Computing » BleachBit Leaves Your File System Sparkling and Grime-Free

Different Linux distros build in favorite cleaning products. For instance, Ubuntu has Computer Janitor. CentOS, Fedora and Red Hat Linux use Yum Clean to remove cached package data. But BleachBit goes beyond such distro-specific cleaning services to accomplish a more complete spit-and-polish session to Linux's file structure in any distro. One of the most essential computer maintenance tasks is pruning outdated and orphaned files from the deep,...

Computing » Which Linux Distro Leads the Pack?

"Debian is No. 1? Why am I not surprised," said Roberto Lim, a lawyer and blogger on Mobile Raptor. "Sometimes I really feel like the Linux community, which used to be about innovation and building the best next thing, has lost touch with society and are in danger of becoming irrelevant." The real No. 1 distro is Ubuntu, Lim asserted: "It is the only one with a shot at becoming more than a niche in a niche market." Between Googlerola, the tempestuous...

Computing » FSF's Star Turn in the Android FUDathon, Part 3

The Internet has become the most popular medium of software interchange for open source projects, as well as how most people receive updates for proprietary software. Arguing that the Internet is not a customary medium for exchanging software because some people can't access it makes as little sense as arguing that DVDs aren't an acceptable medium because people with netbooks or tablets don't have DVD drives. FSF's Star Turn in the Android FUDathon,...

Computing » FSF's Star Turn in the Android FUDathon, Part 4

Sharing source code benefits everyone involved. However, heavy-handed attempts to impose further restrictions on end-users beyond the license, or to ask people to harass developers to switch, just come off as "sturm und drang" by nitpickers. Hopefully this doesn't presage the rise of the GNUstapo. FSF's Star Turn in the Android FUDathon, Part 3 "Strike while the iron is hot" -- and the usual suspects have made Android licensing a hot issue. However,...

Computing » Parallels 7 Swings In

Parallels' virtualization software for Mac has been bumped up to version 7. The new edition supports special features found in OS X Lion, like the operating system's new gesture controls, as well as enhanced speed when running Windows. The company has also integrated a mobile app that lets you control a Parallels-running Mac from an iOS device. A new version of Parallels Desktop, the software that allows you to run multiple operating systems on...

Computing » Greenies Give Google 'Good Example' Props

Google has opened the books on the amount of power it needs to run its multitude of data centers and services worldwide. The grand total is enough to power 41 Empire State Buildings. Environmental groups have praised Google's move toward transparency and recognized the company's green initiatives, though they questioned claims that the company is carbon neutral. For the first time in the search engine's history, Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) revealed...