The most popular VoIP service has release a new version of their Linux application. Finally achieving parity with the Skype apps on Windows and Mac OS X. Skype was recently bought by Microsoft and this beta has been in the labs for so long I can’t remember. So this release may serve to calm fires regarding whether  it will keep supporting Linux. In fact, Skype’s support just gets wider and wider, ironically though, the worst of all its apps is the one for Windows Phone 7. New in this release, codenamed Four Rooms for Improvement, are the new call interface (which… Continue Reading

Last week we revised Calligra’s presentation app, namely Stages; we didn’t doubt to call it a piece of software not ready for prime time yet. Today we take a look to Sheets and the situation is completely different. Sheets it’s a mature application ready to fight toe-to-toe with any out there. As we’ve been doing with other members of the Calligra family we will start by talking about the main dockers. Main Docker It’s used to insert formulas into cells with a little more space and more comfortably (like the main formula line in most spreadsheets apps). Once you finished writing a… Continue Reading

KDE has announced its newest Beta, and it’s asking people to be testers to clear out as many bugs as possible before the launch, they’re dividing their beta testers in two categories: Informal testers, which will use their systems normally, and Formal testers which will focus in particular parts and stressing out applications. End users should be pretty excited about this new release, according to the KDE developers itself the highlights of this release are: Qt Quick in Plasma Workspaces — Qt Quick is continuing to make its way into the Plasma Workspaces; the Qt Quick Plasma Components, which were introduced… Continue Reading

Stage is Calligra’s presentation app. Thanks to the fact that it supports ISO standards presentation can be opened and edited by all popular applications. Dockers As all other members of the suite its UX design is build around dockers. As a big example of how integrated Calligra’s app are, Stage’s main dockers are shared dockers, and therefore we’ve covered it in our opening article regarding Calligra. That said, Stage does have a few dockers specifically designed for it. Document Shows a list of all slides. You can easily add and remove slides. It has three different view modes: Thumbnail view, Detail view… Continue Reading

Every six months all members of the Ubuntu family get updated. Every six months new features are added, bugs are corrected, new apps get in, some apps get off. Some releases come once every three years. Long Term Support (LTS) releases must be more stable and polished than usual, there’s less room for experiments, this versions are meant to be used for a long time and by users on enterprises or managing systems that require as much stability and longevity as possible. Moreover, Kubuntu 12.04 isn’t just another LTS, it’s also the last Kubuntu version with the lead developer Jonathan… Continue Reading

KDE’s most powerful video editor just got upgraded. Kdenlive is a multitrack editor with a wide support of cameras and video codecs. New in this release is a rewritten effect stack, effects can now be adjusted on real time. One innovative feature is how it integrates with archive.org, Free Sound and Open Clip Art . By connecting to their database you can download different clips of audio and video all with open licences, meaning it’s absolutely legal to use them in your own personal productions. If you want to try it out, or upgrade your current installation, just add ppa:sunab/kdenlive-release to your repositories. Source:… Continue Reading

The first alpha of the upcoming 1.4 version of Muon has been released, in our series about package managers we presented in detail. The most prominent new feature is Muon Discover, this feature is being developed by Alex González under the sponsorship of Blue Systems: Kubuntu’s new sponsor and Netrunner’s too. Muon Discover aims to eventually replace the Muon Software Center, but not in this version. It offers a new way to install and find new software at the same time it offers a good user experience, full with animations, good looking transitions and screenshots, this is achieved thanks to… Continue Reading

I’m in the process of writing about Calligra, a relatively young project. What I’ve come to realize is that very few developers seem to understand where the world is heading, and even more importantly, where the world is at. The future is on the cloud is something people often hear, and for a reason, because the future is definitively cloud related. The Cloud offers many advantages which are unprecedented, it’s platform agnostic, it can be accessed with any computer from any internet provider from any part of the world… well, perhaps not any, but chances are you’re not trapped between… Continue Reading