Update: Also, no camera and no Adobe Flash = NOT GOOD. This would be  a GREAT device for Hulu or video chat…guess that won’t be happening.

First, you know I am a Linux/OpenSource advocate, user, and fan. That said, I have no small amount of respect for the design aesthetic and usability leaps that Apple often makes with its products. I am trying the watch the live stream of the announcement, but it’s buggy…I think because it’s being hammered so hard by the geeks of the world right now. Anyway, so here’s a few thoughts I’m having as I watch this thing:

• The name: iPad. Really? Sounds a lot like the iPod, only not nearly as cool. I was partial to the “iSlate” rumor myself.

• This is basically just a huge iPod touch.

• Since Apple sets trends, I am excited about the movement toward an all-purpose, touch-screen, always-connected device.

• The iBooks application will complete what Amazon started with the publishing industry in terms of making most books (if not all) available digitally. This is great.

• You’re reading on a light-emitting screen though…not sure how that plays out in the long run compared to e-Ink.

• Haven’t really seen text-input demonstrated yet…how is this going work? Since it is a capacitative touch screen, how can artists accomplish detailed work without a stylus?

• They are really pimping games. This is interesting to because I wouldn’t really see this as a gaming device. But whatever.

• Okay here we go with the iWork demo. Let’s see some text-input! No, still no demo. I think this is where the device could sink or swim.

I am not sure what this means for Linux/OSS, but I am sure Google will be adapting Android into something like this soon. Looking forward to seeing the open source community respond with hardware and software.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-mozilla-daily/ppa

(adds the Mozilla repository to your sources)

sudo apt-get update

(updates your sources)

sudo apt-get install firefox-3.6

(downloads and installs the app. You’ find it in Applications > Internet > Namoroka Web Browser)

I’ve used lots of note-taking apps over the years. Online apps, offline apps, gui apps, command-line apps, mobile apps, personal wikis–pretty much everything. But I keep coming back to plain text files for my notes when I take them on my computer. I do a lot of stuff (journaling, meeting notes, etc) the lo-fi way (pen and paper) these days, but when I do take and record notes via keyboard, plain text just works. It’s small, portable, easily converted to rich-text, and no-hassle. Seems almost too simple given the plethora of outstanding note-taking applications out there, but it does continue to work for me.

On Ubuntu, the default text-editor Gedit works great, and has a few extra features that make taking plain-text notes a bit more convenient, like a side-bar file browser so you can easily open multiple files, and automatic time/date insertion if you’re keeping a journal.

Am I the only one that keeps coming back to plain-text for my digital notes?

Startup is noticeably smoother, and the new login screen is slick. I was really impressed by the new default visual look. For the first time since I’ve been using Ubuntu, the only visual element I changed right away was the background (and by the way, they include a lot of really nice ones in this release). The GTK theme, while still brown, is richer, darker, and much more elegant looking. The new icon theme also really adds to the visual appeal…it’s much more sophisticated than the old icon set. I love how the default tray icons for the volume, wifi, etc, are so minimalistic. Clean lines everywhere…it’s just great.

Performance-wise, it’s pretty much the same as Jaunty…reasonably snappy on my hardware, with some improvements on login speed.

I am really digging Empathy as the new instant messaging client over Pidgin…I love how integrated with the desktop it feels, and also how lightweight it is. The new Ubuntu Software Center is cool…and no doubt a boon for new users. It’s head-and-shoulders over the old “Add/Remove Programs” in my opinion. I’ll still be using Synaptic, of course, but the n00bs will really like how easy the Software Center is to use.

As something of a wannabe minimalist, I dig how minimal Ubuntu is out of the box in terms of its look and included apps, and I especially like how easy it is to configure it to work just how I want it to. The new GNOME and related apps are great, but I may still go back to Openbox, and with Ubuntu, it’s as easy as a few clicks.

Really, there’s not much else to say about the new Ubuntu. It’s solid, slick, functional, understated, elegant, and slightly less brown than before. Everything you want in an operating system.

From the website:

Our label represents bands and solo artists alike. We also represent a family of musicians. The vision of ASR is to bring together artists and producers who can work together and promote each other’s music productions.

A great thing about Matt and his vision for ASR is his emphasis on ASR as an open organization. An obvious commitment to open file formats, DRM-free monetization strategies, and free software (stuff like Audacity, Ardour, & GIMP) are all things that make me excited to work with ASR to promote my music and the music of others that have a similar vision.

Check out my ASR profile here.

It’s Software Freedom Day 2009! Many of you know I love me some open source software…and today is great day to learn more if you’re at all interested. From the official Software Freedom Day Website:

In an increasingly digital age, more and more of our everyday experiences depend upon software. Software influences how we interact with each other, enjoy different media, vote, get paid, and even navigate our roads. Software underpins our very way of life, our basic freedoms such as freedom of association, freedom of thought, freedom of choice and much more, yet many people do not realise the importance and influence of software and other technologies on their lives.

What do we mean by Software Freedom? Software Freedom is about a technology future that we can trust, that is sustainable, and that doesn’t negatively impact on the basic human freedoms we take for granted. Untrusted electoral systems can lead to civil unrest and a lack of trust in governing bodies. Spyware that watches what we listen to, our banking details and who we email can be installed on our computers without our knowledge. Region encoding of movies introduces an artificial barrier to the international content; where is our personal choice? Proprietary data formats can mean lockout to accessing our own information! Software Freedom can be maintained by transparent systems (such as Free and Open Source Software) that are based on open, secure and sustainable standards including data formats and communication protocols.

Software Freedom Day is a yearly celebration of Software Freedom and why it is important; our purpose is public education about these important issues.

If you’d like to learn about why I like free software and the free software that I use most, check out my Choose Freedom essay, and my Top 10 Reasons I Use Linux post. Did you know companies like Google and (gasp!) Apple leverage lots of free software to make their products? Google literally couldn’t exist without its vast computer farms running Linux, and Apple depends on free software for such basic functions as printing, networking, and web-browsing.

Here are some quick links to some my favorite free software projects:

• Ubuntu – a free operating system that can replace Windows or Mac OS
• MuseScore – a music notation editor that’s helping me complete my master’s degree in music theory and composition
• OpenOffice – the free office suite that has saved me lots of time and money!
• Firefox – the best browser around
• WordPress – the blogging software that is now the industry standard
• The Sword Project – Free Bible study software and tools

All of this software is available completely free of charge, runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux computers (even Ubuntu can be tested on a Windows or Mac computer without changing a thing about your existing configuration), and is free as in speech. Why not try some of it out?

Today is great day of celebration of how far free software has come…I hope you’re able learn something about the fun, power, and importance of free software. If you have questions or thoughts, feel free to leave a comment!

1) Freedom. Yeah I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times…freedom rules. Since Linux and most associated software is open source and free of charge, I can do what I want with it. Modify it, give it away, start a business, sell it, whatever.

2) Community. I love being part of something bigger than myself. Being part of the Linux community is more than a club of people that use the same the product…it is a group of individuals that combine to create something themselves and each other. I may be hippie for this, but I just love the idea of everybody pitching in to create something useful for the whole.

3) Security. No viruses. Frequent security updates. Easy-to-use encryption software. Out-of-the-box encrypted home folder on new Ubuntu installs. It doesn’t get much safer or more secure than Linux, folks.

4) Quality & breadth of software. Some of the best software in the world in birthed on Linux. Pro-quality audio? Got it. World-class office productivity? It’s there. Music notation and Photoshop-class image manipulation? Not quite there yet, but well on the way (with near replacements ready now). All free of charge, and with the opportunity to have your voice heard in the development process. Love it.

5) Ease of use. Yeah, Linux used to be power-users only…and I find nothing to be ashamed of there. But these days, it’s coming pre-installed by Dell, HP, and others, and is so easy for basic tasks that pretty much any one can use it. GNOME and KDE (the two main graphical interfaces) both provide great, consistent user interfaces that are easy to learn and use.

6) Constant innovation. New and creative ideas are constantly flowing from the Linux camp, from combining sticky notes with a personal wiki, to radical changes in the way we do computing, to unique ways of installing the operating system…it never stops.

7) Customizability. Almost anything can be customized on the Linux desktop…it works the way I actually want it to, not how customer panels and research groups think I’ll want it to.

8) Frequent release cycle. Improvements are happening all the time, and many Linux distributions release every six months. How long did you have to wait for a new Windows version, again?

9) It can be as light or as heavy as you like. Run it on 5 year old computer, or the latest in quad-core technology. It doesn’t matter…Linux can make pieces of junk valuable productivity machines, and make the latest hardware look awesome.

10) It runs most of the world’s super-computers. Need I say more?

Why do you use Linux?

Looking to get started with Linux? I recommend Ubuntu.