMoney. I personally would root for GNUCash as it is what I find most useful. And if Gimp, which is a GTK+ application can be included, it fails me why GNUCash couldn't be included too. But those are my inner ramblings.

And apart from that I find Slackware 12.0 to be a very robust, secure and user friendly Linux distribution. You can read the official announcement as well as check out the full package list to take a closer look at the packages that are included in Slackware 12.0. The preferred method of downloading Slackware is via torrents and a list of torrents for CD sized ISOs and DVD ISOs has been made available here.

15 extra ways to keep your brain healthy

As kids, each one of us were endowed with bountiful energy and we were raring to go and do things. Some of them which could have put us into trouble at one time or the other. But as we grow older, and reach our 30's, our high energy levels taper and hit a plateau and then from there by the time we hit 40's and 50's it is a steady decline....

... Unless we do something about it. Ririan a student in Bucharest, Romania has put together an article explaining simple ways by which you can maintain your level of brain activity and thus keep your brain healthy and save from deterioration. In short this is his list.

1. Take 20-30 minutes time off everyday to empty your mind.
2. Hit the streets - in one word exercise.
3. Vary your exercise routines - try out multiple exercises and mix it up.
4. Read a book - or a blog (Ps: You could make it a habit to daily read this blog for instance *wink* *wink*)
5. Occasionally consume some caffeine drink (Coffee ??)
6. Engage in a debate - Plain yakking will not do. It has to be serious thoughtful conversation.
7. Play video games - Playing video games will help develop stronger visual skills and make decisions 85% faster. Ps. Pacman is still my favourate. You can also find a lot of games in Linux.
8. Subscribe to a daily newsletter - You can find a box on the left side of this blog to enter your email and subscribe.
9. Eat Curry - More specifically Indian curry. Make sure it is not Chicken Tikka Masala (The national curry dish of Great Britain) ;-). It's anything but healthy.
10. Grab a cue and play pool - You could also play Chess which is sure to increase mental clarity.
11. Learn an instrument - Now that is beyond me. But I do love listening to people play a wide variety of instruments.
12. Eat lots of low fat dried fruits such as dates, apricots and so on.
13. Fresh air golf playing - Those who can't afford to play golf can also try croquet.
14. Less stressed with Yoga - This I like. Yoga is truly great to relieve stress.
15. Build a miniature model - Time to buy Lego...
    

Do read Ririan's article which explains these 15 ways of keeping ones brain in shape in more detail.

LinuxWorld conference and expo 2007 in United Kingdom

LinuxWorld expo is a Linux and Open Source conference and exhibition which is held in 12 countries and there are 15 shows (2 per year in the US, Japan, and in China; 1 each in Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Germany, UK, Italy and Netherlands). By conducting these expos, LinuxWorld facilitates the meeting of diverse businesses and individuals who are involved in Linux and Open Source and are appealing to a cross section of industries including automotive, health, banking, retail, education and local government.

LinuxWorld 2007 is tipped to set the latest trends in Open Source and Linux technologies. The show, which is expected to attract IT decision makers, business professionals and Linux enthusiasts, will showcase the latest technology, debate the use of Open Source in the desktop environment, touch on the use of Linux in the data centre and discuss the development of a common Linux-based platform for mobile phones. LinuxWorld Conference & Expo will take place at Olympia 2 for two days namely - 23rd - 24th October 2007.

Participation has already been confirmed by some of the largest players in the Open Source world including ThoughtWorks, Linux International and Mozilla.

This is what Laura Tythcott the even director, Early Action Group who is organizing the event has to say (and I quote):

Many industry watchers thought that the recent launch of Microsoft Vista would have challenged the ever-increasing update of Linux and Open Source within the enterprise. But that is not the case, many corporations who would have shied away from Linux and Open Source, now see it as a viable alternative to Vista as it requires less training and is just as easy to use.

He goes on to say ...

LinuxWorld 2007 is set to be the biggest and best UK show ever. It will showcase the latest Open Source technology and have experts on hand to help IT Managers and Directors make the best choices when purchasing and deploying Open Source software.

So if you happen to live in U.K and more specifically near London then don't miss this chance to visit the LinuxWorld expo. The visit timings are as follows :

Tuesday 23 October 2007 - 10:00-17:00 (Timings)
Wednesday 24 October 2007 - 10:00-16:00
Location - Olympia 2, London, United Kingdom

The conference will also showcase free business briefing seminars, Masterclass and technical seminars. And you could also participate in The Great Linux Debate.

You can get more details at the LinuxWorld Expo website.

Red Hat CEO says he held talks with Microsoft ...

I came across this very interesting piece of news on Reuters which says Red Hat CEO had at one point of time held talks with Microsoft regarding patents (infringement?). When queried Matthew Szulik refused to answer the question as to whether Red Hat is now in talks with Microsoft.

It is surprising to note that after all the hoopla and bonhomie evident in most Linux based news sites regarding Linux's (aparent) immunity to patent infringement claims, it is true that there is an under current of apprehensiveness amoung most Linux heavy weights such as Red Hat and the likes as to what strong arm tactics Microsoft has lined up for the Linux distributors who do not play ball with it.

Here is a quote from the article ...

...
An update to that license, version 3, is about to be implemented. It will forbid companies from distributing Linux software if they enter into patent agreements like the ones that Microsoft signed with Novell.

The Free Software Foundation, which authored the General Public License and owns rights to much of the code at the heart of Red Hat Enterprise Linux, inserted that clause into the agreement in an effort to discourage other open-source software developers from signing patent deals with Microsoft.

The authors of that license (read FSF) have said they believe that such patent deals will help Microsoft back claims that its intellectual property is being violated by code in Linux and other open source software, eventually giving the company ammunition to seek billions of dollars in license fees from users of open-source software.

This is evidently the reason why FSF spearheaded by Richard M Stallman is too keen to release GPLv3 which has provisions to negate any foul play that the likes of Microsoft can bring about. And this is why in my opinion, Linux should also move to GPLv3 as soon as possible instead of sticking to just GPLv2. Not doing it would be suicidal...

Timeline of web browsers

I came across this timeline of web browsers which is very interesting. The timeline threw up a number of surprises for me. For example, only five web browsers have ever been developed from scratch or in other words from grounds up. And surprise! one of them is not the infamous Internet Explorer. In fact, the Internet Explorer (according to the timeline) is originally based on the code base of Mosaic web browser.

The five original web browsers are Mosaic, Opera, Konqueror, Omniweb and iCab. All the rest of the brood have a percentage of the code of either Mosaic or Konqueror. So without further ado, here is the timeline of the web browsers ever developed.... (Courtesy: Wikimedia.org)

View the image

Please note: The image is an SVG format and so you will need a web browser which displays svg images (Eg: Firefox).

Related articles:
Mind map of Linux distributions
A Timeline of the History of Unix/Linux Revisited

Know your Regular Expressions

You can build and test regular expressions (regexps) on UNIX® systems in several ways. Discover the available tools and techniques that can help you learn how to construct regular expressions for various programs and languages.

A regular expression is a notation for describing a pattern that matches a set of strings and this is common across many programs and languages. These various regexp implementations differ to some degree in the finery of their details, but the principles for learning to build regexps are common for all.