Software

Google on Wednesday released a Firefox extension to keep browser settings in sync across multiple computers. Google Browser Sync is a free plug-in for the popular open source browser that continuously synchronizes bookmarks, history, persistent cookies, tabs and saved passwords across different PCs....

The best software developers in the world know you can't create code without bugs -- it's just not possible. However, new open source software being put to use by open source projects including Evolution, Gaim, theGimp, Gnome, Rhythmbox and others can more quickly find the worst bugs, including thos...

Up-and-coming European security software player BitDefender has updated both its Linux-based perimeter protection security suite and its Linux Edition solution for antivirus scanning on Linux and FreeBSD platforms. The company's new products highlight the latest filtering protection for Windows and ...

Red Hat is reaching beyond Linux geeks and system administrators with its latest effort to provide open source tools and community networks not around enterprise computing, but centered on digital media including music and television. Dubbed "Mugshot," the new Red Hat initiative consists of a Web si...

Sun Microsystems partnered with a somewhat unlikely ally as it announced Tuesday that the popular Ubuntu Linux operating system would run on its latest Sparc servers, the 'Niagara'-based Sun Fire T1000 and T2000 enterprise servers. The two may combine for a powerful server punch, as Sun's Ultra-Spar...

Sun Microsystems announced this week the availability of four new plug-in modules for the open source NetBeans integrated development environment. The new plug-in modules include Jackpot, Real Time Java technology, Web Services Interoperability Technology and Grid Compute Server for NetBeans. The ne...

In his opening keynote speech at the 11th annual JavaOne developer conference, Sun Microsystems President and CEO Jonathan Schwartz outlined new Java solutions and open source plans in front of thousands of international attendees. "It's not a question of whether, but a question of how," Schwartz to...

Xandros, a provider of easy-to-use Linux-based software applications, and Scalix, a provider of e-mail and calendaring for Linux and open source systems, have announced that Scalix messaging and collaboration capability will be added to the forthcoming Xandros Server. The integration of Scalix withi...

Sun Microsystems on Thursday announced that the Java Platform, Enterprise Edition 5 specification has been approved by the Java Community Process Java EE/SE Executive Committee. Java EE is a platform for Java and Web services deployment. It has 30 licensees and includes innovations provided by more ...

The International Standards Organization on Wednesday approved the OpenDocument Format as an international standard. The approval could be a boon for companies that compete with Microsoft's proprietary Office software -- like Sun with its StarOffice. The ODF emerged from the open source OpenOffice.o

Richard Stallman is a free software pioneer. As president of the Free Software Foundation and founder of the GNU Project, he is also an evangelist of a free society in which people have inaliable rights to run, study, copy and distribute software. As such, Stallman is often grieved when he reads new...

Open source database developer MySQL has introduced MySQL Forge, a Web site and community directory designed to encourage MySQL users and developers to communicate, collaborate, and share MySQL code and applications. MySQL also announced new support for Ubuntu, a version of the Linux operating syste...

Linspire on Monday announced plans to offer a no-cost version of the firm's operating system called Freespire. Kevin Carmony, Linspire's President and CEO, unveiled the Freespire project in his keynote address at the 4th Annual Desktop Linux Summit in San Diego. In his remarks, Carmony explained how...

Fourteen Linux vendors have united behind the Linux Standard Base 3.1 -- the first version of the LSB to include support for portable Linux desktop applications -- according to the Free Standards Group, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to developing and promoting open source software standard...

VMware and a group of hardware, software and service providers on Monday announced the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Alliance to build joint virtual desktop products together. IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Hitachi, NEC, and Sun are among the more than 20 companies that make up the new alliance. Virtualizat...