Concerns are raised every once in a while in the broader free and open source software community about freeloaders. The attitude expressed is that if you’re getting the benefit of FOSS, you should contribute. Building a business on a FOSS project you don’t own, whether you’re providing a service or product around a FOSS project should in return garner some sort of quid pro quo. In reality, freeloaders are desirable.
Sony was one of the first companies in the current wave of smartwatch hysteria to put a wrist-worn product on store shelves, but last year’s SmartWatch left a bit to be desired. Though the SmartWatch was one of the better looking options on the market, its clumsy software and high price were both let downs. The company is back this year with a new version of the Android companion, the logically-named SmartWatch 2. The SmartWatch 2 maintains the essence of the prior model, but adds NFC for one-touch pairing to an Android smartphone; a higher-resolution display with better sunlight visibility; better battery life; an improved user interface; and more pre-installed and recommended apps.
Bill Kendrick created Tux Paint in only a couple of days. A friend asked why there wasn’t a free and open source drawing program for kids, something like GIMP. Bill chuckled, knowing that many adults have a hard time learning how to use GIMP, much less kids. He replied, “I can probably put something together.”
I for one have been feeling sorely disappointed without a KDE version of Linux Mint lately, but no more. That’s right Boys and Girls, KDE has returned to Mint. Yesterday, June 23, Clement Lefebvre posted two key announcements that should make a KDE lover’s heart sing.
The first I saw came with the announcement of the codename for Linux Mint 16, which is “Petra.” Clem said, “Petra, ‘πέτρα’ in Greek, means stone or rock.” But then came the news. He continued by saying Petra will come in the editions featuring:
