Today I got to chat with Gerry Carr, a product manager for Canonical, the people behind Ubuntu, the very popular desktop version of Linux. Besides the merits of the Seattle and Portland areas, we talked about Ubuntu’s current status and its future in gaming, portable devices, and even desktop personal. CrunchGear So first off, which version […]

This day I got to chat with Gerry Carr, a product manager for Canonical, the people behind Ubuntu, the very popular desktop version of Linux. Besides the merits of the Seattle and Portland areas, we talked about Ubuntu’s current status and its future in gaming, portable devices, and even desktop computers.

CrunchGear So first off, which version of Ubuntu are you using on your personal computer right now?

Gerry Carr I’m using the latest beta of the 804 LTS (Hardy Heron). It’s got a few known bugs still but overall it’s really good.

CrunchGear What third party apps are you using with it day to day that you like?

Gerry Carr The Firefox 3 beta 4 works really great with the 804. In fact, when it’s done, we’ll be the first major distributer to ship a distro with Firefox 3 bundled. That’s pretty exciting. It’ll also have our regular mail app. Adobe and IBM both have apps they’re working on specifically for 804, but they won’t be included. We’re looking to ship April 24 of this year.

CrunchGear That’ll be a good celebration, yes?

Gerry Carr Well, it’s rather hard, we have 105 people spread across 25 countries, so it’s difficult to get everyone together, but there will be launch celebrations all over the world. Every major city has them, some better than others.

CrunchGear I’ll have to try to find the one in Seattle. How are they?

Gerry Carr It’s many people sitting around a pub installing operating systems.

CrunchGear Celebration animals, for sure.

Gerry Carr Seattle’s pretty good for us. Portland, too, has a lot of users and developers.

CrunchGear Right now Linux is a full-fledged operating system. Do you think we’ll ever get to the point where Linux is more of a shell or gateway to Web-applications?

Gerry Carr well, we work pretty closely with Google to make the desktop Google apps superior, but that is something that’s going to happen at some time to a large extent. However there’s a lot to be stated about local processing and storage that is difficult to replicate on the Web. We are on the forefront of Web apps right now, but it’s still a while before the OS is optimized for it.

CrunchGear The deal you guys got with Dell is pretty significant, and Microsoft isn’t happy about it. Are there any other major deals of this nature in the work?

Gerry Carr We’re of course looking to get a bunch of pre-installed partners, we’re working to make that happen, but that’s something for them to announce, not us. We’ll see it more with smaller vendors, some of which are shipping now.

CrunchGear Some people criticize Ubuntu for its short release cycle. Are there plans for longer or more regular cycles for future releases?

Gerry Carr The timing of that question is quite perfect. The April release of 804 is a LTS or Long Term Service release. Normally we release new versions every 18 months. 804 will have a three-year cycle on desktops and a five-year cycle on servers. Normally it’s 18 months on desktops and three years for servers. We’re very happy about this.

CrunchGear That’s good news for nerds, for sure. What about application support? Another criticism — not just of Ubuntu, but Linux — is the lack of large name software, specifically games. Do you guys have games on your radar?

Gerry Carr Honestly, no. We’re not aiming to be a gaming platform. Game building is so high-priced. You’ll see more Linux games appear, but until Linux is far more ubiquitous, you won’t really see major titles, especailly with the rise of the game console. I mean, you purchase and Xbox and plug it into your Television and you’re there.

CrunchGear Well what about other devices? Do you see ubuntu going towards more devices like cellphones in the future?

Gerry Carr Definitely. We’ve got a mobile group that’s dedicated to making Ubuntu work on portable devices. All devices are are things that connect to the internet. There are different standards between desktops and mobiles, but Ubuntu can deal with both. You’ll see portable devices running ubuntu this year.

CrunchGear Thanks Gerry, this is all really great stuff. We’ll be keeping an eye on Hardy Heron next month for sure.

Gerry Carr Thanks for speaking to me. And cheers.

Via [crunchgear]

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Just announced by AT&T is Samsung’s Access, which is the first to support AT&T’s Mobile TV. The 3G candy bar phone features a 2.3-inch widescreen display that’s perfect for viewing media content. A dedicated Television button brings all the action within seconds. The Access also features stereo Bluetooth, microSD slot, external speakers, a 1.3-megapixel camera […]

Just announced by AT&T is Samsung’s Access, which is the first to support AT&T’s Mobile Television. The 3G candy bar phone features a 2.3-inch widescreen display that’s perfect for viewing media content. A dedicated TV button brings all the action within seconds. The Access also features stereo Bluetooth, microSD slot, external speakers, a 1.3-megapixel camera that also does video. Samsung’s Access will be available in Might.

Via [crunchgear]

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Filed under: Digital Cameras

Although the A200 has been on store shelves for a tick since its US debut at CES, we wouldn’t blame you for clutching that $700 / $900 tight until a handful of reviews hit the ‘net. Thankfully, that time has come, and here’s what we’re hearing. Overall, the highly anticipated successor to the A100 was deemed a “solid entry-level DSLR that doesn’t really stand out in its very competitive field,” but that’s not to say it’s not worth checking out. When viewed in isolation, most reviewers found the build quality, built-in image stabilization, battery life, dust reduction system and respectable image quality to be above average, but those already slinging an A100 will find very few reasons to upgrade. Still, critics on the whole found more to love than despise about Sony’s A200, so be sure and give those eyes a workout on the review links below if you’ve been fiddling with the idea of picking one up.

Read - PhotographyBLOG (4.5 out of 5; Highly Recommended)
Read - Steve’s Digicams (”…a worthy competitor in the entry-level market…”)
Read - CNET (7.0 out of 10; Very Good)
Read - Digital Camera Resource Page (”…reminded me a lot of my experiences with the Pentax K10D…”)

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Filed under: Digital Cameras

It’s always worth noting when a reviewer says that a device, “sets a new standard for image quality in a compact camera.” That’s PopPhoto’s conclusion after testing the Sigma DP1 with a DSLR-sized, FOVEON X3 CMOS sensor packing 14 megapixels. The image quality and color accuracy remained “stellar” right up to ISO 800 where other compacts shackled with tiny sensors begin to lose control of the noise. The biggest nits are with the sluggish 9-zone AF system, an unsophisticated flash, lack of image stabilization, and delays between shots. Fix those while whittling-back the $800 street price a bit and PopPhoto believes the DP1 could go mainstream.

[Via Photography Blog]

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Filed under: Digital Cameras

We briefly got our hands on Sony’s DSC-T300 digital camera (along with a bevy of other Cyber-shots) back at PMA earlier this year, but the folks at Digital Photography Review have now come through with a thorough review of the camera which, among other things, is particularly notable for its use of touchscreen controls. On that important point, they found the controls “generally pleasant to use,” aided in no small part by the “largest possible screen for a camera of its size” (3.5 inches). They were also particularly impressed with the Cyber-shot’s “small, smart design” and its impressive 5x optical zoom. It’s not all good news, however, with the camera also boasting what Digial Photography Review describes as “terrible battery life,” as well as “over-enthusiastic reds,” and a noise-reduction feature that not only eliminates noise but reduces image quality no matter what the setting. Some pretty big trade offs, to be sure, but apparently not enough to keep it from getting an above average rating.

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Filed under: Digital Cameras, Transportation, Wearables

Oh sure, we’ve come across oodles of cameras designed to be mounted on or around one’s noggin, but c’mon, surely we aren’t the only folks who reckoned no one actually used these things, right? Taking a huge leap forward for lifebloggers and fans of recording sweet jumps everywhere, Yamaha’s Josh Hill managed to not only rock a GoPro Motorsports HERO camera for an entire race, but he also grabbed the gold in front of some 41,000 onlookers in the Minneapolis Metrodome. See kids — strapping gizmos onto your head isn’t just for nerds and basement dwellers, after all. Peep some footage from the headcam below.

[Via verde, image courtesy of vitalmx]
Read - Josh Hill wins race with camera on helmet
Read - Footage from GoPro helmet camera

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Filed under: Cellphones, Digital Cameras

Well lookie here, LG just announced a followup to its LH2300 Touch Web phone. This one’s for the twisty-fold clamshell fans — a design which makes it look positively Japanese superphone-like. In fact, we’re pretty sure it’s just the Casio W53CA with LG branding and new Hello UI for Korean consumption. Interesting given that Korea certainly isn’t lacking in mega-spec’d phones. Anyway, given the Exilim underpinnings it’s no surprise to find a 5.1 megapixel CMOS sensor, 28-mm lens, color correction, 9-point auto focus, and built-in anti-shake technology bunged into the backside. The LCD measures 2.8-inches (down from the LH2300’s 3-inch LCD) yet still manages the same 800 x 480 pixel resolution for DMB television and landscape or portrait web browsing. Inside the little 18.9-mm thin handset you’ll find 4GB NAND / 1GB SDRAM and microSD expansion for all your snaps and VGA / 30fps video. Coming to a 3G, CDMA network near you in April… just long as you live in South Korea or Japan.

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Filed under: Digital Cameras, Misc. Gadgets

As if the much-hyped RED ONE camera didn’t have enough going for it already, it looks like it could soon be put to use for a slightly unexpected but most welcome task: capturing Super 8 film. That’s apparently possible thanks to what’s described as a “pre-prototype” rig that employs a RED ONE camera and a Moviestuff Workprinter XP system which, thanks to a direct interface to the RED’s GPI input, should allow you to do up 30 single frame captures per second in the RED’s 4K mode. As the On Super 8 blog points out, however, there’s still some “optical wizardry” needed to sit between the RED and the workprinter, but we’re guessing those Super 8 die-hards should be able to take care of that little detail before too long.

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Filed under: Digital Cameras

We already spent some time grappling with Sony’s monster full-frame Alpha A900 prototype at PMA, but the company’s displaying an updated version at the Photo Imaging Expo in Japan, and reps are apparently now saying that the 24.6 megapixel DSLR will be launched during IFA in August or Photokina in September. Other than that, there’s not much we didn’t already know — which means there’s really not that much at all — but there are some more shots of this nifty clear-bodied display unit at the read link for your ocular delight.

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Filed under: Desktops, Digital Cameras

After this morning’s whispered layoffs, we’re digging deep to bring you a bit of good news about AMD. VESA just announced that AMD’s ATI Radeon HD 3000 series (and the 780G integrated graphics chipset) are the first graphics cards in the Industry allowed DisplayPort certification. About time since Dell’s 30-inch 3008WFP monitor has been shipping since December. Way to go Paula AMD, way to go!

[Via tgdaily]

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