Reviews
Chalet OS: good idea, bad design
Submitted by Rianne Schestowitz on Tuesday 10th of November 2015 01:46:22 PM Filed under

Let me introduce you to Chalet OS. The web site of this operating system says that their main target audience is fresh Linux converts who come to the Linux world from other operating systems. Isn't it the same audience that Zorin OS is aiming at? I was baffled and intrigued!
The latest version of the Chalet OS distribution has the number 14.04.3, which gives us a proper clue that Chalet OS is actually another offspring in the Ubuntu family. This version was released in August 2015.
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A tip of the hat to Fedora 23
Submitted by Roy Schestowitz on Tuesday 10th of November 2015 01:37:22 PM Filed under

The Fedora distribution is a Red Hat sponsored community project which regularly ships with some of the latest software the open source community has to offer. The most recent release of the distribution, Fedora 23, features GNOME 3.18, LibreOffice 5, version 4.2 of the Linux kernel and the ability to access Google Drive from the GNOME file manager. This release also features packages built with security hardening features like address space layout randomization (ASLR) which makes it more difficult to exploit vulnerabilities in software. In addition, Fedora has almost entirely migrated from Python 2 to Python 3 with all core utilities such as the Anaconda system installer now using Python 3. A full list of changes can be found in the Fedora 23 release notes.
These days, the Fedora distribution is made available in several editions, including Workstation, Server and Cloud. I decided to download the project's Workstation edition which is available as a 1.4GB ISO. The default desktop environment for the Workstation edition is GNOME Shell, but spins of Fedora are available with alternative desktop environments.
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BlackBerry Priv review
Submitted by Rianne Schestowitz on Monday 9th of November 2015 06:48:57 PM Filed under

When I was reviewing this phone, I took the Acela train from New York to DC. It's a train filled to the brim with lawyers and lobbyists — and several of them saw the BlackBerry logo atop this beautiful phone and asked me about it. One of them gestured with disdain at his iPhone, practically begging me to give him permission to cast it aside and go back to the BlackBerry. (Obviously the $699 asking price wasn't going to be a problem.)
In truth, I wanted to tell him to do it. But I couldn't. There are enough software bugs and slowdowns that I had to tell him to hold off and see if BlackBerry could finish the job it started here. Take those good ideas and buff off their rough edges, make the software just a little more stable. Because as a first effort at an Android phone, the Priv is remarkable, and I couldn't wait to see what a second push would do for it (assuming, of course, that BlackBerry gets the chance).
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Kali Linux Review
Submitted by Rianne Schestowitz on Monday 9th of November 2015 01:30:58 PM Filed under

Good news! There’s new release of the Kali Linux which is a reincarnation of the BackTrack. If you work in forensic analysis, network security, and penetration testing, then it’s very important to keep your tools updated, so you will be protected from the latest known threats, as well as you will get the latest tools at your control.
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Review: 3 Android phones that offer something different
Submitted by Rianne Schestowitz on Sunday 8th of November 2015 08:57:01 AM Filed under

New Android phones appear with regularity, but far too few of them really seem ... new.
Sure, cameras keep getting better and phones keep getting faster. For the most part, though, you'd be hard-pressed to single out many new features that aren't just tweaks for the sake of tweaking. Though manufacturers frequently customize Google's Android software to set their phones apart, those alterations often just make things worse by hiding features or breaking some apps.
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Lenovo Yoga 900 and Fedora Review
Submitted by Rianne Schestowitz on Saturday 7th of November 2015 02:58:57 AM Filed under

A few weeks ago, Lenovo came out with the Yoga 900, which was the successor to last years Yoga 3 pro and it in turn my Yoga 2 pro. The stats and early reviews looked pretty nice, so I ordered one.
I was hoping for a smooth Fedora experience, but sadly I ran into two issues right away after booting from a Fedora Live USB.
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BlackBerry Priv Review: BlackBerry May Win You Back With Android
Submitted by Rianne Schestowitz on Friday 6th of November 2015 12:11:10 PM Filed under

Today, the Priv has to contend with the iPhone, and Apple’s own continued focus on security and privacy. That’s one of many reasons the Priv isn’t going to put BlackBerry back on top again. Still, it is a really good phone for people who want a keyboard and a more secure Android experience. And can spend $700 to get it.
For the first time in years, BlackBerry has a phone that can win back the hearts and dollars of people it lost years ago—at least enough that I’ll once again spot a BlackBerry owner or two among my friends and colleagues.
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The Android phone that aims to save BlackBerry: review
Submitted by Rianne Schestowitz on Friday 6th of November 2015 07:16:26 AM Filed under

Priv, which is pronounced "priv" as in privilege, represents the Google-ization of BlackBerry. You can bark out “OK, Google” to activate a voice search. You can take advantage of Google Now for predictive searches Google thinks you’ll be interested in. And in opening up Android to the BlackBerry loyalist — you’re still out there — devotees get access to the complete catalog of apps in the Google Play Store. On other recent BlackBerrys you could get apps from the BlackBerry World (which you cannot get to from this phone) or the Amazon App Store.
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Side by side: openSuSE Leap and Fedora 23
Submitted by Rianne Schestowitz on Thursday 5th of November 2015 07:29:55 PM Filed under


If you are a more advanced user, or you are interested in learning more in depth about Linux, then you might be a bit happier with Fedora. But that really is a gross simplification of their overall state, and with a small amount of effort either of these could be made just as suitable for any task as the other one.
So pick one, install it, and give it a try! Or do as I have, and install them both in a dual-boot configuration, and compare them for yourself to see which you like the best.
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GALPon MiniNo Makes Kid-Friendly Lightweight Linux
Submitted by Rianne Schestowitz on Wednesday 4th of November 2015 08:44:20 PM Filed under

The GALPon MiniNo distro is akin to a wolf in sheep's clothing. It will rival any of the leading Linux communities for performance.
Widespread acceptance in the educational and consumer markets with non-Spanish-speaking users is at risk. The developers have to improve on the language localization issues.
Critical packages like the system update launchers display in Spanish only. Others software titles have the same problem. Others suffer from bits and pieces of vocabulary crossover.
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