You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
As teased yesterday, Canonical unveiled its latest Ubuntu project by announcing a mobile version of Ubuntu, which is actually built around the existing Android kernel and drivers, but doesn’t use a Java Virtual Machine. The company has made the OS compatible on both ARM and x86 devices, and says that the new platform will use “the full power of the phone” when it eventually hits the market.
The move to the mobile platform by Canonical was long expected, although they’re certainly arriving late to a market, which is already dominated by the iPhone and Android-based devices. Essentially, though, Ubuntu for mobile isn’t a whole new operating system per se, but rather a “smartphone interface” for Ubuntu.
Ubuntu for Android, which was announced in February last year, will be the first step to getting the new Ubuntu mobile platform out on devices, which Canonical chief Mark Shuttleworth says will arrive at some point this year. While no carrier or manufacturer support has been announced yet, the first Ubuntu for Android handset should be provided by a “high-end” Android device manufacturer.
Proper Ubuntu phones, however, are promised to be out in early 2014, but the company already has a number of Galaxy Nexus devices that are running the new platform (as seen in the image above). The Galaxy Nexus is the only officially-supported device at the moment, and Canonical expects developers to work with the device in the meantime while the company continues to flesh out the OS.
Ubuntu mobile OS announced, coming to phones in 2014 is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
This is no ordinary Galaxy Nexus. Instead of Android, it’s running a very different Linux-based OS — the long-awaited mobile version of Ubuntu — which comes with a new UI adapted for smaller screens. We’ve played with the phone briefly and we’ll have a proper hands-on video for you shortly, but in the meantime there are a few salient features to report. First and foremost, the UI relies heavily on edge swipes instead of buttons — much like Windows 8 on a tablet or indeed other mobile OS’s like MeeGo, although here each swipe has its own Ubuntu-esque functions. Beyond that, the icons along the top have some interesting features, which will be explained after the break. We’re also told that voice control is in attendance, and that an app store is in the works, with a mix of both web apps and native apps — with the latter type being able to make better use of the hardware.
Speaking of hardware, here’s where you might get a twinge of disappointment: there are no immediate plans for actual Ubuntu phones, and no carriers have been signed up yet. Any new phone built for Android with at least a dual Cortex-A9 cores, a gig of RAM and 800 x 400 resolution could run this OS, should a manufacturer see merit in installing Ubuntu instead, and high spec 720p, quad-core phones should do wonders with it. Meanwhile, rather like Ubuntu for Android, this is still an idea looking for a device — but as ideas go, our initial impression is that it looks like a bright one, especially if you dig Linux and open source. We’re told the Galaxy Nexus-compatible build will be available for download within the next few weeks, and Mark Shuttleworth is optimistic that actual devices will ship sometime in early 2014 — which is quite a ways away. For now, check out the press release, gallery and publicity video after the break.
Update: Our hands-on video with the Benevolent Dictator himself is now live!
Gallery: Ubuntu for smartphones
Continue reading Canonical announces Ubuntu for smartphones, we go hands-on (video)
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile
“So close, you can almost touch it.” The Ubuntu home page is currently dominated by a banner with that teaser, along with a clock counting down to 8AM ET on Wednesday, January 2nd. Our guess is that the pre-CES announcement may focus on mobile, with a touch-friendly interface possibly on the horizon. During a Slashdot Q&A in December, Canonical founder Mark Shuttleworth clued readers in on the company’s plans to bring the OS to mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets, as part of a strategy to familiarize desktop users with the Linux-based operating system. While this week’s announcement may fall in line with that objective, it’s likely to be just one part of the equation, with 14.04 LTS not set to launch until April 2014 at the earliest. Either way, we have more than a day to go before Ubuntu’s mystery is unveiled, so tune your browser to the source link below to join in on the countdown fun.
[Thanks, Brian]
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Mobile
Source: Ubuntu
Things have been hopping in the land of Ubuntu lately, with the operating system securing a pending date with Steam, an appearance on the Nexus 7 and an April 25 launch for version 13.04. Now the OS is getting another extra hop in its step as word of a “future Ubuntu SDK” was dropped at a recent developer summit in Copenhagen. The powers-that-be mentioned the need to start discussions in order to define potential criteria for assessing technologies and libraries for inclusion in an Ubuntu SDK, as well as what tools to throw in. Although it appears that an Ubuntu SDK will not be the focus for 13.04 for now, mention of a software development kit should be welcome news for folks eager to bring apps to the OS. Interest piqued? Check out the source link to see the Ubuntu SDK assessment criteria.
Filed under: Software
Ubuntu summit raises software development kit for OS originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Nov 2012 08:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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If you’d rather not let your Nexus 7 live out its life as a Jelly Bean-toting device, Canonical’s freshly minted Ubuntu Nexus 7 Desktop Installer can help. Instead of allowing Ubuntu to ride shotgun with Android, the installer requires unlocking the device’s bootloader, which wipes the slate clean. Once the Nexus 7 is unlocked, started in fastboot mode and connected to an Ubuntu machine, the one-click installation software takes care of the rest. Roughly 10 to 15 minutes later, your tablet will be running full-blown Ubuntu. Since development is currently focused on getting the core of the desktop OS up and running, there’s no tablet-specific Unity UI to see here. However, Raring Ringtail is set to flesh out the mobile experience with an emphasis on sensors, memory footprint and battery life, among other features. Those who regret ousting Google’s confection-themed operating system can simply reload their device with stock Android. For the entire walk through, hit the first source link below.
[Thanks, Keith]
Filed under: Tablets, Software, Google
Ubuntu lands on Nexus 7 slates with Canonical’s one-click installer originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Oct 2012 14:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
An Ubuntu release is always a momentous occasion for a large portion of the Linux community, although it’s coming with a mild share of controversy this time around. Ubuntu 12.10 (Quantal Quetzal) is finished and brings with it support for pinning web apps to the Launcher as well as search that includes web results, detailed photo results and quick previews. They’re all appreciated upgrades — what’s raising hackles is the development strategy for 13.04, or Raring Ringtail. Company head Mark Shuttleworth wants a “skunkworks” approach that will silence pre-release discussion of some features outside of key, trustworthy community members. While there will still be open-source code and only a light layer of secrecy, Ubuntu’s progress in the near-term won’t be quite as transparent as we’re accustomed to with Linux. There’s a good chance that most end users won’t mind the difference enough to skip the download.
Filed under: Software
Ubuntu 12.10 launches with web apps and search, Canonical plans for more secretive 13.04 development originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Oct 2012 20:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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This is good timing–as the computing world braces for the wide release of Windows 8 next week, the Linux evangalists at Canonical have released a new version of Ubuntu. The version is numbered 12.10, and in line with Ubuntu’s naming convention, it’s called Quantal Quetzal. For those wondering, yes, a Quetzal is a bird native to Mexico and central America. (more…)
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Ubuntu for Android to be shown off at MWC 2012, Ubuntu TV shown off at CES 2012,
After running with other alliterative codenames such as Oneiric Ocelot, Precise Pangolin and Quantal Quetzal, Canonical has announced the latest in its line of fauna-inspired Ubuntu releases — Raring Ringtail. With version 13.04 CEO Mark Shuttleworth plans to start seriously laying the groundwork for phone, tablet and TV interfaces, which he hopes to have in place for the next LTS release in April of 2014 (14.04). Don’t expect a full-fledged Ubuntu smartphone OS in six months, however, the first step will be working on core aspects of the OS, such as power and memory management, that will prove crucial to its success as a mobile platform. First though, the company needs to get through today’s planned launch of 12.10, which will deliver some highly-anticipated webapp integration. For more, check out the source.
Filed under: Software
Ubuntu 13.04 will be called Raring Ringtail, emphasize mobile and battery life originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Oct 2012 09:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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If you’d wanted to shop Ubuntu One’s Music Store in the past, you had to use a plugin through an app like Banshee or Rhythmbox. Not very convenient, we’d say. Someone must have been listening up in Canonical’s cloud, as Ubuntu One just brought its 7digital-based store to the web and mobile devices. Apart from widening the software scope, it’s billed as a more direct interface to shop for tunes and send them to Ubuntu One’s cloud for either streaming or syncing. Don’t think that’s enough of a perk? Early purchasers get half a year’s worth of Ubuntu One Music Streaming for free — as strong an incentive as any to dip a toe into the (music) stream before jumping in.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet
Ubuntu One Music Store comes to mobile and web, skips the plugins originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Sep 2012 12:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink OMG Ubuntu | Ubuntu One Blog | Email this | Comments
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