02
Jan
2013-01-02_13h21_21

Canonical Announces Ubuntu For Smartphones, A New Version Of Its OS Just For Your Pocket 'Superphone'

Posted by in News

While Ubuntu (and Linux as a whole) may not be hugely popular among the consumer desktop computing crowd, it'd be folly to discount the OS as a whole. Especially among the Android developer crowd. Well, if you happen to be among the tech-literate faithful who use open source desktop operating systems to write code for your open source phone operating systems, Canonical would like to make your life a little weirder: introducing Ubuntu for smartphones!

2013-01-02_13h46_21

Not to be confused with Ubuntu for Android, which allowed a docked Android phone to run a more-or-less full version of Ubuntu a la Webtop, this new product is a full-blown smartphone OS, distinct from Android entirely and meant to run all on its own.

25
Apr
220px-Tux

Google Drive "Support" Is Coming To Linux, Pray That It Doesn't Involve WINE

Posted by in Applications, News

Good news, Penguins! Google is working on a Drive client for your favorite OS!

Google Drive, if you haven't heard, is Google's Dropbox/Google Docs hybrid. It launched yesterday with 5GB of cloud storage and desktop apps for Windows and Mac, but our tuxedoed counterparts were left out in the cold.

The lack of Linux love caused a bit of an uproar on Google+, where #driveforlinux was a trending topic for a good part of the day. Teresa Wu, the Community Manager for Google Docs, took to a G+ thread and gave the happy news:

We're working on Linux support - hang tight!

19
Mar
android-features-hero

Linux 3.3 Kernel Begins To Merge With Android, Brings Us Closer To A True Multi-Purpose Smartphone

Posted by in Android OS, News

"One Device to rule them all, One Device to find them, One Device to bring them all and finally unconfine them"

Ok so I may have taken a few liberties there, but that's what we all want, right? One device that can do everything that we require of a computer throughout our daily lives. Smartphone by day, desktop by night.

Fortunately, we aren't the only ones who think that this is a great idea; the Ubuntu team has already announced plans to transform your smartphone into a proper computer when it's placed in a docking station, and with the release of Linux 3.3, this just got easier for OEMs to do as well.

21
Feb
normal_ubuntu-android

[Video] Canonical Employee Gives Us A Closer Look At Ubuntu For Android, Makes Us Want It Even More

Posted by in Android OS, Apps/Games, News, Videos

Earlier today, Canonical announced Ubuntu for Android, an incredible new system that will put a full desktop OS on your Android-powered phone. Now, one employee has taken the time to show us just a little bit of what Ubuntu for Android is capable of, and it's nothing short of awesome. Check it out:

http://youtu.be/gUXUjjg9qQ0

As if we weren't excited enough after the initial announcement, seeing it in action really makes us want to get our hands on this and give it a whirl. Anyone at Canonical ready to hook Android Police up with some beta software?

On a side note, anyone happen to notice that all of the screenshots on the official Ubuntu for Android page display 12:04 as the time?

21
Feb
android-features-hero

[Updated: Video] Ubuntu For Android Looks To Make Your Smartphone Even Smarter, Bring A Full Desktop Experience To Multi-Core Handsets

Posted by in Android OS, News

Imagine carrying a full desktop computer in your pocket. We're not talking about that crippled Webtop crap from Motorola, either. We're talking about a real desktop OS built in to your smartphone. Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, wants to make that happen. Soon.

Ubuntu for Android is something that we've only dreamed about up to this point - one device to rule them all, if you will. In your pocket, it's an Android-powered smartphone. Not just any smartphone, either - it's your smartphone. Pull it out and drop it in a docking station, though, and it becomes a full workstation powered by Ubuntu, complete with monitor and keyboard.

16
Jan
Screenshot-at-2012-01-12-13_00_00

Make Your GNOME 3 (Linux) Desktop Look Like ICS With 'Ice Cream Shell'

Posted by in Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, News

When a sexy new interface or theme hits the scene, it's quite common for users to port the look to other forms of technology. We've seen Windows desktops customized to look like Android, Linux desktops made to look like Windows, Android phones that replicate iOS, and every variation in between.

Today, we're going to take a look at a new theme for the GNOME 3 shell in Linux, simply called Ice Cream Shell. As you may have guessed by its name, Ice Cream Shell will give your Linux desktop a very polished ICS look. The shell was created for Ubuntu, but it should work on any version of Linux as long as it's running GNOME 3.

31
Oct
normal_ubuntu-android

Ubuntu Plans To Head Into The Mobile Space, Confront Android Head-On

Posted by in Android OS, News

Oh snap, here comes another entry into the mobile OS game. Instead of some no-name third-party, though, Canonical has plans to step up to the plate with Ubuntu and see how it fares at on-the-go computing. Once the finishing touches have been put on the the upcoming LTS (long term service) release -- version 12.04 -- Canonical plans to start porting Ubuntu to mobile handsets, tablets, and even smart TVs.

Mark Shuttleworth, Canonical founder, stated that Android will be their primary competition, going as far as to say that Google's purchase of Motorola Mobility has "[shaken] up the hardware vendors, so some of them are looking for non-Android alternatives."

OEMs have tough choices.

19
Nov
tux_andy

Ubuntu Hacked Onto Samsung Galaxy Tab

Posted by in Development, Galaxy Tab, News

As the saying goes, where there's a will, there's a way - and there's always a will among the guys (and gals) at XDA-Devs. This time around, it's booting Ubuntu on the Samsung Galaxy Tab; unfortunately, though, it's not without a fair number of kinks at this point.

XDA member dviera88 discovered  that the method used to boot Ubuntu on the Epic 4G also works on the Galaxy Tab (unsurprising, given just how similar the two are). He's provided a nearly 13-minute video detailing how to get it up and running and providing a quick usage demonstration. Heads-up, though: it's shot on his Epic 4G, so the video isn't great.

24
Aug
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Ubuntu Fans, This Theme Is For You: Download Ubuntu Theme For ADW Launcher

Posted by in Applications, News

Are you an Ubuntu fan? Then you are going to love Ryan Olson, the designer behind the Ubuntu Theme for ADW Launcher. Ryan launched the theme 4 days ago and so far it's been well received scoring a 4.28/5 average with more than 5000 downloads.

As Jaroslav mentioned today in his Modder’s Monday: Hacking Without Hacking – A Guide to Customizing Your Android Device Without Voiding Your Warranty, you don't need to root or hack your Android in order to customize your launcher, and ADW is one of the best launchers Android offers.

Check out the screenshots below and then proceed to download ADW and the theme below.