Posts Tagged FOSS
Android News. 50+ Android Phones expected in near future
Posted by saif in Uncategorized on 21/10/2009
It is amazing that just about a year ago we had the first Android phone; the HTC Dream (aka T-Mobile G1), a phone I own. Now there seems to be a much larger selection of phones to choose from. I am looking forward for the Sony Ericsson’s Xperia X3.
SUSE Studio: An Easy “Build Your Own Live CD” Service
Posted by saif in Uncategorized on 03/08/2009
I’ve always thought that Linux, in general, had the advantage over Microsoft and Apple when it comes to operating systems (OS) because of the “Try before you install” approach, commonly known as “Live CD“. This allows you to actually run the OS through the CD and check that everything is working before actually installing the OS. Novell now offers a service called SUSE Studio 1.0 which allows you to configure the Live CD and add the software you want before you actually install it. I will not go into details here but think about what you do when you first install a new OS: you spend a lot of time installing software you actually need. Now what if you can configure the OS to actually include the software before burning it to the CD? Especially when you manage several computers with the same hardware, like a class. I know there is ways to do that on Windows and Linux, but I believe this is a much easier way to do it. Don’t take my word for it though, go check it out yourself.
Arabic on Android
Posted by saif in Uncategorized on 15/07/2009
A thing that bothers me with the T-Mobile’s G1, aka HTC Dream, is the lack of Arabic support. I thought it wouldn’t be a problem considering the fact that I’ve been using Arabic for a very long time on computers with several different Linux distributions. Furthermore, rumors came out that the Android OS update 1.5 (Cupcake) will have built-in support for Arabic including localization. This, unfortunately, did not happen. However, this is Android after all, and as is the tradition with Linux, “if it is not available, build it. If you can’t build it, wait for someone else to and use that.. ” or so it goes.
There is a good effort regarding getting Arabic to work Android. This is not completely easy though. First, you should have your phone rooted (another link to get root). Afterwards, you need to install fonts that allow you to see Arabic, this was harder before, but thanks to Aman Alshurafa, you are able to install the fonts using the regular “copy to your memory card, rename to update.zip, restart phone holding down home+power, press ALT-s to install update.zip”. This does not really give you total Arabic support but it is a step forward. I should mention that Ahmed Essam was the first to write the Arabic reshaper class, and Amr Gawish updated it and wrote the first Arabic SMS reader.
After this start, many other Arabic programs started to show up on Android. Abdullah Bahitham made Arabic soft keyboard for Android 1.5 (Cupcake). He also made an Arabic Notepad. There are several other programs that you could find in the Android market.
Thank you everyone for the effort you put in so that the rest of us can actually use Android and enjoy it.
NOTE: There is a related post called Arabic on Android – Take 2 that is relevant.
T-Mobile G1 Phone vs. Nokia E71
Posted by saif in Uncategorized on 02/12/2008
There are many things about Nokia phones I like. Moving from one Nokia device to another is always seamless and requires minimal effort. You just need to learn it once and you are set. Nokia builds very good phones, there are expanding into the entertainment with the Nokia N series and the corporate with the E series. My parents for instance have no problem changing phones as long as they do not have to relearn using it.
I was so happy when the G1 phone from T-Mobile was released. The G1 is a milestone for open source; it runs Android, which is a mobile OS sponsored by The Open Handset Alliance, which includes Google, Motorola, LG, Sprint, Samsung, Texas Instruments, and others. There are tons of reviews for the G1 and they are mixed. However, this is not a “review” of the G1 per se. What I want to do is describe the difference in user experience between the G1 and E71 in regards to the device as a phone.
I’ve been using the G1 for about a month now. I got it from the UK with T-Mobile UK. I am really enjoying it and except for the fact that it doesn’t have support for Arabic (yet). I unlocked my G1 and am currently using it in the UAE with Etisalat. In the UK, I usually use it with T-Mobile UK. I did not install any software from outside the Android market.
Several things I want to point while using the G1:
- When you look-up a contact, you cannot send that contact to another contact or a phone number easily. I view this as a limitation. In any Nokia phone, a user is able to choose a contact and send it to another contact or number as a “business card” through sms, mms, bluetooth, or email.
- A user needs to move between the touch screen and the physical buttons quite frequently and for trivial uses; to go back to a previous screen for instance or to edit a contact. To edit a contact a user clicks on the touch screen to get to the contact and then have to press the menu button to reach “edit”.
- I still have to figure out how to silence the ringer when I receive a call. In a Nokia phone, you just press the “end” button once to silence it, and twice to reject the call.
EDIT: found out that you press the volume control to silence the ringer, which is quite weird.
- After a while of it being on, the performance goes down: scrolling is not as smooth as when you first turn it on and the frequency of phone calls the does not go through goes up. It is important to point out that in the past, Nokia phones I used had the same problem, but it decreased significantly with the E71.
- Battery life is average at best, even with most of the unnecessary things turned off. I always have my bluetooth turned on (in hidden mode) because I have it paired with my car and I’m in my car most of the time.
- Talking about bluetooth, the G1 has yet to fail connecting to my car where is was frequent with the E71 and other Nokia Phones (E90 and 6500 Classic). However, it refuses to send or recieve anything from other phones, especially contact information.
When reading this, keep in mind that the G1 has a firmware of 1.0 whereas the Nokia E71 OS (S60) is quite mature. I am sure that there will be great software and updates for the G1 to come.
Ubuntu 8.10: The Intrepid Ibex First Impressions
Posted by saif in Uncategorized on 04/11/2008
I downloaded and installed Ubuntu 8.10 (codenamed the Intrepid Ibex) when it was first available for download on the 30th of October. The install was a breeze and there were no special additions that I could see, but then I didn’t look too closely.
I usually backup my data and then format my harddisk to install the new OS on my laptop, and just do an “upgrade” on my server. I like to know how the OS will detect my laptop’s (now moderatly old) hardware. I run Ubuntu on a Thinkpad T60p which I bought before Lenovo offered a Linux option.
There were several things I was happy about. Most the hardware worked properly (kinda: more on that later), and I had no problem connecting to my wireless network nor connect to my bluetooth mouse and phones. Installing all the software I wanted wasn’t a problem at all. When I downloaded Flash (flashplugin-nonfree) I was pleasantly surprised to see the new version of Flash installed (10.0 r12). It is more stable than the previous version and it is yet to crash Firefox. Compiz is on by default with moderate animation. Also, encryption seems seamless and easy-to-do; an additional plus for people who want to keep their data private. Finally, the new version of ATI display driver also comes with the mighty 8.10 which is apparently a big deal.
Now with the problems. When compiz is on, video playback is terrible, especially in fullscreen mode. It is like watching a slideshow rather than a video clip. I have to disable Compiz to be able to watch video properly, which is cumbersome. Another thing currently driving me crazy is the fingerprint reader: It just does not want to work, and I have tried it with all available drivers (both open-source and proprietary) with no success. Keep in mind that it worked flawlessly in Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron). Another thing that bothers me is that the bluetooth mouse seems to take forever to come back from sleep mode, the mouse’s performance degraded in 8.10.
I’m sure the majority of those problems will eventually go away. The only thing that worries me is the ATI driver which I was hoping to fix whatever problem I have since Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon).
Ubuntu 8.10 countdown
Posted by saif in Uncategorized on 18/10/2008
I use Ubuntu as my major OS (the only OS on my laptop). It needs a bit of getting used to. Some things I learned how to do differently, some things the same, and some things I had to give up or find a different way to do
Even though my field of study and work is IT, I do not believe it is that important, only as a means to an end. The thing I really like about open source OSes is that they are highly customizable. I can change it to suite my needs and more importantly my wants. It might take a bit of work but I believe it is worth it. Ubuntu makes everything I do relatively easier than other open source OSes I’ve used.
Anyway, Ubuntu 8.10 is out soon keep tuned for a lame review.
EDIT: The final Ubuntu 8.10 iso is available here. Make sure you use bit torrent so that you help with the load.
Windows vs Linux (yes I have to go into it)
Posted by saif in Uncategorized on 25/01/2008
I’m not posting this to actually compare between Linux and Windows; there are tons of articles and posts that do that. I however, like to look at it from a different perspective. I believe that at the end operating systems, software running on it, and anything related to those are means to an end; whichever help you reach that goal is fine by me. There are one factor that I think to be most crucial because of my usability analysis background: satisfaction. Some people are happy to go through the tedious installation of Gentoo and quite satisfied doing so. Some people are happy the their drivers and virus protection are up to date and they actually go through the process of updating each and every software on the computer to stay up to date. The thought of using free and open source software and help develop an alternative is the source of satisfaction for others.
Follow-up: I found a post at 91courtstreet entitled “What I Learned using Linux over the last 10 years” that goes into a similar discussion, just better 
First Things First
Posted by saif in Uncategorized on 22/12/2007
In general all my posts will be regarding what I use and how to make things work. I use Ubuntu Linux as my main operating system. I like photography, graphic design, and a fan of Japanese Anime (among other things).
So first of all, I would recommend getting Ubuntu; it is a free operating system that will actually work without spending most of your time troubleshooting what should of made your life easier. An operating system is something you should not know is there, something like expecting your car or your phone to work all of the time. If the main use of the computer is web surfing and email then Ubuntu is for you. Even if that is not the case, it wouldn’t hurt to check it out. Best of all, ITS FREE. Before installing you can check if everything is working before installing anything on your computer via the liveCD. You pop in the CD in your computer and boot up Ubuntu through the CD and check if everything is working to your satisfaction. If you like it, you click on the small “install” icon on the desktop.
The main source of information will be Ubuntu Forums, which is a community of people just like you that are very friendly and extremely knowledgeable. You get answers quick and 99% of the time it is the right one.
Eye candy is what sold me to tell you the truth. I love how Ubuntu looks and work, look at this video for an example.