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iOS More Crashtastic Than Android
Richard Adhikari, Feb 07
The rivalry between Google and Apple in the cut-throat mobile device world took a new turn recently when mobile app support platform company Crittercism published a study that found iOS apps crash more often than their Android counterparts. Crittercism analyzed more than 214 million apps launched in November and December that use its service.

Will the Spark Tablet Ignite a FOSS Fire?
Katherine Noyes, Feb 06
Now that webOS is making its merry way along the open road, there's no telling what tablets or other mobile devices it may inspire over the upcoming months. In the meantime, the Linux world is all abuzz over what promises to be the very first fully open tablet out there: the Spark, a device slated to ship in May from none other than the KDE Plasma Active community itself.

Google Hires Bouncer to Give Android Malware the Heave-Ho
Rachelle Dragani, Feb 03
Google announced a new layer of security for its Android Market on Thursday, unveiling a program called "Bouncer" that will automatically scan apps for malware. Bouncer works by analyzing each app as it's uploaded to the Market, scanning for threats, spyware and trojans.

Spark Tablet Coming for the FOSS Crowd
Richard Adhikari, Feb 03
The recently announced Spark tablet might prove to be the first Linux-running open source tablet fully capable of being modded by users. It has an open Linux stack on unlocked hardware, and it will come with an open content and services market. The Spark will come under the GNU General Public License from its inception.

WebOS Swings Along the Open Road
Katherine Noyes, Feb 02
When HP announced late last year that it would open source webOS, it was hard not to be skeptical. After all, it would be all too easy for a company to whitewash its own abandonment of a project by grandly "donating it to the community." However, that pessimistic view is beginning to fade, thanks to HP's publication last month of an official road map for its webOS plans.

SMPlayer: A Flexible, Feature-Filled Media Player With a Frustrating Flaw
Jack M. Germain, Feb 01
When it comes to playing audio and video files in Linux, media players pretty much all work the same way and have a very similar user interface. It usually all comes down to features. With SMPlayer it depends on what you want to play. Unfortunately, this bug of sorts is something its developer Ricardo Villalba has yet to resolve in the latest release, version 0.7.0.

New Android Scare: Just How Malignant Is That Malware?
Richard Adhikari, Jan 31
Antivirus vendor Symantec announced recently that up to 5 million Android devices may have been infected with a particular type of malware. Multiple publishers were pushing out apps -- some of which were found in the official Android Market -- containing malware known as "Counterclank," according to the AV company.

Ubuntu's New 'HUD' Factor: A Step Forward or Back?
Katherine Noyes, Jan 30
Some of us here in the Linux blogosphere may have hoped for a quieter 2012 than 2011 turned out to be, but so far at least, it doesn't look like we're getting our wish. January appears to have started the year off with a bang. Do we get a little break now that it's the end of the month? No, we don't, thanks to the arrival of Ubuntu's "HUD."

Vignette Lets Android Photogs Get Their Art On
Patrick Nelson, Jan 27
Vignette differentiates itself from other Android-based camera apps by adding cross-process, tilt-shift, double exposure and other sophisticated effects like infrared, as opposed to the general toy camera and retro effects commonly found. The paid version of Vignette adds full resolution to the mix.

FOSS' Factious Gender Divide
Katherine Noyes, Jan 26
There's no denying that the FOSS community has many virtues, but gender equality doesn't seem to be one of them. Gender-related issues and tensions have plagued the FOSS world for as long as many of us can remember, and the problem has already been picked apart on these pages time, time and time again. Well guess what? It's still a problem.

Fotowall Has a Sharp Eye for Sweet Collages
Jack M. Germain, Jan 25
Eye candy can be a great user experience sweetener, but tastes vary widely as to how much is just enough, and it's one differentiator among Linux desktops. Fotowall is a handy app that can spice up your desktop as well as create personalized print and wallpaper displays. Fotowall is a really clever collage-making tool of sorts.