Kodi is a wonderful open source media player that provides users with an immersive experience that is optimized for the living room. While the software gets a bad reputation because some (most?) people use it for piracy, many strictly use it for legal media consumption. As more and more illegal Kodi add-on maintainers face legal trouble, and streaming services like Netflix, HBO Max, and Disney+ remain competitively priced, fewer folks are seeking pirated content nowadays.

LibreELEC is a Linux distribution that exists solely to run the aforementioned Kodi. It supports many hardware configurations, including traditional x86_64 for PC and some ARM devices like the Raspberry Pi 4. And now, a stable version of LibreELEC 10 becomes available for download. Sadly, support for the Raspberry Pi 0 and 1 is now discontinued.

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There are a lot of great desktop environments for Linux, such as Cinnamon, KDE Plasma, and Xfce to name a few. With that said, only one can be the best, and that is GNOME. If you prefer a different environment, you are simply wrong or ignorant on the subject. You know what? That's fine. As they say, ignorance is bliss, so if you are happy not using GNOME, more power to you.

For those of us superior Linux users that prefer GNOME, it is time to get excited. You see, as of today, the GNOME 41 Beta is officially here! Keep in mind, the Beta tag is quite literal -- unless you are a Beta tester or Linux developer, you shouldn't be bothering with it just yet.

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There are a lot of Linux-based operating systems these days, and if you have some free time, I suggest trying as many as you can. Think of it like fruit -- apples are great, but you shouldn't stop after just tasting that. The world is full of different choices, such as mangoes, bananas, and oranges. The same can be said of Linux -- even if you really like, say, Ubuntu, you should also test Fedora, Mageia, and more.

Today, yet another distro hits a major milestone; SparkyLinux achieves version 6.0. Code-named "Po Tolo," it is a rolling release operating system that is based on the brand-new Debian 11 "Bullseye." Sparky aims to be easy on system resources, with choices of three main desktop environments -- LXQt, KDE, and Xfce. This lightweight operating system can breathe new life into aging computers. SparkyLinux even still supports older 32-bit processors.

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Manjaro is one of the most popular Linux-based desktop operating systems these days, and it's not hard to see why. The distribution is based on the rock-solid Arch, but unlike that distro, Manjaro is very easy to install and use. In other words, it has all the benefits of Arch, but without the hassles and headaches. This makes it a great choice for both Linux experts and beginners. Heck, it will even be used as the OS on an upcoming E-ink tablet.

Today, Manjaro 21.1.0 "Pahvo" becomes available for download. The Linux kernel used is version 5.13 and there are a trio of desktop environment options -- Xfce (4.16), GNOME (40), and KDE Plasma (5.22). While all three DEs are great, the Xfce Edition is the primary focus with this particular operating system.

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Windows 11 is a very good operating system, and it hasn't even gone gold yet. In fact, despite only being Beta, I can confidently call it the best version of Windows ever. It is shockingly polished and beautiful -- the true successor to Windows 7. Windows 10 wasn't bad, but it never felt complete. Windows 11 feels purposeful and well-loved by developers. Microsoft has impressed me with the upcoming operating system. It is appearing to be more than a superficial update as I once thought.

With all of that said, understandably, not everyone wants or needs Windows 11. Due to some rather lofty hardware requirements, some consumers will find their computer simply can't run Windows 11 even if they want it to. While Microsoft and the overall computer industry would love to see these consumers buy new computers, that simply is not necessary. Instead, a Linux-based operating system can breathe new life into your aging PC.

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Canonical is announcing today that Ubuntu is set to drive high security and regulated workloads thanks to gaining a new FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standards) certification.

Now the world's most popular operating system across private and public clouds, Ubuntu has received the FIPS 140-2, Level 1 certification for its cryptographic modules in Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, including OpenSSL 1.1.1.

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Reading devices with E-ink displays are an absolute must for hardcore readers. Can you read books using a traditional Android tablet or Apple iPad? Sure, but the screen can cause eyestrain. An E-ink reader, such as Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite, makes reading digital books much more enjoyable -- your eyes will thank you.

What if there was an open tablet, running Linux, that utilized an E-ink screen? That would be quite the interesting device, and it would be very exciting to imagine how such a thing could be used. Well, folks, such a product is on the way! Called "PineNote," the E-ink tablet has similar specs as the Quartz64 single board computer. The device should be available for purchase later this year. As of today, it is expected to launch with Manjaro Linux as the operating system.

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Debian is a great operating system in its own right, but also, it makes for an excellent base for other Linux distributions as well. For example, Ubuntu is probably the most well-known Linux distro in the world, and it is based on Debian. There are countless other operating systems, such as deepin Linux, that also stand on Debian's figurative shoulders. That's why it is so significant when a new version of Debian is released.

And today, that is exactly what is happening. You see, after much testing, Debian 11 is finally available for download! Called "Bullseye," the number of changes is absolutely insane. You see, it has 11,294 totally new packages and 42,821 updated packages. Some major changes include native exFAT support and improved printing.

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Windows 11 looks quite beautiful, but let's be honest... it is pretty much just Windows 10 with a fresh coat of paint. Sadly, Microsoft is requiring some pretty strict hardware requirements for the upcoming operating system, meaning many people could find themselves unable to upgrade. Even worse, the company has provided confusing communications regarding TPM requirements.

Thankfully, even if Microsoft thinks your perfectly fine computer is obsolete, the Linux community doesn't think that. In other words, if your computer is incompatible with Windows 11 due to a lack of a TPM chip or other hardware issue, it can still run a modern Linux distro just fine. In fact, thanks to the upcoming Zorin OS 16 Pro, you can experience the all-new Windows 11 interface on Linux! Wow!

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Why don’t more desktop computer users run Linux-based operating systems? Well, software compatibility aside, there is fear of change and the unknown. For a user to switch from Windows, it need to be a fairly simple affair. For years, just installing a Linux distribution was a daunting task. These days, however, it can be faster and easier than installing Windows -- depending on the distro, of course.

For Linux beginners, once installed, their chosen distro should be easy to use with an intuitive desktop environment. I'm a big fan of GNOME, but understandably, not all folks like it -- especially Linux novices. One particular Linux-based desktop operating system has been focusing on accessibility to all -- elementary OS. This distribution is polished and focuses on being easy to use. It is a good choice for both experts and beginners alike. Today, elementary OS 6, code-named "Odin," becomes available for download, and it is loaded with exciting changes.

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Back in the days before Facebook Messenger, iMessage, and WhatsApp, we had other chat platforms such as AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), MSN Messenger, and ICQ to name a few. At first, everyone used the first-party apps for each platform, but eventually, many of us switched to third-party software that could connect to multiple chat platforms at once. The multi-chat apps were more convenient, but equally important, they were usually advertisement-free. AIM, for instance, had annoying ads.

One of the most popular such programs was Gaim, which was ultimately renamed to Pidgin. Believe it or not, Pidgin is still being developed to this day. The open source Pidgin is available on both Linux and Windows. Unfortunately, use of Pidgin has dipped dramatically over the last decade. Hell, I don't even remember the last time I used it. And now, in what is certainly a huge blow to Pidgin, the Ubuntu Linux-based Xubuntu is finally ditching it.

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Businesses are increasingly recognizing the value of data, but most acknowledge that they could do better in using it to drive business transformation.

A new report from DataStax, based on a survey of over 500 technology executives and practitioners, reveals that while 96 percent of respondents say they have some level of a data strategy, only 38 percent of enterprises give themselves top grades when it comes to using data to create value for customers.

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Debian 11 is a long time coming now, with users of the Linux-based operating system anxiously awaiting the upcoming release. Code-named "Bullseye," it has been suspected to have 2021 availability, but as of today, we now know the specific date.

You see, the Debian developers are planning to release version 11 on August 14 of this year. In other words, it is less than a month away! This year, you can celebrate the August 14 birthdays of celebrities Mila Kunis, Steve Martin, and Magic Johnson by downloading and installing the wildly popular Linux distribution.

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The development team behind Audacity learned the hard way that people do not take kindly to the introduction of telemetry, particularly when communication is poor.

Over the last few months, there has been a very public debacle involving Audacity's proposed changes to its privacy policy. It resulted in the software being branded "possible spyware" and led to explanations, apologies and backtracking. Now the team behind the open source audio editor has published its updated privacy policy along with a lengthy explanation about various elements of it and an apology for the "significant lapse in communication".

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Enterprises are relying on data more than ever before, but that can come at a cost in terms of the time spent on building and managing the infrastructure to handle it.

In order to streamline the integration and efficient scaling of these big data and AI workflows into hybrid cloud environments, IBM Research is launching CodeFlare.

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