If you plan on trying the new Linux Mint 22 release in a virtual machine, why not double-up the fun by taking it for a spin in the VirtualBox 7.1 beta, which slipped out last night. Don’t tune out—most VirtualBox updates are fairly modest, I know. But the upcoming release of VirtualBox 7.1? It’s being billed by Oracle as a ‘major update’ – about time too, I say! VirtualBox 7.1 introduces a “modernized look and feel” that gives users with a choice of UI mode: Basic streamlines the interface, reducing the amount of options, settings, and details shown; Expert puts […] You're reading VirtualBox 7 ..read more

And we’re go – Linux Mint 22 ‘Wilma’ has been officially released and made available to download. This major update is the first to be based on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS This major update is built on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS and sees Linux Mint 22 inherit big updates to underlying packages, libraries, tooling, and core technology stacks. There’s also a new Linux kernel, and a fresh set of graphics drivers. Linux Mint 22 ships with a new version of the Cinnamon desktop (featuring new options), a suite of new and improved apps (plus a few downgrades and removals), and makes some […] You're reading Linux Mint 22 ..read more

Love the idea of tinkering around with a small, single-board computer (SBC) but need something more powerful than most ARM-based offerings provide? If so, the Radxa X4 may be of interest. Powered by an Intel N100 processor with Intel UHD graphics, the Radxa X4 costs roughly the same as a top-end Raspberry Pi 5 and delivers better overall performance in CPU and GPU tasks — though not in power consumption, and this runs hotter under normal load than a Pi. And like the Pi 5 (I’d stop comparing but it’s my narrative hook so I’m running with it) this also […] You're reading This $60 Intel SBC is Ch ..read more

Course set: the first alpha of Pop_OS 24.04 is scheduled for release on August 8th. So if you’ve been counting the days until you can try the new COSMIC desktop environment first hand… Well, keep counting until then! ? Pop!_OS 24.04 will based on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, and inherit much of the foundational improvements Canonical’s engineers and Ubuntu developers have plumped in. On top of that will sit the new COSMIC desktop environment, its new homegrown apps (file manager, terminal, software hub, etc), and all of System76’s other embellishments n’ enablements (including first-tier support for thei ..read more

FBReader 2.1 has been released for Windows, macOS, and Linux, with the team behind the eBook reading app calling it “a major update for desktop platforms”. If you’re not familiar with FBReader (the name stands for ‘Favourite Book Reader’) it’s a Qt-based ebook reader with customisation options, an ebook library, and integration with online sources to download free eBooks. FBReader was open-source software until 2015, after which it transition to freeware for Windows, macOS, and Linux (closed source, but free), and freemium for Android and iOS (free version limited, paid version available). Old ..read more

If you’ve tried the Tiling Shell GNOME extension you’ll know how easy it makes it to tile application windows in GNOME Shell, from simple to more complex. The latest update, which began rolling out through the GNOME Extensions website this weekend, adds yet another intuitive way to tile windows as you work. First it provided a slide-in Windows 11-style Snap Assistant on to which you drop windows to tile them accordingly. Next, it added keyboard shortcuts to support tiling windows without using a mouse. Then, more recently, edge-tiling introduced. Now, Tiling Shell v12 adds another way to tile ..read more

I recently rediscovered my Amazon Kindle (a geriatric model from 2012, nothing fancy) and figured, as it still works, I’ll use it, and set about downloading a freely available EPUBs of classic (and not-so-classic – I’m a pulpy-kinda guy) literature. They say never judge a book by its cover – but it is useful to be able to distinguish a book by its cover! Thing is: my old Amazon Kindle can’t open EPUB files1 so I have to use the open-source eBook tool Calibre to convert them into the AZW3 format my ancient Kindle prefers, or the MOBI format which […] You're reading How to Display eBook Thumbnai ..read more

OBS Studio, the open-source leader in cross-platform screen-casting and streaming software, put out a new release this week. OBS Studio 30.2 adds Linux support to the native NVENC encoder, plus Linux shared texture support to the NVENC, QuickSync, and VA-API encoders. And as of this update, PipeWire window/display capture is combined into a single, unified “Screen Capture” source, renamed as “Display Capture (XSHM)” to match other capture sources. OBS Studio 30.2 defaults to using the Hybrid MP4 output format on Windows and Linux. Hybrid MP4 pairs the benefits of fault-tolerant fragmented ..read more

A new version of the open-source, cross-platform audio editor Audacity is available to download, kitted out with some major new features. Audacity 3.6 introduces support for master effects. These adjust the sound of project as a whole (the ‘master mix’ composed of all individual tracks and any realtime effects applied to them) and, usually, done as the final stage of editing prior to export. Brand new Compressor and Limiter effects are included in this update to Audacity, along with a set of handy presets the developers say are applicable to a wide range of use cases. Gain reduction history is ..read more

Blender 4.2 LTS has landed, delivering a slew of new features and improvements that open-source 3D artists are sure to love. You're reading Blender 4.2 LTS Brings New Render Engine, GPU Compositor + More, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission ..read more