Hasta La Gadget!

Fedora 19 Schrodinger’s Cat may have a name that suggests it’s both alive and dead, but there’s no uncertainties about its release — the finished Linux distribution is now available on Fedora’s servers. The oddly-nicknamed OS mostly improves content creation. It beats Microsoft to the punch on 3D printer support by including object design and printing tools; budding programmers will also like Node.js support and a Developer’s Assistant that simplifies learning new code languages. While there’s many more updates than we can list here, it’s safe to say that Fedora 19 is a big update for many Linux fans, whether or not they appreciate Schrodinger’s quantum mechanics. You can grab the new build and its release notes at the source links.

Filed under: Software

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Via: Muktware

Source: Fedora Project (1), (2)

The day came and went. Google Reader officially shut down yesterday, but while you can no longer use the RSS news reader, you can still export all of your feeds to import into another RSS service. Google is allowing users to export and save a backup of their Google Reader data up until July 15. At that point, Google will delete all Google Reader data.

If you were a good little boy or girl, you should’ve already exported your Google Reader data and imported them into another RSS news reader service, but we don’t blame you if you’ve been slacking on such a task. Google is giving you a few days to access your data before it’s gone through Google Takeout.

You’ll be able to download your Reader data until 12PM PST on July 15, 2013. After that, “all Google Reader subscription data (eg. lists of people that you follow, items you have starred, notes you have created, etc.) will be systematically deleted from Google servers.” Furthermore, “Google will not be able to recover any Google Reader subscription data for any user after July 15, 2013.”

Essentially, this is your final warning to get your data and get out. Frankly, we’re a bit surprised that Google is letting users back in to get their data, even after shutting down the service already, but nonetheless, we enjoy their sympathy and knowing that there will always be late-comers to the game.

If you’re still looking for a decent alternative to Google Reader, we have a few suggestions for you. Feedly seems to be the most popular option, although a couple of us at SlashGear have experienced a bit of a buggy experience with the web interface. However, there are still lots of options to choose from, so you don’t necessarily have to go for the most popular selection.

VIA: Android Community

Google Reader data to be deleted later this month, export yours now is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Software enthusiasts and IT professionals alike have been googly-eyed over Microsoft‘s TechNet subscription service for years, but after 15 years of providing early access to new software for subscribers, Microsoft has decided to shut down the service. The company will no longer take new susbcribers or renewals after August 31, and they plan to shut it all down entirely on September 30, 2014.

For an annual subscription fee of a few hundred dollars, subscribers get to download almost all of Microsoft’s desktop and server software before the general public gets their hands on it. Of course, the software in TechNet is licensed for evaluation purposes only, but users pretty much get the same software experience that the general public gets, just at a lower cost and before everyone else.

The reason for the shutdown is simply because “IT trends and business dynamics have evolved,” meaning that TechNet has become obsolete. Whether or not the majority of subscribers believe that is irrelevant, as it seems Microsoft is firm on their decision to close the TechNet program. Furthermore, Microsoft also says that they’re shutting down TechNet to “focus on bettering free experiences for IT professionals through TechNet including the TechNet Evaluation Center, Microsoft Virtual Academy and TechNet Forums.”

However MSDN is staying open, but while that service also offers early access to new Microsoft software at a discounted subscription price, it’s certainly not as good of a deal as TechNet. As a result, we could see a lot of TechNet subscribers find refuge at MSDN, but many may just give up for good. MSDN costs $699 for the first year, with renewals running at $499. That’s a steep jump from the $199 (renewals at $149) for TechNet Standard subscriptions, so we wouldn’t be surprised if many users didn’t jump ship.

VIA: ZDNet

SOURCE: TechNet

Microsoft TechNet is dead, long live MSDN is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

While the non-final build of Opera’s new browser for PC and Mac was simply called “Next,” today it’s chosen the more formal title of Opera 15 for its official release. There aren’t any features of note that we hadn’t seen in the desktop preview of the WebKit-based software (or should we call it Blink-based?), but to jog your memory, it sports a fresh design, a Discover feature for catching up on the latest news and a tweaked Speed Dial menu for quick access to your favorite corners of the internet. Also, the web-clipping Stash feature, predictive address-cum-search bar, new download manager and “Off-Road mode” for extra compression on lousy connections are all included in the final version. We ran a quick SunSpider benchmark on the Mac build of Opera 15, in which it scored 167ms, compared with 171ms in Chrome. If you’re not already allied to one of the many competing browsers and feel like giving Opera 15 a try, head to the source below for the download links.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Internet, Software

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Via: SlashGear

Source: Opera (1) (download), (2)

Many IT managers and early adopters cherish their TechNet subscriptions — for a modest annual fee, they get advance access to a treasure trove of Microsoft apps. Unfortunately, that too-good-to-be-true deal is coming to an end, as Microsoft plans to phase out TechNet subscriptions in the months ahead. The company will stop taking new customers and renewals after August 31st, while Microsoft Certified Trainers will lose their perks after March 31st. Outside of volume licensing, TechNet downloads will stop entirely after September 30th, 2014. MSDN subscriptions will remain, but their steeper prices will likely rule them out for most enthusiasts. If you’re not a professional, you’ll just have to buy software as it reaches the public — you know, like the rest of us.

Filed under: Software, Microsoft

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Via: ZDNet

Source: TechNet