06.18.10

Links 18/6/2010: VP8 Optimisations

Posted in News Roundup at 6:27 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

GNU/Linux
- Distributions
- Devices/Embedded
Free Software/Open Source
Leftovers
Clip of the Day

GNU/Linux

Tunisian govt. launches FOSS training programme

The government of Africa’s northernmost country is launching the LPI training and certification programme as part of a wider project aimed at skilling-up 20,000 graduates as IT professionals.
Just for Kicks

Imagine that in about a month, a third of the world’s PCs stop being updated for software…

Waves of malware rear their ugly heads and exploit zero-day flaws one after the other. PCs run slower and slower as they send out spam and spy on everyone. Finally work grinds to a halt.

[...]

Let’s see whether machines quitting will drive users to GNU/Linux and sane behaviour of PCs.
Desktop
- PC Client Share
  
  The EU Competition Commission ruling on M$ has some interesting facts on share.
  
  On page 121 of 302 pages are these tidbits:
  
  * 2000 units shipped with GNU/Linux 1.7%
  * 2001 units shipped with GNU/Linux 2.3%
  * 2002 units shipped with GNU/Linux 2.8%
  
  Those numbers are from surveys done by IDC. They were the basis for IDC declaring GNU/Linux overtook MacOS by about 2003 and they are consistent with M$’s revelation of 7% share in 2009. They do not count installation by individuals and small businesses which could be large.
Google
- Google Engineer Breaks Down Steps for VP8 Optimization
  
  Google software engineer John Koleszar addressed the open source community regarding the VP8 codec and the steps needed to further optimize to codec within the WebM project.
Kernel Space
- Get simple access to encrypted Linux filesystems with cryptmount
  
  Version 2.4.x of the Linux kernel allowed easy access to encrypted filesystems via the loopback device. While the 2.6 series provides improved facilities in the form of the device-mapper, they are more complicated to use and require superuser privileges. To get back to simplicity, English developer RW Penney created cryptmount, a utility that manages all the details so that a user can just type cryptmount my_filesystem or cryptmount -u my_filesystem to make their data available or hidden.
- Guest Blog: Rares Aioanei – Weekly Kernel Review (openSUSE Flavor)
- Graphics Stack
  - Kernel Mode-Setting With The Glint Driver
  - Mesa 7.8.2 Graphics Stack Released
    
    The very latest work going on within Mesa’s core, the DRI drivers, and the Gallium3D stack for the past several months are what will eventually form Mesa 7.9 once released in the coming months. However, for those living atop Mesa’s stable code-base and not this experimental code, the second point release of Mesa 7.8 has arrived.
  - The Rate of ATI Gallium3D Changes Is Impressive
Applications
- 8 of the Best Free Linux Usenet Tools
  
  Usenet is a worldwide distributed Internet discussion system. It was founded in 1980 to enable users to read and post public messages to various newsgroups. As such, it predates forums, blogs, instant messaging and P2P networks.
- Presenting squid-deb-proxy! Speed up your update downloads!
  
  Squid-deb-proxy is a new package for Ubuntu 10.04, and it’s designed to make your life easier and allow faster updates if you manage more than one Ubuntu machine. Conceptually, squid-deb-proxy consists of two pieces, a client and a server. The server package is “squid-deb-proxy” and the client package is “squid-deb-proxy-client”. The “squid-deb-proxy” server package is basically a squid caching server, with an out-of-the box configuration that allows it to cache .deb packages and make them accessible to the local area network. The “squid-deb-proxy-client” package is basically an include file to your standard apt configuration that makes apt aware of the squid-deb-proxy.
- Instructionals
Distributions
- Red Hat Family
  - The Bloomberg Businessweek 50
    
    The world’s largest Linux provider, Red Hat, did well in the downturn as companies took a second look at affordable open source solutions. CEO Jim Whitehurst, 41, who joined in 2008 after leading Delta Airlines out of bankruptcy, is aiming for Red Hat’s sales to hit $1 billion by 2012.
  - Red Hat Virtualization: Cheaper Than VMware, Microsoft?
    
    When Red Hat Summit starts June 22 in Boston, Red Hat will maintain a careful virtualization balancing act. During one session, Red Hat and Microsoft will discuss how they work together on virtualization. But during a separate session, Red Hat will describe how Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization (RHEV) offers cost advantages over both VMware and Microsoft Hyper-V. Here are the details.
  - Fedora
    - Fedora 13 Goddard. Bah. Meh. Hmm? Ok.
      
      To sum it up, I think Fedora 13 is much better than its predecessors, but still cannot compete with the likes of Mint, Ubuntu, Mandriva, and associated folks, which provide the common users with more tools and more intuitive tools to enjoy their desktop. Fedora makes sense for veterans, developers, tech junkies, and explorers, who want to dabble in what will and could become the mainstream in 3-4 years.
    - Exploring Fedora – The LXDE and Xfce spins are on my radar
- Canonical/Ubuntu
  - Ubuntu One is not a “proprietary” service
    
    Ever since Canonical started with Ubuntu One (or “U1″), people have been crying and whining about it being a proprietary pile of goo. For someone who has been active in the free software world for a long time, and still has his brains about him, this makes no sense whatsoever.
  - Ubuntu Maverick changes
    
    Every six months Ubuntu releases a new version. October’s proposed release includes a few key changes
    
    Ubuntu Lucid was released in April and the next release of the popular Linux operating system is now looming large. Planned for final release in October this year, Ubuntu 10.10, otherwise known as Maverick Meerkat, is already available as an alpha release.
  - Jargon, compatibility major stumbling blocks for new Ubuntu users
    
    This is according to results from recent usability testing by the Ubuntu design team.
  - Buntfu increases reach with new and extensive categories.
    
    After much planning and thought about implementing new categories on Buntfu.com it became apparent that the structure needed to be descriptive yet open enough to require little maintenance was more challenging than originally anticipated. Yet, the importance and significance of supporting more hardware and software that works with Free and Open Source systems was too great to ignore. Many categories were directly influenced by Ebay in an effort to produce a familiar environment.
  - The Unity Panel Won’t Allow Any Kind Of Customizations [UNE 10.10]
Devices/Embedded
- Beagle Board Modules Offer Open Source Options
  
  Three new modules for the Beagle Board embedded Linux and Android OS platform from Liquidware can help assist rapid prototyping Open Source hardware gadgets.
- Android
  - rugged android phone
    
    If you are looking for a rugged Android phone this may exactly be what you are looking for.
    This phone was originally build for windows mobile, but nowadays they also ship it with android.
    And I have to say, it actually looks nice for a rugged phone.
  - android video terminal
    
    Android on desktop video terminals, a great idea especially when they are extendable with apps and widgets. This looks like a very nice video terminal to have on your desktop. I can think of lots of possibilities, for instance installing the openremote home automation app.
  - Showing Progress with Android
    
    Threading is no small topic in programming circles.
    
    Some folks love them. Some hate them.
    
    Whether they are good or evil is a debate for the pious among us — I use them when they fit and you might want to do the same.
    
    In this article we’re going to have a look at a basic building block of Android applications — performing an operation in a secondary thread while keeping the primary GUI thread accessible and the user up to date at all times.

Free Software/Open Source

Network Security: Three open-source options

Free and open-source software (FOSS) is everywhere. Its offerings span far and wide in the technology industry. The networking space is an excellent example of FOSS, with feature-packed firewalls, routers, VPNs and even UTMs, for nearly every need. In this article I will introduce you to a few of the commercially-supported open-source network security options currently available in the marketplace today. With open-source networking you can enjoy the benefits of lower costs, greater security, flexibility, extensibility and full enterprise support. Here are three examples.
Digium Expands Channel Partner Program

Like many of its larger rivals, Digium is launching specializations within the company’s global channel partner program. If the strategy works as advertised, Digium’s open source IP PBX partners will gain deeper expertise in unified communications and VoIP telephony solutions. Here’s a look at Digium’s strategy and the implications for VARs.
Mozilla
- The EFF releases new HTTPS Everywhere Firefox extension
  
  The Electronic Frontier Foundation, in a cooperation with the Tor Project, has released a beta version of the “HTTPS Everywhere” Firefox extension.
- Brazil streaks ahead in Firefox World Cup
  
  At the time of writing the leaders, with more than 6,000 personas installed, is Brazil followed by Germany with almost 3,000. Third place is currently held by Argentina.
- Mozilla tracking a week in the life of a Firefox browser
  
  How many add-ons do you have in Firefox? How much time did you spend in Firefox last week?
  
  If you have opted into the Mozilla Labs Test Pilot add-on survey system — now you know, and so does Mozilla.
Project Releases
- Bluecherry releases its version 2 driver (GPL)
  
  As previously mentioned we have been working hard over the past few months on the driver for version 2 of our Linux hardware compression card. Since version 2 is a complete rewrite of our DVR software we naturally wanted to start with a clean driver, one that was written from scratch. So, we leveraged the Linux kernel’s API for Video (Video4Linux) and Audio (ALSA). This effectively puts Bluecherry as the first company to produce a multi-input MPEG-4 hardware compression GPL driver written around the Linux kernel’s API.
- Twilio Releases OpenVBX
  
  Open source telephony service for businesses allows drag-and-drop call routing, text-to-speech, voice transcription and voicemail forwarding.
Government
- ‘Over seventy cases studies on OSOR just the beginning’
  
  The European Union’s Open Source Observatory and Repository (OSOR.eu) has so far published 72 case studies. It’s most recent one, on the OSOR itself, was published last week.
  
  The case study, “OSOR: The more they know the more they share, Introducing Open Source Software communities to Europe’s public sector’, concludes the first phase of the project but the European Commission is about to organise OSOR’s continuation.

Leftovers

The New OS/2 Rumours Could Be Interesting

Some rumours have emerged that IBM is considering an OS/2 comeback and I’m filled with the same mixed feelings that always emerge whenever the subject is raised. Would I want OS/2 back on my desktop now? Not really. Have these rumours got me a bit excited? Absolutely. In fact, I’m willing to take a guess about what the new OS/2 might be.
Environment
- Whale poo helps offset carbon footprint
  
  Southern Ocean sperm whales offset their carbon footprint by defecating, scientists said on Wednesday, releasing tonnes of iron a year that stimulates the growth of phytoplankton which in turn absorb carbon dioxide.
- Afghan Minerals — Cure, Curse, or Hype?
  
  The Pentagon revealed last week that Afghanistan has as much as $1 trillion in mineral wealth, a potential game changer in the ongoing conflict there. Many news outlets have picked up this story, with some simply repeating the official talking points, while others raise serious concerns. Is this ‘discovery’ just hype, or will this truly alter the landscape of the Afghan war? Perhaps more importantly, can this mineral wealth (whether real or illusory) pave the way to a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan, or is it more likely to drive geopolitical feedback loops that plunge the region further into turmoil? Below the fold is a quick look at the as-of-yet unasked questions about Afghanistan’s buried treasure.
- What Good Are The Patents On Oil-Eating Bacteria Doing Us?
  
  Of course, you have to wonder if this kind of oil-eating bacteria wasn’t locked up to one provider for many years due to a patent, if much of that research on how to make it both safe and practical would have been done already. Probably could have helped a lot. Instead, we set things up so that living organisms can be patented, limiting the ability to do actual research on the impact of those patented organisms to just one party, greatly limiting our understanding of their practicality and safety. Progress?
- We could not have stopped Gulf oil gusher, ExxonMobil chief tells Congress
  
  ExxonMobil would have been as powerless as BP to stop the Gulf of Mexico gusher, the chief of the world’s biggest oil company told Congress today in a contentious hearing into the oil spill.
  
  The admission undermined attempts by oil multinationals Exxon, Chevron, ConocoPhillips and Shell to claim they operated to a higher safety standard than BP in testimony before the house energy and commerce committee.
- U.S. Scientific Team Draws on New Data, Multiple Scientific Methodologies to Reach Updated Estimate of Oil Flows from BP’s Well
- Fishermen win first legal battle against BP
  
  A U.S. District Court has made British Petroleum remove language from a Master Charter Agreement that would limit boat captains’ legal rights before allowing them to help clean up the Deepwater Horizon oil gusher.
  
  The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana opened Sunday afternoon to receive the petition of commercial fisherman to nullify and strike the offensive language in the British Petroleum volunteer fisherman charter contract.
Finance
- Muni Defaults: A Case of Chicken Little?
  
  The essay argues that the fiscal strains are growing so large on some local governments that it is beginning to make sense politically and economically for them to default.
- Kohn Interview Continued: ‘I Didn’t Recognize All the Weaknesses’
- U.S. Reveals Mortgage Fraud Crackdown
- House-Senate Panel Broadens Audits of Fed
- Joe Biden: ‘Recovery Act is working’
- N.Y. lawmakers defend Wall Street
- When You Swipe a Card, Who Should Pay — and How Much, to Whom?
  
  When you go into a convenience store, should you be able to get a discount for using a debit card instead of a credit card? Should a store owner be allowed to refuse credit cards on transactions under $10?
- New rules for broken trades proposed
  
  Federal regulators on Thursday put forward proposed new rules spelling out when and at what prices stock trades would be canceled, in a response to last month’s “flash crash” in the market.
- Bank bill would trim bankers’ say at Fed banks
  
  Bankers would retain some say over the operations of the 12 regional Federal Reserve Banks but would lose their ability to vote for regional bank presidents under a House-Senate deal Thursday on a broad financial regulation bill.
- Sarbanes-Oxley Gains Some Acceptance, Survey Finds
- The New York Times’ Timely Whitewash of Goldman Sachs
  
  At this critical moment, while the House and Senate are merging the final measure of the most significant changes to financial regulation since the Great Depression, Goldman Sachs is fighting tooth and nail to water down Congress’ Financial Regulatory Reform Bill before it comes to a vote in the next days. It is a moment for the ‘old boy’ network to go into high gear.
Censorship/Privacy/Civil Rights
- Icelandic Modern Media Initiative passes: a new safe haven for journalists?
- Rwanda arrests US lawyer Erlinder for genocide denial
  
  A US lawyer has been arrested on allegations of genocide denial, days after arriving in Rwanda, the nation’s police force has said.
- Immediate and Unconditional Release of Aung San Suu Kyi
- Websites face new crackdown
  
  Internet service providers will face legal action and have their licences withdrawn if they refuse to cooperate with the government to block websites deemed to be defamatory to the monarchy, the ICT minister warns.
- Web block adds controversies to laws
  
  The CRES website blockade has added more controversies to the already-problematic lese majeste and cyber laws and their application which has in the past few years curbed the people’s basic rights and has ushered the society into the climate of fear, according to a seminar on “Critiques on CRES Anti-Monarchy Accusation” held on Thursday.
Intellectual Monopolies
- German Publishers Want More Monopoly Rights
  
  This is a beautiful demonstration of a flaw at the heart of copyright: whenever an existing business model based around a monopoly starts to fail, the reflexive approach is to demand yet more monopolies in an attempt to shore it up. And the faster people point out why that won’t solve the problem, the faster the demands come for even more oppressive and unreasonable legislation to try to head off those issues.
  
  And make no mistake: if Germany adopts this approach, there will be squeals from publishers around the world demanding “parity”, just as there have been with the term of copyright. And so the ratchet will be turned once more.