Articles by Jack M. Germain

Serving two masters, in theory, is nearly impossible. In practice, the Linux Lite distribution easily satisfies Linux newcomers and veteran penguin fans as well This distro is very beginner-friendly. That is, in large part, the result of a fine-tuned Xfce desktop interface that gives former Windows and macOS users a familiar base. More established ...

Researchers at the Swedish university ETH Zurichat have unveiled a method for mixing genetically encoded digital data into common manufacturing materials. They carried out the project in collaboration with an Israeli scientist The team succeeded in embedding artificial DNA in a small plastic 3D-printed plastic bunny, which would allow self-replicat...

Optimism about the future of open source is high among software developers worldwide. However, a growing number of devs worry that a lack of funding and corporate support threatens its sustainability That is one of the key takeaways from DigitalOcean's second annual open source survey, published in its "Currents, Open Source 2019," seasonal report...

Linux For All very well could be a unifying Linux distribution that provides a common computing platform LFA is a distro developed by Sweden-based software engineer Arne Exton of Exton Linux, the same developer who distributes ExTix Linux. The Swedish Linux Society hosts 16 Exton distributions....

While many retailers mull the takeaway from this year's Black Friday Cyber Monday shopping event, others may be more interested in the action that took place on Saturday. Online shoppers on Saturday spent US$3.6 billion dollars at both large and small retailers, reflecting 18 percent year-over-year growth and setting a new sales record for the day...

If you ever have considered investigating or working with elements of the geospatial world, check out the latest edition of OSGeoLive....

Slax Linux is a handy portable operating system that can be a useful alternative to bulky, more complicated Linux options that install to a hard drive....

GitHub wants to make sure its entire warehouse of open source code survives an apocalypse by burying it deep within an Arctic vault as one of several preservation strategies GitHub, which Microsoft purchased last year for US$7.5 billion, last week announced that it is creating the GitHub Arctic Code Vault as a data repository for the existing Arcti...

ALT Linux offers a buffet of Linux distributions that meet a variety of specialized needs. Its inviting selections could be a good source of alternative Linux OS solutions if you take the time to sort out the menus If you sample the wares, however, you might find navigating the poorly designed website a tedious chore. Still, persevering could get y...

New York's Department of Financial Services has initiated an investigation into a tech entrepreneur's complaint that credit limits for the new Apple Card are based on gender-biased algorithms  ...

The KaOS distro is an up-and-coming Linux operating system that provides one of the best integrations yet of a refreshed KDE-based computing platform....

Along with unveiling its new Edge browser logo, Microsoft on Monday announced the official launch date of its nearly finished Chromium-based Edge browser and made its Release Candidate available for download immediately The latest beta edition of the browser is stable enough for anyone to use, Microsoft said, and it will help IT admins prepare for ...

ExTiX 19.10, released with the LXQt desktop on Oct. 23, is a customized Linux distro that leaves you wanting more but settling for less ExTix is a lightweight modular Linux operating system that is part of the Exton Linux/Live Systems family of distributions hosted by The Swedish Linux Society. The Society hosts 16 Exton distributions....

Azure Sphere will be generally available in Feb 2020, Microsoft announced at the IoT Solutions World Congress on Monday. Its scheduled arrival highlights Microsoft's readiness to fulfill its promise for better Internet of Things device security at scale, company officials said Microsoft first introduced Azure Sphere in 2018, opting to use its own v...

The United States Federal Trade Commission on Monday announced settlements of a series of fraudulent marketing charges against two high-profile firms The actions taken make it clear that anyone who engages in similar illegal behavior will face enforcement action, the FTC said....

Samsung has called quits on its effort to provide a full Linux desktop platform for Android In an email to beta testers last week, Samsung said it would not support its Linux on DeX beta program for future operating system and device releases....

The Solus Project is alive and well and continues to offer a fresh approach to uncomplicating the computer desktop. That says a lot, given the sometimes sordid developmental path of the almost 5-year-old Linux distribution....

San Francisco officials want to get ahead of the emerging technology curve by prequalifying and regulating startup tech proposals before products become available to consumers That approach is a developing trend in the U.S., according to Arle Lommel, senior analyst at CSA Research. If approved, the creation of a city-controlled regulatory office wo...

Developers have patched a vulnerability in Sudo, a core command utility for Linux, that could allow a user to execute commands as a root user even if that root access was specifically disallowed The patch prevents potential serious consequences within Linux systems. However, the Sudo vulnerability posed a threat only to a narrow segment of the Linu...

Austrumi Linux is an unusual distribution. With a little more polish, it could be a good tool for running the Linux operating system on any computer you touch without changing anything on the hard drive Last updated on Oct. 3 to version 4.08, Austrumi Linux is a bootable live Linux distribution based on Slackware Linux. It was created and is mainta...