Last night, one interesting email arrived in my mailbox. In fact, it's a very interesting email, since the last Long Term Support version of Ubuntu Linux was realeased back in June 2006 - Ubuntu 6.06 "Dapper Drake". This email I just mentioned was the bearer of good news for all those into Ubuntu, as well as those that think about starting to explore the Linux world, but can't find the courage and time required to do such a thing. The news is that a new LTS version of this Linux distro is on its way, and it just reached Beta status...


Until a few hours ago, the last unstable release of Ubuntu was 8.04 Alpha 6, released on the 6th of March, but now Ubuntu "Hardy Heron" moved one step closer to us, by making available its first Beta release.

The most interesting part of the deal is that, leaving aside all the new features, the Ubuntu family gets two new members - UbuntuStudio and Mythbuntu, two variants that were previously released separately, and now are a part of the main Ubuntu release process.

Since I mentioned the new features, let's see what do we have (including updates, of course) - Xorg 7.3, Linux kernel 2.6.24, GNOME 2.22, PolicyKit, PulseAudio - finally enabled by default, Firefox 3 Beta 4 - the new default browser, Transmission - replacing Gnome BitTorrent downloader, the Vinagre VNC client - replacing xvnc4viewer, the Brasero CD/DVD burning application, World Clock Applet, Inkscape 0.46, ActiveDirectory integration, an updated firewall, additional access checks to help defend against rootkits and other threats, Wubi - a new installation option for Windows users, umenu - "a simple launcher that lets the user install Ubuntu from Windows using Wubi, install Ubuntu to a partition without having to make their CD-ROM the first boot device, and find out more about Ubuntu at the www.ubuntu.com website". Pretty cool, don't you think?

If you really can't wait until next month, when the final 8.04 release is expected to arrive, then you can upgrade from Ubuntu 7.10, but be sure to read these instructions first!

Other than the above, there's a lot to know about Ubuntu 8.04, so feel free to stop by the official page and check out all the goodies. I have just shown you the way, but it's your task to follow it!

Remember Google's Android? I am sure you do, but if you don't, feel free to check this article about how it all started, this one about its arrival or, at last, the article related to the SDK for Google's mobile platform, here. Now, details related to the first phone based on Google's Android have just started to surface...


Unofficial sources claim that the mobile phone maker High Tech Computer (shortly known as HTC) has been working on a phone to run on Google's Android for a while. This phone will be called "Dream", and is expected to feature a large touchscreen and full QWERTY keypad, with navigational controls for the Internet placed below the handset's screen.

For now, it seems there are also additional details known, as the size 5 inch long, 3 inches wide, but the keypad may either slide or swivel out, so this is not quite clear yet. Obviously, the target of this phone will be to make it as easy as possible to write emails, notes, and surf the Web.

While HTC didn't comment on this, the unofficial inside source claims the handset should become available before the end of the year, and it may as well be the first phone based on Android, if Samsung, Motorola or others aren't going to release their own Android-based phones first...

As networks develop all over the world, and broadband Internet access gets available for more and more people and companies, online applications become a very interesting alternative to those classic programs we used so far, and if we have a free alternative online for a paid program we were using...the choice is not that hard! Today, we'll talk about Google's online spreadsheet program, and the expectations for the near future.


While the spreadsheet component of Google Docs simply can't compete with Microsoft's Excel, for those that need Excel's advanced features, this is a very good choice for those that need to use spreadsheets at a basic level, but Google promises to bring a bit of extra power to this online application.

The improvements, expected to become available one of these days, probably today or tomorrow, are basically lightweight gadgets used to display data in new ways, as well as to send email notifications when data in your spreadsheets has changed.

The best part of this whole deal is that third-party producers will be able to create new features for the spreadsheet application, and since these improvements will be also introduced in the other Google Docs programs, so in the future we may also see interesting improvements to Google Apps too, especially Gmail or Google Sites.

Considering the global growth of online business, it's no surprise to see Adobe's profits going high, especially since we consider the latest happening, as Microsoft licensing Flash from Adobe or the upcoming Flash for the iPhone. Anyway, today we'll talk about profits, as well as a new product that may also push Adobe higher in the future...


While the deals I mentioned above will probably have an impact, if any, in the last quarter, the last statistics show that Adobe Systems Inc.'s profit for the first quarter was up 52 percent, compared to the previous year, but their own forecast for the year is very cautios, as they expect only a 13 percent revenue growth for the year.

It seems that Adobe fears the recession felt in many economic sectors, since Adobe Chief Financial Officer Mark Garrett told The Associated Press recently - "We are not immune to any type of recession, were one to come, and we are keeping our eye on the U.S. business."

Anyway, I think Adobe should be optimistic, because they have all the cards they need to end this year's game with very good results. One of them is Adobe Flash Media Rights Management Server, a content protection product that helps safeguard multimedia content created for Adobe Flash, and since by the end of the year I guess we'll see Flash arriving on the iPhone, this product will surely get a lot of new customers for the company.

Laurel Reitman, Adobe senior product manager for Flash Media Server services, said this product will help companies protect their video content "so that it doesn't end up on YouTube." "This new technology protects videos when they're downloaded and played back on the desktop as opposed to in the browser, and this is the first time that's available," he concluded.

Priced at $40,000 per CPU, Flash Media Rights Management Server is currently available for Windows Server 2003 and Red Hat Linux, and more details can be found on the official page, here.

Do you expect Vista's first service pack? I am sure a lot of people do, but it's not here for everyone just yet. The good part is that Microsoft released a bunch of updates to Vista today, so the Vista SP1 is actually here, but since Microsoft said some programs won't run on it, I guess it's not the best thing to choose for some people...


To be honest, I wasn't expecting such a thing. After all the problems with Vista so far, SP1 is going to CAUSE problems, and not remove them? What are they trying to do? Cut the tree they're in? I know, I know, there are "just a few" programs that work in Vista and won't work in Vista SP1, but WHY?

While most updates released before SP1 solved various issues, and - basically- they should be independent, it seems SP1 won't install without applying some older updates, first of all. The problem appears with the fact that - as expected - Microsoft claims SP1 improves "reliability, security and performance", but what's the price?

For example, SP1 will block, from "reliability reasons", applications such as BitDefender Antivirus and Internet Security, version 10, two versions of Jiangmin KV Antivirus software and Check Point Technologies' Zone Alarm Security Suite, while other programs may encounter problems, like The New York Times Reader.

Voices all over the Web claim that this major update finally managed to speed up Vista, but there are others that don't agree, so I ask you: did you update yet? How does it feel?

To be honest, I can't find the courage to make the big step yet...but anyway, let's celebrate - good or bad, Vista SP1 is, finally, here! For now, only English, French, Spanish, German and Japanese Vista versions have the service pack ready, but others will follow in mid-April, so I guess we'll get back to this topic pretty soon...