Linux Alliance

Smartphones appear to be the wave of future computing, communicating, and portable devices. As prices drop and more people can afford to purchase a smartphone, older phones with simple communication functionality will probably cease to exist. This makes one wonder about the extent to which cellular communication will change. Will cell phones die out as social status symbols, being replaced by miniature computers with global networking and information access? Information and its availability already played a significant part in defining the twenty-first century, so what impact will the smartphone have?

While smartphone comparison has become exponentially more complex, some juicy tidbits can be gleaned from a basic review of device specifications—for example, actual vocal communication appears to be taking a sideline to other features. The focus has shifted to media such as music, video, and storage capacity. The new smartphones even have GPS software for mapping capabilities and routing. Mechanisms have also been installed to make the phones sensitive to physical shifts, which is applicable for gaming.

Speaking of gaming, the new smartphones have high-resolution screens and fast processors. It is apparent that the manufacturers are aiming for younger audiences that are hooked on media and gaming. With a number of these phones reasonably priced at $99, parents may opt to buy a smartphone for their child instead of a new bicycle. The parents can feel secure in the knowledge that they can reach their children wherever they may be, and with the built-in GPS, should an emergency situation arise, the parent will be able to find the children quickly.

The recently released iPad is not technically a phone, and it lacks a camera, but it might as well be considered a phone. As smartphones are redefining what a phone is, the iPad differs only in scale. By simply adding an ear attachment, it can in fact be used for communication.

It’s no secret that people spend big bucks on software. Whether it’s for business or pleasure, consumers aren’t shy about popping open their wallets for something they want. So, why would a software developer spend months creating a piece of important software, only to give it away for free?

It takes time to develop quality software. A program like Filezilla, for example, is a useful tool. It is extremely sophisticated, and can perform most activities that a paid peer software can do. Yet Filezilla is completely free. The person who developed this software is no ordinary programmer. If he or she had used the time spent developing Filezilla to make money, that would translate into a lot of money. Also, frankly speaking, Filezilla is so good that regular users would not balk at having to pay a few dollars for it. Yet, it is completely free.

What might be the reason for this bounty?

Conspiracy theories abound. Some say that these developers insert trojans and viruses meant to steal data from your system. They argue that these free computer programs are developed by companies that are out to destroy their competition. These conjectures are untrue.

Some talented programmers actually develop software to help people. These programmers are so good that they can make a great product in very little time. Often, they develop a product for their own use, and then let people share it for free, thus creating freeware.

Sometimes this software is developed with a marketing concept in mind; usually, there will be an upgraded version of the free package available for a fee. If people find the free version useful, the hope is that they will gladly pay for more features.

Sometimes, free software is made to advertise a website and get some paid advertisements. This is a good way to make money for someone who is a smart programmer.

Individuals have moved on to smart-phones and texting, but talking is always a primary communication tool for businesses. Such is the reason most companies manage an office phone system. And while open source software has carved out a market in the computing industry, it also making a push as a major player in telephony. These phone systems can run on OSS and there are plenty of reasons to make the switch.

Based on the many advancements of open source software, from its operating systems to the popular web browsers like Firefox, it’s not hard to see why it has become a competitor in telephony. A 2008 survey from Gartner showed an increased rate of OSS items used for infrastructure, as well as for replacing proprietary products. The underlying theme is businesses, and their IT personnel, are not only more comfortable using OSS, but are actively implementing it.

Reasons to incorporate OSS to a company’s telephony are not hard to visualize. By placing the IP-based voice system on its LAN and/or WAN network, calls can be sent anywhere in the world to traveling employees because of the IP protocol. It also eliminates the need of two separate systems for voice and data. The savings are immense as maintenance and hardware upgrades are no longer required, nor the requirement of proprietary phone equipment. Additionally, the calls themselves, especially between divisions in separate geographical locations, are much lower. And don’t forget the dissolution of vendor lock-in practices.

The only basic requirements are finding a suitable OSS telephony provider and configuring the company’s infrastructure to the system. Supervision of the IP solution will eventually be handed over from provider to company giving it valuable control. Because the open system model of the Internet is always churning out new applications and OSS supports superior integration to future telephony technologies, it makes for an opportune switch for any business.

Approaches to saving or backing up data differ from user to user–some relying on external hard drives to safeguard everything and some just saving a file once. The issue most users opposed to storing all of their data is the relatively tedious nature of the task. Sorting data, deciding what files need to be backed up and which you can risk losing , plus what technology to do it all with, used to take time and patience. As proprietary technology has made advances to run tasks easier and more efficient, the same holds true for open source. Below is one easy way to back up your data in Linux.

A fast and basic tool to use is Backerupper; don’t let the name fool you, it’s legit. This open source software can readily be found online, downloaded and uncompressed onto your hard drive. After running the install script, which takes no time at all, enter the command sudo ./install.sh into the directory and you’ll be ready to store some data.

Start the program by using the command “backer” in your terminal window. The menu will pop up and don’t worry, navigating is straightforward. Begin by creating a profile by choosing what directories you need backed up and where you would like to place the corresponding files. All of the data will be saved as a compressed file to where you directed it. You can also designate a back up time–when you want it to be backed up–as well as the number of copies you would like to have stored. Feel free to make multiple profiles for individual directories.

Another great asset is its easy retrieval system. By selecting a profile it will quickly locate the archive. You can then direct it to restore the files wherever you would like. It may not be the most advanced, but it’s certainly that easy.

Dependability and execution are two general things to always examine when picking software. Cost is another aspect, but that doesn’t really apply to open source software. Due to all the competing programs, which is a good thing, there are a few more matters to consider when choosing the right open source software for you.

First of all, consider the program’s reputation. You can garner much information just from its popularity or the numerous peer discussions on various forums. Also look out for discussion regarding the program’s future improvements. You’ll want something that will continue to be developed and finely tuned. How the development process is run is another clear indication of the software’s worth. Anything disorganized can be a red flag. In doing so, look up when the latest version became available. Most likely, you don’t want to tackle any possible bugs yourself and would rather be assured something new is on the way.

Find software is based on the open standard model, which will be an indicator to its compatibility with other software. And while you want it working well with other programs, keep in mind how well the community interacts and is willing to offer support. You may also want to consider any commercial support offered. Look up the program’s documentation to see the history of any bugs or issues and how they were resolved.

It may go without saying, but surely consider your ability to run and use the software. Some open source software is more user-oriented, while others can be much more technical. Think about what you would use it for and how well it can suit your needs. Lastly, read the license and familiarize yourself with the conditions of its use. You won’t want to get caught off guard later.

At times, it can be rather difficult for people, especially businesses, to implement open source software since the programs lack the support of large corporations that can employ an abundance of staff to tend to a potential customer’s questions or concerns. Due to this, there have been various methods created to act as an assessment process for OSS. One of them is Navicas Open Source Maturity Model. The goal is to be able to determine how a piece of software is developed to perform its task and how well it does compared to its peers.

The Open Source Maturity Model institutes a few basic stages. First, maturity tests, composed of quantitative and evaluative inquiries, are conducted as to how a certain software program matches a specific set of criteria. Each test results in a score based on performance. Requirements weightings are in place for each test based on their relevance to the program’s primary role and its targeted users. In the end is a final score that rates the software’s comparative merit and how ready it is for deployment.

Each software program is evaluated in six categories by the OSMM. These are: software, support, documentation, training, integration and professional services. The weightings will be attributed to these categories. Within each category are templates that detail which components of the category should be looked at and what the maximum score is for each component, which is ten. The category scores will be multiplied by their respective weightings, which will yield the final score anywhere from zero to one hundred.

Lastly, the final score will be evaluated on a maturity table. The maturity table considers the level of users–Early adopters or Pragmatists–and whether the software is intended for experimental purposes or is designed for general production.

Open source software communities are more than just platforms for people to mingle online and discuss aspects of a specific project or program; they are for enhancing and creating. But that doesn’t mean they are only comprised of professional programmers and engineers. Varying tech-savvy individuals have a presence as well, and its rare to encounter those notorious computer wizards: hackers. Anyone can be an asset to an open source community by being active and engaging with thoughtful information.

Before you decide to participate in an open source community, first consider a few important details. Your first step should be to assess your abilities; decide which area you are strongest. There are many areas open for contributions besides just drafting code including: web and interface designers, translators, documentation writers, testers and technical support. Wisely allocate the time you would be willing to contribute and be certain that you are not barred from partaking due to any employer or rights restrictions.

Once you officially join, take the time to familiarize yourself with the ins and outs of the community, as well as the people. Each community tends to have its own custom way of doing things. Learn how everyone interacts and what kind of structure is involved–whether it is a hierarchy or open democracy. This will dictate how you are to participate. It’s important to get to know the other participants and their respective roles. Feel out how they constructively criticize each other and what mode of communication they use–be it chat, mailing lists, etc.

As you become active in the community, provide frequent notices on what you’re working on and state explicitly what tools and resources you are using to keep everyone informed and have a detailed record of the project’s development. Lastly, remember open source communities are based on support, so exercise reciprocation. You’ll find being a part is a rewarding learning experience.

Open source software projects are not developed by a paid staff like propriery companies, but by a dedicated community. These open source communities are essential to the creation and improvement of a program. Requiring more than just an open source license, these communities necessitate many things to get off the ground and be successful.

An open source community is a group of developers and users with a general goal of building or developing a project. How active members are differ in each community, with roles ranging from testing to support to writing code. Very active members may gain the privilege of exclusive access and control of the project. All participants, however, are encouraged to contribute to advance the software and/or solve any problems.

At the start, an open source community is comprised of a few developers, as it takes time–years even–to get a program running. In fact, many are managed by a “benevolent dictator”: one person in charge of development and input. So, it’s key to have something that can be tested and operated by users. It’s ideal to deliver elements early and often no matter the condition. With marketing of its advantages, the project will then attract interest from users and contributions from other skilled developers. They need to be supported with credit for their work and more responsibility to keep them involved.

Even when things are up and running, there will be difficulties. For one, with the increase of users there will be a strong demand for support. It can be a tedious process to address all technical issues, thus it is imperative to have people dedicated to this role. There is also the slight possibility of a member taking the code and creating a competing project. Finally, a structure or form of governance needs to be implemented for decision making so the community can live beyond the founders and lost members.

Consider this fairly common scenario: After supporting an open source project for a long time as a user, while intently following the work of the developers, you create your own code for the project. You notice an aspect of the code that you think could use a revision, so you download the source code from the nightly build repository. Then you write a patch for that revision. But can you add it to the project?

Remember, the source code of open source software projects is copyrighted work. The holders of the copyright can distribute their copyright work to their choosing, which includes licensing it in myriad fashions. Source codes are subjected to OSI-certified licenses. To contribute your patch to the project it would have to fall under the same license, which can be done in two ways: giving your code’s copyright to the project or appropriately licensing it for use in the project. Most likely, projects will follow one or the other.

But the capacity to do anything only rests with the copyright holder. Creating the code as an employee may exempt you from the status of copyright holder. This stipulation is stated in the terms of your employment. Consult your contract for information and abstain from using anything if the copyright holder isn’t established.

If you clarify that you are indeed the copyright holder then the code is your property and you have authority over how it is used. You can sign over the copyright or license it how you see fit. In the case that you are not, then you must be granted consent from the copyright holder for any use of their material. For the open source project, the consent of the copyright holder must then be explicitly stated. Either way, consent will need to be procured for your contribution to the project in the form of a contributor license agreement.

The latest computer gadgets are highly interesting because they enhance system usage. Every month there is a whole list of such gadgets available and one of the easiest way to get them is by making a credit purchase. Having the latest, greatest computer aids available are fun for a lot of people. However, the tendency to buy items on credit is highly prevalent. If you do not keep a track of buying items on credit, you would eventually accumulate a lot of debt and the interest payments would be very high.

If you are making repayments on several loans every month, you should take a note of how much money is going into just making the interest payment. Those who have to make payment on different types of loans should make a note to make payments at the beginning of every month.

Credit defaults can cause higher interest repayments. To handle bills in a much easier way, consolidating the loans into a single payment is preferable. The new loan will have a lower interest rate and eliminates having to keep up with several bill payments. Debt reduction will also help to improve your credit score, which in turn will positively affect your credit rating. There are bill consolidation programs available for various types of loans. You can choose from several types of consolidation programs including debt consolidation via mortgage, credit card loans and student loan consolidation programs.

In some cases where people are financially overwhelmed, they may consider bill consolidation to help improve finances considerably. Cancelling debt is advantageous because you would be canceling out high interest rates and paying a lower amount every month towards the loans. The purpose of bill consolidation is to make a person bill-free over time. The key is to control expenditures so as to make the process of bill consolidation successful.