OpenOffice.org 3.0 beta shrugs off X11

The OpenOffice.org Community has announced the public beta release of OpenOffice.org 3.0, a new version of the free office productivity software suite for various platforms including Mac OS X.

OpenOffice.org Beta Fails the Office 2007 Test
I'm not embarrassed to admit it: I'm a big fan of Office 2007. I think Microsoft got a lot right with its latest release, starting with the ribbon interface and including any number of tweaks and improvements that make my day easier. I can't say I'm thrilled about the price of the suite, however; nor the countless SKUs to choose from. Plus, I'm also a big Linux fan. That's why I always try to keep my eye on the current state of OpenOffice.org, the open source office suite founded by Sun.

Microsoft to help disabled access Office documents
Microsoft has released a software add-in to help those who have difficulty reading printed documents to turn Word documents into audio files.

Mozilla: Firefox plugin shipped with malicious code
Mozilla warned Wednesday that a malicious program inserted adware code into a Firefox plugin that has been downloaded thousands of times over the past three months.

Google backs open-source CERT group
Google has thrown its weight behind a fledgling security reporting group for the open-source community.

Response team boosts open-source security
IT managers often assume that open source software is more secure than proprietary commercial software. Anyone who uses open source can examine the original code to spot any lurking vulnerabilities, and potentially even fix the vulnerabilities themselves. With proprietary software, you have to trust the vendor to do it all for you.

OpenSolaris ready for prime time
Sun Microsystems on Monday will launch a supported version of OpenSolaris at the CommunityOne conference in San Francisco.

Adobe establishes Open Screen Project for Flash, AIR
Adobe launched a new community development project on Thursday aimed at using its Flash and AIR (Adobe Integrated Runtime) technologies to create a consistent application interface across all devices -- whether they are smartphones, PCs or set-top boxes.

Start-up adds standard PCs to storage pools
A storage virtualization start-up that takes standard PCs and adds their disk space to a virtual storage pool is in beta mode.

Black Duck buying Koders for code search
Black Duck Software plans to announce Monday that it has purchased the assets of Koders, maker of a code search engine and other tools, for an undisclosed sum.

Ubuntu 8.04 released
The latest version of the popular Ubuntu Linux distribution was officially released to the public Thursday after the customary beta-test period. This version is designated "LTS," for "long-term support," which should make it attractive to business customers who prefer a longer upgrade cycle for their operating systems.

Ubuntu releases Hardy Heron
Yet another six months has passed and another Ubuntu Linux release is out the door. April 2008 signals the release of Ubuntu 8.04, or Hardy Heron, and follows the Feisty Fawn and Gutsy Gibbon releases of 2007 with the intention making Linux as desktop friendly as Windows or Mac OS X.

Gifts of Open Source
Combining 'Open Source' and 'storage' in the same sentence used to trigger a sardonic grin, but no longer. The availability of free and open software is as true today for storage as it is for operating systems and applications.

Open Solutions Alliance looking for momentum boost
The Open Solutions Alliance is hoping to shake off some growing pains as it moves through its second year, according to its president, Dominic Sartorio.

Red Hat skips consumer Linux desktop
Red Hat has no plans to create a traditional desktop product for the consumer market, but will continue to place its bets on a desktop for commercial markets.

All

• SCO CEO takes the witness stand
• Linux visionary convicted of murder
• Ubuntu releases Hardy Heron
• Computer experts protest Microsoft OOXML
• US software lock-ins harm local bidders

LugRadio Live USA San Francisco, April 12-13 2008.

Nerdapalooza Orlando, Florida, July 4-5 2008.

LinuxWorld Conference and Expo San Francisco, August 4-7, 2008.