RedHat Linux

previously mentioned the $100 laptop initiative and repeatedly referred to cheap computers in general. An article in the Wall Street Journal now claims that the $100 laptop is nearing reality. It will supposedly run Red Hat Linux on AMD processors.

A novel plan to develop a $100 laptop computer for distribution to millions of schoolchildren in developing countries has caught the interest of governments and the attention of computer-industry heavyweights.

Steve Jobs, Apple Computer Inc.’s chief executive, offered to provide free copies of the company’s operating system, OS X, for the machine, according to Seymour Papert, a professor emeritus at MIT who is one of the initiative’s founders. “We declined because it’s not open source,” says Dr. Papert, noting the designers want an operating system that can be tinkered with. An Apple spokesman declined to comment.

Older items on inexpensive hardware:

• How Cheap Can Computers Become?
• Cost-effective Computers
• Dirt-Cheap Computers
• Expensive Developers, Cheap Hardware

Although Google Suggest is a separate (yet tight) extension of the
search bar, its name reflects on reason for fear among giants like Wal-Mart

HE New York Times discusses the effect of ‘Googling’ things on industry. The article broadens its scope to discuss the small, the large and the intimidatingly large-scale impact.

Since many people begin their Web surfing with Google’s search page, information (or global knowledge) is somewhat controlled and centralised in Google’s datacentres. Search engines are able to provide advice to their consumers, much like trusted peers. With search engine optimisation there can be bias, which is dangerous. Moreover, with bad publicity in blogs and forums, many companies become overly concerned.

Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest retailer, often intimidates its competitors and suppliers. Makers of goods from diapers to DVD’s must cater to its whims. But there is one company that even Wal-Mart eyes warily these days: Google, a seven-year-old business in a seemingly distant industry.

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Wal-Mart is scarcely alone in its concern. As Google increasingly becomes the starting point for finding information and buying products and services, companies that even a year ago did not see themselves as competing with Google are beginning to view the company with some angst – mixed with admiration.

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Google, the reigning giant of Web search, could extend its economic reach in the next few years as more people get high-speed Internet service and cellphones become full-fledged search tools, according to analysts. And ever-smarter software, they say, will cull and organize larger and larger digital storehouses of news, images, real estate listings and traffic reports, delivering results that are more like the advice of a trusted human expert.

Found yesterday in Dave Winer’s blog

SuSE Linux, my favourite distribution among all, is set to take over in New Zealand.

A deal has been struck to allow agencies throughout government access to open-source software and support from Novell at preferential rates.

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The deal will centre on Novell’s SUSE Linux server and its Linux Desktop, but agencies will also be able to access other open-source products such as MySQL and Jboss with full support, says Novell NZ general manager Matthew Christie.

This comes at a time of some financial trouble and expected lay-offs, which nonetheless should not affect SuSE’s roadmap.

Novell layoff rumors swirled this week, but analysts were quick to dismiss any doomsday scenarios involving the SuSE Linux operating system.

Before and after Hurricane Katrina hit

HE devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina have been caught by Google Earth’s eye. Constant footage of the ground is made possible owing to many recently-acquired overlays. The devastation is very clear as reflected by before/after snapshots, which can be viewed interactively in Google Earth.

he Computer Business Review reports that Yahoo will soon join the VoIP market and target the hugely popular Skype. VoIP, which has become synonymous with Skype, is a method/service allowing telephone calls to be made over the Internet, making such calls virtually free. With a standard telephone connected to a standard line, call fares are very low too. In the latter case, international call fares equate to these of local calls.

Yahoo is planning to become a full-service VoIP provider, but declined to give a timeline on new product announcements beyond “coming months,” said spokesperson Terrell Karlsten.

Would you believe that a base unit with a monitor can be sold for as little as $225? Although there is no mentioning of the O/S and software that is included, buyers can get it all for a mere pittance in India. There are some amazing offers in westernised countries as well. In the UK, for example, a Linux box can be as cheap as 140 pounds ($247) plus tax, albeit it does not include a monitor. From the article in the BBC:

India’s first low-cost personal computer has been launched in the Tamil Nadu state capital, Madras.

Designed by IT firm HCL Infosystems, it is priced at 9,990 rupees ($225) and includes all the basic features required for a first-time user.

There is no mentioning of which operating system is used; the acronym PC is no indicator either.

Google have introduced yet another ‘toy’ which re-uses the software from Google Satellite maps. This time, all data being used is imagery from NASA‘s past moon landings.

With nicer innovations and envious ad-free page layouts, is it truly a surprise when Microsoft executives migrate to Google? Tension is growing between these two camps as Miscrsoft recently acquired similar technologies and map data. These interactive maps have enormous value as they add a geographical aspect to the World Wide Web, which is presently in chaos. This has a huge advertising potential.