Mozilla Foundation Axes 30% Staff, Axes Advocacy Division
Sweeping staffing cuts have fallen at The Mozilla Foundation, the nonprofit arm of Mozilla tasked with advocating for web standards, internet privacy, and open-source. A huge 30% reduction in head count at the foundation cleaves away the entirety of the dedicated advocacy division, according to an internal memo seen by TechCrunch but since confirmed to them and other press outlets by Mozilla. “The Mozilla Foundation is reorganizing teams to increase agility and impact as we accelerate our work to ensure a more open and equitable technical future for us all,” Brandon Borrman, vice president of communications at Mozilla is quoted 
#News
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/11/mozilla-foundation-axes-30-staff-axes-advocacy-division
GIMP 3.0 Release Candidate is Ready for Testing
It feels like the next major release of open source image editor The GIMP has been in the works for an eon, but anticipation for its arrival has been building for even longer – but the wait will soon be over. A GIMP 3.0 release candidate is now available to download, giving those eager to see what sort of new features Wilber has planned the opportunity to find out, with fewer bugs and quirks getting in the way than development, snapshot, and beta builds have. I plan to do a proper rundown of the best new features in GIMP 3.0
#News #AppUpdates #Gimp
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/11/gimp-3-0-release-candidate-is-ready-for-testing
Raspberry Pi Gives its Tiny Touch Display a Big Upgrade
Raspberry Pi has announced a new version of its 7-inch ‘Touch Display’ accessory. And given that the previous model was announced 9 years ago, some kind of update was arguably due for this device. The Raspberry Pi Touch Display 2 runs at a higher-resolution display than its predecessor, and uses a slimmer form factor now that the display driver board is integrated into the enclosure itself, streamlining the end setup. Yet despite those upgrades, the price point hasn’t changed: it still costs $60/£56 No details on the brightness, contrast, etc for the new model, and it’s notably described as offering
#Hardware #News #RaspberryPi #Touchscreen
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/11/raspberry-pi-touch-display-2
Apple Maps for Web Now Works in Firefox on Linux
Something to file under “won’t please many Linux users, but is nonetheless a good thing™ for choice”, Apple Maps on the web now works on Linux. Apple launched a web-based beta for its homegrown mapping service Apple Maps in July. Initially, it only officially supported Safari on macOS and iOS, and Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge on Windows, macOS, and Android. Mozilla Firefox support was added in August, but only for users on macOS and Windows. And according to the support page that remains the case. Yet… Mozilla Firefox 132 is able load Apple Maps on the web in full on
#News #Apple
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/11/apple-maps-beta-linux-support-ish
Linux Mint Adding Native ‘Night Light’ Feature to Cinnamon
Linux Mint has revealed it’s brining a native ‘night light’ mode to the Cinnamon desktop. Earlier versions of Linux Mint included a third-party app called Redshift to provide similar functionality. However, when then Mozilla location service was shut down earlier this year, the geo-location capabilities powering Redshift (which made the feature kick-in at sunset for the users location) no longer worked – although the app itself still did. But Linux Mint’s developers felt that asking users to work around the breakage by punching in their location’s longitude and latitude coordinates manually was a tough ask, especially for a distro focused
#News #Cinnamon #LinuxMint #NightLight #Redshift
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/11/linux-mint-night-light-cinnamon
COSMIC Alpha 3 Brings Custom Font Support, Orca Integration
System76’s COSMIC desktop continues to take shape with the release of a third alpha snapshot. The first alpha brought the basics, the second alpha added a bunch of new features, and the third alpha fills in gaps, fixes bugs, and finesses the users experience further. Of note, COSMIC now lets you set a custom system font (if the default Fira Sans isn’t your fave), and accessibility gets a boost with initial support for the Orca screen reader, albeit not currently in native COSMIC apps – but accessibility is a priority, so “soon”. COSMIC Alpha 3 also brings a lot of
#News #CosmicDe #Rust #System76
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/11/cosmic-desktop-alpha-3-whats-changed
Python is Now the Most Popular Language on GitHub
Python has overtaken JavaScript as the most-used language on GitHub, according to the code-hosting platform’s latest Octoverse report. The company attributes this momentum to a massive influx of “data science and machine learning on GitHub”, which has seen a 59% increase in the number of contributions to generative AI projects. With Python being heavily used across ML, data science, and related fields, the rise makes sense – it’s less that traditional software developers are switching to Python but more that developers working with AI-related projects are needing to use it. Plus, it’s good news for open source, with GitHub reporting
#News
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/10/python-most-popular-language-on-github-2024
SuperTuxKart 1.5 Beta Released with Benchmark Mode, UI Tweaks + More
It’s hallowe’en, and there’s a frightfully good treat waiting for fans of the free, open-source racing game SuperTuxKart – a new beta! The first beta of SuperTuxKart 1.5 features hordes of improvements, touching everything from the underlying game engine to the user-interface through to networking features and score announcements for online multi-player games. No new tracks, karts, characters, or items included – those are planned for SuperTuxKart 2.0 along with a myriad of other major changes – but there is a new music track for the Das Luna Arena. Other SuperTuxKart 1.5 beta 1 changes: Naturally, there’s also a veritable
#News
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/10/supertuxkart-1-5-beta-released
Google Chrome Update Offers More Control Over Memory Usage
The latest stable update to Google Chrome introduces an enhanced Memory Saver feature which could help you reduce the browser’s memory footprint. It’s fair to say that Google Chrome is infamous for being a memory hog. Is it deserved? Perhaps once upon a time; recent real-world tests suggest Chrome’s RAM usage is less egregious than popular opinion would contend. Anecdotally, many users say otherwise. Either way, the latest version of Google’s dominant browser now offers with 3 modes for Memory Saver, all accessible via the Settings > More Tools > Performance menu entry: Memory Saver (for those unfamiliar with it)
#News #AppUpdates #GoogleChrome
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/10/google-chrome-now-offers-more-control-over-memory-usage
Ubuntu 25.04 Officially Opens for Development
Ubuntu developers today announced that Ubuntu 25.04 ‘Plucky Puffin’ is officially open for development. We even have a tentative release date, with Ubuntu 25.04 due to arrive on April 17, 2025. But that’s a way off; there are 6 months of development stretching out ahead. What new features will Ubuntu 25.04 offer? It’s too early in the release cycle to say right now, but shipping with GNOME 48, a newer Linux kernel, and further improvements to Snap apps are all-but a given. Would it be too much to hope that the Plucky cycle will finally deliver that long-teased yet never-ready
#News #Ubuntu25_04
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/10/ubuntu-25-04-officially-opens-for-development
Pre-Orders Open for Pine64’s e-Ink Linux Tablet
Forget Amazon’s recent Kindle refresh, the most exciting e-ink device around is the PineNote from prolific open-source hardware makers Pine64. I reported last month that Pine64 had confirmed a new PineNote production run, the first in several years, now that it has a solid Debian-based OS to run. And now it’s begun taking pre-orders, with shipping expected to begin in mid-November. The PineNote has a 10.1-inch e-ink scratch-resistant display with up to 16 levels of greyscale at a resolution of 1404×1872 (227 DPI). Powered a quad-core RK3566 SoC with 4 GB RAM, 128GB storage, on-board Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a front-light, speakers,
#Hardware #News #Ebooks #Pine64
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/10/pine64s-e-ink-linux-tablet-is-now-available-to-pre-order
Mousam is a Stat-Packed Weather App for Linux
Being a Linux nerd I rarely go outside —that’s a joke— but knowing what the weather is doing beyond the basement walls —still a joke— is useful (if only because it often gives me an excuse to stay at my desk compiling my own kernel — not a joke). Scores of Linux weather apps, widgets, and add-ons exist. These put current temperature, conditions, and (usually) near-term forecasts within easy reach, or permanently on show. And that’s all the weather data most of us need or care about knowing – ‘will I need a jacket?’, ‘will it rain today?’, ‘can I
#News #SnapApps #Weather
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/10/mousam-modern-weather-app-for-linux
ONLYOFFICE 8.2 Improves Launch Time, Adds New Theme + More
A big update to ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors, a free, open-source office suite for Windows, macOS, and Linux is available to download. ONLYOFFICE 8.2 offers a clutch of new features, several performance gains, and a miscellany of smaller enhancements across the full suite, which is composed of a word processor, spreadsheet tool, presentation maker, form filler, and a PDF editor. For a lighter look, ONLYOFFICE 8.2 includes a new grey theme in its appearance settings. This is not enabled by default but can be applied to all apps in the suite from the main settings, or applied to just specific components,
#News #AppUpdates #Office&ProductivityApps #Onlyoffice
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/10/onlyoffice-8-2-brings-faster-file-opening-new-grey-theme
Firefox 132 Brings Modest Changes Ahead of 20th Anniversary
Mozilla Firefox 132 is available to download from today, arriving a couple of weeks ahead of the browser’s big 20th anniversary milestone. But anyone hoping Firefox 132 might’ve proven to be a veritable birthday piñata, fit to burst with a flurry of new features and changes may want to temper their expectations a little. Mozilla’s engineers do have plenty of feature candy in the works – vertical tabs, tab grouping, new tab features, a redesigned Settings, and a brand-spankin’ new profile system – but it seems those aren’t ready to unwrap yet – not officially, anyway. Before I dive into
#News #AppUpdates #Firefox
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/10/mozilla-firefox-132-released-whats-new
Tiling Shell Makes Focused Window Border Colours Configurable, Adds New Keybindings
I’m a fan of the Tiling Shell GNOME Shell extension because it’s both good at what it does, but good at not being one-size-fits-all: users can tile window using a mouse and drop zones, with keyboard shortcuts, or with both – options for everyone. And some extra options are on offer in the latest update, Tiling Shell v14: Being able to quickly define a keyboard combo to press to move a window to the center of the screen (regardless of whether it’s tiled) may prove handy. Yet I imagine it’ll be the ability to define specific shortcuts to move focus
#News
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/10/tiling-shell-gnome-extenion-custom-window-border-update
Geckium is an Uncannily Accurate Chrome Theme for Firefox
Ever feel a pang of a nostalgia for the way web browsers used to look, but don’t fancy the hiccups and hassle of trying to run an old browser on a modern OS? Honestly? You probably don’t, but after checking out what the Geckium project can do, you might! Before I continue let state that I am will not be trying to persuade anyone of the need to do this as there is no need; this is purely retro eye-candy that’s as ‘useful’ as making Ubuntu look like a Mac, ‘ricing’ a tiling WM to resemble a scene from Blade
#News
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/10/geckium-classic-google-chrome-theme-for-firefox
Vivaldi 7.0 Delivers New UI, Dashboard Feature + More
Vivaldi 7.0 is out, and the makers describe it as not merely an update but ‘a new Vivaldi’ entirely. Those familiar with the browser will instantly see why, as Vivaldi finally gets an overdue UI redesign: there’s a new theme, pill-shaped floating tabs, and all-new in-app icons. On the new tab page (or ‘start page’ in Vivaldi parlance) there’s an all-new Dashboard feature with widgets that users can customise to provide a more informative view-port than a static speed dial n’ search bar might offer. Of the Dashboard, Vivaldi say “…it pulls everything together. Your Mail, Calendar, Notes, Tasks, and
#News #AppUpdates #Vivaldi
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/10/vivaldi-7-0-new-ui-dashboard-more
Raspberry Pi Launch Own-Brand SSDs Priced From $30
One of the best things about the Raspberry Pi 5 (other than the performance boost over its predecessor) is how much easier it is to add an SSD. And using an SSD with the Raspberry Pi 5 is a no-brainer if you’re running a proper desktop OS like Ubuntu since performance is dramatically better than what an SD card can provide – yes, even super-duper expensive ones. Having recently announced is own range of Raspberry Pi-branded SD cards (with support for command queuing on the Pi 5 and reliable read/write speeds) the company is now offering a range of own-band
#Hardware #News #RaspberryPi #Ssds
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/10/raspberry-pi-launch-own-brand-ssds-priced-from-30
Calibre eBook Manager Intros New PDF Conversion Engine
Open source ebook manager Calibre has a new release out. Calibre 7.2.0 ships with a brand new PDF input engine (used to convert PDF files into other ebook formats, such as EPUB or MOBI). It’s now able to handle “automatic detection of headers and footers based on document analysis”. Fans of the old engine needn’t panic as it’s still included and available to select from the PDF Input section of the Conversion dialog. The Calibre Manual has a detailed guide on converting PDFs to ebook-friendly formats. Calibre’s Read Aloud feature (which does exactly what it says on the tin) picks
#News #AppUpdates #Calibre #QtApps
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/10/calibre-ebook-manager-intros-new-pdf-conversion-engine
Clementine Music Player Gets First Non-Preview Release in 8 Years
Remember Clementine music player? Well, it appears to be back in play – some 8 years since its last stable release. While Clementine feels like it’s slipped out of public consciousness in recent years the player has remained under active development. The last stable release was in 2016 (v1.3.1) but a LOT of release candidate builds were issued since (v1.4.0-rc is carried in the Ubuntu repos). However, this weekend the Clementine GitHub added a non-RC build, v1.4.1, marked as a ‘rolling release’. As the first non-RC build in forever this feels notable. The catch? No official announcement has been so
#News #AppUpdates #Clementine #MusicPlayers #QtApps
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/10/clementine-music-player-new-rolling-release
