"Extensive cloud-computing functionality will be built into Karmic Koala, the next version but one of Ubuntu, Canonical has announced."

Meh, sounds like a pretty boring strategy, one mostly done already. The power management stuff is mildly interesting.

"The overall look of the distribution is also likely to be refreshed. "Brown has served us well but the Koala is considering other options," Shuttleworth noted."

This is the best news in the article - the brown has to go, for the same reason the Zune's brown just didn't work - brown = uncool, and well shit really.

"Neil Patel of Canonical did a few mockups to try and capture the spirit of what was discussed, but I think the most interesting piece wasn’t really possible to capture in a screenshot because it’s abstract and conceptual - file and content management. There’s a revolution coming as we throw out the old “files and folders” metaphor and leap to something new, and it would be phenomenal if free software were leading the way."

This would be cool. WinFS failed in some part due to the baggage it has to carry, but these guys have a lot less. And if done right, it would give GNOME/KDE a serious edge.

Check out this xkcd comic, particularly if you have geeky 'M$ windoze sux, open source, linux ftw!' friends :)

""My main criticism is that people dismiss the idea too quickly," said Martin. "There's evidence to suggest that a lot of users find it scary and shy away from it because they don't think they have the in-house skills to deal with it." According to the report, 13 percent of Australian small businesses were not even aware of the existence of Linux. "In this day and age, you'd think that some people had been hiding under a rock to hear a figure like that," she said."

How stupid do you have to be - open-source marketing sucks (Firefox aside). When people pushing open-source open their minds to how the rest of the world thinks, then they might get somewhere.

"Sometime this year when AIR becomes truly cross platform (Mac, Windows, and Linux) it's going to open up a whole new world to designers: Linux... But there's a problem, Linux applications are damn ugly. They have this kind of semi Windows 95 feel to them that gives some geek cred but isn't at all pleasing to the eye. Take a look at the Rhythmbox Music Player (the design of the site is a perfect representation) that is default player for MP3s. That's developer art at its finest."

Thank god someone agrees with me publicly. Of course, he got attacked for saying it though - what else did you expect?

"KDE released a significantly revamped version of its Linux graphical interfaces software on Friday, incorporating several features that also appear in Windows Vista and Mac OS X. Among new features in KDE 4.0 are an enhanced start menu called Kickoff, new ways of viewing widgets and applications, a revamped file browser, and a new look to some entertainment applications. "

Very nice. There are still some rough edges (the start menu doesn't fit in with the task bar for example), but it's one step closer. The best Linux UI platform so far I reckon.

"Canonical Ltd., the commercial sponsor of Ubuntu, today announced the availability of its Ubuntu JeOS (Just Enough Operating System) edition. Ubuntu JeOS (pronounced "Juice") is an efficient variant of the popular desktop and server operating system, configured specifically for virtual appliances... ISVs looking to develop virtual appliances will have a compelling platform in Ubuntu JeOS, an OS optimised for virtualisation that greatly reduces the complexity and maintenance overhead normally associated with general purpose operating systems."

Cool move - but why is the download link so hard to find!

"Forget about geeks not getting dates! The Linux Users Group at Washington State University put their clever minds together and came up with the nerd exchange... “You can buy a nerd and he’ll fix your computer, help you with stats homework, or if you’re really adventurous, take you to dinner,” the group president said. The group is soliciting help from sororities in an attempt to spruce up their image. Unfortunately, no one has taken the bait and they have yet to put their epic challenge to the test."

LOL... right. If the guys were smart, they'd get the last laugh by installing a timebomb when 'fixing' other computers, which only gets disabled when they get what they want :)

"Fiire, a company which manufactures and sells modular media boxes and remotes aimed at unifying your media center has a few items it'd like you to see. The whole shebang is based around the FiireEngine, a $799 box that acts as a central hub to your media world... The Engine is meant to be accessed through the company's FiireStations ($499-899), set-top boxes or wallmount units that stream media from the FiireEngine to any location you want..."

Great idea, and given Microsoft's botched their MCE release so badly it's not funny, but seriously, could the box look anymore tackier? Looks like some crappy plastic generic case with a sticker slapped on. The UI looks awful too, but maybe these guys fixed that in their version...