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Thursday, April 11, 2013

TechSource: How to Optimize the Performance of your Android Device

TechSource: How to Optimize the Performance of your Android Device


How to Optimize the Performance of your Android Device

Posted: 11 Apr 2013 01:23 AM PDT

Android users often complain of their smartphone or tablet being slower than their Apple counterparts. Many Android devices suffer from lags, slowdowns, battery drains and countless other problems. The reason for this, mainly, is that sometimes the hardware isn't good enough for the operating system to run on.

From my personal experience, I can attest to the fact. As soon as the new Jelly Bean upgrade came out, I installed it on my Nexus S device. Remember that Nexus S was the device that was the first smartphone to use Gingerbread OS and it has been a long time since its release. So, after being blown away by the amazing features that Google Now had to offer, I started seeing some lags and slowdowns. In fact, the moment I upgraded, I noticed that my smartphone wasn't as fast as it used to be. After googling up a bit, I found that the Jelly Bean OS was too heavy for my poor old Nexus S device. Things like these usually make me want to hit Google right in the head.

Anyways, after being disappointed by the recent upgrade, I started looking for ways to speed up my grudgingly slow device. Thankfully, Google was my friend again as I came across some great applications that helped me optimize the performance of my device. Though I haven't managed to make my Nexus S as fast as the latest Samsung Galaxy S4, its speed and battery life have significantly improved. Here are some tips that helped me speed things up:


Clean Master

Clean Master is an application that works like CCleaner does for Windows. It cleans up all the unnecessary files that slow down the performance of your Android device. Few of the features that work great are History Eraser, Task Killer, and Privacy Manager. The history eraser lets you clean up all the old files with one single click. This also means you get to clean cache files and residual files at once. Another feature that I love is the task killer. This will let you clean up all the background tasks that are hogging the system memory.

Finally, if you want a quick boost to your device, the application also lets you drop a quick boost widget onto your homescreen so that you can quickly kill all unwanted tasks without having to open the application. Clean Master is free and works perfectly on non-rooted smartphones.



NQ Mobile Guard

Mobile Guard is another free application that not only boosts your phone's performance, but also your battery life. The app has four battery-saving modes that you can choose from depending upon your need to save the battery and your overall usage. This app too provides one-click optimization for your smartphone along with virus scanning. If that wasn't enough, Mobile Guard also comes with a dedicated network manager and file manager. Overall, the app can act as your one-stop optimizer. If, however, you're in need of simply a task killer, you can opt for an app like Super Task Killer.



JuiceDefender

JuiceDefender is a dedicated battery-saving application for your Android device. This free application lets you save your battery life by killing tasks and services that are not required. For example, the app shuts down 3G when you aren't using the phone. However, it smartly turns it on every few minutes so that you won't end up losing on important messages. The smart app is free to download with some more features available for paid users.



Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

[HowtoForge] Newsletter 04/11/2013

HowtoForge Newsletter 04/11/2013
================================

*** Version 1.4 of the ISPConfig 3 Manual ***
=============================================

The next update of the ISPConfig 3 Manual is available in PDF format (version 1.4 for ISPConfig >= 3.0.5; Date: 02/22/2013).

Version 1.4 for ISPConfig >= 3.0.5 (Date: 02/22/2013)
Author: Falko Timme
373 pages

The manual can be downloaded from these two links:

http://www.ispconfig.org/ispconfig-3/ispconfig-3-manual/
http://www.howtoforge.com/download-the-ispconfig-3-manual


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ISPConfig Monitor App for Android Phones
========================================

With the ISPConfig Monitor App, you can check your server status and find out if all services are running as expected. You can check TCP and UDP ports and ping your servers. In addition to that you can use this app to request details from servers that have ISPConfig installed; these details include everything you know from the Monitor module in the ISPConfig Control Panel (e.g. services, mail and system logs, mail queue, CPU and memory info, disk usage, quota, OS details, RKHunter log, etc.).

Download/Usage
==============

For download and usage instructions, please visit http://www.ispconfig.org/ispconfig-3/ispconfig-monitor-app-for-android/ .


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*** HowtoForge Now Has Its own Facebook Page ***
================================================

We at HowtoForge are proud to announce that our new Facebook page is now available under http://www.facebook.com/howtoforge. As most of you probably have a Facebook account, we want to use this additional channel to post updates and get feedback from you. Therefore we would like you to "Like" our page, share it with your friends, post comments, etc.

http://www.facebook.com/howtoforge
********************************************************************


New HOWTOs:
===========

* Running PrestaShop 1.5.x On Nginx (LEMP) On Debian Wheezy/Ubuntu 12.10
* How To Upgrade OpenSUSE 12.2 To 12.3 (Desktop & Server)
* OpenSUSE 12.3 Samba Standalone Server With tdbsam Backend
* How To Run LinOTP On OpenSuSE 12.3 With PostgreSQL
* Nagios 3.x.x/Icinga 1.x.x Server Integration For SMS Alerts Via FoxBox Devices On Debian Squeeze

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Running PrestaShop 1.5.x On Nginx (LEMP) On Debian Wheezy/Ubuntu 12.10
======================================================================

This tutorial shows how you can install and run a PrestaShop 1.5.x web site on a Debian Wheezy or Ubuntu 12.10 system that has nginx installed instead of Apache (LEMP = Linux + nginx (pronounced "engine x") + MySQL + PHP). nginx is a HTTP server that uses much less resources than Apache and delivers pages a lot of faster, especially static files.

You can find the document here:
-------------------------------
http://www.howtoforge.com/running-prestashop-1.5.x-on-nginx-lemp-on-debian-wheezy-ubuntu-12.10




How To Upgrade OpenSUSE 12.2 To 12.3 (Desktop & Server)
=======================================================

This guide shows how you can upgrade your OpenSUSE 12.2 desktop and server installations to OpenSUSE 12.3.

You can find the document here:
-------------------------------
http://www.howtoforge.com/how-to-upgrade-opensuse-12.2-to-12.3-desktop-and-server




OpenSUSE 12.3 Samba Standalone Server With tdbsam Backend
=========================================================

This tutorial explains the installation of a Samba fileserver on OpenSUSE 12.3 and how to configure it to share files over the SMB protocol as well as how to add users. Samba is configured as a standalone server, not as a domain controller. In the resulting setup, every user has his own home directory accessible via the SMB protocol and all users have a shared directory with read-/write access.

You can find the document here:
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http://www.howtoforge.com/opensuse-12.3-samba-standalone-server-with-tdbsam-backend




How To Run LinOTP On OpenSuSE 12.3 With PostgreSQL
==================================================

This describes the installation of LinOTP on OpenSUSE 12.3 using PostgreSQL as a token database. LinOTP is a two factor authentication solution with One Time Passwords. In the following Howto we are showing how to enable SSH authentication with LinOTP.

You can find the document here:
-------------------------------
http://www.howtoforge.com/how-to-run-linotp-on-opensuse-12.3-with-postgresql




Nagios 3.x.x/Icinga 1.x.x Server Integration For SMS Alerts Via FoxBox Devices On Debian Squeeze
================================================================================================

In this tutorial I will describe how to configure mod_compress on a Lighttpd web server (on Debian Squeeze). mod_compress allows Lighttpd to compress files and deliver them to clients (e.g. browsers) that can handle compressed content which most modern browsers do. With mod_compress, you can compress HTML, CSS, Javascript, text or XML files to approx. 20 - 30% of their original sizes, thus saving you server traffic and making your modem users happier.

You can find the document here:
-------------------------------
http://www.howtoforge.com/nagios-3.x.x-icinga-1.x.x-server-integration-for-sms-alerts-via-foxbox-devices-on-debian-squeeze


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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You can now support HowtoForge by becoming a subscriber:

HowtoForge Subscription
=======================

*** New! We now accept RBS WorldPay payments in addition to PayPal. ***

For a monthly fee of 5 EUR or 25 EUR for half a year, you can become a HowtoForge supporter and help us cover our costs (servers, bandwidth, etc.) and support ISPConfig development. In return, you receive the following benefits:

1. Download the ISPConfig 3 Manual (from http://www.howtoforge.com/download-the-ispconfig-3-manual).
2. Access the whole HowtoForge web site without any ads.
3. Download the results of our tutorials as VMware images (where available) (a list of downloadable VMware images is available here: http://www.howtoforge.com/list-of-downloadable-vmware-images).
4. Download our tutorials as PDF files.
5. View our tutorials as printer-friendly pages.
6. You will be marked as a "HowtoForge Supporter" in your forum posts.
7. Plus, you support the ISPConfig development.

If you have the free VMware Server or Player installed, you can import our VMware images and start playing around with the results of our tutorials immediately. It's a great way to track down problems with your own setup or simply to save time. ;-)

More details can be found on http://www.howtoforge.com/subscription.

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Best Regards,

Your HowtoForge Team
Email: info@howtoforge.com
URL: http://www.howtoforge.com

To unsubscribe or update your records, click here: http://newsletter.howtoforge.com/howtoforge/user/update.php?email=matrixunix.ubuntu@blogger.com&code=d8531959c7da2982ec3a7f8f82a13961

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

TechSource: Online Results in Ubuntu's Dash: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

TechSource: Online Results in Ubuntu's Dash: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly


Online Results in Ubuntu's Dash: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Posted: 08 Apr 2013 09:00 PM PDT

Ubuntu wants to be the Google of your desktop. Yes, it really does. It wants you to be able to search for anything right from your desktop without even opening your browser. Sounds crazy right? On one side, you have Google letting you place all your world in your web browser, Ubuntu, on the other hand, tends to pull you away from the web and instead brings the web to your desktop. Now, as convenient as both ideas sound, many users are afraid of extremes. I, for example, would not like moving my whole life to a web browser much like Google Chromebook proponents do.

That said, I have a huge amount of data stored in the cloud. Moreover, being a premium Google Drive user, I have more than 20GB of cloud space ready to be filled up by my personal files once a decent Google Drive client for Linux shows up. But back to the problem of extremes, Ubuntu is trying to do what Google has been trying to do for the past couple of years. It wants to handle everything for you. Whether you want to create a new spreadsheet, organize your photos, take a backup to the cloud, or find a new book to read online, Ubuntu's new strategy of complete dominance sounds solid on paper. Furthermore, if you look at it from Shuttleworth's perspective, this is an excellent plan to increase the meager Ubuntu user base. Basically, what he's trying to do is rope in as many users as possible from all platforms.

Though this strategy is praised by many people, it has drawn a lot of criticism too. Let's take a look at what's good, what's bad, and what's ugly about the new online integration in Ubuntu.


The Good

You install a brand new version of Ubuntu. You poke around, check out the new features and then what? If you were like most people reading this article, you'd probably go back to your web browser and do your work. Majority of new users spend most of their time on the web. Ubuntu's online integration appeals largely to that user base. Instead of you going to the web to find results, the whole web is brought to you without you having to search in multiple locations. Comparing to Google -- despite the huge differences in both the technologies -- is inevitable. What Google Now is to Android, Ubuntu's online integration is to desktop. It gets results when you need them the most without you having to go anywhere.

Another good thing about Smart Scopes or online integration is that it is a quick way to buy songs, books, or other media without spending hours in a browser. Online integration is smart, innovative, and useful.


The Bad


Online integration is new. Having considered that factor, there still are many problems with this approach. If you're searching for a query X, the number of irrelevant promotional results is still very high. This means that though you'll find what you search for, chances are you'll be distracted by a bunch of unwanted results too because the desktop will also search for Amazon to get your results.

Coming to performance, online search results will slow down the computer a bit. Though users with the latest computer hardware won't see the difference, there will, however, be a noticeable lag when new users will use it.


The Ugly

Though you can safely disable the online features, many people are still concerned about their privacy when using Ubuntu. After all, if a feature is there, why won't I use it? But to use it, you might have to be a bit wary about your privacy. Thankfully, though, privacy isn't a big problem if you absolutely don't need the service. However, if you're like me, perpetually marred by the self-conflict of trying out a new feature yet saving my privacy, this may be the worst part of your user experience. 



Conclusion

There have been considerable debates about the inclusion of online features in Ubuntu's Dash. Richard Stallman, for example, has gone so far as to call Ubuntu a spyware. However, only time will tell if Shuttleworth's strategy will take off or not.


Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

Saturday, April 6, 2013

TechSource: Simple Tips to Further Speed Up Google Chrome

TechSource: Simple Tips to Further Speed Up Google Chrome


Simple Tips to Further Speed Up Google Chrome

Posted: 05 Apr 2013 08:23 PM PDT

When Chrome came out, it was the speediest web browser around. Switching from Firefox felt like moving from a horse cart to a Ferrari. That said, over time Mozilla has managed quite well to bridge that gap. Firefox is almost as fast as Chrome and so are other browsers. But, thanks to the sheer amount of features that Chrome offers, many people still stick with Chrome even though it tends to bloat at times.

From my personal experience, I use Chrome on both Windows and Linux. And yes, it tends to slow down at times. However, there's nothing wrong with the browser here. The browser is great, the only problem is that it cannot handle too many things at once and hence it tends to slow down, especially on old computers. Thankfully, though, there are some quick solutions on how to avoid slowing down your Chrome browser and breezily browse through your favorite online pages.


1. Control Tab Overload

One of my biggest problems is that I have too many tabs open. When I'm working, you'll find me with 20 tabs open at once when suddenly my browser slows down to such a point that I get frustrated. After Googling a while, I came across a simple solution for tab-based bloating: OneTab extension. Once installed, this simple extension will help you free up your memory by as much as 95%. Yep, that's right. This extension closes all the unnecessary tabs and clubs them together in a single tab, thus freeing a lot of your memory. You can then access all your closed tabs from one single page, manage them, and even reorder them.

Alternatively, you can also use other tab management extensions like TooManyTabs that will help you manage tab overload.


2. Uninstall Unwanted Extensions

Earlier, I used to like 10 to 12 extensions installed on my Chrome. Ever since it started to slow down, I experimented with uninstalling add-ons one by one. As I uninstalled a few, my browser's performance increased quite a lot. To put it simply, only install the extensions you need. Moreover, it is always advisable to check Chrome's task manager whether there are any processes that consume memory.


3. Disable Experimental Features

If you'd tried out any of the experimental features in about:flags and are experiencing a slowdown, it's time to disable them. Simply go to about:flags and disable the unwanted features. In fact, if you're experiencing a slowdown, it is best to disable all the features. Once you're done, simply relaunch the browser.


4. Keep Chrome Running in Background

Go to Chrome Settings -> Advanced -> and check the option that says Continue running background apps when Google Chrome is closed. This will let Chrome run in the background when it's closed thus speeding up your start up time. If you're experiencing overall slowdown on your desktop after enabling this feature, it is best to disable it.


Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

Thursday, April 4, 2013

[HowtoForge] Newsletter 04/04/2013

HowtoForge Newsletter 04/04/2013
================================

*** Version 1.4 of the ISPConfig 3 Manual ***
=============================================

The next update of the ISPConfig 3 Manual is available in PDF format (version 1.4 for ISPConfig >= 3.0.5; Date: 02/22/2013).

Version 1.4 for ISPConfig >= 3.0.5 (Date: 02/22/2013)
Author: Falko Timme
373 pages

The manual can be downloaded from these two links:

http://www.ispconfig.org/ispconfig-3/ispconfig-3-manual/
http://www.howtoforge.com/download-the-ispconfig-3-manual


*********************************************
*********************************************


ISPConfig Monitor App for Android Phones
========================================

With the ISPConfig Monitor App, you can check your server status and find out if all services are running as expected. You can check TCP and UDP ports and ping your servers. In addition to that you can use this app to request details from servers that have ISPConfig installed; these details include everything you know from the Monitor module in the ISPConfig Control Panel (e.g. services, mail and system logs, mail queue, CPU and memory info, disk usage, quota, OS details, RKHunter log, etc.).

Download/Usage
==============

For download and usage instructions, please visit http://www.ispconfig.org/ispconfig-3/ispconfig-monitor-app-for-android/ .


*********************************************
********************************************


*** HowtoForge Now Has Its own Facebook Page ***
================================================

We at HowtoForge are proud to announce that our new Facebook page is now available under http://www.facebook.com/howtoforge. As most of you probably have a Facebook account, we want to use this additional channel to post updates and get feedback from you. Therefore we would like you to "Like" our page, share it with your friends, post comments, etc.

http://www.facebook.com/howtoforge
********************************************************************


New HOWTOs:
===========

* The Perfect Server - CentOS 6.4 x86_64 (nginx, Dovecot, ISPConfig 3)
* Running Redaxo 4.4.x On Nginx (LEMP) On Debian Wheezy/Ubuntu 12.10
* Installing And Using OpenVZ On CentOS 6.4

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Perfect Server - CentOS 6.4 x86_64 (nginx, Dovecot, ISPConfig 3)
====================================================================

This tutorial shows how to prepare a CentOS 6.4 x86_64 server for the installation of ISPConfig 3, and how to install ISPConfig 3. ISPConfig 3 is a webhosting control panel that allows you to configure the following services through a web browser: nginx web server, Postfix mail server, MySQL, BIND nameserver, PureFTPd, SpamAssassin, ClamAV, Mailman, and many more. Since version 3.0.4, ISPConfig comes with full support for the nginx web server in addition to Apache; this tutorial covers the setup of a server that uses nginx, not Apache.

You can find the document here:
-------------------------------
http://www.howtoforge.com/perfect-server-centos-6.4-x86_64-nginx-dovecot-ispconfig-3




Running Redaxo 4.4.x On Nginx (LEMP) On Debian Wheezy/Ubuntu 12.10
==================================================================

This tutorial shows how you can install and run a Redaxo 4.4.x web site on a Debian Wheezy or Ubuntu 12.10 system that has nginx installed instead of Apache (LEMP = Linux + nginx (pronounced "engine x") + MySQL + PHP). nginx is a HTTP server that uses much less resources than Apache and delivers pages a lot of faster, especially static files.

You can find the document here:
-------------------------------
http://www.howtoforge.com/running-redaxo-4.4.x-on-nginx-lemp-on-debian-wheezy-ubuntu-12.10




Installing And Using OpenVZ On CentOS 6.4
=========================================

In this HowTo I will describe how to prepare a CentOS 6.4 server for OpenVZ. With OpenVZ you can create multiple Virtual Private Servers (VPS) on the same hardware, similar to Xen and the Linux Vserver project. OpenVZ is the open-source branch of Virtuozzo, a commercial virtualization solution used by many providers that offer virtual servers. The OpenVZ kernel patch is licensed under the GPL license, and the user-level tools are under the QPL license.

You can find the document here:
-------------------------------
http://www.howtoforge.com/installing-and-using-openvz-on-centos-6.4


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

You can now support HowtoForge by becoming a subscriber:

HowtoForge Subscription
=======================

*** New! We now accept RBS WorldPay payments in addition to PayPal. ***

For a monthly fee of 5 EUR or 25 EUR for half a year, you can become a HowtoForge supporter and help us cover our costs (servers, bandwidth, etc.) and support ISPConfig development. In return, you receive the following benefits:

1. Download the ISPConfig 3 Manual (from http://www.howtoforge.com/download-the-ispconfig-3-manual).
2. Access the whole HowtoForge web site without any ads.
3. Download the results of our tutorials as VMware images (where available) (a list of downloadable VMware images is available here: http://www.howtoforge.com/list-of-downloadable-vmware-images).
4. Download our tutorials as PDF files.
5. View our tutorials as printer-friendly pages.
6. You will be marked as a "HowtoForge Supporter" in your forum posts.
7. Plus, you support the ISPConfig development.

If you have the free VMware Server or Player installed, you can import our VMware images and start playing around with the results of our tutorials immediately. It's a great way to track down problems with your own setup or simply to save time. ;-)

More details can be found on http://www.howtoforge.com/subscription.

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Best Regards,

Your HowtoForge Team
Email: info@howtoforge.com
URL: http://www.howtoforge.com

To unsubscribe or update your records, click here: http://newsletter.howtoforge.com/howtoforge/user/update.php?email=matrixunix.ubuntu@blogger.com&code=d8531959c7da2982ec3a7f8f82a13961

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

TechSource: Best Android Apps For Learning Guitar

TechSource: Best Android Apps For Learning Guitar


Best Android Apps For Learning Guitar

Posted: 02 Apr 2013 07:16 PM PDT

Learning a guitar is no easy task. Well, it's not that difficult either if you are learning from a pro; however, if you are learning on your own then it becomes sort of difficult. The first thing you'll need is a guitar and a good amount of resources from the Internet. On YouTube there are thousands of videos that help you learn the instrument. Moreover, there are also many websites that sell recorded guitar tutorials via DVDs and CDs. In short, the Internet is replete with resources for guitar learners. Our good old Google Play Store is no exception. The Android app store comes with a plethora of amazing apps that help amateur guitarists learn the instrument at a faster pace.

While no substitute for a guitar teacher, these Android apps would assist you to be able to play guitar better and would also help you learn a few tricks to impress your friends:


Ultimate Guitar Tabs

With over 400,000 tabs and chords, Ultimate Guitar is considered as one of the best resources for learning new songs on the guitar. The site offers a huge collection of tablatures of popular songs and also lets you submit your own. This paid app brings all the site's goodness to your mobile phone. The app, once installed, lets you search and view their huge catalog of tabs and chords. You can also upgrade the app to get interactive tabs that are similar to Guitar Pro and Power Tab. Overall, an indispensable tool if you want to play the latest song that you heard from the radio on your guitar.

 


Ultimate Guitar Tuner


Another paid app from the same company, Ultimate Guitar Tuner lets you tune your instrument with the touch of a button. Simply place your smartphone near your guitar and lets start plucking the notes. The tuner will pick up sounds from your phone's microphone and show you whenever your guitar has been tuned. There's also a feature that allows you to tune the instrument by ear.
 


Learn Guitar Chords

This free application lets you learn all the popular guitar chords. The app lets you play out the chords on your smartphone so that you get to know the fret positions by heart. As for the sounds, you can choose between electric and acoustic so that you get an idea what the chord sounds like on both the instruments.
 


Learn Guitar

Learn Guitar is a free application that can comes in quite handy if you are learning the instrument on your own. With 8 beginner lessons, 6 intermediate lessons, and 6 advanced lessons, the app comes with helpful sounds and visuals that make learning much easier.
 


Guitar Lessons Free

This free application comes with detailed guitar lessons that you can peruse at your own convenience. The app is actually a book of lessons that teaches you everything from the basics of the fretboard to the Arpeggios. Worth a try if you prefer reading a lot about what you're learning.
 


Jamstar Acoustics-Learn Guitar

This free application lets you learn to play the guitar in 90 interactive lessons. Covering the instrument right from the basics, Jamstar's Learn Guitar lets you learn the instrument in a simple, well-paced, and exciting manner. The app's lessons cover all the main things like plucking, fingering, solos, chords, scales, jam sessions, melodies, rock riffs, and more.

A great feature in this app is that it lets you record your playing using your smartphone's built-in microphone and gives you feedback accordingly. Moreover, once you're done with a lesson, you can share your learning progress with your friends on Facebook. Jamstar also comes with an interactive guitar tuner so that you won't have any excuses for putting off today's lesson for tomorrow. Overall, it is one of the best apps out there if you are starting from scratch.
 


Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

Monday, April 1, 2013

TechSource: Canonical Announces Ubuntu for Washing Machines

TechSource: Canonical Announces Ubuntu for Washing Machines


Canonical Announces Ubuntu for Washing Machines

Posted: 31 Mar 2013 05:30 PM PDT

After announcing Ubuntu for phones and tablets, it seems like there's no stopping to Canonical's growth. Following a 2-day countdown that teased its impatient fans, Canonical finally unveiled its latest innovation: Ubuntu for washing machines (Ubuntu WM OS). Targeted at both front-loading and top-loading washing machines, this newest iteration of the open-source operating system plans to revolutionize the way clothes are washed. 

Ubuntu WM OS is a brand-new innovation that plans to change the way clothes are washed. With a uniquely designed Dash menu along with online integration, the new OS comes with a promising set of features. One of the biggest features is its amazing ability to multitask. You can Skype with your friends, check your email, and monitor your laundry at the same time.  

Shuttleworth, who announced the news on his blog, seemed very excited and positive about the new project. For him, this is just another step in bringing Ubuntu to every device possible. Though hybrid washing machines are not supported, Ubuntu WM OS will run perfectly well across most front-loading and top-loading machines. Like Ubuntu for Tablets, this version of the OS shares the same codebase as the desktop version. This means that you'll be able to run the same apps across all of your devices. So, you can casually check the photos of last night's party on Gwibber while the machine washes away the stains from your clothes.

Though Ubuntu WM OS lets you use your device as a stand-alone washing machine, it can also serve as a full-fledged desktop. Simply connect a monitor to your machine (placing it on top of the machine is recommended) along with a mouse and a keyboard and then you can have a full-fledged desktop that also takes care of your laundry. The Canonical chief seemed pretty happy about the project. "We want to bring Ubuntu everywhere," wrote Shuttleworth on his blog, "This project is an enormous and concentrated investment in making a core platform that can be widely consumed. I've absolutely no doubt that Ubuntu will completely revolutionize the way washing machines work."

Though as ambitious as the project sounds, there aren't many hardware manufacturers ready to invest in this project. LG and IFB are partners Shuttleworth would ideally aim for, but at the moment, they're alone in this battle. "Partners have expressed interest," Shuttleworth told us, but refused to elaborate too much on it. It remains to be seen whether manufacturers will take interest in a platform that is so new and challenging that even Apple has refused to touch.

Not everyone was happy with the announcement, though. While many Ubuntu fans rejoiced at the decision, many called it an "utter failure" thus sparking a huge debate among Linux fans. Richard M. Stallman, was quite vocal when expressing his discontent with Ubuntu's decision. "I have never owned a washing machine, and now I have one more reason not to buy one," said the free software activist.