Transmission is the default bit torrent client in Ubuntu for some time now. But I must admit, I always felt it to be inferior in front of alternatives like Deluge, which apparently is my favorite bit torrent app for Ubuntu Gnome. But Transmission is a favorite for many and the release of Transmission 2.0 with a lot of improvements and bug fixes is indeed a welcome development.

Sugar desktop environment was originally conceptualized to become the default desktop for OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) project. Sugar desktop is designed with the goal of being used by children for learning. The original Sugar desktop environment was repackaged for Ubuntu and it was called Ubuntu Sugar Remix.

The much anticipated Firefox 3.6.4 was released some days ago and within days, another important updated release of Firefox called Firefox 3.6.6 is ready for download. As we have already seen in our Firefox 3.6.4 review, Firefox 3.6.4 is the last major release before the eventual Firefox 4.0.

KidZui turns Firefox into fun, kid-safe browser and online playground for kids in the age group 3-12, with over a million kids games, YouTube videos, and websites. Or in other words, KidZui Firefox extension turns Firefox into a place where your kids would love to be. With Internet becoming such a useful tool for people of all ages, it is unfair to block Internet access to your toddlers and KidZui is exactly what you want to ensure safety of your kids from the hidden dangers of the Internet.

Awesome FIFA.com Google Chrome extension is among the official ones in the Google Chrome extensions gallery. Like any other Google product, FIFA.com Google Chrome extension just works. It is simple, easy to use and has a number of cool functionalities.

Docky is an awesome dock application for Ubuntu/Linux. Docky started off as a simple theme for Gnome DO, another popular dock application, and later own became a dock application on its own. Docky is widely regarded as the most user friendly among the dock applications available in Linux.

GIMP 2.6.9 is released. For newbies, GIMP is the GNU Image Manipulation Program. As you can infer from the name, GIMP is completely open source and is also free as in free beer. GIMP is pitched as the open source alternative for Adobe Photoshop. GIMP is cross platform and yes, GIMP has a Windows version also.

Google Chrome is fast becoming the browser of choice for many. With its ever increasing user base, the safety concerns related to this comparatively new browser is also increasing. Here, we enlist the 6 most useful extensions/plugins for a much safer browsing experience with Google Chrome.

Empathy is the default IM client in Ubuntu starting from Ubuntu version 9.10 Karmic Koala. Though Pidgin was in many ways a favorite for a lot of people, Empathy has always been the better alternative for me. And it is good to have Empathy by default in Ubuntu 10.04 "Lucid Lynx".

Bisgi themes just won't stop improving. They stunned everyone before with their incredible collection of themes downloadable via bisigi PPA. Now a new theme called ECO is released which for me is the best so far. Another important USP of Bisigi themes is that, they include everything. From login window theme, to icon theme to metacity theme to everything else. You get a unified integrated experience.

The default menu application in Ubuntu is functional, but it is also down to earth basic. GnoMenu tries to replicate the looks and functionality of KDE's Menu application. And I have to say, it almost does. GnoMenu comes with a number of themes and a easy to use configuration menu. Looks like it deserves a try isn't it? Let's give it a shot.

Element OS is a 32 bit Xubuntu based distro for HTPCs(Home Theatre PCs). It maintains compatibility with Ubuntu repositories. It uses the Advanced Packaging Tool(APT) with Element's own custom repositories and the Ubuntu repositories. Element OS also incorporates the AllMyApps software center to allow additional applications to be downloaded.

I don't know how vital is Wine software for you anymore. I mean, I haven't used it for ages. May be because I am not  a gamer of sorts and I don't use iPod. In case of applications, I have good alternatives for most of the windows specific applications. But for those who still can't live without Wine, here is the good news. Wine 1.2 RC3 is released with a lot of major bug fixes and improvements.

We have already discussed in length about Flock is on our previous post on 5 firefox based web browser applications. And it already is end of the road for Firefox in Flock Web Browser. Though the official flock website still carries the 'powered by mozilla' tag, you will be surprised to see the flock beta page carrying an entirely different style and theme. And it talks about Flock browser with Open Source Chromium as the code base!

Finally! The much discussed about F-Spot vs Shotwell battle is over. The new default image organizer app for Ubuntu Maverick 10.10 is going to be Shotwell. This is a much needed change and F-Spot was simply not enough. Most of the times when I tried F-Spot, it just keeps crashing on me. Shotwell on a other hand feels a lot more solid and is better integrated with GNOME desktop. Shotwell is also completely devoid of Mono.

Linux have a special place in Robotics. Many Robots built by multi billion organizations like NASA for advanced space exploration and other complicated tasks are powered by Linux. Robotics and automation is the key for human progress and it is good to know that Linux holds a special advantage when advanced Robotics is concerned. Here is a nicely compiled list of Robots powered by Linux from around the world.

You don't need any introduction on what Google Earth is. Google Earth is available with Medibuntu repositories, but the packages available in the Medibuntu repo are mostly outdated. So here we are going to install Google Earth in Ubuntu in a different way.
Update: Fix Google Earth Crash While Startup in Ubuntu Maverick, Lucid

Firefox 3.6.4 is the last major release before the eventual Firefox 4.0, to be released in Nov 2010. Release candidate of Firefox 3.6.4 was available for download on the last week of May 2010, and it was expected that the final release of Firefox 3.6.4 would happen in the first week of June 2010. But Mozilla delayed the release for a few weeks to smoothen out the rough edges that came to haunt the release candidate of Firefox 3.6.4.

A month ago we celebrated the release of Ubuntu 10.04 "Lucid Lynx" with an incredible collection of Ubuntu Lucid Wallpapers. Now it's time for some more Ubuntu wallpapers coming your way. A compilation of 30 beautiful Ubuntu wallpapers for desktop.

'Linux is Not User Friendly' - No Way!
In our previous post, we discussed how mainstream media is adopting linux('Stop using Windows, Use Ubuntu instead'). And a lot of people started complaining how not-user-friendly Linux really is. Before saying such far fetched statements, one thing they all need to consider is this, Linux!=Windows!

The one area where Google Chrome definitively beat Firefox is on the speed front. Firefox is simply not fast enough. But if speed was the only reason behind your decision to choose Google Chrome instead of Firefox, FasterFox Lite Firefox extension will give you some reprieve. I was so impressed with this little extension that I decided to use Firefox again after a really long time. I am posting this blog post from FasterFox Lite powered Firefox 3.6.3 in Ubuntu.

In our previous post we had a detailed discussion on what is nautilus elementary and how to install nautlius elementary in ubuntu using PPA. That was just a week ago. And already a number of important updates! Nautilus elementary is really going places. Let's see what are the changes with nautilus elementary now.

Ever since I have started learning and using Linux, this is something I always thought "was happening" and never knew when it will "really happen". And the thing is called mass Linux adoption. Why is it necessary? How is the likes of Android, MeeGo and Chrome OS is going to change the world as we know it forever? Let's explore.

Amarok was my favorite for a long time. But when the new Amarok 2.0 series started coming in, I was left with no option but to leave my beloved music player in Ubuntu. Amarok 1.4 was by far the best music player I ever had in Linux. I even managed to get Amarok 1.4 working in Ubuntu Karmic. After a long time I gave a try at the latest Amarok 2.3.1 in Ubuntu, and I have to say, this is impressive work. Amarok is slowly getting back to its past glory and Amarok 2.3.1 is another huge leap.

Update: Amarok 2.3.2 "Moonshine" Released, Install in Ubuntu Maverick, Lucid via PPA

Deluge is a feature rich bit torrent client, which is really popular among Linux users. Deluge is cross platform and works in OS X, Unix and Windows platforms as well. Though I would rate KDE's KTorrent over Deluge, Deluge is definitely well integrated into the Ubuntu's Gnome desktop. Deluge recently released the first release candidate of Deluge 1.3 series packed with a lot of new features and bug fixes.

Diapers has revolutionized the way people think about low margin goods and their profitability. And they did this with a fair amount of "robotification" of their workforce. Simply put, diapers.com almost completely automated the whole process of packaging and sending goods to the addressee. Here is an interesting video showing how those robots gave the company a competitive advantage over its rivals and also, a quick peek into the future, a world without a human workforce. Scary isn't it? I am gonna go watch Terminator once again and you guys enjoy the video. ;-)

Shutter is a fully loaded open source screenshot app for Linux. It is fairly easy to use and especially useful for bloggers. Using shutter, you can take a screenshot of a specific area, window, your whole screen, or even of a website – apply different effects to it, draw on it to highlight points, and then upload to an image hosting site, all within one window.

Firefox 3.5 is already the most widely used browser in the world. A lot of openness in the web that we enjoy today and that we take for granted is because of the open source browser, Firefox. Light the world with Firefox video is a nice depiction of Firefox through the years. But how many of you actually knew that there are a number of Firefox based browsers which are as good or oven better than Firefox? Here is a list of 5 Firefox based browsers you should know.

So here we are continuing our addiction with free and opensource wallpapers. Android operating system is spreading like wildfire. Smartphone manufacturers are scrambling to produce their version of Android phone and all this has just started. Let's celebrate this stellar success of a free and open source software called Android with some stunning android wallpapers. Top 15 Android Wallpapers from around the web.