Unixster

Color is not typically a topic of much discussion on the Linux blogs, but in recent weeks, it’s been drawing a lot of attention. Why, you ask? Simple: Ubuntu recently announced a major change to its longstanding “Human” earthtone-palette theme and branding. “I don’t know whether to call it ‘poo brown’ or ‘dirt brown,’ but either way it is seriously awful,” said Slashdot blogger hairyfeet. The new theme is meant to focus on the concept of “Light,” and it uses primarily hues in the dark purple and orange ranges.

Some system utilities do a variety of things well. They come with tools to give users lots of solutions in one package. Other system apps like the Atol File Manager perform a dedicated function flawlessly without adding other specialties. Atol took a while to grow on me, but now this app is one of my most-used Linux tools. When it comes to file manager applications, that comparison spells out the philosophical design differences of the Atol Twin Panel file manager and the Krusader file manager, also a twin panel app, which I recently reviewed.

A new industry group hopes to improve the design and construction of data centers through the application of open source principles. Dubbed the “Open Source Data Center Initiative,” the group was formed last week by GreenM3 along with the University of Missouri and ARG Investments. The University is providing administrative support, while ARG hopes to implement some of the resulting ideas at its Ewing Industry Park location. Nokia’s Michael Manos, vice president of service operations, is serving as an adviser.

With its $99 price, the new Android-based Motorola Backflip clearly stands apart from Apple’s iPhone on more than just appearance. Both are smartphones, to be sure, and both are offered through AT&T. They also provide many of the same features and functionality. However, in addition to their different form factors and operating systems, the divergent pricing on the devices suggests that they occupy very different positions in AT&T’s strategy.

With its $99 price, the new Android-based Motorola Backflip clearly stands apart from Apple’s iPhone on more than just appearance. Both are smartphones, to be sure, and both are offered through AT&T. They also provide many of the same features and functionality. However, in addition to their different form factors and operating systems, the divergent pricing on the devices suggests that they occupy very different positions in AT&T’s strategy.

It’s not often that Linux Girl is struck speechless by some tidbit of news in the tech world, but every once in a while it happens. Last week, it happened. Amid all the high-level discussion of Internet security at the RSA Conference 2010 in San Francisco, Microsoft’s Scott Charney — who holds the ironic title of “corporate vice president for trustworthy computing” — actually suggested a government tax to help the company improve Windows security.

Users of apps from BIRT, the open source Business Intelligence and Reporting Tools project, will be able to access them on the iPhone starting Monday. Actuate, which founded the BIRT project and coleads it with the Eclipse Foundation, is putting its BIRT Mobile Viewer on the App Store. This viewer, which will be a free app, is a native iPhone application that will let users access and control BIRT content through Actuate’s servers at no charge.