Jolicloud aims to steal Chrome OS's netbook thunder
Jolicloud, an upcoming Web-centric operating system for netbooks, will be prettier and more flexible than Google Inc.'s Web-only Chrome OS, the company's CEO says. Read more...

Google goes for speed, security in Chrome OS

Opinion: The future of Linux is Google

Cyber-Ark unveils tool for managing Windows, Unix systems

Microsoft, Novell say alliance still bearing fruit

Linux's share of netbooks surging, not sagging, says analyst

Open-source advocate calls for Microsoft version of Linux

With eye on Oracle and MySQL, Red Hat invests in EnterpriseDB

Windows 7 is 'restrictive' for netbooks, claims Ubuntu Linux distributor

Ubuntu 9.10 Linux creator calls Windows 7 'excellent release'

More Linux and Unix Stories

Firefox Addon Shortens Lengthy Browser Tasks
Want to automate common Firefox browsing tasks, such as logging into your Web-based mail, or tracking a package online? Then you'll want to give the free DéjàClick a try. It's a simple-to-use recording program that will record your actions, let you save them as a script, and then run them for you.

Opinion: Linux desktop turns 10; world yawns
Sure, you could always use Linux as a desktop OS, but it wasn't until November 1999 that Corel introduced a Linux designed for ordinary users. It's been a long, strange trip since then.

Play Almost Any Music File With Jaangle
I've got spurs that jingle, Jaangle, jingle... And my boots smell a lot like Teen Spirit. Okay, if you didn't follow that, Teen Spirit--a free music organizer, player, and tag editor--is now known as Jaangle. Let's hear it for snappy names...and for programming that won't jangle your nerves in the least. Jaangle has found a home on my system simply because of its wide format support which includes MP3, AAC, WMA, 16-, 24-, 32-bit wave files at all resolutions, OGG, Flac, and even Apple Lossless--a rarity outside of iTunes.

PeerBlock Helps You Surf the Web in Secret
They're lurking out there--sleazy spyware companies, unscrupulous advertisers, and just people you don't want looking at what your computer is doing. PeerBlock (free), an open source program, offers part of a solution--low level blocking of packets coming from, or going to, a long list of hosts.

Application whitelisting review: McAfee Application Control
McAfee's whitelisting protection for Windows, Linux, and Solaris is short on shortcomings

Review: 3 free Linux alternatives for your netbook
Netbook fans who feel that Windows 7 Starter edition is too limited for their liking might want to try one of the Linux distros made especially for netbooks. We review three.

ComicBase Free
For years, ComicBase had only an expensive, professional version of their comic book database and collection manager. Recently, they moved into the free space with ComicBase Free, offering a full-featured, but also stripped-down, free version.

FireShot Lets You Capture, Annotate Web Pages
If you need to take screenshots of Web pages--and annotate them and send them to others--you'll want to immediately download FireShot (free). This excellent Firefox add-in is the best tool I've yet seen for capturing and annotating Web pages.

Partition Wizard Outperforms Expectations
I can't help it. When I know something's free, I spend the entire review process waiting for the gotcha to appear. Happily, the gotcha never came with Partition Wizard Home Edition. This partitioning utility just created, deleted, moved, resized, and copied partitions with no fuss or bother--or error messages. It also recreated a master boot record, wiped a disk, and even searched for, found, and recovered a deleted partition with nary a failure.

FreeFixer
If you suspect your PC has been invaded by malware, FreeFixer can help you find it. It shows you a wealth of information about what's running on your PC, but the data is meant primarily for security gurus.

Editors' Picks

See results from our survey of more than 5,000 IT pros, and use our Smart Salary Tool to compare your pay with IT workers in similar jobs across the U.S. After weathering layoffs or pay cuts, your IT staffers may need some help getting motivated. Try these strategies for employee renewal. No Windows geek or PC support pro should be without these must-have utilities -- and they're all free. Get the latest news, features, opinions and more on key technology issues.

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