The market of applications managing various Internet-related tasks is divided generally into three parts: Windows-based, Mac OS X-compatible, and Linux-friendly. Some function across all platforms, or perhaps the most mainstream and consumer-centric of the two. But it is unquestionably the case that the Linux world holds the least currency where desktop-to-Web and Web-to-desktop communication is concerned.

Well, if you’re a Linux user, or perhaps just curious to know what’s now possible on Linux installations in order to better decide whether to “take the leap,” we’re going to do Tux a solid today and see what’s up in the land of “Net apps” to save you from having to search the open source galaxy yourself.

Now, you’re probably aware of this. It is likely the most popular download for Linux. But what the hey, it’s good to hear once in a while. Mozilla’s well-renowned Firefox 3 browser, an open source fan-fave, is ready for Linux users to download. In every localized language version of the newest build, too. According to the official website, that leaves Firefox for Linux one better than the Mac OS X option. Do you speak Gujarati? Well, then you’ve got just two options: Windows and Linux. Enjoy.

Also, if you’d like to go full-on with your allegiance to Mozilla, its email client, Thunderbird, now in its second major iteration, is Linux-enabled as well. As with Firefox, you’re given complete language support. Gujarati, however, is only listed as available for version Thunderbird version 1.5. Sorry, folks. Can’t have everything, evidently.

Another email option for the Linux world comes in the form of Zimbra Desktop, a Yahoo-property, circa 2007. And if we may say so ourselves, it’s quite good. Plus, it’s free. And it’s open source. And it can be matched with Zimbra’s Collaboration Suite of applications. That calls for a booyah.

There are some relatively small trinkets for Linux users that will have greater or less relevance to your day-to-day interests. One that will pique the eyebrows of music fans: the Amazon MP3 Downloader. It is available for Ubuntu 7.10, as well as Debian 4, Fedora 8, and OpenSUSE 10.3. Visit the main page for specific installation instructions. I’m no scientist, but I venture to guess that DRM-free downloads sound better on open-source software. What do you think?

Want a piece of musical software a bit more robust and full-featured? Take a trip down Songbird lane. The first few releases of this software weren’t stellar, but having just tried it once more this week, it’s safe to say the thing has evolved quite a bit since its days as a youngling. Worth a peek!

Let’s not forget that there are plugins and lightweight software systems to make your Web browsing and PC-based interaction with the cloud more enjoyable, too. Adobe Flash version 9.0 is out as a 3MB-large .tar.gz download. Something to consider adding to your Firefox and/or SeaMonkey browser(s), for sure.

And though Microsoft doesn’t officially support Linux with its Silverlight development, you might be interested to know of an independent project from Mono called Moonlight. Packages are dubbed experimental, with the latest update said to have been issued on August 7, 2008. If you consider yourself the adventurous type, why not give it a try.

Adobe also has stored in its Labs division a Linux version of its AIR platform. But it is unfortunately only an “alpha-quality” release at this point. In short, things that function on the latest AIR builds for Windows and Mac may not perform on the Linux equivalent.

The final plugin to consider: Gears. Google Gears was its original moniker. Evidently the company thinks its the coolest kid in school and figures that Gears alone will suffice. Like “iPod.” Leaving aside the back story about the move, Gears is certainly useful, especially now that more of the Google Apps portfolio plays well with it. Google Reader, Google Docs, and so forth. Not Gmail, yet, but soon enough, yes? We hope. Oh, and Zoho tips its hat to Gears, too.

Want to chat some? A number of chat applications can be enjoyed on Linux. We won’t go through the whole lot of ‘em. Some are more popular than others, naturally. And there’s nothing quite like hearing that an uber-familiar name like Skype is strutting its stuff in the open-source world - albeit in less-than-cutting-edge form. The Skype development team tend to follow the Windows-then-Mac-then-Linux formula when releasing updates. The basic’s are there in Skype 2.0 for Linux, though. VoIP and IM and video. Sound good? Good. Download away, then.

There is also Pidgin, for enthusiasts of a multi-protocol lifestyle. Formerly known as Gaim, Pidgin is said to work with AIM, Bonjour, Gadu-Gadu, Google Talk, Groupwise, ICQ, IRC, MSN, MySpaceIM, QQ, SILC, SIMPLE, Sametime, XMPP, Yahoo, and Zephyr. That good enough for you? Never enough, right? So it goes, fellow Mashables, so it goes.

Back in media land, an item by the name of Miro moves steadily along, aggregating video per users’ convenience. Like watching podcasts, do you? Miro makes it happen all in one place. And its latest release is available for Linux. Ubuntu Linux, to be specific. The Miro download page lists ‘Other Systems’ and ‘Source Code’ as well.

How about sharing your music? That has clearly turned out to be the next wave of music consumption. Well, hear this. Simplify Media, an outfit responsible for allowing friends to stream libraries over the Web in relatively private seclusion, is offered for PC, Mac, and Linux users alike. And if you happen to count yourself among the few in the Linux class who keep an iPhone or iPod touch in hand, a stroll through Apple’s App Store will show a free Simplify Media download.

We first covered a Java-based website analytics application called Woopra back in March and again in early June, and it may just be your cup of tea. That is if you’re one to watch numbers with a smile on your face. You get graphs, timelines, real-time chat with fellow stat geeks, and all of it in a pretty candy coating. Take it for a spin if nothing else. The least it’ll do is offer you some visual excitement. If you’re into that sort of thing, anyway.

Speaking of Java, something by the name of Wuala recently passed our news desk, and as with many other developments built on Sun’s ubiquitous coding platform, it works with Linux. Share files of all sizes with your buddies or the broader world. Use up 1 GB of cloud space free of charge, or spring for extra space on a per-annum payment plan.

Of course, file-sharing is no new concept. The peer-to-peer world has a storied history for sure. And if you want to take a bit more ordinary approach to the give and take of the BitTorrent realm whilst keeping an honest eye toward legal bounds - and maybe even some paid downloads - two names come to mind most quickly: BitTorrent.com and Vuze. The latter is the most recent evolutionary step to come from development of a program once called Azureus. It’s a treat. BitTorrent.com, meanwhile, is where you will find both a client that is Linux-compatible and a selection of media for download from the likes of FOX, Lionsgate, Paramount, Comedy Central, WB, ThinkFilm, and MTV. That’s a treat, too.

—Related Articles at Mashable! - The Social Networking Blog:Linux: Powering Your PCs Since 1910!gOS 2.0 Now Available For DownloadGoogle Joins OIN Open Source CommunityAmazon MP3 Now Open To Linux Users20+ Video Tutorials for Open Source Applications20+ Resources For Homebrew GamesGoogle Android Gets Handset on DoCoMo

Twitter announced on its blog today that it would no longer deliver outbound SMS over its UK number. In its place, the company claims, “Twitter will be introducing several new, local SMS numbers in countries throughout Europe, in the coming weeks and months. These new numbers will make Twittering more accessible for all the folks who have been using SMS to send long-distance updates through our UK number.”

Twitter said that it simply can’t afford to support long-distance SMS Twittering anymore and the company claims “it could cost Twitter about $1,000 per user per year to send SMS outside of Canada, India, or the US.”

And while I can understand where it’s coming from, isn’t this the perfect time for Twitter to wake up and establish a real business model?  So far, the site has added users and paid millions to keep it running with nothing to show for it but some venture funding.  And considering it barely escaped ruin after numerous downtimes over the past few months, now is the best time for the service to pull its head out of the sand and create a business model.

So what can it do?  That’s a tough call.  Some believe that it should add advertising to the timeline and others think ads should be placed within each message.  But in reality, there’s no easy way for Twitter to add advertising to the service and it’s going to take a full-fledged analysis of what users would be happy with before it can move forward.

But the clock is ticking.  Instead of spending money, Twitter needs to start making money if it wants to survive and keep its new investors happy.  And if this news highlights anything, it illustrates one point: Twitter seems lost about its business model and it needs to come to quickly if it wants to keep its full offering afloat.

—Related Articles at Mashable! - The Social Networking Blog:Twitter Mobile InterfaceQuick Fix For Twitter TroublesDon’t Send Bac’n: Use TwitterSearchPyzam and Others Shunned by MySpaceMosio Uses Twitter For Mobile Q&ATwitter Adds GMail Contacts ImportHow Messed Up Is Twitter For You Right Now? [Poll]

Source:Mashable!

Kaltura, the developer of an open-source video platform that has received a number of accolades over the previous 12 months or so, is bringing to market today version 1.0 of its WordPress plugin, designed to give blog owners and readers an easy way to interact through visual media.

Called the Interactive Video Plugin, the utility is best described as a comprehensive, all-in-one package. It works with WordPress 2.5 or higher and it involves everything from basic video posting (a la YouTube, Brightcove, etc.), video commenting (Viddler, Seesmic), as well as some editing, too.

We noted earlier this month the first emergence the WordPress plugin, so today’s announcement of the launch of 1.0 shows Kaltura to be on quite the fast-paced schedule. Kaltura has been on a noticeably well-rounded tear the past year or so, receiving accolades from throughout the technology industry. It is a name which proved itself popular in the Mashable sphere as well last winter, when it received a 2007 Open Web Award for best video-sharing service.

In its present form, the Interactive Video Plugin has virtually all of the hallmark signs of a well-integrated video platform for WordPress users. Its video editor, entirely cloud-based, enables both editing and remixing of recorded material, whether originally produced with Kaltura or gleaned from external sources. Naturally, blog administrators and owners can customize permissions for plugin access, much the same way they have long been able to so far as text publishing is concerned. And the Kaltura WordPress plugin also allows the person(s) in control to track videos.

The plugin is free to use, and as with Kaltura’s MediaWiki, Drupal and PHP & Ruby-specific designs, the company states that downloaders can expect to be able to stream up to 3GB of content each month at no additional cost.

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There are tons of open source applications out there, from operating systems to word processors to graphics programs and more. But, it’s often hard to find manuals or other documentation beyond what the developers have written (which, while technically correct, doesn’t always cover the nuances of actually using the program). Here are more than 20 video tutorials to get you going with four of the most popular open source programs out there: Gimp, Linux, Open Office, and Nvu.

Which tutorials are most helpful for you?

Gimp Video Tutorials

Gimp Tutorial: Pop Art - This tutorial shows how to take a regular photograph and turn it into a graphic piece of pop art.

The User Interface - This tutorial will give you a basic overview of Gimp’s user interface.

How to Change Hair Color - Ever wanted to try out a new hair color without actually dying your hair? Well, just use this Gimp tutorial to change your hair color in a photo.

Creating a Sketch Effect Using the Gimp - This tutorial goes over the basics of making a photo look like a hand-drawn sketch.

Transparent Glass Lettering - It’s great to know how to create transparent glass letters for website headers and banners, and to give your creations a more web 2.0 look.

Creating a Graduated Neutral Density Filter - Neutral density filters are a great tool for photography, and this tutorial will show you how to create the same effect in Gimp after you’ve taken the photo.

Full Flare Control with The Gimp - Flares can often be annoying in a photo, but sometimes they add that little extra something. This tutorial shows you how to take full control of flare creation.

Creating Water Drops - Adding water droplets to a leaf or a flower can be a cool effect in a photo, but is tricky to do. This tutorial explains exactly how to create realistic water droplets.

How to Create a Web 2.0 Logo Using the Gimp - Everyone needs a good web 2.0 logo, and this video will show you how.

Preparing an Image for the Web - This tutorial is the first in a series, and covers rotating, cropping, downscaling, pushing the colors, and sharpening an image.

Linux Video Tutorials

Using Multiple Workspaces in Puppy Linux - This tutorial shows how to configure Puppy Linux to have multiple workspaces.

Run Linux Under Windows - This tutorial shows how to run Linux or another operating system as a virtual system under your Windows operating system.

Install Ubuntu Linux 7.10 - This tutorial spells out exactly how to install Ubuntu Linux on your PC.

Backup Linux Mandriva 2008 - Learn how to back up your users and system configuration with this video tutorial.

(Very) Basic CD Burning Linux Mint Tutorial - Here’s a really basic tutorial on how to burn CDs using Linux Mint.

Open Office Video Tutorials

OpenOffice Tutorial - This tutorial is very complete, and covers installing, configuring and using OpenOffice.

Hidden Star Wars Game - This tutorial shows you how to access the hidden Star Wars game in OpenOffice.

How to Create a PDF with Open Office - This video shows how to create a PDF file from an OpenOffice file.

Open Office on Ubuntu Linux - This tutorial shows how to use Open Office on an Ubuntu Linux platform.

Nvu Video Tutorials

How to Modify a Website Template Using Nvu - This video tutorial shows how to customize a website template to meet your needs.

Installing Free Editor Nvu - This tutorial shows you how to get Nvu up and running on your computer.

Getting Started with Nvu - This video covers the basics of using Nvu for designing web pages.

Using Tables in Nvu - This tutorial shows how to create tables using Nvu.

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NY-based BricaBox which closed its doors last month, is now back as an open source platform. CEO Nate Westhimer explains, "I’ve heard from a number of people that open sourcing — or "freeing" — the code would be a good way to let the dream live on. After speaking with with several folks in the open source and free software communities, I believe this is the right thing to do."

Nate is now looking for developers to help with the forward progress of open sourcing the BricaBox code. I need to be honest here. I don’t think this is a wise move. First, Nate has already moved on and will he really want to be attached to BricaBox going forward? Second, was the application ever really finished? Nate shared the lessons he learned by running BricaBox and that should have been the end of it - or perhaps a full sale of IP and domain. What I think would have made sense is to offer code snippets that developers could use in their applications like the Google Maps mashup, etc.

It will be interesting to see what the open source experts at Ostatic think of this move. Check out all of our BricaBox coverage.

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Google is cracking down on copyright-infringing videos uploaded to its site. Sort of. Click through to Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire ” on YouTube and you’ll see a yellow box which reads, “This video contains an audio track that has not been authorized by all copyright holders. The audio has been disabled.” This is bad news for Songza, the Web jukebox which rips the audio track from YouTube videos.

If there’s no audio track to rip, Songza will go silent. But after so many obnoxious parodies using BIlly Joel’s song in the past few weeks, we’re not so sure that, in this particular instance, Google’s ban isn’t actually good news for the rest of us.

Source:Valleywag

Larry Ellison’s likely too busy counting all the money he made today to ask this question, but we will: Why did NetSuite’s shares rocket upwards in the final hours of trading today? The company went public with a Dutch auction, a process meant to get the best and fairest price for the company shares. This morning, it seemed like it had gone off flawlessly: The stock opened at $26, the auction-set price, and traded near there all morning. Then it suddenly raced upwards to close at $35.50, making the whole company worth $2.1 billion, and Ellison’s stake $1.3 billion.

One theory: Avaricious day traders, hoping that the stock might drop from its IPO price, may have sold it short. As the price slowly rose, they would have found themselves losing money, a position known as a “short squeeze.” To get out, they’d have to buy shares of a thinly traded stock, in a rising market — a formula guaranteed to push shares sky-high. Note that NetSuite only sold 6.2 million shared on the market, but 15.9 million shares changed hands today. That’s a lot of buying and selling. Any other theories? Let me know.

Source:Valleywag

Matthew Szulik is out as Red Hat’s CEO. CNET reports that the widely admired Szulik is stepping down because of his wife’s health problems. But don’t worry, open source cultists, the man replacing Szulik, Jim Whitehurst, has years of experience … in the airline industry. As Delta Airlines’ former COO, Whitehurst carefully guided the airline back from bankruptcy. Which is just like running a company with 28 percent revenue growth.

Get your resumes ready, Yahoos, if you haven’t already. That rumored Yahoo reorg? Oh, it’s on. We’ve heard that Yahoo has hired consultants Stone Yamashita Partners to help streamline the organization. And you know what consultants mean, right? As Mike Judge’s cult classic Office Space reminds us:

TOM: We’re all screwed, that’s what. They’re gonna downsize Initech.
SAMIR: Oh, what are you talking about Tom? How do you know that?
TOM: They’re bringing in a consultant - that’s how I know.

Stone Yamashita, of course, isn’t the big-bad downsizing kind of consultancy Tom and Samir are talking about — that’s more the McKinsey type. But Valleywag has heard Stone Yamashita has been working with Yahoo since the ouster of former CEO Terry Semel. The firm’s known for assisting companies in defining what they do — exactly the kind of help Yahoo really needs. If Stone Yamashita also helps Yang figure out that the newly redefined Yahoo doesn’t need so many layers of executives, all the better.

Source:Valleywag

David Pogue of the New York Times questions the need for the popular business-oriented social network: “What I don’t understand is: If somebody knows me well enough to e-mail me with an invitation to join, why doesn’t he just e-mail me directly with whatever his problem or offer is?” [Pogue’s Posts]

Source:Valleywag

CNET blogger and supposed open-source expert Matt Asay tragically misreads Google’s terms of service for Google Apps. An admittedly scary patch of legalese suggests, to Asay, that Google will take all of your private data, take over its copyright, and make it public. But in fact, it just says that if you use Google to host, say, a word-processing document or spreadsheet, and you want said document to be publicly available on the Web, you must agree to let Google, you know, make it public. Why Asay is resorting to scare tactics over this is beyond me. Is he pursuing an anti-Google agenda? Or is he just sloppy? I’m voting for just sloppy.