Hasta La Gadget!

Attempting to play games on Linux has always been a bit of a chore, with WINE compatibility often hit and miss. Valve has taken to its blog to reveal that a dedicated team has been put in place to try and bring Steam and games such as Left 4 Dead 2 to Linux. The team was first set up in 2011 with three simple goals: get Steam fully working on Linux, make sure Left 4 Dead 2 works at high framerates using OpenGL, and port extra Valve titles.

Currently the team is focused on getting the Steam client fully working on Ubuntu. Valve say that it’s important that the efforts are only focused on one Linux distribution for now to make sure the foundation of the software is solid. After that, more attention can be paid to other builds. Steam reportedly runs well under Ubuntu 12.04 with all the major features working, and Left 4 Dead 2 also runs natively in Linux.

Not much else has been revealed, but the team says the game runs well, and that they’re hoping to bring performance up to speed with the Windows version of the game. The team will be posting regular updates to the Valve blog, so mosey on over there and bookmark it to keep an eye to stay abreast of any developments.

Valve working on Steam for Linux is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Earlier today, we finally got word from Skype concerning a bug that some users have been plagued with since June. The bug occasionally sends IMs between two contacts to an unintended third contact, which of course brings up some very valid concerns about privacy. Aside from saying that a fix will be rolled out within the next few days, Skype kept this morning’s statement on the bug brief, but this evening it’s being a little more specific about the bug, and it turns out its occurrence isn’t all that random.

Apparently, messages are only forwarded to a third contact when the Skype client crashes during a conversation. When that happens, the “last IM entered or sent prior to the crash” will then be sent off to that unintended third contact, which could result in a pretty dire situation if that most recent IM was about them. Hearing Skype describe it, the bug sounds like it isn’t necessarily unavoidable, but it also isn’t random, so at least there’s that.

In its updated statement, Skype also shared a list of which clients are impacted by this bug: Skype 5.9 and 5.10 for Windows, 5.8 for Mac, 4.0 for Linux, 4.0 for iOS, 2.8 for Android, and 1.2 for Windows Phone. If you’re using one of those clients, you’re instructed to download the latest client once you’re notified that an update is available, as that will likely include the fix you need to prevent this from happening again.

So, we’ve made a good bit of progress with this bug today. Not only does Skype say it’s working on a fix, but it also told us which specific clients are affected and what exactly needs to happen for the bug to rear its ugly head. Like we said this morning though, it’s still probably a good idea to choose your words carefully while we wait for this update, otherwise they might end up being seen by exactly the wrong person.

[via Skype]

Skype elaborates on instant message bug is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

While I particularly like the look and programmability of the L8 SmartLight, it might be a bit showy and overkill for many needs. If you’re looking for a simpler way to indicate activity on your computer or the internet, you might want to check out this little gadget instead.

It’s called the blink(1), and it’s a tiny programmable RGB LED with a USB connector on the end of it. Just plug one into a spare USB port, and you can program it to blink or glow in any color based on software triggers from your computer. For instance, you can have it glow when you have a new email, or maybe when a friend signs on to Skype. It can be used to indicate pretty much anything you’d like. And if you’ve got more than a single available USB port, you can go to town with multiple blink(1)s.

The blink(1) will ship with apps for Mac OS X, Windows and Linux, and since its designed to be Open Source, you’ll be able to custom program it for other applications as well – and there are C and Java APIs for low-level access. Each tiny blink(1) sells for $30(USD), or you can pick up a two-pack for $55 over on Kickstarter. The project has already surpassed its funding goal, so it’ll definitely go into production.

Google has been talking up the prospects of integrating WebRTC into Chrome for the past several months. It’s now ready to put theory into practice with a fresh beta of the web browser. The upgrade uses WebRTC to let typical microphones and webcams talk to the browser without using a plugin like Flash or something otherwise so very 2011. Just to embrace this future of direct hardware support ever the more tightly, Google is also building in a gamepad programming interface that lets controllers tap into Chrome without having to rely on Native Client‘s magic. There’s more waiting at the source link, including more direct tie-ins with Cloud Print, so the more adventurous among us can get to chatting (and playing) right away.

Filed under: Peripherals, Internet, Software

New Google Chrome beta lets webcams go plugin-free, video chat gets a lot less Flashy originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Jul 2012 19:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Google Chromium Blog  |  Google  | Email this | Comments

This week will be remembered as a volatile one if you’re a MeeGo fan. Just hours after Nokia posted the PR 1.3 update for N9 owners, the company’s MeeGo development lead Sotiris Makyrgiannis and other team members have confirmed that they’re leaving for greener pastures. The split appears to be an amicable one, with the crew largely going to CloudBerryTec to write mobile apps (including for MeeGo) and consult on software even as they share fond memories. What’s left is a lot of doubt over the fate of the swipe-driven OS itself. Nokia promised years of support for the OS as a side project following the big leap to Windows Phone, but it also hadn’t mentioned the possibility of important staff departures, either. We’ve reached out to the company for a fuller answer — if it turns out that MeeGo development is winding down, the staff shift could be the end to completely in-house OS creation at a company that was once defined by its custom platforms.

Key MeeGo team members leave Nokia, N9 owners swipe away a few tears originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Jul 2012 16:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink GSMArena, My Nokia Blog  |  Sotiris Makrygiannis (Twitter), Maemo.org  | Email this | Comments