Windows 10 vs Ubuntu : Who Wins the Epic Operating Systems War for smartphone to PC convergence

 

 

In the battle of converged computing for smartphone and PC,the Open source system Ubuntu seems to be taking a lead over the proprietary Windows.

Of late, smartphones and tablets are gaining more popularity over desktops. Hence, now the manufacturers of desktops are thinking of creating newer version of their desktop software which can support
Smartphone-PC convergence.

Microsoft recently announced that the Windows 10 phones will be so designed that it can also be used as PC if it is connected to external monitor.
On the other hand, Ubuntu open source system with Linux as its OS was the first one to put forth the idea of Smartphone-PC convergence way back in 2013.

Ubuntu’s crowdfunding campaign for its Ubuntu Edge was a failure in 2013 however Canonical is bent upon transforming Ubuntu into an OS that can be used along all the platforms with a feature of adapting to all the interfaces as per requirement.

In a recent Ubuntu Online Summit Keynote, Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Ubuntu recently said: “While I enjoy the race, I also like to win.” During this summit he also announced that Canonical has got into a partnership with some hardware manufacturer and very soon they plan to release their Ubuntu smartphone which will feature the Smartphone-PC convergence. Most probably there are chances that Ubuntu might release its flagship phone even before Windows 10 is rolled out because it seems Microsoft will not roll out its most awaited Windows 10 this summer hence Ubuntu might beat Microsoft in this smartphone to PC convergence feature!!

Though not much is known about the Ubuntu smartphone however Mark Shuttleworth founder of Canonical, in a recent presentation said: “I’d like to announce that we are going to ship a device, this year, with a manufacturer—which will fit in your pocket; which will be a phone; and which will give you a desktop experience. So, that pocket PC experience is real on Ubuntu. And, while I enjoy the race, I also like to win. And I bet you do too. And so it will be lovely for us to drive free software first into the convergence world.”
On the other hand Windows 10 OS promises to feature ‘Continuum mode’ and it will be able to detect if the smartphones are hooked up with mouse and keyboard and if so it will reorient its UI as per requirement. Further, Microsoft will support universal apps hence it will be in a position to switch the interface to be used on any platform including desktops, smartphones, laptops and even augmented reality handsets.
In the race of Smartphone-PC convergence we now need to wait and watch whether Microsoft or Canonical will take a lead in bringing about the computing convergence to the tech world. Lets see what all strong steps are being taken by both the firms to ensure they take the vanguard in this Smartphone-PC convergence:
Windows 10:

• Hardware: The recent acquisition of Nokia gives Microsoft an upperhand on hardware front because Nokia already has a strong hold on the market and hence Microsoft can bring its new OS to smartphones and tablets via Nokia which can flaunt the capabilities of Windows 10. Microsoft had earlier declared that it will roll out Windows 10 to desktop first and then to smartphones. However, it is already working on its flagship phone code named “Cityman” which will have the Windows 10 OS and user can connect this phone to external monitor to get the desktop experience. This phone is expected to release around the time Windows 10 for phones will be rolled out.
• Other features: Besides the “Continuum mode” feature Microsoft promises that Windows 10 will also have other additional services which can work across desktops and smartphones as well as tablets. Majorly these services include Cortana which is Microsoft’s virtual assistant that is smart enough to set appointments, answer questions etc.
• User based: Microsoft is dominant OS in the desktop world however in the smartphone market it has on 3% to 5% market share. With the established user base it might help Windows 10 because users might give Windows 10 preference in this Smartphone-PC convergence as they would prefer to use a known OS which they have been using for a long time on desktop.
• Software control: Microsoft has developed dynamic software Live Tile such as Office Suite which gives its developers an advantage to redesign the Microsoft Office as “touch friendly universal apps”.
• Open to iPhone and Android apps: Microsoft has plans to bring the iPhone and Android apps to Windows 10. Further without the need of rewriting the codes developers will be able port iOS and Android applications to Windows 10. With this step Windows 10 will have most of the apps that run on the popular smartphones and thus it can attract lot more buyers who want those apps.

Ubuntu: 

• First one to market converged phone: Ubuntu plans to release its Smartphone-PC convergence phone this year as confirmed by founder Mark Shuttleworth. Hence, this step may place Ubuntu an open source system ahead of Microsoft’s Windows 10. However, Ubuntu has a history of delaying the release of its planned converged phone.
• Low cost smartphone: First Ubuntu phone was Aquaris E4.5 Ubuntu Edition and it was relatively low cost smartphone. Recently, Mr Shuttleworth also said the Ubuntu Smartphone-PC convergence “will be suited to casual users rather than power users”.  Hence, it is an indication that though the specs might discourage users, however the phone might be available at a relatively lower cost which could succeed in attracting more buyers ………..especially if it gives tremendous performance.
• Novel UI: Ubuntu users have an advantage of either storing content directly on the phone or it is even available to them via online services. The distinction between online and local content is almost negligible for Ubuntu phone users. This can understood with the following example: Music Scope would show music on the handset, on the Sound Cloud music sharing and even via the GrooveShark music streaming services and on YouTube. So users can listen to their favorite music with each section that can be further expanded into an app either to play music or for exploring more tracks. This shows that Ubuntu specializes in organizing their OS around the interests of the users and also blurring the boundary between online and offline contents, this gives Ubuntu and edge over Windows 10 dynamic Live Tiles.
• Abundance of free software: There is a wide range of free open source software that runs on the Linux OS. Though, many bigger open source projects run on Windows, however Ubuntu has an abundance of free software or free open source apps which users can download directly from Dash desktop search or even from terminal. Hence, with respect to the open source apps again Ubuntu seems to have an edge over Windows 10.
• Customization of OS: With Microsoft users are stuck with the OS that accompanied their device when it was shipped so they have to rely on the OS given by Microsoft. On the contrary, Ubuntu is Linux based and hence user gets the advantage of switching certain features of their OS by using certain commands and hence get rid of some unwanted features of their OS.
• Some major features where Ubuntu lacks over Windows 10:
  • Hardware: Ubuntu phone appears to have a fair middle level hardware and Mr. Shuttleworth further confirmed that their first Smartphone-PC convergence handset would not be “biggest, baddest workstation”.
  • User based: Ubuntu is a Linux base and hence it has very little penetration in the market of desktops. It has been observed that the Linux based OS has only one percent PC users across the globe.
  • Software control: In comparison to Windows 10, Canonical does not have much internal control over development of flagship software on Ubuntu and the reason is simple because Ubuntu is an open source software and it has many developers.

With the overall review, it is very much clear that both, Windows 10 and Ubuntu have certain marked advantages as well as disadvantages. The most important point is that even if Canonical releases their first Smartphone-PC converged phone this year Microsoft will surely beat them to market because Canonical has few developers and it is just an open source system in comparison to the well established and a giant Microsoft’s Windows OS.

 

World’s first Ubuntu powered Drone launched

It seems world is slowly and steadily moving towards Linux powered devices. After Linux was used to power destroyers for US Navy, now Erle Robotics has used Ubuntu to power a drone.
Erle Robotics, a Spanish company, has been at the forefront of using Linux in devices and had introduced the Erle-Copter drone powered by Ubuntu Snappy Core back in February 2015, has launched the world’s first Ubuntu powered Drone on 3rd May.

The Erle-Copter Drone is powered by  Snappy Ubuntu Core and the ROS framework and has a flight time of approximately 20 minutes according to the company. It can also support a payload of up to 2 kgs which means that it can mount cameras for aerial photography.
The Erle-Copter Drone comes with APM Copter and Plane pre-installed as applications with support for utilizing either the 2.4 or 5 GHz frequency bands for Wi-Fi, and 536 MB of free space for user data.

“Erle-Copter Ubuntu Core special edition drone is a Ubuntu-powered quadcopter that includes official support for new app store for drones and robots. It has official ROS support, capable of the different flight modes and ideal for outdoor operations,” says Alejandro Hernández.
The price for Erle-Copter Ubuntu drone starts from €399 ($455/Rs.28,000.00) for the basic version while the fully loaded drone will be available for Rs.€574 ($640/Rs.40,000.00) and will be available worldwide.

According to Hernández is ideal for various outdoor operations and supports the installation of additional apps via a special App Store of Snappy and Snappy-go packages for drones and robots, has official ROS support, supports automatic launching of mavros bridges over WiFi, Telemetry, or USB, and supports different flight modes.

Check out the video of the Erle-Copter Drone in action below.

Microsoft’s Edge Logo Inspired by Internet Explorer

At Microsoft’s Developer Build Conference, Microsoft announced that its Internet Explorer replacement will be called “Microsoft Edge.”

Microsoft is ditching its past and doing its best to make Edge the best browser available, but the software company is still using the E names and icons to keep the things a bit familiar.

Above you can see the new icon of Microsoft’s new web browser Edge. This is a modern rendition of the traditional old blue E logo used by Microsoft.

Here’s is the icon of Internet Explorer and you can see the striking similarity between these two.

Microsoft’s New Browser Will be Called Microsoft Edge, Goodbye Spartan

Microsoft has already killed Internet Explorer. We knew that the new browser was codenamed Project Spartan. Today at the Microsoft’s Developer Conference, Microsoft announced that the official replacement of the Internet Explorer will be called “Microsoft Edge.”
The new marketing slogan of Microsoft Edge will be: “It’s the browser built for getting things done.”

If you are wondering about the meaning and significance of Edge in Microsoft Edge, let me disclose this secret. Edge is the rendering engine of Microsoft Edge and is called EdgeHTML.

Microsoft Edge will be the primary and the default browser in company’s upcoming operating system Windows 10. This browser has a built-in reader, note-taking, and sharing features and focuses on minimalism and simplicity. It  can also use browser extensions from Chrome and Firefox which was shown in the conference.

Also, Microsoft Edge will be the only browser supported on the Windows 10 Mobile devices. In the desktop version of Windows 10, Microsoft Edge will run alongside Internet Explorer. Microsoft Edge is integrated with the digital assistant Cortana and will feature some of the most advanced features ever seen in a web browser.

Microsoft Edge will available as a Universal app and you can download and update it from the Store.
Stay tuned for further updates on Microsoft Edge.

So, There's An Android Bot Peeing On An Apple Logo On Google Maps

This is real and you can see it for yourself right here.

The misbehaving Bugdroid can still be seen on Google Maps right outside the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi in the bright green shade usually reserved for parks and forests.

A Google rep told Mashable the symbol isn't one of the tech giant's hidden Easter eggs Rather, the logos were apparently added via the tool's Map Maker, which allows any user to edit local maps.

"Even though edits are moderated, occasionally the odd inaccurate or cheeky edit may slip through our system," the spokesperson told Mashable in a statement.

You'd better check it out now if you want to see it, because it might not be there for long.

8 Tips To Start Your Day The Right Way. 

1. Avoid The Snooze Button 

I know it’s a tough habit to break, but studies reveal that this prolonged wake up actually make you more tired and irritable.

"After you hit snooze and drift off, your brain starts its sleep cycle all over again. When the alarm goes off a second time, you’re likely at an even deeper, earlier part of your sleep cycle, which results in you feeling even worse than you did the first time.
If you regularly wake up feeling groggy, [then] the trouble may be that your alarm is going off at the wrong part of your sleep cycle.Try setting your alarm a few minutes later (or getting up a little earlier) and sticking to a regular sleep schedule to get a nice rhythm going.”

2. Take 10-15 Minutes To Reflect

By setting aside a little time every morning to calm your thoughts and positively reflect, you can set the tone for your entire day. This practice will help create awareness of thoughts and help to avoid “monkey mind,” or a restless or unsettled mind.

Morning reflection will also help to clear your mind of any negativity from the day before or any unpleasant dreams, and also make you more focused and optimistic. Controlled thoughts and a focused and optimistic attitude lead to a lesser amount of stress (and, let’s face it, we all could use some weight off our shoulders.)

3. Count Your Blessings

Remembering what you’re grateful for is a key way to start the day. It’s important to do this so that you can sort your priorities and keep your mind on the bigger picture, rather than nit-picking and getting caught up in small things.

4. Set Your Daily Goals

After you’ve sorted our priorities, it’s easier to set goals. Keeping a set focus on each day’s purpose makes you more motivated and grounded. This way you can avoid the insignificant melodramas playing out in your head (truth is, they probably won’t matter a week from now or even tomorrow). Keep your eye on the target!

Here are 3 steps to effectively execute the daily goal exercise:

• “Each morning take a pen and a piece of paper and write down your 10 top goals. Don’t look at the day before, just think about what you want to most and write them down.
• Remember to write them in the positive present tense and remember to set a deadline for each goal…
• Do this for all 10 goals.

5. Exercise Your Brain

You’ve already started the mental part of this exercise with meditation and goals. To enhance brain activity even more, try a simple task like reading the newspaper or completing a sudoku puzzle. Brain stimulation is an important part of waking up your senses.

6. Exercise Your Body

Now for the physical exercise. I realize this isn’t the easiest morning habit to master, but if you can find a way to fit it in, even a short amount of time with a raised heart rate is beneficial. It accomplishes the task of calorie-burning in an even better way by kick-starting your metabolism for the day. A morning run also makes you more alert, which in turn leads to higher productivity and focus.

 7. Have A Healthy Breakfast

‘Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.’ You’ve heard this fact since you were a kid, but here are some reasons why it’s true according to the researchers at Johns Hopkins University: Breakfast…

• provides the energy and nutrients that lead you to increased concentration and productivity
• helps you maintain a healthy body weight
• prevents you from snacking on sugary and unhealthily snacks before lunch
• gives the vitamins and minerals that you may have otherwise missed that day
• prevents mid-morning slumps

8. Take Time To Look Good

Studies show that when you are confident in our appearances, it helps you to be more productive and have an overall happier perspective.

Here are some more reasons why it’s important to ‘dress to impress':

• “Confidence Builder – When you feel good about your appearance, you feel good aboutyourself. Confidence can make a marked difference in how you hold yourself and present yourself in front of others.
• Professional Appearance – People like to work with/do business with people who look professional. It is in our nature as visually driven beings. It can give ease and a sense of trust. It’s hard to be taken seriously if you look like you just rolled out of bed and are wearing what you wore yesterday.
• Shows Organization – Dressing professionally signals that you have your stuff together and are organized. If your clothes are clean, pressed, and professional, it shows that you went the extra effort to be prepared.”

Current Trends Of PHP Development

Having said, PHP is an effective platform to develop websites. Through innovative web application development services, websites can be created in a more impressive way. Millions of websites are powered by PHP. Today, PHP development is booming immensely since it provides businesses a lot of suppleness and simplicity to attain their specific requirements.

It can lift your businesses a level higher towards the top in the marketplace. There have been five compelling trends in PHP development; they are being followed by many PHP developers to create the front end website pages more user-friendly and alluring. Let’s have a look at them and know what significance they entail!

Responsive Web Design:
Websites with responsive web design is much easier to access. It gives an interactive platform to not only desktop users, but also mobile and tablet users!

Online Presentations:
It helps online websites focus on the presentation work to look more engaging and professional. Especially those websites with large image backdrop!

Fixed Header Bar:
It provides an access to services required to be accessed in a short time! By gluing “Fixed header bar”, brand name will be attracted to users.

Special Effects:
Special effects are given by “parallax scrolling” to provide an enhanced animated look! In a way, it is a methodology wherein banners and images are placed.

HTML5 Growth:
Enterprises have started to understand the benefits of HTML5. In 2014 we can see that it is the future of Web world! It can result in tangible benefits for specific enterprise.

PHP is immensely used for web development for developing dynamic and interactive websites.