Tech centers seem to pop up like mushrooms after the rain everywhere, but I am sure no country in the world has so many high-tech plants as Taiwan has, and the numbers keep growing... For example, one of the very hot news today is saying that Microsoft and HP have plans of developing a brand new tech centre in - where else? - Taiwan!


For now, Microsoft has 16 technology centers in the world, including in Dubai, France or Bangalore, and the new center built together with HP in Taiwan will be the 17th one. Both Microsoft and HP expect the new centre to generate $83 million worth of sales in the next 5 years.

"Microsoft and HP solution centers will help advance the technology of our Taiwanese business partners and corporate clients," said John Knutsen, Director of Global Microsoft Technology Center.

Despite the global economic slowdown, especially in the US, Microsoft said its business wasn't affected, especially because its position in emerging markets such as China, India or Russia is helping a lot.

At last, HP is also looking forward with hope, expecting quarterly revenues to beat forecasts, and keeping their eyes on the emerging markets, too...

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...