Carmack: Doom 3’s engine ready for open-sourcing, awaiting ‘OK’ from legal

When the granddaddy of FPS tweets, we listen. For those unaware, that’s John Carmack — you know, the guy behind games like Doom, Quake and Rage — confirming that Doom 3’s engine, id Tech 4, is all bundled up for its open-source release, only awaiting clearance from legal. To be verbose, that doesn’t mean you’ll be getting down with a gratis copy of Doom, but rather with the powerhouse that powers it, a veritable boon to game developers and tinkerers, alike. The release is par for the course for the company, as id Software’s been routinely open-sourcing its older engines for as long as we can remember. We’ll keep an eye out for when it drops, but while you wait, feel free to read an interview with the visionary himself.

Carmack: Doom 3’s engine ready for open-sourcing, awaiting ‘OK’ from legal originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 19:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BeagleBone offers up ARM A8 processor, Linux and 10-second boot for 89 bones

BeagleBoard has kept our collective news-tails wagging with plenty of (often disparate) DIY hardware projects. Now, the BeagleBone ($89) has arrived, with Linux Angstrom preinstalled, and power provided through a USB port. Giving the hardware more of a chew reveals Open GL ES 2.0, a microSD connector and two 46-pin female expansion headers for easy augmentation. There’s also a 100Mbit Gigabit Ethernet connection on this new development platform, which promises to play nice with older BeagleBoard, er, boards. Serial (port) DIYers can check out a full run-down video after the break.

Continue reading BeagleBone offers up ARM A8 processor, Linux and 10-second boot for 89 bones

BeagleBone offers up ARM A8 processor, Linux and 10-second boot for 89 bones originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Insert Coin: BoardX is an open-source, modular motherboard for prolific prototypers

In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you’d like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with “Insert Coin” as the subject line.

BoardX

We’re more than a little enamored with Arduino and its DIY microcontroller ilk. But we’ll admit, there are a few limitations that the compulsive prototyper might find bothersome. Chief amongst them is the lack of modularity, Now, sure, you can easily add all sorts of sensors, ports and radios to your Uno (or Duemilanove if you’re old school) but that generally requires piling shield, upon shield, upon shield, until you’ve got a stack of boards three-feet high. And, if you want to use an ARM chip instead of an AVR for a project? Well that’s a whole other set of boards. Kevin Greene has decided to address these perceived “weaknesses” with BoardX — a modular, open-source prototyping platform.

Continue reading Insert Coin: BoardX is an open-source, modular motherboard for prolific prototypers

Insert Coin: BoardX is an open-source, modular motherboard for prolific prototypers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jolicloud heads to the actual cloud, Joli OS gets open-sourced

Mum’s been the word from the Jolicloud camp over the past few months — summer vacation, we get it — but the company has apparently been working quite diligently on what’s next: the “new Jolicloud platform.” According to a mildly vague blog post from the outfit, the next edition of the OS will introduce “the personal cloud,” enabling users to access the information stored there from “your iPhone, your Android phone, your tablet, your computer and pretty much any connected device with its API.” In related news, Joli OS has been open sourced and is now available to the community, and if you’re interested in finding out more about the whole ordeal, sign up for the private beta in the source links below. Invites are going out soon, or so we’re told.

Jolicloud heads to the actual cloud, Joli OS gets open-sourced originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 29 Oct 2011 06:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple’s lossless ALAC goes open source, it’s like FLAC for iPods

iTunes LogoWell, it’s not nearly as exciting as a new iPhone, but Apple recently announced a bit of news that will set people in certain circles abuzz. The company’s lossless audio codec, ALAC, is going open source. Similar to FLAC, the Apple Lossless Audio Codec offers some file compression while still delivering a bit-for-bit recreation of the original source material. The primary difference being that Apple devices and software do not support FLAC (at least without some tinkering) but can handle the Cupertino developed ALAC. The decision to release the code under the Apache license won’t have much of an immediate impact on your digital audio routine, but expect support for ALAC to start popping up in more media players (both hardware and software) soon.

Apple’s lossless ALAC goes open source, it’s like FLAC for iPods originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Oct 2011 12:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ubuntu and Dell rekindle their love, in China

Ubuntu on Dell in China

In 2007 Dell started a highly publicized experiment with loading Ubuntu on some of its machines. Suffice to say, it wasn’t a resounding success — despite Michael Dell’s ringing endorsement. Though their relationship seems to have petered out (US customers won’t find a single machine running Canonical’s open-source OS on Dell’s site), the two companies aren’t quite ready file for separation just yet. The two are looking to rekindle their love by heading across the Pacific, to China. Initially the Linux-loaded lappies will be available in 220 retail locations across the country with accompanying branding to promote Ubuntu. Clearly only time will tell if this attempt to save their marriage will be successful, but we’re pretty confident Chinese consumers will be more receptive to an alternative OS than Americans were. One more pic after the break.

Update: Turns out there are still a couple of Ubuntu-equipped machines available in the US, but only to business customers and the landing page that once championed their partnership has disappeared.

Continue reading Ubuntu and Dell rekindle their love, in China

Ubuntu and Dell rekindle their love, in China originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Oct 2011 11:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Linux kernel hits 3.1, adds support for NFC and Wiimotes

Linux kernel 3.1

In May Linux finally saw the release of kernel version 3.0, an evolutionary update to the popular open-source platform that was nearly 15 years in the making. Today, version 3.1 is making its debut, once again primarily offering small tweaks like better support for Intel’s Ivy Bridge and Cedar Trail chips and improved power management. But there are some new features getting baked in, including support for NFC and drivers for Wiimotes. The brave amongst you can download the sources from Git now (it hasn’t been posted to Kernel.org just yet), but we suggest you hold out until your distro of choice releases an official update.

Linux kernel hits 3.1, adds support for NFC and Wiimotes originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Oct 2011 13:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The countdown to Oneiric Ocelot begins, Ubuntu 11.10 arrives October 13th

This is the countdown

A whole new world? A whole new computer? Those are some pretty epic promises coming from the folks at Canonical, especially since we’ve seen the most recent beta and Ubuntu 11.10 and, while its packed with welcome improvements over Natty, it’s not exactly revolutionary. Still, we’re excited that on October 13th the final release of Oneiric Ocelot will be hitting the web with an improved Dash that integrates search Lenses, new default apps, a spiffed-up app switcher and application syncing across multiple devices. There are plenty of other little tweaks and improvements that add polish to the popular Linux distribution — more than we could possibly cover without inspiring a string of TLDR comments. If you’re the adventurous type you can download the second beta now, but we suggest you wait till the timer at the source link reaches zero. If you want to spread the Gospel of Ubuntu you’ll also find a printable flyer at the source with a QR code and tear-off URL strips that lead to ThisIsTheCountdown.com.

The countdown to Oneiric Ocelot begins, Ubuntu 11.10 arrives October 13th originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MeeGo to be folded into Linux-based Tizen OS, slated to arrive in 2012

The future of Meego has become a little clearer this morning, now that the Linux Foundation has announced that it’ll be replaced with Tizen — a new Linux-based, open-source OS. Samsung and Intel have been tapped to lead the development of the platform, in collaboration with the LiMo Foundation — a consortium of companies including Panasonic Mobile Communications, NTT DoCoMo and SK Telecom, among others. According to its stewards, Tizen will support HTML5- and WAC-based apps and will be designed to run across a wide spectrum of devices, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, netbooks and in-car infotainment systems. The MeeGo project, for its part, already seems to be on board with the initiative, promising to “make sure that users of MeeGo can easily transition to Tizen,” while assisting MeeGo developers, as well. The new OS is slated for release during the first quarter of 2012, with the first Tizen-laced devices scheduled to hit the market around the middle of next year. For more details, hit up the source link below, or trek past the break for the full PR.

Continue reading MeeGo to be folded into Linux-based Tizen OS, slated to arrive in 2012

MeeGo to be folded into Linux-based Tizen OS, slated to arrive in 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 02:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ask Engadget: most compatible motherboard / components for Ubuntu desktop?

We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is coming to us from Everest, who ain’t skeered to dip his toes in the Linux sea. If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“Hey guys! I’m building a new computer with Ubuntu Linux in mind, and was wondering what motherboards (preferably from Intel or ASUS, but any reputable brand will do) you folks would recommend with great compatibility for stuff like WiFi straight out of the box? Compatibility with the first- or second-gen Intel Core i processors would be great, too. Thanks!”

Anyone who has dabbled in Linux knows the pains of incompatibility — it’s the price we pay for being exactly who we want to be — but if you’ve got any trouble-free recommendations, comments are open!

Ask Engadget: most compatible motherboard / components for Ubuntu desktop? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 24 Sep 2011 22:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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