True Believer

With the fervor of the evangelical, I began to spread the word far and wide. I read incessantly, from Stallman to Torvalds, Searles, Moody, Knaapen, Raymond and Schroder, I learned the history and mechanics of Linux. I read not only of my new freedom but of the restrictions and limitations of other proprietary operating systems. The more I read, both my anger and excitement grew in equal measure. I took it upon myself to join The Movement against anything and anyone who stood in the way of spreading the news. This new way of operating your computer could indeed change the world. The Blog of helios began... and so it went. Surely The Year of the Linux Desktop was at hand. Year, after year, after year. and surely. It wore on me year after year, breakthrough after failure, hope dashed by hopelessness. Until the harsh, glaring truth descended upon me like a shipping container full of anvils..... We never had a prayer. We entered a race with all other contestants miles ahead. I rattled off a list of names above. Those who have inspired me and in more than one case, probably saved me from something terribly grim. Glyn Moody is one of those names. Glyn has been an inspiration to me since the turn of the century. I've come to count on Glyn for insightful and brutally honest commentary. He's a brilliant writer and wastes no time with hyperbole. But aside from that, Glyn aided me at a time when I thought my life was over. To this day he has no idea, the part he played in turning me away from something horrible. We'll just leave it at that.

Android Leftovers

• Gmail's Android app now lets you undo sending an email

• JBL's Android TV soundbar arrives in October for $399

• JBL's $399 soundbar with Android TV and Google Assistant now up for pre-order

• Android Pie GSI now available for Project Treble-enabled devices

• 5 Android Games That Look Downright Incredible On Samsung's Galaxy Note 9

• For once, a hot new Android phone isn't just copying the iPhone X

• Nokia 7 Plus to get Android 9 Pie update early September, confirms HMD Global

Mozilla on Fellows, Software Patents and Volunteer Add-on

• Mozilla Announces 26 New Fellows in Openness, Science, and Tech Policy

  These technologists, activists, and scientists will spend the next 10 to 12 months creating a more secure, inclusive, and decentralized internet A neuroscientist building open-source hardware. A competition expert studying net neutrality enforcement in Nigeria. A technologist studying tools that combat disinformation. These are just three of Mozilla’s latest Fellows — 26 technologists, activists, and scientists from more than 10 countries. Today, we’re announcing our 2018-2019 cohort of Fellows, who begin work on September 1, 2018.

• AV1 and the Video Wars of 2027

  Author’s Note: This post imagines a dystopian future for web video, if we continue to rely on patented codecs to transmit media files. What if one company had a perpetual monopoly on those patents? How could it limit our access to media and culture? The premise of this cautionary tale is grounded in fact. However, the future scenario is fiction, and the entities and events portrayed are not intended to represent real people, companies, or events.

• Volunteer Add-on Reviewer Applications Open

  Thousands of volunteers around the world contribute to Mozilla projects in a variety of capacities, and extension review is one of them. Reviewers check extensions submitted to addons.mozilla.org (AMO) for their safety, security, and adherence to Mozilla’s Add-on Policies. Last year, we paused onboarding new volunteer extension reviewers while we updated the add-on policies and review processes to address changes introduced by the transition to the WebExtensions API and the new post-review process.

Games Leftovers

• The Linux version of Graveyard Keeper is now available on GOG

  Need to hide a few bodies? Graveyard Keeper is now available for Linux on GOG after being missed at the release. It was actually added a day or so after the initial release. Sometimes the Linux version is missing when a game is released on GOG, as the Linux team at GOG discover issues in it. The game did indeed have some pressing issues at release, a fair few have been fixed now so it is quite a bit better.

• Life is Strange 2 officially revealed with a new trailer

  While we don't yet know about Linux support, I will honestly be shocked if Feral Interactive didn't port Life is Strange 2. Especially since they ported the original to Linux and are currently porting Before the Storm which is a little delayed.

• The Jackbox Party Pack 5 now has a Steam page and it's going to release with Linux support

  Currently scheduled to release "Fall 2018", The Jackbox Party Pack 5 is the latest pack of crazy party games from Jackbox Games, Inc. and it should be coming out with Linux support.

• Combat helicopters are coming to War Thunder in the next update

  Gaijin Entertainment have announced that combat helicopters are coming to War Thunder [Steam, Official Site] along with a teaser trailer.

• The action RPG Underworld Ascendant is now releasing in November

  The action RPG Underworld Ascendant [Official Site] from OtherSide Entertainment is now going to release on November 15th and they have a new trailer. They previously said it would be September, so hopefully the extra time will make it a better game. Last we heard from them, they were still planning Linux support although they didn't have a specific date nailed down for the Linux version just yet, so do keep that in mind.

• Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night delayed again, this time until 2019

  Not for the first time, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night has been delayed and will now launch in 2019. Writing in a Kickstarter update, they confirmed it's to increase the quality of the game as a whole after they gathered feedback from a special backer demo. Delays sadly happen and if we can get a decent game out of this then I will be happy. Hopefully it will give them time to ensure the Linux version is nicely polished too. The Vita version was cancelled along with this announcement.

• Die for Valhalla! is an action RPG that has you possess enemies and objects

  A supernatural Valkyrie with the ability to possess things, what could possibly go wrong? Go ahead and Die for Valhalla! Released back at the end of May with full Linux support, Die for Valhalla! offers an action-RPG with single-player and local co-op options for up to four people.

• BATTLETECH has an expansion named FLASHPOINT coming out this November

  Even though they still haven't managed to get the Linux version out yet, Harebrained Schemes and Paradox Interactive have announced the FLASHPOINT expansion for BATTLETECH. As a reminder, we spoke to the developer earlier this month about the Linux version which they do hope to release soon.