TechSource

The State of Linux-Powered Robots: From Lego Kits to World Domination

noreply@blogger.com (Jun) — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:48:00 +0000

In 2009, I wrote a TechSource article called “[5 Awesome Robot Kits to Get You Started with Robotics].”The most advanced robot on that list was a LEGO Mindstorms NXT. It had three servo motors, four sensors, and the approximate intelligence of a toaster with ambitions.

Two years later, I followed it up with “[Best Robotics Software for Linux],” where we covered tools like ROS, Player, and CARMEN. At the time, the state-of-the-art in Linux robotics was getting a wheeled platform to navigate a hallway without bumping into things. We were thrilled. The robot didn’t crash into a wall! Ship it!

It’s now 2026. Humanoid robots are walking around BMW factories building cars. Tesla is converting its Fremont production line to mass-manufacture humanoid robots. A Chinese company called AgiBot just shipped its 10,000th humanoid unit. You can pre-order a home robot that folds your laundry for $499 a month. And virtually all of them — from the billion-dollar Tesla Optimus to the $1,400 Noetix Bumi — run on Linux.

The penguin didn’t just conquer servers and supercomputers. It’s learning to walk.

Linux: The Operating System of Every Robot That Matters

Here’s a fact that shouldn’t surprise anyone who read my recent post “[Linux Won, and Nobody Noticed]” : Linux is the dominant operating system in robotics, and it’s not even close.

The Robot Operating System (ROS) — which we covered on this site back in 2011 when it was a scrappy open-source project — is now the global standard for robot development. ROS 2, its mature successor, runs on Linux and provides the middleware that connects sensors, actuators, AI models, and control systems. Nearly every serious robotics company on Earth uses it. Unitree’s humanoids? ROS-compatible. Boston Dynamics’ Atlas? Built on Linux. Figure AI’s warehouse bots working at BMW? Linux. Amazon’s Digit robots? Linux. The entire humanoid robotics industry is standing on open-source shoulders.

Why Linux? The same reasons it won everywhere else: it’s free, customizable to the extreme, has the best real-time kernel support, runs on anything from a Raspberry Pi to a GPU cluster, and doesn’t require paying Microsoft a licensing fee for every robot you build. When you’re manufacturing 10,000 humanoids, that last point alone saves you a small fortune.

What’s Actually Happening Right Now

The humanoid robotics space in 2026 is moving at a pace that makes the smartphone revolution look leisurely. Here’s the state of play:

1. Tesla Optimus Gen 3 started production in January 2026 at Tesla’s Fremont factory (they literally stopped making the Model S and X to make room for robots — let that sink in). The robot stands 5’8”, weighs 125 pounds, has 22 degrees of freedom in its hands, and uses the same neural network AI that powers Tesla’s Full Self-Driving. Musk is targeting 50,000-100,000 units in 2026 and eventually a million per year, at a target price under $30,000. Reality check: on the Q4 2025 earnings call, Musk admitted the current robots aren’t doing “useful work” yet — they’re still in the learning phase. But the manufacturing infrastructure is real.

2. Figure AI’s Figure 03 completed an 11-month pilot at BMW’s South Carolina plant, helping build over 30,000 cars. It runs on Figure’s own “Helix” AI — a Vision-Language-Action model that lets you say “I spilled my coffee” and the robot understands it needs to find a towel and clean the floor. No specific programming required. It just… understands context. That’s terrifyingly impressive.

3. Unitree — the company that made robotics accessible with the $16,000 G1 — just filed for a $610 million IPO with 335% revenue growth. They shipped roughly 5,500 humanoids in 2025, targeting 20,000 in 2026. They also open-sourced UnifoLM, a Vision-Language-Action model that lets their G1 autonomously perform household tasks. Open-source AI running on open-source Linux, controlling an affordable robot. My 2009 self who was excited about LEGO Mindstorms would be losing his mind right now.

4. China dominates production. Chinese companies (Unitree, AgiBot, Fourier, UBTECH, Kepler, XPENG, EngineAI) produced roughly 90% of all humanoid robots shipped globally in 2025. AgiBot hit 10,000 cumulative units in March 2026 — doubling from 5,000 in just three months. XPeng’s IRON robot went viral because its walking gait was so human-like that people accused them of putting a person inside a suit. They had to open the robot’s casing on stage to prove it was real.

5. Prices are falling off a cliff. In 2023, the cheapest capable humanoid was around $85,000. In 2026, Unitree’s R1 costs $5,900. Noetix’s Bumi hit $1,400 — consumer electronics pricing for a humanoid robot. 1X Technologies offers their NEO home robot for $499/month. Tesla is targeting under $20,000 at scale. Within 3-5 years, capable humanoids could approach appliance pricing. Your next Roomba might have legs.

The AI Ingredient That Changed Everything

The reason robots went from “bumping into walls” to “building BMWs” in fifteen years can be summed up in two words: neural networks.

Traditional robotics programming was painstaking. You had to code every movement, every response to every sensor input, every edge case. It’s why the software we covered in 2011 — Player, CARMEN, Fawkes — was primarily about navigation and sensor control. Getting a robot to walk down a hallway without incident was a genuine achievement.

Modern humanoid robots don’t work that way. They learn. Companies feed millions of videos of humans performing tasks into neural networks, and the robot watches and mimics. Tesla’s Optimus uses the same end-to-end neural networks as Full Self-Driving. Figure’s Helix model processes vision, language, and physical action simultaneously. Unitree open-sourced a model that lets robots learn household tasks autonomously.

This is where Linux’s dominance in both AI and robotics converges into something genuinely historic. The AI models are trained on Linux GPU clusters. The training frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow) run on Linux. The robot middleware (ROS 2) runs on Linux. The robot’s onboard computer runs Linux. It’s Linux all the way down — from the data center that trains the brain to the machine that uses it.

ROS in 2011 helped your robot avoid walls. ROS 2 in 2026 helps your robot understand natural language, navigate unstructured environments, manipulate objects with 22-degree-of-freedom hands, and learn new tasks by watching YouTube videos of humans. Same open-source foundation, incomprehensibly different capability.

The Near Future (Hold Onto Your Keyboards)

Based on current trajectories, here’s what the next 2-5 years likely looks like:

1. 2026-2027: Humanoid robots become common in factories and warehouses. Amazon, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Foxconn are already deploying them. Tesla targets external Optimus sales by late 2027. Agility Robotics pursues the first ISO safety certification for a humanoid to work alongside humans without barriers.

2. 2027-2028: The first wave of consumer home robots arrives. 1X’s NEO is already taking pre-orders for 2026 delivery. Figure is building a “BotQ” factory specifically for consumer-grade humanoids. Expect early home robots to handle simple tasks — carrying groceries, basic cleaning, fetching items — with the grace of a helpful but slightly confused intern.

3. 2028-2030: Prices hit the $5,000-$10,000 range for capable home humanoids. The combination of mass manufacturing (mostly in China), falling component costs, and improved AI training creates a positive spiral. Robots that learn from each other across a shared network improve faster than any single unit could alone — the same fleet learning approach Tesla uses for FSD, applied to physical tasks.

4. The wildcard: Open-source humanoid platforms. Unitree is already open-sourcing AI models. If someone builds the “Ubuntu of humanoid robots” — a fully open-source hardware and software stack that anyone can build on — the pace of innovation could accelerate beyond anything we’ve seen. Given that Linux and ROS already provide the foundation, this isn’t fantasy. It’s an engineering challenge with a clear path.

Should You Be Excited or Terrified?

Both. Simultaneously. That’s the correct emotional response to watching a robot learn to fold laundry by watching humans do it on video.

The optimistic case: humanoid robots handle the tedious, dangerous, and repetitive work that humans don’t want to do. They care for aging populations. They work in disaster zones. They build things faster and cheaper, making goods more affordable. They run on Linux and open-source AI, meaning the technology isn’t locked behind any single corporation.

The concerning case: job displacement happens faster than retraining. The wealth generated by robot labor concentrates among those who own the robots. Privacy and surveillance concerns multiply when humanoid machines with cameras and microphones populate public spaces. And, as any Linux user who has experienced a kernel panic can tell you, the phrase “it runs on software” is not always reassuring when the software is controlling a 125-pound bipedal machine in your kitchen.

The realistic case: it’ll be messy, uneven, and slower than the hype suggests, but faster than skeptics expect. Just like every other technology revolution. Just like Linux itself — which took decades to go from a Finnish student’s hobby project to running 100% of the world’s supercomputers.

From LEGO Mindstorms to This

Seventeen years ago, I wrote about LEGO Mindstorms with three servo motors as a gateway to robotics. Today, a $16,000 humanoid robot runs open-source Linux, learns from neural networks, and can do backflips.

Fifteen years ago, I covered ROS as a promising Linux-based robotics framework. Today, it’s the global standard powering robots that build cars, stock warehouses, and are learning to clean your house.

The thread connecting my 2009 article to this one is the same thread that has connected every post on TechSource since 2007: open-source software, running on Linux, quietly becoming the foundation of the future while most people aren’t paying attention.

Except now the future has legs. And hands. And it’s learning to fold your laundry.

Sleep tight.

— Jun

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS vs. macOS 26 Tahoe: The Free OS That Rivals a Premium Experience

noreply@blogger.com (Jun) — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 10:04:00 +0000

I’m writing this on a MacBook Air running macOS 26 Tahoe, and I keep glancing at my Mac Mini in the corner — the one running Ubuntu 24.04 LTS.

I’ve been a macOS user for a decade. I develop iOS apps. I’m neck-deep in the Apple ecosystem — iPhone, Apple Watch Ultra, AirPods, the whole cult membership. But last year, Apple released macOS Tahoe with its Liquid Glass redesign, and I found myself wondering: has the free operating system actually gotten *better* than the premium one?

Short answer: in some ways, yes. I’m not a fanboy for either side. I’ve lived in both worlds. Here’s what I found.

Liquid Glass: Pretty or Pretty Annoying?

You can’t talk about macOS 26 Tahoe without talking about Liquid Glass — Apple’s new translucent, depth-infused design language that makes UI elements look like layers of actual glass. It launched in September 2025. The Mac community’s reaction ranged from “interesting” to “what have you done to my computer.”

The problem? Transparency effects make text and controls hard to read on busy backgrounds. Sidebar selections sometimes vanish. One Mac blogger noted they “can’t even tell what’s a UI bug and what’s working as intended.” A Slack user reported that a yellow emoji positioned behind a Liquid Glass button made the button glow gold for no reason. Several months later, power users are still calling it a work in progress.

Now look at Ubuntu 24.04’s GNOME 46 desktop. It won’t make anyone’s jaw drop. It looks… sensible. Text is always legible. Buttons look like buttons. Sidebars are clearly sidebars. No background emoji has ever made anything glow unexpectedly.

Sometimes boring is beautiful. Right now, Ubuntu’s “boring” feels like a spa day after the visual chaos of Liquid Glass.

The Desktop Gap Has (Mostly) Closed

When I last used a Linux desktop around 2015, the experience was clearly behind macOS. Wi-Fi drivers were unreliable, Bluetooth was a coin flip, and the app ecosystem had canyon-sized gaps.

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS in 2026 is a different beast:

1. It just works now. Ubuntu 24.04.4 ships with Linux kernel 6.17 and Mesa 25.2. Wi-Fi works out of the box. Bluetooth is stable. Even NVIDIA GPUs — historically Linux’s nemesis — cooperate with drivers Ubuntu makes easy to install. The Flutter-based installer gets you from ISO to desktop in 15 minutes with full disk encryption.

2. It’s faster. On the same hardware, Ubuntu feels noticeably lighter than macOS Tahoe. My 8GB Mac Mini M1 runs Ubuntu with headroom to spare — the same machine that sometimes wheezes under Liquid Glass.

3. The apps are there. Firefox, Chrome, VS Code, Spotify, Slack, Discord, Blender, GIMP, OBS Studio, Steam — all available through the App Center, Flatpak, or Snap. Not every macOS app exists on Ubuntu, but for web browsing, document editing, development, media, and communication, the gap is essentially closed.

4. GNOME 46 is mature. The Activities overview, workspaces, Nautilus file manager, and touchpad gestures all feel polished and cohesive. It has its own identity now — no longer a macOS imitation, but a genuinely pleasant desktop in its own right.

Where macOS Still Wins

I’d be dishonest if I didn’t acknowledge these:

1. Ecosystem lock-in (the good kind). AirDrop, Handoff, Universal Clipboard, Sidecar, the new Phone app for relaying iPhone calls — if you own Apple everything, macOS ties it together in ways Ubuntu simply can’t match. This is Apple’s greatest feature and most effective trap, simultaneously.

2. Creative pro software. Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Adobe Creative Suite — they’re macOS-only, and if your livelihood depends on them, there’s no alternative.

3. Xcode. My personal dealbreaker. I need it for my iOS apps. If Apple ever released Xcode for Linux, I’d switch by Friday. They won’t, but a man can dream.

4. Apple Intelligence. Built-in AI writing tools, image generation, and Siri improvements. Ubuntu has nothing equivalent built-in, though running local AI through Ollama arguably gives you more privacy and control.

Where Ubuntu Wins

And these advantages are bigger than most people realize:

1. Customization. macOS lets you pick Light, Dark, or Tinted. Ubuntu lets you change *everything* — desktop environment, window manager, icons, fonts, behavior. Don’t like GNOME? Install KDE Plasma, Cinnamon, or Xfce on the same machine. Try moving your Dock to the top of the screen on macOS. I’ll wait.

2. Privacy. No telemetry by default. No ads. No account sign-in prompts. No features locked behind subscriptions. Ubuntu’s stance: your computer, your data, full stop.

3. Package management. `sudo apt install whatever-you-need`. Three words and you have it. Updating everything on the system? `sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade`. APT is built into Ubuntu’s DNA. Homebrew on macOS is great, but it’s a third-party addition bolted onto an OS that wasn’t designed for it.

4. Dev environment parity. If you deploy to Linux servers (most web devs do), developing on Ubuntu means your dev environment matches production. Docker runs natively. No more “works on my Mac” debugging sessions.

5. Hardware longevity. Ubuntu runs on computers from 2010. macOS is about to abandon every Intel Mac ever made. For sustainability and budget-conscious users, this matters enormously.

The Verdict

In 2015, I’d have said Ubuntu couldn’t match macOS as a daily driver. In 2026, I’m saying something different: for most people — students, web developers, writers, casual users, small businesses — Ubuntu 24.04 LTS is not a compromise. It’s a genuinely excellent OS that costs nothing.

If you need Xcode, the Apple ecosystem, or creative pro software, stay on macOS. I am, for my development work. But if you just want a fast, secure, private desktop that doesn’t cost a thousand plus dollars before you even turn it on? Ubuntu isn’t just viable anymore. It might actually be the better daily experience right now — especially while macOS is going through its Liquid Glass identity crisis.

The $0 operating system is rivaling the premium experience. And in some ways, it’s winning.

— Jun

Why the Tesla Model Y L Is the Most Feature-Packed EV for Its Price in the Philippines

noreply@blogger.com (Jun) — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 07:16:00 +0000

If you’re a long-time reader of TechSource, you know this site has mostly been about Linux, open-source software, and all things computing. But if you’ve been following our recent comeback, you also know we’ve expanded into covering the broader tech landscape — AI, smartwatches, crypto, and whatever else catches my persistently curious eye. Today, we’re parking (pun intended) in a topic that’s been occupying a significant amount of my brain space lately: electric vehicles. Specifically, the Tesla Model Y L, which just arrived in the Philippine market and which I am fully planning to order on April 1, 2026 — the first day online orders open in the Philippines.

A Quick Note on the Topic

I want to acknowledge upfront that talking about Tesla in 2026 comes with some unavoidable baggage. The brand’s CEO has become a polarizing figure, and I understand that many people’s feelings about Tesla the company are complicated. I’m not here to discuss politics. I’m here to discuss the technology. And purely on the merits of its technology, engineering, and value proposition, the Tesla Model Y L is the most feature-packed electric vehicle to land in the Philippine market at its price point. That’s what I want to talk about.

Full disclosure: this is not a sponsored post. Tesla Philippines doesn’t know I exist. I’m just a tech enthusiast from a little town in Bohol who has been dreaming about this car since before Tesla officially entered the Philippine market, and I want to share why.

The Elephant in the Gas Station

If there’s ever been a time to seriously consider going electric, it’s right now.

As I write this in late March 2026, global oil prices are in crisis. The US-Israeli war on Iran, which began on February 28, has effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply passes. Brent crude has surged over 40% since the conflict started, topping $100-$120 per barrel. The International Energy Agency has called it “the greatest global energy security challenge in history.

The ripple effects are being felt everywhere, including right here in the Philippines and across Southeast Asia. Thailand has implemented fuel rationing. Pakistan has told citizens to watch cricket games at home to conserve energy. Countries across Asia are hoarding and restricting fuel exports. Bloomberg estimates the oil shock could push global inflation significantly higher, with the US CPI for March already jumping to 3.4% year-on-year — and fuel prices are the main culprit. Analysts warn that if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed into mid-April, the world could lose up to 10 million barrels of oil per day, and prices could spike further — with some Wall Street analysts now floating the possibility of $200-per-barrel oil.

For Filipino motorists already stretched thin by living costs, the timing couldn’t be worse. Every peso increase at the pump hits harder when your daily commute is non-negotiable. And this isn’t a one-off spike — the geopolitical volatility that drives oil prices is structural and recurring. There was the Russia-Ukraine shock in 2022, and now the Iran crisis in 2026. The pattern is clear: dependence on fossil fuels means dependence on global conflicts over which we have zero control.

This is the context in which the Tesla Model Y L arrives in the Philippines. An electric vehicle powered by locally generated electricity — or better yet, by solar panels on your own roof — is immune to whatever happens in the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf, or any other geopolitical flashpoint. When you charge from the sun, no war, no cartel, and no sanctions can touch your fuel bill.

The math has never been more compelling.

What Is the Tesla Model Y L?

The Model Y L is essentially the bigger, three-row version of Tesla’s best-selling vehicle worldwide. The “L” stands for, well, long — it’s 186mm longer and 44mm taller than the standard Model Y, with a wheelbase stretched by 150mm. That extra space allows Tesla to fit a third row of seats, turning the Model Y from a five-seater compact crossover into a six-seater family hauler with captain’s chairs in the second row.

The Philippines is the third market outside China to receive the Model Y L, after Australia and Thailand. Tesla Philippines previewed it at their BGC Experience Center last week, and CarGuide.ph confirmed that online orders will be accepted starting April 1, 2026 at a starting indicative price of ₱2,849,000.

Here’s what you get for that price:

1. Powertrain:

Dual electric motors with all-wheel drive, producing 378 kW (roughly 506 hp) and 590 Nm of torque. Zero to 100 km/h in 5.0 seconds flat. That’s faster than most sports sedans, and this is a six-seater family SUV.

2. Battery and Range:

An 88.2 kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt battery pack with a claimed WLTP range of up to 681 kilometers on a single charge. Let me put that in context — Bohol is about 75 kilometers from end to end. You could drive across the entire island roughly nine times on a full charge. For the typical Filipino daily commute of 20-40 kilometers, you’re charging maybe once or twice a week.

3. Charging:

DC fast charging support at up to 250 kW. At a Tesla Supercharger, you can add significant range in about 15 minutes. Home charging with a standard wall connector overnight is more than enough for daily use.

4. Towing:

A braked towing capacity of 1,588 kg — plenty for most recreational needs.

5. Interior:

Six seats with ventilated and reclining captain’s chairs in the second row, complete with power armrests that rise from the seat base. The third row gets its own air vents. The panoramic glass roof floods the cabin with natural light. And the entire vehicle is controlled through a massive 15.4-inch center touchscreen that handles everything from navigation to climate to entertainment.

The Tech That Makes It a Rolling Computer

This is where the Model Y L really separates itself from every other vehicle in its price range in the Philippines:

1. Autopilot and Full Self-Driving.

Every Model Y comes standard with Autopilot, which includes adaptive cruise control, lane keeping, and lane centering. But the real magic is the optional Full Self-Driving (Supervised) capability, which allows the vehicle to navigate city streets, handle intersections, make turns, navigate roundabouts, and enter/exit highways — all with the driver supervising. It uses a vision-based system with cameras mounted at the front, rear, left, and right of the vehicle, feeding data to Tesla’s onboard neural network computer. The system is constantly improving through over-the-air software updates, which means the car literally gets smarter over time. As FSD deployment expands globally, Tesla has said it will gradually make it available in select countries outside the US and Canada. Whether and when FSD Supervised will be fully functional in Philippine roads remains to be seen, but the hardware is there, ready and waiting.

2. Over-the-Air Updates.

This is the feature that makes Tesla fundamentally different from every traditional automaker. Your car receives software updates wirelessly — just like your iPhone or your Mac. New features, performance improvements, bug fixes, and security patches arrive automatically. You go to bed with one car and wake up with a slightly better one. Traditional car manufacturers are still figuring out how to make their infotainment systems not freeze during Bluetooth pairing. Tesla is pushing neural network updates to your drivetrain.

3. The Touchscreen.

The 15.4-inch center display runs everything. Navigation with real-time traffic and Supercharger routing. A full web browser. Streaming services (Netflix, YouTube, Spotify). Arcade games (some playable with the steering wheel as a controller — when parked, obviously). Climate control with per-seat adjustments. Dashcam and Sentry Mode footage playback. It’s basically a giant tablet on wheels that also happens to take you places.

4. Sentry Mode and Dashcam.

The vehicle’s cameras double as a 360-degree security system. Sentry Mode monitors your surroundings when parked and records any suspicious activity. The built-in dashcam continuously records your drives. In a country where road incidents and parking lot dings are facts of life, having a car that watches its own back is genuinely valuable.

5. The App.

The Tesla mobile app lets you monitor your vehicle from anywhere — check charge status, precondition the cabin temperature before you get in (a lifesaver in Philippine heat), locate your car, lock/unlock remotely, and even summon the vehicle in a parking lot. I think the Tesla app is one of the best-designed automotive apps I’ve seen.

6. Regenerative Braking.

Lift off the accelerator and the car slows down while feeding energy back to the battery. Most Tesla owners rarely use the brake pedal in everyday driving. It takes about a day to get used to, and then you never want to drive without it.

Why I’m Getting One (The Personal Reasons)

Beyond the tech specs, there are personal reasons why the Model Y L makes sense for me specifically:

1. My house is already solar-powered.

This is the big one. I invested in a solar panel system for our home, and the idea of charging a car using energy from the sun — essentially driving for free — feels like the kind of future I’ve been writing about on this site for nearly two decades. The economics of EV ownership change dramatically when your electricity comes from your own roof. No more gas station runs. No more volatile fuel prices. No more watching the news about Strait of Hormuz closures and wondering how much your next fill-up will cost. Just clean energy from Bohol sunshine, which, as anyone who’s been here knows, we have in abundance. While my neighbors are anxiously checking oil price updates as the Iran war unfolds, I’ll be topping up my car from a star that’s been burning for 4.6 billion years and isn’t controlled by any cartel.

2. I’m impressed with Tesla’s ecosystem.

We’ve been using Starlink at home, and I’ve been genuinely impressed by its reliability — consistent internet in a province where connectivity has historically been a struggle. That experience gave me confidence in the broader Tesla/SpaceX ecosystem’s ability to deliver technology that actually works in Philippine conditions. If Starlink can handle Bohol’s weather and geography, I’m optimistic about what a Tesla can do on our roads.

3. The Model Y L is the right size for a family.

The six-seat configuration with captain’s chairs in the second row is perfect. It’s spacious enough for family road trips, practical enough for daily driving, and the 2,539 liters of maximum cargo capacity means you’re not sacrificing storage for those extra seats.

4. It’s a dream car.

I’ll be honest — I’ve wanted a Tesla since before they were officially available in the Philippines. The combination of cutting-edge technology, performance, and the simple elegance of an electric powertrain has always appealed to the tech nerd in me. The fact that it runs on software that gets better over time, that it has no traditional engine to maintain, that it’s essentially a computer on wheels — this is the car that makes sense for someone who has spent his entire adult life surrounded by technology.

The Honest Cons (Because This Is TechSource, Not a Press Release)

I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t address the real challenges of owning a Tesla in the Philippines in 2026, especially outside Metro Manila.

1. The service center situation.

Tesla Philippines currently operates one service center and it’s in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig — in Metro Manila. I live in Bohol. That’s an island in the Visayas, roughly 630 kilometers and a plane ride away. If my Model Y L needs anything beyond what Tesla’s mobile service can handle remotely, the car needs to go to Manila. That’s a significant concern, and I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t give me pause. Tesla also has two approved body shops, but again, both in Metro Manila. The hope is that as Tesla’s Philippine customer base grows, service centers will expand to major cities outside NCR. Tesla has already announced plans for Cebu Supercharger stations, and where Superchargers go, service infrastructure often follows. But for now, this is the biggest practical downside for provincial buyers.

2. Charging infrastructure in the Visayas.

Tesla currently operates Supercharger stations exclusively in Metro Manila — at Uptown Mall, Shangri-La Plaza, SM Mall of Asia, and Opus Mall. They’ve announced plans for two Cebu locations plus stations in Clark, Baguio, Olongapo, and Taguig for 2026. But in the Visayas? The charging landscape is still in its early stages. Third-party EV chargers from ACMobility and others are slowly appearing in malls and commercial centers, but they’re sparse. For daily driving within Bohol, home charging from my solar setup will more than suffice — the 681 km range means I’d charge at home a couple of times a week at most. But road trips to Cebu, Dumaguete, or further afield will require careful planning. The Department of Energy has set a target of 7,000 EV charging stations nationwide by 2028, so the infrastructure is coming, but it’s not here yet.

3. Resale uncertainty.

The Philippine EV market is still young. While Teslas hold their value well globally, the local resale market for EVs is uncharted territory. This is less of a concern if you plan to keep the car long-term (which I do), but it’s worth noting.

4. The learning curve.

Everything is controlled through the touchscreen. There are no traditional buttons for the climate, the headlights, or the mirrors. The gear selector is on the screen. If you’re coming from a traditional car (like I am), there’s an adjustment period. Most owners say it takes about a week before the Tesla way feels natural and everything else feels antiquated.

5. No Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

Tesla uses its own infotainment system and doesn’t support Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. The built-in navigation, music streaming, and communication features are good, but if you’re deeply attached to CarPlay, this will annoy you.

How It Compares at Its Price Point

At ₱2,849,000, the Model Y L competes with vehicles like the BYD Tang EV (₱3,321,000) and various hybrid and ICE SUVs in the ₱2.5-3.5M range. What sets the Tesla apart is the sheer density of technology packed into the price.

You’re getting dual-motor AWD, 506 hp, a 681 km range, Autopilot, over-the-air updates, Sentry Mode, a 15.4-inch touchscreen, six seats with ventilated captain’s chairs, a 5-star safety rating, access to the Tesla Supercharger network, and a vehicle that improves through software updates for years after purchase — all for under ₱3 million. You’d need to spend significantly more with traditional luxury brands to get even a fraction of these features.

The 4-year or 80,000 km bumper-to-bumper warranty and 8-year or 160,000 km battery warranty also provide peace of mind. And with zero import duties on EVs in the Philippines through 2028 thanks to Executive Order No. 62, the pricing is as good as it’s going to get.

April 1 Can’t Come Soon Enough

I’ve already bookmarked the Tesla Philippines website. My finger is ready to click “Order” the moment it goes live on April 1, 2026 — two days from today as of this writing.

Will it be nerve-wracking to be an early Tesla owner in the Visayas, with the nearest service center a plane ride away and Superchargers still confined to Metro Manila? Absolutely. But being an early adopter has always been part of who I am. I started writing about Linux when most Filipinos had never heard of it. I ran a Bitcoin node on a Raspberry Pi when crypto was still considered fake money. I built a local AI hub on an old Mac Mini when most people thought you needed a supercomputer to run AI.

Getting a Tesla in Bohol or in the Philippines in 2026 feels like the natural next chapter of that same story — embracing technology that most people think is “not ready yet” for places like ours, and proving that it absolutely is.

The sun is shining on my solar panels. The Starlink dish is humming on my roof. And soon, if all goes according to plan, a Tesla Model Y L will be sitting in my driveway, charging from that same sunshine, ready to silently drive me around the island I call home.

The future isn’t coming. It’s already here. It just needs to be plugged in.

— Jun

Linux Won, and Nobody Noticed

noreply@blogger.com (Jun) — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 01:38:00 +0000

The tech industry has failed to properly acknowledge this for years: Linux won. Not "Linux is doing fine." Not "Linux is making progress." Not "maybe next year will be the year of the Linux desktop." No. Linux won. Decisively. Overwhelmingly. In nearly every category of computing that actually matters, Linux is the dominant operating system on the planet — and it happened quietly that most people, including many who use it every single day, have absolutely no idea.

I've been writing about Linux on this site for a long time now. I've reviewed dozens of distros, compared desktop environments, hosted Distrowar battles between distributions, and written passionate articles about why Linux deserved more attention. For nearly two decades, the narrative around Linux has been the same: "it's great, but it'll never go mainstream." That narrative is wrong. It's been wrong for years. And it's time someone said it clearly.

The Scoreboard:

Let's look at the actual numbers, because the scoreboard tells a story that the "Year of the Linux Desktop" jokes have been drowning out.

1. Supercomputers: Linux owns 100%. Every single one of the world's 500 fastest supercomputers runs Linux. Not 99%. Not most of them. All of them. This has been the case since 2017, and there's no sign of it changing. The last non-Linux system dropped off the TOP500 list years ago. When humanity needs raw computational power — for climate modeling, genomic research, nuclear simulations, AI training — it runs Linux. Full stop.

2. Servers: Linux dominates. Linux commands roughly 63% of the server operating system market globally. Over 96% of the top one million websites run on Linux. The web servers you interact with every day — Nginx, Apache — run almost exclusively on Linux. When you load a webpage, stream a video, check your email, or buy something online, the odds are overwhelming that a Linux server handled your request.

3. Cloud: Linux is the foundation. About 49% of all global cloud workloads run on Linux. AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud — the three pillars of cloud computing — all use Linux as their foundational operating system. Over 90% of public cloud workloads operate on Linux. The entire cloud revolution was built on top of a free, open-source kernel.

4. Containers: Linux is the only game in town. Docker, the dominant container platform, is used by over 108,000 companies. Kubernetes, the container orchestration standard, holds 92% market share with 5.6 million developers using it. Nearly all of this runs on Linux. The modern DevOps pipeline — the infrastructure that builds, tests, and deploys the software the world depends on — is a Linux pipeline.

5. Mobile: Linux is in your pocket. Android, which is built on the Linux kernel, powers roughly 71% of all smartphones globally. That's approximately 3.9 billion active devices. Every time someone says "Linux has no users," they're ignoring the billions of people carrying a Linux-based operating system in their pocket right now. It's the single most widely deployed operating system family on Earth by device count, and it's not even close.

6. Embedded systems and IoT: Linux is everywhere you don't see it. Over 44-46% of embedded systems run Linux. Your smart TV probably runs Linux. Your router almost certainly runs Linux. Many cars, medical devices, industrial controllers, and smart home devices run Linux. The invisible infrastructure of modern life is quietly humming along on a kernel that Linus Torvalds started as a hobby project in 1991.

7. Developer adoption: Linux is the default. About 78.5% of developers worldwide use Linux as a primary or secondary operating system. Among cloud-native developers, that number jumps to over 90%. The people building the future of software overwhelmingly choose Linux as their platform.

Now compare all of that to the one metric everyone obsesses over: desktop market share. Linux sits at roughly 4-5% on the desktop globally, around 5% in the United States. And because of this single number, the prevailing narrative remains "Linux hasn't made it."

That's like saying a basketball team lost the game because they didn't win the coin toss. The desktop is one court. Linux is winning the entire league.

How We Got the Narrative Wrong

The "Year of the Linux Desktop" has been a meme for over two decades. Every year, someone declares it, and every year, Linux's desktop share barely moves. The punchline writes itself.

But here's the thing the meme got wrong: it defined Linux's success by the wrong metric. Desktop computing is no longer the center of the tech universe. It hasn't been for years. Mobile, cloud, servers, IoT, containers, supercomputing — these are where computing lives now. And Linux owns all of them.

The fixation on the desktop is a relic of the early 2000s, when the desktop was the primary way most people interacted with computers. That world doesn't exist anymore. Today, most people's primary computing device is their smartphone (Linux, via Android). The software they use is served from the cloud (Linux). The websites they visit are hosted on servers (Linux). The apps are built and deployed using containers (Linux). The AI models they query are trained on supercomputers (Linux).

The average person in 2026 interacts with Linux dozens of times a day without knowing it. They just don't see a penguin on their screen, so they assume Linux isn't relevant.

I fell into this trap too. Back in 2011, I wrote an article on this very site titled "Why the Linux Desktop is Still Not #Winning." I argued that Linux's lack of focus was holding it back on the desktop. I wasn't wrong about the desktop, but I was wrong about what winning looked like. Linux didn't need to conquer the desktop to win. It conquered everything else.

The Quiet Victories Nobody Talks About

Some of Linux's most important wins happened so gradually that they never got a headline.

Linux ate the corporate data center. Red Hat Enterprise Linux holds 43.1% of the enterprise Linux server market. Over 90% of Fortune 500 companies use Red Hat products. The business world runs on Linux, and most employees have no idea. They sit at their Windows desktops, interacting with business applications that are served, processed, and stored on Linux infrastructure behind the scenes.

Linux runs the financial system. Stock exchanges, banking systems, payment processors — the financial infrastructure that moves trillions of dollars every day runs predominantly on Linux. The New York Stock Exchange switched to Linux years ago. When you swipe your credit card, the transaction almost certainly touches a Linux server somewhere in the chain.

Linux powers space exploration. NASA's Mars rovers and helicopters run Linux. SpaceX uses Linux for its flight software. The International Space Station has Linux computers on board. When humanity reaches beyond Earth, it does so on the back of open-source software.

Linux runs AI. The AI revolution — ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Stable Diffusion, all of it — runs on Linux. The NVIDIA GPUs that train these models run Linux drivers. The data centers that house them run Linux. The containers that deploy them run Linux. Every time someone marvels at what artificial intelligence can do in 2026, they're marveling at something that Linux made possible.

Governments are switching. Germany's Schleswig-Holstein replaced Microsoft tools with Linux across all public offices. France runs over 103,000 government computers on a custom Ubuntu distribution. Denmark is transitioning from Microsoft to open source. The EU is considering a standardized "EU-Linux." Switzerland mandated that government-developed software be released as open source. These aren't experiments. These are institutional commitments.

The Desktop Is Finally Moving Too

And here's the twist: even the desktop — that one stubborn metric — is finally showing real momentum.

Linux desktop market share hit 4.7% globally in 2025, representing a 70% increase from 2.76% in just three years. The United States crossed 5% for the first time. India leads major economies at over 16%. These are still small numbers compared to Windows, but the trajectory is unmistakable.

Several factors are converging. Windows 10 reached end of life in October 2025, and Windows 11's strict hardware requirements (TPM 2.0, specific CPU generations) left millions of perfectly functional PCs unable to upgrade. Many of those users are discovering that Linux can give their hardware a second life at zero cost. Valve's Steam Deck — a handheld gaming device running SteamOS (Arch Linux) — sold millions of units and proved Linux could be a consumer gaming platform. Proton, Valve's compatibility layer, now makes roughly 90% of Windows games playable on Linux. At CES 2026, Lenovo announced a handheld powered by SteamOS. The taboo of Linux gaming is officially over.

Ubuntu 26.04 LTS drops next month with GNOME 50, Wayland-only graphics (X11 is finally gone from core components), Rust-based system utilities, and improved NVIDIA performance. It's shaping up to be the most polished Ubuntu release ever — arriving at exactly the moment when the most people are looking for a Windows alternative.

The desktop isn't the finish line. But if it were, Linux is finally within sight of it.

What Winning Actually Looks Like

Linux didn't win the way anyone expected. There was no dramatic moment where Ubuntu overtook Windows on the desktop. No press conference. No champagne. Linux won the way open source always wins — gradually, relentlessly, by being better at the things that matter most to the people building the future.

It won because it was free, and startups with no budget could build their entire infrastructure on it. It won because it was customizable, and engineers could tune it for everything from a tiny IoT sensor to the world's fastest supercomputer. It won because it was open, and thousands of companies and millions of developers could contribute to and benefit from the same shared foundation. It won because it was reliable, and system administrators could trust it to run for years without a reboot. It won because it was secure, and organizations handling sensitive data needed something they could audit and verify.

It won not despite being open source, but because of it.

Why This Matters

I'm not writing this to gloat (okay, maybe a little). I'm writing this because I think there's an important lesson in how Linux won — a lesson that applies far beyond operating systems.

When I started TechSource in 2007, advocating for Linux and free software felt like shouting into the void. The dominant narrative was that open source couldn't compete with well-funded proprietary alternatives. That free software was inferior. That you get what you pay for, and if you pay nothing, you get nothing.

Linux proved all of that wrong. And it did it not by being a charity project, but by being genuinely, measurably, demonstrably better for the use cases that mattered. Corporations didn't adopt Linux because they loved the philosophy of open source. They adopted it because it was the best tool for the job. The philosophy was a bonus.

Today, I see the same dynamic playing out with open-source AI. Models like Llama, Mistral, Qwen, and DeepSeek are challenging proprietary AI systems the same way Linux challenged proprietary operating systems. The tools like Ollama and Open WebUI that make local AI accessible are following the same playbook that Ubuntu followed to make Linux accessible. The pattern is the same. The lesson is the same. Openness wins, eventually, because it enables the most people to build on the same foundation.

So the Next Time Someone Asks...

The next time someone asks, "when is the year of the Linux desktop?" — gently remind them that they're asking the wrong question.

The year of Linux already happened. It's been happening for over a decade. It happened when Linux took over supercomputing. It happened when the cloud was built on Linux. It happened when Android put Linux in 3.9 billion pockets. It happened when containers and Kubernetes became the standard way to deploy software. It happened when every major AI model was trained on Linux infrastructure.

Linux didn't win the desktop war. It won the computing war. And it did it so quietly that most of the world still doesn't know.

But now you do.

What do you think? Is the desktop still the metric that matters, or has Linux already won where it counts?

— Jun

How I Built a Local AI Hub Using Free and Open Source Software on My Old Mac Mini

noreply@blogger.com (Jun) — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 01:46:00 +0000

I’m going to tell you something that would have sounded absolutely insane five years ago: I’m running artificial intelligence on a computer the size of a lunch box, it works offline, my data never leaves my house, and it costs me nothing beyond the electricity to keep it running.

No monthly subscription. No API fees. No sending my private documents to some server farm in Virginia. Just me, a Mac Mini M1, and a free and open-source software called Ollama that has quietly become one of the most important pieces of software I’ve used — and I say that as someone who has been reviewing software on this site since 2007.

If you’ve been curious about running AI locally but thought you needed a $5,000 GPU rig and a computer science degree, this post is for you. I’m going to walk you through exactly how I set up my local AI hub, what I use it for, and why I think every tech enthusiast should consider doing the same.

Why Local AI? Why Now?

Let me give you some context. Like most people, I’ve been using cloud-based AI tools — ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini — and they’re incredible. But there are situations where sending your data to a cloud service isn’t ideal.

When I’m working on business documents for my offline ventures, I don’t necessarily want those financial projections living on someone else’s server. When I’m brainstorming ideas for my apps, I’d rather keep those early concepts private. When I’m processing data for my web projects, I want the flexibility to run queries without worrying about rate limits, usage caps, or monthly bills that scale with every prompt.

The privacy argument alone is compelling, but it’s not the only reason. Local AI is also fast — there’s no network latency, no waiting for servers, no “we’re experiencing high demand” messages. It works offline, which means I can use it on a plane, in a coffee shop with terrible Wi-Fi, or during one of those delightful Philippine internet outages that build character.

And perhaps most importantly for a guy who has been writing about free and open-source software for nearly two decades: local AI puts the power back in your hands. You own the hardware, you own the model weights, and there are no terms of service to violate. That’s the open-source philosophy I’ve been preaching since my Linux days, applied to the most transformative technology of our generation.

What You Need (Less Than You Think)

Here’s my setup:

Hardware: Mac Mini M1 (8GB Unified Memory)

That’s it. That’s the hardware. No dedicated GPU. No server rack. No liquid cooling. An old Mac Mini M1 — the base model with just 8GB of RAM — that I bought a few years ago and that sits quietly on my living room table consuming roughly the same power as a light bulb.

Now, let me be upfront: 8GB is the bare minimum for local AI. It’s not ideal. After macOS takes its share of memory (roughly 3-4GB for the operating system and background processes), you’re left with about 4-5GB of usable space for AI models. That means the popular 7B and 8B parameter models that most guides recommend are either too tight to run comfortably or will cause constant memory pressure and slowdowns on my machine. I learned this the hard way after watching my Mac Mini struggle and swap memory like it was reliving its Intel days.

But here’s the thing — you don’t need the biggest models to get genuinely useful results. The smaller models, in the 1B to 3.8B parameter range, run beautifully on 8GB machines. They’re fast, responsive, and for many everyday tasks, surprisingly capable. Are they as good as GPT-4 or Claude? Not even close. But for quick drafts, summarization, code snippets, brainstorming, and general Q&A, they get the job done without sending a single byte of your data to the cloud.

The secret sauce that makes even my base model Mac Mini viable is Apple Silicon’s unified memory architecture. Unlike traditional PCs where the CPU and GPU have separate memory pools, the M1’s unified memory means the GPU can directly access whatever RAM is available for AI inference. Even with just 8GB, the M1’s efficiency means small models can generate tokens at 30-60+ tokens per second — fast enough that responses feel nearly instant.

Could you do this on a Windows PC or a Linux machine? Absolutely. If you have a desktop with an NVIDIA GPU (even a used RTX 3060 for around $150), you’d get excellent performance with even bigger models. But for Mac users with older Apple Silicon hardware gathering dust, Ollama gives that machine a second life.

Minimum specs to get started:

Any Apple Silicon Mac (M1 or newer) with 8GB of RAM can run small models (1B-3.8B parameters). Think of these as quick, lightweight assistants good for summarization, simple coding help, and general Q&A. With 16GB, things get significantly better — you can comfortably run 7B-8B models at good speed and even some 14B models. With 32GB or more, you’re in serious territory — running models that rival cloud-based services for many tasks.

On the PC side, 16GB of system RAM plus a GPU with at least 8GB of VRAM is the sweet spot. More VRAM means bigger, better models.

Installing Ollama: Easier Than Installing Most Apps

Ollama is the foundation of my local AI setup. It’s a free and open-source tool that handles downloading, managing, and running large language models with absurd simplicity. If you can type a command into a terminal, you can run local AI.

Step 1: Install Ollama

On Mac, you have two options. The easiest is to download the app directly from ollama.com. (). Download the DMG, drag it to Applications, and launch. Done.

If you prefer Homebrew (and if you’re a developer, you probably do):

brew install ollama

On Linux:

curl -fsSL https://ollama.com/install.sh | sh

On Windows, simply download the installer from the Ollama website.

That’s the entire installation. No Python environment management. No dependency hell. No CUDA driver nightmares. It just works.

Step 2: Pull Your First Model

Open your terminal and type:

ollama pull llama3.2:3b

This downloads Meta’s Llama 3.2 3B model — one of the best small open-source language models available and the sweet spot for 8GB machines. It’s about 2GB on disk and runs comfortably without choking your system.

If you want something even lighter to start with:

ollama pull phi4-mini

Microsoft’s Phi-4 Mini (3.8B parameters) is another excellent choice for 8GB systems — strong instruction following and surprisingly good at code for its size.

Step 3: Start Chatting

ollama run llama3.2:3b

That’s it. You now have a local AI assistant running entirely on your machine. Ask it questions, have it summarize text, help with code, draft emails — whatever you need. Type your prompt, get a response. No account required. No internet required after the initial download.

The first time I ran this and got a coherent, helpful response from a model running entirely on my Mac Mini, I had the same feeling I had back in 2007 when I first booted Ubuntu and realized an entire operating system could be free. That feeling of “wait, this actually works, and it’s free?” — that’s the open-source magic I’ve been chasing for nearly 20 years.

The Models I Actually Use on 8GB

Ollama gives you access to a growing library of models. Here are the ones that work well on my 8GB Mac Mini and what I use them for:

1. Llama 3.2 3B — My go-to daily driver. This is the model I reach for most often. For a 3B model, the quality is genuinely impressive — it handles summarization, drafting, general Q&A, and brainstorming surprisingly well. On my M1, it runs at roughly 30-50 tokens per second, which means responses feel nearly instant. It’s the perfect balance of quality and speed for an 8GB machine.

2. Phi-4 Mini (3.8B) — My coding companion. Microsoft’s Phi-4 Mini punches well above its weight for code generation and technical tasks. When I’m working on my iOS apps or web projects and need a quick SwiftUI snippet, JSON formatting help, or a debugging nudge, this model delivers at around 15-20 tokens per second. It won’t replace Claude for complex architecture decisions, but for quick code help during focused development sessions, it’s remarkably useful.

3. Gemma 2B — My speedster for trivial tasks. Google’s smallest Gemma model is ultra-lightweight and blazing fast. I use it for simple reformatting, quick translations, and tasks where I just need a fast answer and don’t care about nuance. Think of it as the Puppy Linux of language models — tiny, fast, and gets the basics done.

4. Llama 3.2 1B — My offline emergency model. At just around 1.3GB, this model loads almost instantly and runs so fast it feels like autocomplete. The quality is basic, but when I need something working on minimal resources or want to run alongside other applications without memory pressure, it’s there.

Here’s the honest truth about running local AI on 8GB: you’re operating within constraints. Multi-turn conversations get noticeably weaker after several back-and-forth exchanges because the limited memory means shorter context windows. Complex reasoning tasks will sometimes produce mediocre results. And you’ll occasionally notice responses that are clearly “smaller model quality” compared to what you get from cloud services.

But for single-turn tasks — summarize this, draft that, reformat this JSON, explain this concept, help me with this code snippet — these small models are fast, private, and genuinely useful. It’s like having a competent junior assistant who works for free and never sleeps.

To switch between models, I just run a different command. Different models for different jobs — just like how I used to keep different Linux distros for different purposes back in my distro-hopping days.

Adding a Proper Interface: Open WebUI

Running Ollama from the terminal is fine for quick tasks, but for extended sessions, it gets clunky. You lose chat history, you can’t easily compare models, and scrolling through terminal output isn’t exactly a delightful user experience.

Enter Open WebUI — a free, open-source web interface that connects to Ollama and gives you a ChatGPT-like experience running entirely on your local machine.

If you have Docker installed, the setup is one command:

docker run -d -p 3000:8080 \

-v open-webui:/app/backend/data \

--name open-webui --restart always \

ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:ollama

Open your browser, go to `http://localhost:3000`, create an account (this is local — nobody else sees it), and you’re in. Every model you’ve pulled with Ollama automatically appears in the interface.

Open WebUI is where the magic really happens. You get persistent chat history so you can pick up conversations where you left off. You can switch models mid-conversation to compare outputs. There are system prompt templates, temperature controls, and per-chat configuration settings. You can upload documents and use RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation) to ask questions about your own files — PDFs, text documents, code files. It even supports web search integration, image generation, and voice input.

The interface looks and feels remarkably similar to ChatGPT, except everything is running on your own hardware. No cloud. No subscription. No data leaving your network.

I access Open WebUI from my Apple devices like my MacBook, my iPhone, and my iPad — all pointing to the Mac Mini sitting quietly on my living room table. It’s like having a private ChatGPT server for my household.

My Actual Workflows

Let me get specific about how I use this setup in real life, because “run AI locally” sounds cool in theory but means nothing without practical application.

1. For my blog (this site). When I’m researching topics for TechSource, I’ll dump my raw notes into a chat, ask the local model to identify the most interesting angles, suggest outlines, or flag gaps in my research. The model doesn’t write the posts for me — my writing voice is my own — but it’s an incredibly useful brainstorming partner.

2. For my iOS apps. I use Phi-4 Mini for quick SwiftUI help, JSON formatting, and debugging. Having a coding assistant that responds in under a second with no internet dependency is genuinely useful during focused development sessions.

3. For my offline businesses. I process business documents, draft communications, and analyze data without any of that information touching a third-party server. This is the use case where local AI’s privacy advantage matters most.

4. For website automation. I’ve built an automated pipeline that scrapes information from various sources and publishes curated content to my niche site. Ollama plays a role in processing and formatting that data. Having this run locally means the pipeline works even if my internet connection is spotty.

5. For learning. I feed technical articles, documentation, and research papers into the RAG system and then have conversations with the content. It’s like having a study partner who has perfect recall of everything you’ve uploaded.

How Does Local AI on 8GB Compare to ChatGPT and Claude?

I’m going to be honest with you, because that’s what TechSource has always been about.

On an 8GB machine running 3B models, local AI handles roughly 60-70% of the simple tasks I’d otherwise use cloud AI for. Summarization, quick drafts, code snippets, reformatting, basic Q&A — the small models get these done fast and privately.

For the remaining 30-40% — complex multi-step reasoning, nuanced creative writing, deep code architecture analysis, long conversations that require extensive context, and tasks requiring broad world knowledge — cloud models like Claude and GPT-4 are in a completely different league. There’s no sugarcoating this. My 3B model running locally isn’t competing with a 400B+ parameter model running on a data center full of A100 GPUs. That would be like comparing my Raspberry Pi to a supercomputer.

But that’s not the point. My approach is hybrid: local for privacy-sensitive work, quick tasks, and offline use. Cloud for complex, high-stakes tasks where quality matters more than privacy. The two complement each other perfectly. And if I ever upgrade to a Mac with 16GB or more RAM, those 7B-8B models become available and the quality gap narrows significantly.

What This Costs

Let’s do the math, because this is one of my favorite parts.

My setup costs:

Mac Mini M1 8GB (already owned and started to gather dust in my drawer): $0 additional cost. If buying used today, base M1 Mac Minis go for roughly $250-350 on resale markets — they’ve depreciated significantly, which makes them incredible value for a dedicated local AI server.

Ollama: Free, open-source.

Open WebUI: Free, open-source.

All AI models: Free, open-source.

Electricity: My Mac Mini draws about 20-39 watts during AI inference. Running it 8 hours a day costs roughly $2-3 per month in electricity.

Total monthly cost: About $3.

For comparison, ChatGPT Plus is $20/month. Claude Pro is $20/month. Running API calls at scale can easily cost $50-100+ per month depending on usage.

Even with the limitations of 8GB, my local setup handles enough daily tasks to reduce my reliance on paid subscriptions. Over a year, that adds up to meaningful savings — while giving me unlimited usage, complete privacy, and offline capability.

Tips I’ve Learned the Hard Way

After months of running this setup daily on constrained hardware, here are some practical lessons:

1. RAM is king. No, seriously. On 8GB, every megabyte counts. Close unnecessary applications before running models. Safari with 20 tabs open and Xcode running simultaneously will leave almost nothing for Ollama. I’ve learned to treat my AI sessions like focused work blocks — close everything else, then chat.

2. Smaller models, faster results. Don’t try to squeeze a 7B model onto an 8GB machine. I tried. It technically loads, but the constant memory swapping makes it painfully slow and the system becomes unusable for anything else. Stick to 3B and under for a smooth experience. A fast 3B model that responds instantly is infinitely more useful than a struggling 7B model that takes 10 seconds per response while your fans sound like a jet engine.

3. The 60-70% rule. Your model file should be no more than 60-70% of your total available memory (after macOS takes its share). On 8GB, that means model files of about 2-3GB maximum. This leaves enough room for the operating system, the context window (KV cache), and Ollama’s overhead.

4. Set Ollama as a network service. By default, Ollama only accepts connections from the local machine. If you want other devices on your network to access it (like I do with my MacBook and iPad), set the environment variable `OLLAMA_HOST=0.0.0.0` to allow connections from your local network. Just don’t expose it to the internet without authentication.

5. Different models for different jobs. I keep three to four small models installed and use them contextually. Phi-4 Mini for code, Llama 3.2 3B for general tasks, and Gemma 2B for quick throwaway queries. Specialization matters, even at the small model tier.

6. Keep an eye on model updates. The open-source AI community moves incredibly fast. Small models are improving at a staggering rate — the best 3B model today is dramatically better than the best 3B model from even six months ago. Check Ollama’s library periodically for new models. Pulling an update is just `ollama pull model-name`.

7. Plan your upgrade path. If local AI clicks for you (and I think it will), the single best upgrade you can make is more RAM. A used Mac Mini M1 with 16GB runs 7B-8B models comfortably and the quality jump from 3B to 8B is enormous. Consider it the best investment in your local AI future.

The Bigger Picture: This Is the Open-Source Revolution, Again

I started this site in 2007 writing about Linux because I believed free and open-source software could change the world. It did — Linux now powers 100% of the world’s top 500 supercomputers, 77% of web servers, and roughly half of all cloud workloads.

Now I’m watching the same thing happen with AI. Open-source models like Llama, Mistral, Qwen, Phi, Gemma, and DeepSeek are making AI accessible to anyone with a decent computer. Tools like Ollama and Open WebUI are making it easy. The barriers are falling fast.

A few years ago, running a useful AI model required cloud infrastructure and enterprise budgets. Today, you can do it on an old Mac Mini with 8GB of RAM that costs less than a pair of sneakers on the secondhand market. That trajectory reminds me of the early days of Linux, when something that was once the domain of server rooms gradually became something anyone could run on their desktop.

The fact that I can run a functional AI assistant on the most basic Apple Silicon Mac — the cheapest, lowest-spec model they ever made with an M1 chip — tells you everything about where this technology is headed. If this is what’s possible on 8GB today, imagine what the next generation of small models will do on the same hardware a year from now.

If you’ve been reading TechSource since the Ubuntu days, you already understand why this matters. The same principles that made open-source software transformative — transparency, control, community, freedom — are now being applied to artificial intelligence. And just like with Linux, you don’t need anyone’s permission to get started.

Pull up a terminal. Install Ollama. Run your first model. Welcome to the revolution. It’s local, it’s private, it’s free, and it could talk to your Linux-powered robot soon :)

For those of you who are curious, below is a photo of my old Mac Mini (named Murdoc) lying on my living room table, looking like a metal brick that does nothing:

Mac Mini (Murdoc)

— Jun

Health Is Wealth: Why I Chose a Smartwatch Over a Rolex

noreply@blogger.com (Jun) — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 08:33:00 +0000

A few years ago, a friend of mine bought a Rolex Submariner. It cost him roughly the same as a decent used car. He showed it to me with the kind of pride usually reserved for newborn babies and championship trophies. It was beautiful, I’ll admit. The weight of it, the way it caught the light, the satisfying click of the rotating bezel — there’s a reason people have been obsessed with luxury watches for centuries.

He then asked me what I was wearing on my wrist. I looked down at my Garmin Fenix strapped on like a chunky piece of tactical gear and said, “This thing told me my VO2 max dropped because I skipped leg day.”

He wasn’t impressed. But here’s the thing — I wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I was trying to stay alive and healthy. And between his $10,000+ timepiece and my sub-$1,000 smartwatch, one of us was getting real-time heart rate data, sleep quality scores, blood oxygen readings, training load analysis, and a gentle but firm nudge to stop sitting on the couch.

No disrespect to the Submariner. But it can’t do any of that. It sits there, looking gorgeous, being expensive, and telling you what time it is — which, let’s be honest, your phone already does for free.

Health Is Wealth (And I Mean That Literally)

I know “health is wealth” sounds like something your tita would embroider on a throw pillow. But after the last few years of my life, I don’t just believe it — I’ve lived it.

During my writing hiatus from this site, something shifted in me. I got serious about fitness. Not “I should probably walk more” serious. I mean genuinely, deeply, borderline-obsessively serious. I started running. Not the casual jog-around-the-block kind of running. The kind where you wake up at 4 AM, lace up in the dark, and question every life decision that led you to this moment — only to do it again the next day because you’re completely hooked.

Since my last post on this site, I have completed two full marathons and one ultramarathon.

Let me repeat that for the people in the back, because honestly, I still can’t believe it myself. An ultramarathon. That’s anything beyond the standard 42.195 kilometers of a regular marathon. My legs have covered distances that would make a GPS tracker file a formal complaint.

If you had told the 2019 version of me — the guy who wrote about smartwatches while sitting comfortably at his desk — that he would one day run beyond marathon distance, he would have laughed, closed his laptop, and gone back to reviewing Raspberry Pi accessories.

But here I am. And my smartwatches were there for every single kilometer.

My Smartwatch Journey: The Sequel

Long-time readers of TechSource might remember my 2019 article, The Essential Smartwatch: From Motorola MOTOACTV to Apple Watch, where I traced my wearable history from that bulky but lovable Motorola MOTOACTV ($300, shattered after one waist-high drop — rest in peace) to the original Pebble (great battery, terrible Bluetooth connection) to the Apple Watch Series 2 Nike+ that became my daily companion.

In that article, I wrote: *“I will probably stick to wearing smartwatches until my heart rate per minute goes zero.”*

Well, I’m still here, my heart rate is very much not zero (especially during hill repeats), and my smartwatch collection has evolved significantly since 2019. My current daily rotation consists of two watches that represent the best of two very different philosophies in wearable tech:

The Garmin Fenix is my dedicated running and outdoor watch. If the Apple Watch is a Swiss Army knife, the Garmin Fenix is a machete that also happens to have a heart rate sensor. It’s built for endurance athletes who need their watch to last longer than a weekend camping trip. Battery life? We’re talking weeks, not hours. During my ultramarathon, this thing tracked every step, every elevation change, every heart rate spike when I questioned why I voluntarily signed up for this — and it still had juice left at the finish line. The GPS accuracy is surgical. The training metrics (VO2 max, training load, recovery time, race predictor) have genuinely helped me become a better runner. It’s not the prettiest watch on the shelf, but when you’re 35 kilometers into a race and need to know if you’re about to bonk, aesthetics are the last thing on your mind.

The Apple Watch Ultra is my everyday smartwatch and my second running companion. Apple basically looked at the regular Apple Watch and said, “What if we made this, but for people who do extreme things?” The Ultra has the best display I’ve ever seen on a smartwatch — bright enough to read in direct Philippine sunlight, which is saying something. The health features are comprehensive: ECG, blood oxygen monitoring, sleep apnea detection, irregular heart rhythm notifications, and now high blood pressure alerts. The integration with my iPhone is seamless in a way that only Apple can pull off. I use it for notifications, calls, Apple Pay, music on my AirPods, meditation with the Breathe app, and yes — running. Its GPS has gotten remarkably accurate, and the battery life, while nowhere near the Garmin, has improved enough that I can get through a marathon without it dying on me.

Between the two, I’ve found the perfect combo. Garmin for serious training and races. Apple Watch Ultra for everything else and casual runs. It’s like having a pickup truck and a sedan — different tools for different jobs, both essential.

What Your Rolex Can’t Tell You

Let me be clear: I’m not here to trash luxury watches. They are works of art. The craftsmanship of a Patek Philippe or an Omega Speedmaster is genuinely awe-inspiring. The mechanical movements, the hand-finished components, the heritage — there’s a reason the luxury watch market is worth over $33 billion and growing. If you can afford one and it brings you joy, by all means, wear it proudly.

But let’s have an honest conversation about value.

A Rolex Submariner costs anywhere from $9,000 to $15,000 depending on the model and availability (good luck getting one without a waitlist, by the way). For that price, you get an exquisitely crafted timepiece that tells you the time, the date, and how deep underwater you are. That’s essentially it. It looks incredible doing those three things, but functionally, that’s the extent of it.

Now consider what a quality smartwatch under $1,000 can do: continuous heart rate monitoring that can detect atrial fibrillation before you even feel symptoms. Blood oxygen readings that might catch respiratory issues early. Sleep tracking that reveals patterns you never knew existed. ECG readings right from your wrist. Training load analysis that prevents overtraining injuries. GPS tracking accurate enough for navigation in remote areas. Fall detection that automatically calls emergency services. Satellite SOS messaging when you’re off the grid. Blood pressure trend monitoring. Stress tracking with guided breathing exercises. And, oh yeah — it also tells you the time.

The smartwatch market has reached roughly 455 million users worldwide. There’s a reason for that. These aren’t just gadgets anymore. They’re health instruments that happen to go on your wrist.

I’ve read stories of people whose Apple Watch detected an irregular heartbeat and sent them to the doctor, where they discovered a serious cardiac condition they had no idea about. That’s not a hypothetical — it’s happening regularly enough that cardiologists are starting to take smartwatch data seriously. There are runners who caught early signs of overtraining syndrome because their Garmin showed declining HRV trends over weeks. There are people with sleep apnea who had no clue until their watch flagged it.

Your Rolex will never do any of that. It will sit beautifully on your wrist, hold its value, maybe even appreciate over time — but it will never tap you on the wrist and say, “Hey, your heart just did something weird. You should get that checked out.”

The Marathon Runner’s Perspective

Running marathons and an ultramarathon fundamentally changed how I think about what I wear on my wrist. When you’re training for distances that take your body to its absolute limit, data isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity.

During my marathon training, my Garmin Fenix became my coach, my nutritionist’s assistant, and my ego-checker all in one. The training load feature told me when I was pushing too hard (often) and when I could push harder (rarely, because I was already pushing too hard). The recovery advisor gave me honest assessments of when I was ready for another hard session. The race predictor — while sometimes hilariously optimistic — gave me target paces to work toward.

During the actual races, having real-time data was invaluable. Heart rate zones kept me from going out too fast in the early kilometers (the number one mistake new marathoners make, and I speak from painful experience). Pace tracking helped me maintain consistency. And the GPS breadcrumb trail meant I always knew exactly where I was on the course, which is surprisingly reassuring when you’re deep into kilometer 38 and your brain starts suggesting that maybe you took a wrong turn and this road actually leads to nowhere.

My Apple Watch Ultra served double duty as my everyday health monitor. The sleep tracking helped me dial in my recovery during high-volume training weeks. The HRV trends gave me a general sense of whether my body was adapting or just surviving. And the heart health notifications gave me peace of mind that all this extreme exercise wasn’t secretly wrecking my cardiovascular system (spoiler: it wasn’t — running is good for you, in case you needed another reason).

Could I have run those marathons without a smartwatch? Of course. People ran marathons for decades before wearable tech existed. But would I have trained as efficiently, recovered as smartly, or avoided as many potential injuries? Absolutely not.

The Real Flex in 2026

There’s been a cultural shift happening, and I think it’s worth talking about. For decades, the ultimate wrist flex was a luxury mechanical watch. Wearing a Rolex or an AP Royal Oak signaled success, taste, and financial achievement. And to some extent, that’s still true in certain circles.

But increasingly, especially among younger professionals and the health-conscious crowd, the flex is shifting. Wearing a Garmin Fenix or an Apple Watch Ultra increasingly signals something different: that you take your health seriously, that you’re active, that you value function over fashion, and that you’re the kind of person who runs ultramarathons on weekends instead of just brunch.

I’m not saying one is better than the other as a status symbol. I’m saying the definition of “valuable” on your wrist is expanding. A $15,000 watch that holds its resale value is valuable in one sense. A $900 watch that catches a heart condition early or helps you train for a marathon without injury is valuable in a completely different — and arguably more important — sense.

Besides, luxury watchmakers are clearly paying attention. TAG Heuer has their Connected line. Louis Vuitton made a smartwatch. Even the traditional watch industry recognizes that people increasingly want their wrist wear to do more than look pretty and tick. The smartwatch market is projected to be worth over $218 billion by 2033. That’s not a fad. That’s a fundamental shift in what people expect from a timepiece.

My Wishlist for the Perfect Running Smartwatch

Since I’m a part-time tech blogger and it’s basically my civic duty to complain about things I want improved, here’s what I’m still waiting for:

1. Longer battery life on Apple Watch.

The Ultra gets about 36-42 hours of normal use and roughly 14 hours with continuous GPS. For a marathon, that’s fine. For an ultra? You’re sweating — both literally and about battery percentage. Garmin’s weeks-long battery life puts Apple to shame here. The day Apple Watch hits even 5-day battery life, the Garmin might get nervous.

2. Better smartwatch features on Garmin.

Garmin’s fitness tracking is world-class, but its smartwatch experience still feels like it’s from 2019. The app ecosystem is limited, notifications are basic, and the touchscreen responsiveness could use work. Garmin knows it’s a sports watch first and a smartwatch second, but closing that gap would make it unstoppable.

3. Non-invasive glucose monitoring.

This is the holy grail of wearable health tech. Several companies are working on it, and rumors have circulated about both Apple and Samsung exploring this. For the millions of people managing diabetes — and for athletes who want to optimize fueling during endurance events — real-time glucose data on the wrist would be revolutionary.

4. Better integration between watch ecosystems.

I run two watches because neither does everything perfectly. In a dream world, the Garmin’s battery life and training metrics would merge with the Apple Watch’s smart features and health sensors into one device. Until then, I’ll keep looking like the tech equivalent of someone who carries two phones.

So, Should You Buy a Rolex or a Smartwatch?

If you have the budget for a Rolex and you genuinely love horology, buy the Rolex. Life’s too short to not enjoy beautiful things, and a well-made mechanical watch is undeniably a work of art. Just know what you’re getting: a gorgeous conversation starter that tells time.

But if you’re asking me what’s more *valuable* — as in, what provides more tangible benefit to your actual life — the answer is the smartwatch, and it’s not even close. For under $1,000, you get a personal health monitor, fitness coach, communication device, navigation tool, and potential life-saver strapped to your wrist. That’s not marketing hype. That’s what these devices actually do, every single day.

Health is wealth. I didn’t fully understand that until I started running seriously, started pushing my body to its limits, and started relying on the data from my wrist to do it safely and effectively. My Garmin Fenix and Apple Watch Ultra have been with me through training runs at dawn, marathon finish lines, and one very long ultramarathon that I’m still not entirely sure I completed voluntarily.

My traditional watches? They’re still in my closet. Right where I left them in 2011 when I bought my first MOTOACTV. They look nice. They don’t do anything.

In the old article, I wrote that I’d stick to wearing smartwatches until my heart rate hits zero. After two marathons and an ultra, that statement is even more true today. Although, if my smartwatch has anything to say about it, that heart rate is going to stay well above zero for a very long time.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a training run to get to. My Garmin is already judging me for sitting this long.

— Jun

The State of the Linux Desktop in 2026: A Love Letter from a Prodigal Penguin

noreply@blogger.com (Jun) — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 13:24:00 +0000

Let me start with a confession. I haven’t used Linux as my daily desktop operating system in roughly a decade.

I know. Take a moment. Breathe. For those of you who have been reading TechSource since the Ubuntu and Compiz days, that sentence may stung. This is, after all, the same site that published 587 posts tagged “linux” — from distro reviews and desktop customization showcases to that infamous Distrowar series where I played judge and jury as two distributions fought for supremacy like gladiators in a nerdy arena. I reviewed Linux Mint when it was called Cassandra. I compared Ubuntu to Windows 8 and declared the pangolin the winner. I wrote about why the Linux desktop was “not winning” back in 2011. I showcased 20 awesome Linux desktop customization screenshots that made Digg’s front page. I even ran Linux on my MacBook Pro, because I enjoyed chaos.

And then, somewhere along the way, I drifted. iOS app development pulled me deep into the Apple ecosystem. My MacBook became my workhorse. Xcode replaced my terminal. Swift replaced Python as my go-to language. And before I knew it, the guy who used to argue passionately about GNOME vs. KDE was now debating whether to use SwiftUI or UIKit.

So here I am in 2026, looking at the Linux desktop landscape after years of being away, and I have to say — I barely recognize it. In the best possible way.

What I Missed (And It’s a Lot)

The Linux desktop world I left behind was one where we were fighting for basic hardware compatibility, where gaming meant Wine hacks and prayer, where Wayland was a distant promise, and where the “Year of the Linux Desktop” was the eternal running joke that never stopped being funny because it never stopped being true.

Let me walk you through what changed while I was busy wrestling with Auto Layout constraints and App Store review guidelines.

1. The market share moved a lot

This is the big one. When I was actively blogging about Linux, desktop market share hovered stubbornly around 1-2%. Today? Linux sits at roughly 4.7% globally as of 2025, and in the United States it crossed the 5% mark for the first time in June 2025. India is leading the charge at over 16%. These numbers might look small compared to Windows, but for those of us who remember the days when Linux barely registered on the charts, this is genuinely remarkable. That represents a 70% increase in three years. The penguin isn’t just surviving anymore — it’s gaining massive ground.

2. Windows 10 hit end of life

Microsoft officially ended mainstream support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. This is huge for Linux because Windows 11’s hardware requirements (TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, specific CPU families) mean millions of perfectly functional computers suddenly can’t run the latest Windows. The choice became stark: buy new hardware, pay for Microsoft’s Extended Security Updates bridge, or install Linux. Campaigns like endof10.org popped up encouraging people to install Linux instead of throwing away working PCs. The environmental and economic argument for Linux has never been stronger.

3. Gaming on Linux went from joke to legitimate

If you told me in 2011 that a handheld gaming device running Linux would sell millions of units and fundamentally change how the industry thinks about Linux gaming, I would have assumed you’d been spending too much time in the Compiz settings. But that’s what Valve’s Steam Deck did. Running SteamOS (which is like Arch Linux wearing a nice suit), the Steam Deck proved that Linux could be a consumer gaming platform. Valve’s Proton compatibility layer now makes roughly 90% of Windows games playable on Linux. The latest Proton 10.0 is fixing games from Diablo 4 to God of War: Ragnarok on the Deck. At CES 2026, Lenovo announced a Legion Go 2 “Powered by SteamOS.” Other OEMs are following. Linux gaming isn’t just a niche hobby anymore — it’s a legitimate platform that publishers have to take seriously.

4. Wayland finally won

Remember when Wayland was that “next-generation display server” that everyone talked about but nobody used? Now it’s here, and it’s taking over. Ubuntu has been defaulting to Wayland since 2021, and as of Ubuntu 25.10, the X11 session has been removed for GNOME. The upcoming Ubuntu 26.04 LTS shipping with GNOME 50 will be Wayland-native with X11 support gone from core components. GNOME 50 is removing the X11 backend. The result? Better HiDPI support, less screen tearing, improved security, smoother fractional scaling, and the groundwork for features like HDR. Canonical is even working on improving NVIDIA Wayland performance for the next LTS release. For those of us who spent years dealing with X11 quirks, this transition feels historic.

5. Ubuntu is getting rewritten in Rust

Ubuntu 25.10 replaced the classic `sudo` command with `sudo-rs`, a Rust reimplementation designed to eliminate memory safety bugs that have plagued C-based tools for decades. Core command-line utilities like `ls`, `cp`, and `mv` are getting Rust-based replacements. For majority of users, the change is invisible — everything works the same, but the underlying security is a lot stronger. It’s the boring-but-brilliant improvement that makes the whole ecosystem better.

6. The desktop environments matured beautifully

GNOME has evolved into a polished, cohesive desktop experience. KDE Plasma has become arguably the most customizable and feature-rich desktop environment on any platform. Linux Mint’s Cinnamon desktop keeps getting better for people who want a traditional Windows-like experience. And there are now even more options — Budgie is transitioning to Wayland with a lightweight wlroots-based compositor, and Fedora, openSUSE, and Pop!_OS all offer compelling desktop experiences. The fragmentation that I once wrote about as Linux’s biggest weakness has, in many ways, become its greatest strength. There is something for everyone now.

7. Governments are switching

Germany’s state of Schleswig-Holstein became the first European region to replace Microsoft tools with Linux and LibreOffice in public offices. France runs over 103,000 computers on GendBuntu, a custom Ubuntu distribution. Denmark announced a transition from Microsoft to open-source platforms. The EU is even considering an “EU-Linux” operating system for public administrations. Switzerland committed $231 million to build a national cloud service and mandated that government-developed software be released as open source. When governments start moving, the enterprise follows.

My History with the Linux Desktop

Reading through my old posts while preparing this article was a trip down memory lane that felt equal parts nostalgic and embarrassing. The internet never forgets, and neither does the Wayback Machine.

I started using Linux somewhere around 2005-2006, back when Ubuntu was young, brown-themed, and revolutionary because it shipped you free CDs in the mail. My first serious distro was Ubuntu Hoary Hedgehog (5.04), and I remember being very impressed that an operating system could be this customizable, this fast, and most importantly, this free.

From there, I became what the community affectionately calls a “distro hopper.” I tried everything. Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Linux Mint, Fedora, openSUSE, PCLinuxOS, Mandriva, Arch, Debian, Puppy Linux, Slackware-based distros like Wolvix and NimbleX, and even oddities like SliTaz (the smallest desktop distro I’d ever seen at less than 30MB). I reviewed them, compared them, pitted them against each other in my Distrowar series, and argued about them in comment sections that sometimes ran into hundreds of passionate replies.

I wrote about why the Linux desktop wasn’t winning (it was the ADHD-like lack of focus, I argued). I wrote about how dark mode on macOS was something Linux had done years earlier (because we had). I compiled lists of awesome desktop customization screenshots that proved Linux could look stunning. I tested lightweight desktop environments that most people had never heard of, from EDE to Project Looking Glass to XFast. I even wrote about the “anatomy of a crappy Linux distro” — twelve signs that a distribution was garbage — and it became one of our most popular and controversial posts.

Those years of distro hopping and writing about Linux taught me more about computing than any formal education ever could. I learned about partitioning, bootloaders, kernel modules, package management, networking, scripting, and the art of troubleshooting hardware that refused to cooperate. More than the technical skills, Linux taught me about community, about building something collectively, and about the power of open source as a philosophy.

Then life happened. I got into iOS development around 2013, and macOS became my daily driver out of necessity. The irony of a former Linux evangelist becoming an Apple developer isn’t lost on me. Trust me, I’ve heard the jokes.

What Coming Back Feels Like

Looking at the Linux desktop today as someone who’s been away feels like visiting your hometown after a decade and finding that the scrappy neighborhood kid is now running for mayor. Everything is familiar yet dramatically improved.

The installation process, which I used to dedicate entire blog posts to explaining step by step, is now embarrassingly easy. Ubuntu’s installer is beautiful and streamlined. Linux Mint practically holds your hand. Even Fedora, which used to have a learning curve, is smooth as butter. The days of praying your Wi-Fi card would be detected are mostly over (though I hear some edge cases still exist, because Linux wouldn’t be Linux without at least one driver surprise waiting to humble you).

The app ecosystem has transformed. Flatpak and Snap have solved the package fragmentation problem that plagued Linux for years. You want Spotify? One click. Slack? There. VS Code? No problem. The browser situation alone has improved dramatically — Chrome, Firefox, and Brave all run natively and beautifully. LibreOffice keeps getting better. GIMP is still GIMP (some things never change), but there are now alternatives like Krita that are world-class.

The developer experience on Linux is arguably better than any other platform. With native Docker support, first-class terminal environments, and the fact that your development environment matches your production servers, it makes a lot of sense. The Stack Overflow 2025 survey shows nearly 28% of developers using Ubuntu for personal use. On the server side, Linux is so dominant that it’s not even a competition anymore — it powers 100% of the world’s top 500 supercomputers, approximately 77% of web servers, and about 49% of global cloud workloads.

What to Look Forward To

The next few months are going to be exciting for the Linux desktop.

1. Ubuntu 26.04 LTS “Resolute Raccoon” arrives on April 23, 2026

This is a big one — it ships with GNOME 50, which is fully Wayland-native with no X11 backend at all. New default apps include Showtime (replacing the aging Totem video player) and Resources (a modern system monitor). TPM-backed full-disk encryption gets expanded, with the ability to add or remove PINs after installation. The Security Center gets a redesigned interface. This LTS will be supported until 2031, extendable to 12 years with Ubuntu Pro, and is expected to be the release that millions of Windows 10 refugees will land on. When Ubuntu 26.04.1 drops in August 2026, Canonical enables direct upgrades from the previous LTS, which means a wave of 24.04 users will be making the jump.

2. GNOME 50 is removing X11 support entirely from Mutter and GNOME Shell

It’s also bringing session save/restore functionality (finally!), improved Nautilus performance, parental controls with screen time limits, and continued HDR work. The fractional scaling improvements alone should make high-resolution displays look significantly better.

3. Linux gaming continues its upward trajectory

Valve’s Steam Machine and Steam Frame are expected to arrive sometime in 2026, expanding the SteamOS ecosystem beyond handhelds. The Steam Deck 2 is rumored to be in development with a possible Zen 6 “Magnus” APU, though Valve is reportedly waiting for a meaningful generational leap rather than a minor spec bump. Meanwhile, Proton keeps getting better with each release, and more anti-cheat vendors are enabling Linux compatibility.

4. If current trends hold, Linux could reach 6% global desktop market share by late 2026

With Windows 10’s extended security updates expiring in October 2026, another wave of users will face the same upgrade-or-switch decision. More OEMs are shipping Linux-preloaded systems. Framework laptops work beautifully with Linux. System76 and Tuxedo continue building Linux-first hardware. The ecosystem for buying a computer that runs Linux out of the box has never been better.

Is It Finally the Year of the Linux Desktop?

You know what, I’m not going to say it. I’ve been writing about Linux long enough to know that declaring “the year of the Linux desktop” is the tech equivalent of saying “what could possibly go wrong” in a horror movie. Every time someone says it, the penguin gets delayed by another decade.

But here’s what I will say: it doesn’t matter. The “Year of the Linux Desktop” meme was always the wrong framing. Linux doesn’t need to beat Windows or macOS to be successful. It just needs to be a viable, well-supported option for people who want it. And in 2026, it absolutely is.

The desktop market share is at historic highs. Gaming works. Hardware compatibility is excellent. The major desktop environments are polished and mature. Governments and enterprises are adopting it. The app gap has closed. And the open-source community continues to build, improve, and iterate at a pace that no single corporation can match.

For those of you who have been using Linux all along while I was off building iOS apps — you held the line. The desktop you believed in when it was clunky, when hardware didn’t work, when people laughed at the very idea — that desktop is now genuinely, unironically excellent. You were right all along.

As for me? I’m not going to pretend I’m switching cold turkey from macOS tomorrow. I still need Xcode for my apps, and my workflow is deeply embedded in the Apple ecosystem. But I just ordered a Raspberry Pi 5 to set up a fresh Linux workstation (old habits die hard), and I’m eyeing the Ubuntu 26.04 LTS release. There might even be a proper distro review on TechSource again. Wouldn’t that be something?

The penguin and I have some catching up to do.

— Jun

TechSource in the Age of AI

noreply@blogger.com (Jun) — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 01:15:00 +0000

Hello (again, again) world!

If you’re reading this, congratulations — you are either one of the most patient humans on the internet, or you accidentally stumbled here while googling “tech blogs that ghost their readers.” Either way, welcome. You are appreciated.

To my loyal subscribers, followers, and random visitors who have this site bookmarked after all these years — I am deeply sorry for disappearing. Again. I know, I know. This is starting to feel like that friend who keeps saying “we should hang out soon” and then vanishes for four years. Except in my case, it’s been roughly that long since my last post.

For me, here’s something wild to think about (or to be grateful for): www.junauza.com will turn 20 years old next year. Two decades. This site has been online since 2007. To put that in perspective, when I wrote my first post, the iPhone had been announced, “cloud” was something in the sky, and people were debating whether blogs were a thing. I started this site when Twitter was a baby, Android didn’t exist yet, and Bitcoin was an idea brewing in Satoshi Nakamoto’s mysterious brain.

Twenty years. That’s older than most TikTok creators. Let that sink in. I am getting older.

*What’s New Around Here?

If you’re a returning visitor, the first thing you’ll notice is the fresh new look. We did a full redesign — cleaner, simpler, and way more readable on mobile. No more cluttered sidebars, no more widgets from 2012 that load slower than a Windows Vista laptop - just clean content and a pleasant reading experience.

Oh, and the ads? Gone. Wiped out. Eliminated. We are now running an ad-free site. No popups ambushing you when you’re trying to read a paragraph. No auto-play video ads making your phone speaker blast some random product at full volume while you’re in a quiet coffee shop. None of that. This is now a pure, distraction-free zone.

You may have noticed the new title and description: Tech Source — persistent tech curiosity since 2007. I think that captures what this site has always been about. I’ve always been curious about technology, and that curiosity hasn’t faded one bit. If anything, it’s gotten worse. In a good way.

*Where Have I Been?

Great question. Let me give you the honest answer without writing an entire autobiography.

Offline Businesses

After I stopped posting, I spent a significant amount of time and energy on offline ventures. Running physical businesses is a whole different beast compared to managing a blog. There’s no “Ctrl+Z” in real life when things go wrong, and things go wrong a lot. But it’s been a rewarding learning experience — one that taught me patience, resilience, and the importance of knowing when to step away from the screen.

Health and Wellness

I made a conscious decision to invest more time in my physical and mental health. I got serious about fitness, cleaned up my diet, and started paying more attention to what my body was actually telling me instead of ignoring every signal like a human version of “dismiss all notifications.” Getting older has a way of reminding you that your body isn’t a machine — well, it is, but it’s the kind that needs regular maintenance, quality fuel, and the occasional software update.

Family Time

I spent more quality time with my family, which is something I wouldn’t trade for any amount of site traffic or page views. Kids grow up fast. Like, terrifyingly fast. One moment you’re teaching them how to hold a spoon, and the next they’re explaining to you what a meme is.

Traveling

I also did a bit of traveling when I could. There’s something about visiting new places that recharges your creative battery in ways that no amount of coffee or YouTube tutorials can replicate. Seeing how technology is being adopted differently across various places gave me fresh perspectives that I’m excited to share with you.

iOS App Development

For those who’ve been following my journey, I’ve been deep in the trenches of iOS development. Building apps with SwiftUI, experimenting with different concepts for niche market, and losing sleep over Auto Layout constraints and App Store review guidelines. More on this in future posts — I’ve got stories, tips, and a few cautionary tales to share.

*Why Come Back Now?

Because we are living in the most exciting era of technology in human history, and I physically cannot keep all of this to myself anymore.

Think about it. When I last posted regularly, ChatGPT didn’t exist. Generative AI was an academic curiosity. Self-driving cars were a “someday” proposition. Bitcoin was fighting for legitimacy. Now? AI can write code, generate art, compose music, and have eerily intelligent conversations (hello from the other side). Electric vehicles are everywhere. Crypto has survived multiple “deaths” and keeps coming back like a villain in a Marvel movie. Humanoid robots are walking around like it’s the most normal thing in the world. We are living in the future and I want to write about it.

*The Road Ahead

Moving forward, my goal is to post at least once a week. No more year-long sabbaticals. No more disappearing acts. I’ve set the bar at weekly because I want to prioritize quality over quantity. Each post should either teach you something, make you think, or at least, not put you to sleep.

Here’s what you can expect from TechSource moving forward:

Artificial Intelligence — This is the big one. AI is reshaping everything from how we work to how we create to how we search the internet. I’ll be covering the latest developments, practical applications, tools worth trying, and the occasional existential crisis about whether our robot overlords are friendly or not.

Electric Vehicles — I’m fascinated by the EV revolution. From Tesla’s latest moves to what’s happening with BYD, Rivian, and the dozens of new players entering the market, there’s no shortage of things to talk about. Range anxiety is soo 2020.

Cryptocurrency and Blockchain — You may remember my posts about Bitcoin from way back. I ran a full Lightning node on a Raspberry Pi, wrote about the Bitcoin revolution, and geeked out about blockchain technology before it was cool. That enthusiasm hasn’t gone anywhere. Expect honest takes on crypto markets, DeFi developments, and blockchain projects that matter (and a few that don’t but are entertaining).

Biohacking and Health Tech — This is a personal passion of mine. The intersection of technology and human biology is producing some incredible breakthroughs. From wearables that track your sleep and HRV to supplements backed by science to longevity research that might help us all live longer and better — I want to explore all of it.

Gadgets and Hardware — Because most of us geeks get unreasonably excited about unboxing a new piece of tech. Smartphones, laptops, Raspberry Pi projects, smart home devices — if it has a chip in it and does something cool, it’s exciting.

Software and Tools — From productivity apps to development tools to open-source gems that deserve more attention. My Linux roots run deep, and my love for good software hasn’t changed.

Tech Startups — The startup world is wild right now, with AI lowering the barrier to entry for building products. I’ll be keeping an eye on interesting companies, innovative products, and founders who are building the future.

Sustainable Energy — Solar, wind, battery storage, nuclear fusion progress, and everything in between. The energy transition is one of the most important stories of our time, and it doesn’t get nearly enough attention in mainstream tech coverage.

Stock Market and Investing — I’m not a financial advisor and I won’t pretend to be one. But I do follow the markets, especially tech stocks, and I think there’s value in sharing observations, analysis, and the occasional “I can’t believe that just happened” moment. As always, do your own research.

My App Development Journey — I’ve been building iOS apps for a while now, and I want to share more about that journey. The wins, the frustrations, the bug that took three days to fix and turned out to be a missing comma. Real talk from the trenches of indie app development.

A Bit of Spirituality — Technology is amazing, but it can’t answer every question. I’ve found that maintaining some form of spiritual practice — whether it’s meditation, reflection, or just stepping away from the noise — is essential for staying grounded in a world that moves at the speed of a fiber optic cable. I’ll sprinkle in some thoughts on this from time to time.

Random Tech Musings — Sometimes I just have thoughts. About technology, about the internet, about why we still can’t get printers to work reliably in 2026. These will be the fun, unstructured posts where I riff on whatever’s on my mind.

*A Few Final Thoughts

This site has been through multiple redesigns, topic shifts, contributor changes, and extended hiatuses. But the core has always remained the same — a genuine curiosity about technology and a desire to share that curiosity with others.

I started TechSource as a young tech enthusiast from a small province in the Philippines, who wanted to write about Linux and open-source software. Nearly two decades later, I’m that same guy — with a broader set of interests, more life experiences, and much lesser ~~hair~~ ego.

The tech landscape has changed dramatically since 2007. But one thing that hasn’t changed is the excitement I feel when I discover something new, understand how something works, or find a piece of technology that genuinely makes life better. That excitement is what built this site, and it’s what will keep it going.

If you’re still around after all that — thank you. Whether you’ve been following since the Linux distro review days or you found this site five minutes ago, I appreciate you. Let’s make the next chapter of TechSource the best one yet.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have about a hundred drafts to finish and a weekly posting schedule to keep.

See you next week (or year).

— Jun

How to Easily Install a Full Bitcoin Lightning Node on a Raspberry Pi

noreply@blogger.com (Jun) — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 03:56:00 +0000

I recently installed a full bitcoin node on our home network, and lucky for me, I got everything up and running quickly without bumping into some issues. Before I will show you the steps on how to install a full bitcoin node, allow me to explain some of my reasons why I ended up doing this.

As some of you may already know, bitcoin is a network composed of thousands of nodes. A record of every bitcoin transaction is verified and maintained inside a node. So if you are running one, you will essentially be hosting and sharing a copy of the bitcoin blockchain and you will help maintain the network decentralized.

What are the benefits of running a bitcoin node?

Unlike mining, you will not be rewarded with a bitcoin when running a node because you are simply giving support to the network instead of solving complex computational math problems. However, one of the main advantages of running your own node is that you can do some transactions on the Bitcoin network without the need for a third party provider thus allowing you to save money for the fees. For added peace of mind, you can connect your wallet and forward all your transactions through your own node, making sure that every transaction is safe and secure.

For me, another reason for running a node is for educational purpose and taking a deep dive on the blockchain technology. I am very passionate about this emerging tech because it is already shaping up to change the world for the better.

Without further ado, here are some of the steps that I have followed to easily install and run a bitcoin node:

Step 1: Prepare the hardware

You don’t need an expensive mining rig to run a bitcoin node. I bought the following items, but you can always use your existing hardware provided that you have all the recommended system specs:

1. Raspberry Pi Model 4 (Particularly, I bought the Model B with 4GB RAM starter kit that includes the power adapter, 16GB microSD card, and case)

2. 1 TB SSD (SanDisk SSD Plus 2.5” 1 TB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive)

3. SSD Enclosure (SENDA Transparent USB 3.0 SATA III 2.5 HDD/SDD Enclosure)

Note: I bought all the items at Lazada and the total cost is around 10,000 Philippine Pesos (200 USD).

Step 2: Download the software

Download Umbrel OS HERE and extract the file. Download Balena Etcher HERE and install it on your computer.

Note: For downloading the software, obviously you will need a laptop or desktop computer. A microSD card reader is needed for flashing the software to the microSD card.

Step 3: Flashing Umbrel OS

Put the microSD card on your card reader, open Balena Etcher, and flash the downloaded Umbrel OS to your microSD card. After flashing, remove the card and insert it into the Raspberry Pie.

Step 4: Plug it up

Put the SSD drive into the enclosure and plug it into any of the blue colored ports (USB 3.0) of your Raspberry Pi. Connect the Raspberry Pi to your Internet connected router via ethernet cable. Connect the power supply and power up your Raspberry Pi.

Step 5: Starting up

Around 5 minutes after powering up, Umbrel OS can be accessed at http://umbrel.local on the web browser of your device (smartphone, tablet, desktop or laptop) that is connected to the same network as the Raspberry Pi.

Follow the initial set up of Umbrel and enjoy running your very own bitcoin node.

I am still exploring some of the features of Umbrel and might write a quick review about it soon, so watch out!

The Bitcoin Revolution is Here

noreply@blogger.com (Jun) — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 09:33:00 +0000

Since 2014, I’ve been talking about bitcoin here (read: Is Bitcoin The Next Open-source Software Revolution?, Best Bitcoin Applications for Linux). Back then, bitcoin was still very much in its infancy and our articles about it were some of the least popular posts we’ve ever had. However, I have already seen its potential and proclaimed that it could become a revolutionary open-source software project and that it has the potential to be bigger than Linux.

Today, bitcoin and cryptocurrency in general have already gone mainstream in terms of popularity. Although widespread adoption could still be a few years away, different personalities like social media icons, hip hop moguls, top athletes, famous actors, financial gurus, and several billionaires are already talking about it incessantly.

Speaking about widespread adoption, different countries have already started recognizing the value of cryptocurrency. In fact, one country has recently passed a law to make bitcoin its official currency. I believe more countries will follow after we will all be able to clearly see the positive economic impact of having a legal tender in bitcoin.

Recently, we have witnessed institutional investors or publicly traded companies that have started filling their balance sheets with bitcoins. To name a few, there’s Tesla (invested around 1.5 billion dollars worth of bitcoin), Microstrategy (250 million dollars), Galaxy Digital Holdings (176 million dollars), and Square (50 million dollars).

Although I am not a financial advisor and this site is not about making money, I encourage you to consider investing it bitcoin. Forgive me for not telling you this in 2014 when 1 bitcoin was equivalent to around 500 dollars. At that time, buying and selling cryptocurrency was difficult because there were very few trusted exchanges and wallets so the possibility of losing your investment was enormous. If ever you decide to invest in cryptocurrency today, I suggest that you do your own research first because, like all others investments, there are still risks involved, albeit much lesser than before.

After promoting Linux and other free and open-source software in the past, I have decided from now on to focus most of my time here in writing about bitcoin, cryptocurrencies, and other interesting blockchain projects. I think it is about time to enlighten people that bitcoin is not purely a speculative asset, but something that is more valuable because of its capability to empower people from around the world. Like most of you, I find joy in freedom and for me bitcoin is freedom. Now, I can safely say that the cryptocurrency revolution is underway, and we are just getting started.

25 (More) Funny Computer Quotes

noreply@blogger.com (Jun) — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 14:29:00 +0000

I have been reading some of my old posts here and noticed one that is still quite popular simply because a lot of us love humor. If you are a new site visitor, kindly check out "My Top 50 Funny Computer Quotes" post to know what I mean. Inspired by that one and since it’s been a long time that I wrote or posted some funny stuff here, I decided to collect a few more amusing quotes.

So without further delay, here is a brand new collection of funny computer quotes:

25. What if one day Google got deleted and we could not Google what happened to Google?

24. Never trust a computer you can’t throw out a window.

23. The attention span of a computer is only as long as its power cord

22. Microsoft has a new version out, Windows XP, which according to everybody is the ‘most reliable Windows ever.‘ To me, this is like saying that asparagus is ‘the most articulate vegetable ever.

21. Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain.

20. "Computers are useless. They can only give you answers." - Pablo Picasso

19. If you think patience is a virtue, try surfing the net without high-speed Internet.

18. The real danger is not that computers will begin to think like men, but that men will begin to think like computers.

17. “The Internet? We are not interested in it.” - Bill Gates, 1993

16. The only truly secure system is one that is powered off, cast in a block of concrete and sealed in a lead-lined room with armed guards.

15. "Being able to break security doesn’t make you a hacker any more than being able to hotwire cars makes you an automotive engineer." - Eric S. Raymond

14. I'm sorry that I'm not updating my Facebook status, my cat ate my mouse.

13. "I am not out to destroy Microsoft, that would be a completely unintended side effect." - Linus Torvalds

12. Dear humans, in case you forgot, I used to be your Internet. Sincerely, The Library.

11. My wife never gives up. She is so insistent that she entered the wrong password over and over again until she managed to convince the computer that she's right!

10. Computer dating is fine if you're a computer.

9. I love my computer because all my friends live inside it!

8. The only relationship I have is with my Wi-Fi. We have a connection.

7. The problem with troubleshooting is that trouble shoots back.

6. Why can't cats work on the computer? They get too distracted chasing the mouse around.

5. My wife loves me so much, she tries her best to attract me to her. The other day she put on a perfume that smells like a computer.

4. I changed my password everywhere to 'incorrect.' That way when I forget it, it always reminds me, 'Your password is incorrect.'

3. A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any invention in human history--with the possible exceptions of handguns and tequila."

2. Life is too short to remove USB safely.

1. Passwords are like underwear: you don’t let people see it, you should change it very often, and you shouldn’t share it with strangers.

I hope you enjoyed our latest list of amusing computer quotes!

How to Install Raspbian OS on Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+

noreply@blogger.com (Jun) — Fri, 11 Oct 2019 10:47:00 +0000

After my Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ First Impressions, allow me to share with you how I installed Raspbian OS on this tiny computer as promised. But first a quick introduction about Raspbian. This lightweight Unix-like operating system is based on Debian Linux and is highly optimized to run on Raspberry Pi’s ARM CPU. Its desktop environment is called PIXEL (Pi Improved X-Window Environment, Lightweight), which is made up of a modified LXDE desktop environment and the Openbox stacking window manager. It comes pre-loaded with useful applications such as web browser, office suite, programming tools, and several games among others.

Now, let’s get down to business and give you some of the requirements needed to install Raspbian OS. If your Raspberry Pi is not bundled with a microSD card you should get one with at least 8GB of space. Some of the basic PC accessories required for setup are USB keyboard, USB mouse, and a computer or TV monitor (preferably with HDMI port). The Raspberry Pi Model B+ has an HDMI port for video output. So if your monitor has DVI or VGA port, you should have an HDMI-to-DVI or HDMI-to-VGA cable. You will also need an extra desktop or laptop computer for downloading the OS and then flashing it to the microSD card.

The next thing that you should prepare is the installer. You can download it from HERE. It is recommended to Download the NOOBS version, but if you are adventurous enough you can go for the full Raspbian version of the installer. The file that you will download is compressed in ZIP format so you will need to extract the OS image (.img) to use it. After extracting, you may now proceed to flash the OS image to your SD card. To do that, you will need to download the recommended tool for the job HERE. Install it, and then follow the simple step by step process of flashing the OS image to your microSD card. It is also worth noting that you will need an SD card adapter and an SD card reader if your laptop or PC don’t have one built-in.

Finally, the Raspbian OS is now installed, and all you have to do is eject the microSD card from your computer and plug it in your Raspberry Pi. Connect all the needed Raspberry Pi peripherals and power up your tiny but very capable Linux desktop machine.

Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ First Impressions

noreply@blogger.com (Jun) — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 09:22:00 +0000

I have always been curious about the tiny computer called Raspberry Pi but I didn’t have the time or opportunity to buy one until now. I got the latest version (Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+) along with bundled accessories from AliExpress for $65. I think it was a good deal considering what I got which I will explain to you later on. But before that and for your convenience, here are some quick facts about Raspberry Pi that I got from Wikipedia:

Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+

* The Raspberry Pi is a series of small single-board computers developed in the United Kingdom by the Raspberry Pi Foundation

* It aims to promote teaching of basic computer science in schools and in developing countries.

* The original model became far more popular than anticipated, selling outside its target market for uses such as robotics.

* According to the Raspberry Pi Foundation, more than 5 million Raspberry Pis were sold by February 2015, making it the best-selling British computer.

* In March 2018, sales reached 19 million.

* On the CPU level, the first generation Raspberry Pi is similar to a 300 MHz Pentium II of 1997–99. While its graphical capabilities are roughly equivalent to the performance of the Xbox of 2001.

* More info about Raspberry Pi including tech specs can be found HERE

First Impressions

I have only seen a Raspberry Pi in photos before so I was quite in awe of its size when I finally opened the box. It measures just 85.60mm by 56.5mm or around 3 by 2 inches.

Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ beside my iPhone 6 and glasses for size comparison

As I said, I got the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ rather cheap since it is bundled with a case, power cord, 32GB micro SD card + adapter, HDMI cable, heatsink, USB cable, and 3.5 inch touchscreen display. It is loaded with a 1.4 GHz 64-bit quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 processor, 1 GB RAM, gigabit Ethernet, on-board dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, Power over Ethernet (PoE) feature, and USB and network boot capabilities.

Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ running Raspbian OS

The first thing that I did after unboxing the package was placed the Raspberry Pi inside the included plastic case. The plastic case needs to be assembled and it didn’t come with instructions so I had to figure it out myself. Next, I searched on Google on how to install an OS into my Raspberry Pi. So, I downloaded Raspbian, a Debian-based OS highly optimized for the Raspberry Pi and installed it. On my next post I will be sharing with you more about Raspbian and will guide you on how to install it and give you tips on some of the things that I did after installation.

Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ setup alongside my iPad Pro

As you can see from the photos above, I now have a full-pledged desktop powered by a tiny computer. I connected my Raspberry Pi to my 13-inch HD display and it runs smoothly without lag or graphics issues. I also connected a wireless mini keyboard with built-in touchpad and an external hard drive to complete the setup. As of now, I am using my Raspberry Pi as file and VNC server (set up my iPad Pro as VNC viewer). I also intend to use it for testing Linux distros and for doing a bit of Python programming.

As I’ve said, my next post will be all about installing and setting up Raspbian on Raspberry Pi so watch out.

Dark Mode on Apple’s macOS? Linux did it First

noreply@blogger.com (Jun) — Tue, 12 Feb 2019 03:39:00 +0000

Last year, Apple introduced the highly anticipated “dark mode” feature on their macOS (Mojave) desktop operating system. Many Apple fans regarded it as a cool and useful enhancement to their desktop user interface. It allowed users to turn on the system-wide dark color scheme and encouraged third-party app developers to offer a dark mode for their Mac apps. If you are thinking that Apple is the first to use this feature on the desktop, think again.

As far as I can remember, Linux is the first desktop OS that lets users easily customize the UI and provided plenty of dark theme options. I think Ubuntu started the trend in using darker themes out of the box several years ago, and they did it in a more elegant way when compared to other Linux distros. Elegant in a way that the dark scheme UI was consistently used and built-in apps were using dark themes.

Apple macOS

When customizing my Linux desktop, I always prefer dark themes since it is easy on the eyes and it looks good. Dark background also allowed me to focus more on the job at hand because there is less visual distraction. Using dark mode on my Mac desktop right now, I can’t help but think about the endless customizations I did before on my favorite Linux distros to achieve that perfect dark look.

Ubuntu Linux

So to all the Mac users out there who also enjoyed using the dark mode on their desktop, perhaps you can thank Linux for showing the guys at Cupertino that dark mode UI is not just cool but also usable. However, correct me if I’m wrong through the comments below if you think that Linux did not have any influence whatsoever in this new macOS feature.

My Top 10 PlayStation 4 (PS4) Games of 2018

noreply@blogger.com (Jun) — Fri, 01 Feb 2019 09:56:00 +0000

2018 was an awesome year for PlayStation 4 (PS4) gamers. Top game developers have released several exciting titles that made us stay on our couch for much longer periods of time :-)

So let’s get started. I made here a list of my favorite PS4 games last year. Do please note that my choices of games are mostly action, simulation, survival, sci-fi, fantasy, first-person shooter (FPS) shooter, and role playing games (RPG). These games only made it through the top ten list because of their cool realistic graphics, amazing storyline, and of course their highly engaging gameplay.

So now, here are my top ten PS4 games of 2018:

Kingdom Come: Deliverance

10. Kingdom Come: Deliverance

Made by Warhorse Studios, Kingdom Come: Deliverance is a single player, open world action role playing game set in the Medieval Kingdom of Bohemia in 1403. Although this game barely made it to the top ten, it is an awesome game with a fantastic storyline. This game takes place during a war in Bohemia where you will be playing as Henry, a common blacksmith’s son who lived a very normal life until the Cuman mercenaries (the game’s main enemy) attacked and destroyed his village and killed (almost) everyone he knows and loves. Luckily, Henry escapes and soon joins Sir Radzig Koblya who leads a resistance movement against the Cumans.

The Game has a pretty long main storyline with lots of side quests and amazing characters for you to discover. Its combat mechanics are a little bit hard to master and its realism is a bit high because the armor can offer a lot of protection. The swords and gear can break and get dirty and with the armor offering heavyweight protection, you really need to search for weak spots in order to defeat your enemy. It also gets very frustrating when your shiny plate armor gets bloody and dirty after a long journey or a fight because you have to clean it frequently. But still the gameplay is enjoyable and and above all, it does not need Internet connection to be played.

Ratings:
Gameplay - 7/10; Graphics - 8/10; Realism - 10/10; Content - 8/10

Jurassic World Evolution

9. Jurassic World Evolution

This is a Business Simulation game created by Frontier that lets you create your own Jurassic Park. It is a very nice simulation game that takes place on the six islands based on the movie Jurassic Park. It is a fun game because you can observe your dinosaurs roam around your park. You also get to take care of your dinosaurs by feeding them and giving them a perfect home with lots of buddies, and another exciting feature is, you can create your very own dinosaur arena and watch your dinos fight or might I say rip each other to pieces.

The game also features main missions, side missions, and of course your very own sandbox, so that you can create the perfect park with unlimited cash and without your dinos attempting to break out. The only thing that is quite disappointing about this game is the short dino lifespan, but of course in the sandbox mode you can let your dinos live forever perhaps even longer than you. Thus, overall this game is very entertaining especially to those who are a fan of dinosaurs, But Dino fan or not, this game is definitely worth a try and it does not need Internet connection to be played.

Ratings:
Gameplay - 7/10; Graphics - 10/10; Realism - 9/10; Content - 8/10

Monster Hunter World

8. Monster Hunter World

Developer by Capcom, this game is the newest installment in the Monster Hunter series. In this game you can create your own custom character and you are tasked to track down, kill, or capture any monster you see. The plot of the main story of the game is that you are one of the hunters of the new world. You are sent to hunt and capture monsters for your colony. Although some of the old monsters are returning to the game, there are a lot of new monsters, some even bigger and scarier than the old ones. The game also features a lot of new weapons for your hunter such as swords, spears, bows, and even guns, along with a lot of very customizable armor pieces so that you can kill monsters in style. Overall, the gameplay is surprisingly fun and worth your dime. You can play this alone or with friends for more fun and they’ll definitely be amused. This game does not need Internet connection to be played.

Ratings:
Gameplay - 9/10; Graphics - 9/10; Realism - 8/10; Content 9/10

Far Cry 5

7. Far Cry 5

Created by Ubisoft, Far Cry 5 is an open world FPS game that sets place in Hope County. The main story lets you start as a deputy trying to stop a cult from taking over hope county. After a failed attempt, you are saved by freedom fighters and you join them in the fight against the cult. In Far Cry 5 you can create your own character and equip him or her with various weapons, vehicles, and customizations, and you can also bring in guns for hire in the fight against the cult. This game also features a map creator so you can create your own levels and even play with your friends.

You can play Far Cry 5 in singleplayer or multiplayer mode and it does not need Internet connection to start. This game is really entertaining and gut-busting, but I think that the main story goes a bit too fast. And although this game is single player and does not need Internet connection to play, but you can connect online and look for challenges or online players to make the game even more exciting.

Ratings:
Gameplay - 9/10; Graphics - 9/10; Realism - 9/10; Content - 8/10

God of War

6. God of War (2018)

God of War is an action adventure game that is developed by Santa Monica Studios. The latest game is the eighth installment of the God of War series, and it continues the story of Kratos years after he killed his father Zeus and destroyed all of the Greek World. In God of War you play as Kratos who is now in Norse Mythology, and his son Atreus. In the main story Kratos and Atreus will journey throughout the nine realms to fulfill their promise to Kratos’ second wife and Atreus’ mother to spread her ashes in the highest peak in the nine realms.

The latest God of War has a fantastic and highly moving storyline. Most of the characters are fun to interact with, and the game features lots of enemies, jaw-dropping boss fights, and a variety of enjoyable characters. The graphics of this game is really cool and realistic, and the monsters look awesome, so it is definitely worth checking out. God of War is a single-player game and does not need Internet connection to play.

Ratings:
Gameplay - 8/10; Graphics - 10/10; Realism - 9/10; Content - 9/10

Soulcalibur VI

5. Soulcalibur VI

Soulcaliber VI is a Fighting Game Produced by Bandai Namco Entertainment. In this game you can play with more than 20 existing characters to choose from or you can create your own custom characters. It also features a lot of cool weapons for your custom character and a lot of other customization options.

Soulcaliber VI is a very fun fighting game that features 2 campaign modes, soul story (the original story mode), and Libra of Souls (the story of your own custom character). The game’s fighting is very detailed and is highly realistic because your armor can break, you can roll if you are knocked down, and you can push your enemy off a cliff for an instant kill. The character’s fighting style is also diverse because each weapon has its own moves, special skills, and fighting style.

Overall, the game’s graphics is superb. Though there were times the capes clip with the armor, and the story mode isn’t the best out there, but it’s the fighting strategies that really made Soulcaliber VI an awesome game and worth it. Although this game is single player and does not need Internet connection to start, you can still play this on split screen in online multiplayer mode.

Ratings:
Gameplay - 10/10; Graphics - 8/10; Realism - 9/10; Content - 9/10

Spider-Man

4. Spider-Man

Created by Insomniac Games, Spider-Man is an awesome game based on the super hero Spider-Man. In this game you play as Peter Parker, or should I say Spider Man who spends his time swinging all over New York stopping crime wherever he goes. This game features most of Spider-Man’s enemies such as Kingpin, Shocker, Doctor Octopus and more. It also lets you craft a whole lot of cool gadgets and high tech suits to help you bring those bad guys down. It even has these cool skins — the Avengers Infinity War Iron Spider suit, Spider-Man Homecoming suit, and the Homecoming Stark suit.

In this game you will not only take down common street criminals but super powered minions as well. These super powered minions can either have dark demonic powers, high tech jet packs, rock hard skin, and more making the game very enjoyable than ever. You will also face many challenges, find cool collectables, and even visit the Avengers Tower. The game also has one of the best main stories, you will want to keep playing until the very end because it gets more exciting and you will even meet a lot of interesting characters along the way. The game also has side missions, challenges, and a whole lot of landmarks. Overall, Spider-Man is an awesome game and is definitely worth it. The game is single player and does not need Internet connection.

Ratings:
Gameplay - 10/10; Graphics -10/10; Realism - 8/10; Content - 9/10

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

3. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

This game is an open world action RPG game created by Ubisoft and is probably one of the best in the list. In this game you play as either Alexios or Kassandra and the story takes place in Greece during the Peloponnesian War, a war between Sparta and Athens. In the game, no matter what character you choose you start off as a common mercenary that wields the blade of Leonidas (who is your grandfather) the former king of Sparta and has a pet eagle named Icarus who looks out for enemies and helps you hunt for materials. Your main weapon is the blade of Leonidas that serves as your hidden weapon in the game (sadly there are no other hidden blades in this release compared to the previous) and gives you incredible powers such as bull rush, hero strike, and the good old Sparta kick.

In Assassin’s Creed Odyssey you are on the hunt for the people who destroyed your family, which is the cult of Kosmos (the main enemy) while at the same time trying to bring your family together again. The game has a nice main story and has a lot of interesting side quests all over Greece. It also offers your character a lot of weapons such as axe, swords, daggers, hammers, bows (but sadly no shield), and a lot of armor for your characters protection and style. It even has a few mounts to buy and unlock. In this game you also have your own boat where you can customize your crew members and add special lieutenants to improve ship power. Overall, the game is magnificent and is worth every penny.

Ratings:

Gameplay -10/10; Graphics - 8/10; Realism - 9/10; Content - 10/10

Just Cause 4

2. Just Cause 4

Just Cause 4 is an open world action game created by Avalanche Studios and Square Enix. In my opinion, this game is probably one of the best games of 2018. In it you play as the badass former secret agent, Rico Rodriguez who (after killing Di Ravello and avenging his family) went to the fictional South American country known as Solis to search for his father’s secrets, only to find that his father left a weather machine capable of unlimited destruction. This game, like all other Just Cause games, features a lot of guns, vehicles, and a lot of destruction. It also offers a whole lot of tech, explosion, and awesomeness. Like for example you can have a gun that shoots drones and lasers or a boat that can make the enemy base rain with lighting. Just Cause 4 also lets you create an army of chaos that you can use to help yourself in the fight against the Black Hand, which are the game’s main enemies. Overall, the game has fantastic graphics, storyline and is highly engaging.

Ratings:

Gameplay -10/10; Graphics - 9/10; Realism - 9/10; Content - 10/10

Red Dead Redemption 2

1. Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 is my top favorite game of 2018 and it may be the best game I played since 2016. It was developed by Rockstar Studios and for me it is just perfect, a flawed masterpiece. I could play this game for a month and could not still get enough of it. In Red Dead Redemption 2 you play as Arthur Morgan, an outlaw in 1899 America who just escaped a place called Blackwater with his fellow gang members after a failed heist, and has a mission to make his gang rich again (after losing all their money in Blackwater) and to ensure that he and his gang survives with the law chasing them.

In terms of graphics, this game is just amazing and the realism is excellent that guns look like the real thing. The game also has some realistic survival elements because your character can get sick, hungry, tired, dirty, and even your hair can grow in this game which is so cool. You can also hunt 100 plus animals in the game for food. The NPCs of this game also feels so alive and breathing you almost don’t want to kill them. In addition, the environment details of the game are very realistic like the snow, the dirt, even the water.

In Red Dead Redemption 2, horse riding is probably the best means of transportation and the horses are very detailed that their sizes, speed, and faces differ. The horses are your most valuable companions and they can even kill some enemies if you are lucky. This game also offers your character a lot of outfits and guns to use, and you can even go bounty hunting or go rob a train if your money is low. In the game, you also have a special ability called deadeye that allows you to slow down the time and then you shoot the life out of multiple enemies like a pro.

Overall, Red Dead Redemption 2 is so close to perfection that it is my top pick for 2018. You just have to get your hands on it and for sure you’ll be hooked. Please note that even if the game is single player and does not require Internet connection to play, there is always an online mode if you want to play with friends.

Ratings:

Gameplay - 10/10; Graphics - 10/10; Realism - 10/10; Content - 10/10

Written by: Marco Auza. Note: This is Marco's first article for TechSource. He will be writing game reviews during his free time since he is still in Junior High School.

The Essential Smartwatch: From Motorola MOTOACTV to Apple Watch

noreply@blogger.com (Jun) — Wed, 23 Jan 2019 09:22:00 +0000

Although I am not a watch enthusiast, I have a soft spot for smartwatches. They have tons of features that ordinary wristwatches don’t have and as a techie, I think they look way cooler than your average watch. Since 2011, I realized I have not been using my conventional wristwatches that they are already gathering dust in my closet. The reason? I bought my first smartwatch that year - the Motorola MOTOACTV.

For $300, I got a brand new Motorola MOTOACTV and wearing it felt like having the most awesome watch in the world. At that time, smartwatches are not yet popular but I enjoyed using it because it has features that I thought was ahead of its time. Powered by Android, it features built-in fitness apps, accelerometer, Bluetooth, music player, FM tuner, capacitive multitouch LCD display, ANT+ for connectivity to fitness sensors (eg. heart rate sensor) and has the capability to connect to smartphones to display calls and text messages.

Motorola MOTOACTV

Although I love the MOTOACTV, it was far from perfect. In terms of design, it looks bulky and there was really no room for customization. As for the software, it was stable at first but was later on plagued with buggy updates. It was also not as durable as I thought it would be since it was made by Motorola. It took just one waist-high drop that shattered the LCD display of my MOTOACTV, and so I was quickly in search for my next smartwatch.

For around $100, I got the very first version of Pebble. Considered at that time as the most funded project in Kickstarter history, I never regret purchasing that smartwatch. The original Pebble had some of the features that I want such as Android and iOS app support, notifications (calls, texts, emails), water resistance, “always on” display, 7-day battery life, and array of sensors (magnetometer, accelerometer, ambient light). One of the best things about the Pebble was its app store that contains tons of free downloadable applications and watch faces. In terms of design, the Pebble looks plain and simple but you can customize it by replacing the 22mm wrist strap or using some skins to cover the bezel.

Pebble

The Pebble was definitely better than the MOTOACTV but it also had some crucial issues. I’ve been using it for around 3 years and had experienced several buggy software updates that became really annoying. The most recurring issue I’ve encountered was constantly losing connection to my phone hence the notifications feature was a hit or miss. In addition, the first version of Pebble had no built-in GPS and heart sensor, which for me was a major caveat since I’m a fitness buff. Lastly, although it can control the music from a connected smartphone, it didn’t have a stand-alone music player like the MOTOACTV.

Using it on a daily basis, my Pebble looks good as new even until today so there is no question about its durability. I just got tired of the look and its limitations so I decided to hunt for my next smartwatch.

In September 2016, Apple released the Series 2 version of their smartwatch. Aimed at enhancing the iPhone experience, I considered the Apple Watch way better than the MOTOACTV and two steps ahead of the original Pebble. For around $400, I bought the Series 2 (aluminum, space grey, Nike+) in January 2017 and I’ve been using it almost every single day since then.

Apple Watch Series 2 (Nike+)

The first thing I liked about the Apple Watch is its sleek and highly customizable design. I bought a few cases for protection and plenty of bands (wrist straps) for styling and comfort. After constant usage, I begin to appreciate the Apple Watch for its stable hardware and software integration. Connecting to my iPhone is a breeze and it runs flawlessly that I didn’t have to worry about not receiving important notifications. I think this is the main reason why I’m still using this smartwatch.

Here is a list of features that I love about the Apple Watch (Series 2):

* Awesome display (OLED Retina display with Force Touch)
* Customizable watch faces
* Built-in sensors (optical heart, accelerometer, gyroscope, ambient light)
* Built-in GPS
* Water resistant up to 50 meters
* Built-in fitness and wellness apps
* Activity tracker (motivates me to exercise or stay active)
* Supports third-party apps
* Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity
* Built-in music player
* Easily removable bands and plenty of cheap bands available
* Simple but good-looking design
* Durable screen and body

Some of the features that I wish Apple Watch should have:

* Longer battery life
* Always on display
* Third-party watch faces

Although the Apple Watch Series 4 has been released in 2018, I didn’t find it necessary to upgrade as my Series 2 still serves its purpose well, and looking at the features of the latest Apple Watch, it didn’t tick any of the wish list I wrote above.

My Apple Watch is my constant and reliable companion. I regularly use the Breathe app when meditating, the built-in fitness app when swimming, running, cycling, weight lifting, or doing yoga, and the stand-alone music app when playing music on my AirPods. I also heavily rely on its notifications feature for calls and SMS. The Apple Watch can do all those things while looking sleek and of course showing me what time it is.

These days, there are still a lot of people who are using traditional watches compared to those who are using smartwatches. I think this is mainly because ordinary watches are more convenient to use for non-techies, as they are easy to set up and don’t have to be charged all the time. As for me, I will probably stick to wearing smartwatches until my heart rate per minute goes zero.

Hello (Again) World!

noreply@blogger.com (Jun) — Thu, 17 Jan 2019 17:27:00 +0000

Hello (again) world! After 10 years of posting here, I left without saying goodbye. Now that I’m finally back, allow me to say sorry to my loyal readers. Is it too late now to say sorry? :-) I hope not. Now, why did I take a very long break? To keep it short, here are the two main reasons why I stopped:

Hello!

* I finally got burned out of thinking about topics to write, writing, proofreading, editing, and posting.

* The other reason is that I got into iOS app development that took most of my free time.

I lost focus, and so I started my disappearing act from the World Wide Web.

Some of you may wonder why I came back after all these years. Well, I just missed writing. I’m now more excited than ever to share with you again all the tech-related stuff that I find interesting. Although I am still quite busy with mobile app development and physical (offline) business, I have more hunger and freedom now to write so I think this is going to be fun.

So where do we go from here? Before I decided to make a comeback, I’ve been thinking about ways to revive the site. Like, should I change the design of the site first? -Which I did. As some of you may notice, the site now has a new design. It is now more mobile friendly than ever and more responsive. I hope you all like it, and please bear with me if you encounter some problems as we are still making a few adjustments and site enhancements.

I have also been thinking about changing the main topic or the future content of the site. Since the beginning, I have been posting mostly about Linux and other open-source software. When I took a break and have been developing apps for iOS, I obviously have been relying on my Mac as my main computer and OS X operating system. So I have to be honest with you that I have not been using Linux for a long time now and have lost track on what’s happening in the world of free and open-source software. Some of you Linux fans out there might be disappointed but I hope you’ll understand. As some of you may know, I also love Apple products simply because of their excellent hardware design and software reliability. In fact, I posted here before that I run Linux on my Macbook Pro.

Moving forward, I’m still going to post tech-related stuff but I will not just focus on a particular niche. That way, I will have more freedom to share with you what I know or experienced. I just hope that the things that I will be writing about will somehow be useful to you because that has always been the main reason why I started this site.

For those of you who stick around and for those who are planning to follow this site no matter what, thank you and see you soon!

Edit: My apologies for those of you who commented using mobile devices the past few days. Comments were not published due to error. I have already fixed the issue and comments will now push through.

4 Cloud-based Applications that Work Perfectly on Linux

noreply@blogger.com (Jun) — Wed, 24 Aug 2016 02:16:00 +0000

As far as cloud-based applications go, the market seems to be very competitive. With the recent OneDrive controversy, users are becoming much more conscious about how and where they invest their valuable data. Pricing changes or changes in business models have started to backfire against companies pretty quickly. In other words, cloud-based applications are no longer second-class citizens on the desktop. In fact, they have become a solid business model that big companies like Google, Microsoft, and Apple heavily rely on.

Now that the cloud has become an end-user commodity rather than a product that was meant for data giants, companies are trying hard to increase the outreach of their cloud services to clients across all platforms. One such attempt is to bring more Linux users to the party by treating Linux-based desktops at the same level as their Windows and Mac counterparts. Many cloud-focused companies have already made available well-supported Linux clients for their services. This, in turn, has made Linux as a lucrative platform for people who dual boot or switch their computers a lot. That way, they can enjoy all their important files on Windows at work and Linux at home. It's a win-win situation for both parties.

Today, we will be focusing on a few such cloud-based applications that work natively on Linux without any major glitches or bugs.

Insync

While we waxed eloquent about the cloud-based applications available on Linux right now, we would be more than glad to leave out Google's name in this case. The search giant has already angered a lot of Linux users lately over their lack of support for the penguinian desktop. While the Google Drive client seems to be well-supported on Windows, Mac, and Android, the Linux desktop has largely been ignored for more than a year.

Thankfully, some great alternatives have emerged to make sure that Linux users don't miss out on the amazing service. Insync is one such alternative. The application comes with a host of features that even the official Google Drive client doesn't offer. Features like command-line usage, Raspberry Pi usage, feed of file changes, and multiple accounts are present in this application. However, unlike Google's client, it's not free. The developers charge about a one-time $20 fee for downloading and installing the application. If you are someone who relies heavily on Google Drive and your Linux desktop, this is worth paying for.

More about Insync HERE.

Copy

Copy is an often-forgotten application in the small list of cloud-based services on this platform. What separates this app from its competitors is its focus on providing a cross-platform syncing solution with a focus on security and privacy. While it is not as secure as SpiderOak, it does, however, make security a priority. Another great thing about Copy is that it is generous when it comes to providing storage space. While Dropbox offers a meager 5 GB for starters, Copy gives you 15 GBs of storage space to begin with. Overall, it is a great backup solution if you're looking for something new and fresh.

Dropbox

Dropbox is the tried and tested solution for Linux users that has worked well in the past and continues to work well even now. It offers a stable and powerful interface that is at par with its clients on Windows and Mac. Furthermore, the support and the steady stream of updates the Linux client gets makes it a great default cloud solution for many users. Whether you are a new Linux user or a penguinian ninja, you'll have no trouble getting used to Dropbox.

More about Dropbox HERE.

SpiderOak One

These days, securing the data you store on cloud has become a number one priority for many uses. Furthermore, there is one more area where companies are a bit nebulous in their offerings towards their customers, and that is privacy. SpiderkOak is a company that plans to change that. Their service has a strong focus on keeping your data safe and secure and making sure that no one other than you can access it. By providing adequate security measures, SpiderOak is designed in such ways that not even the company's employees are allowed to access your data. The best thing about SpiderOak is that it works perfectly on Linux and can even be accessed via command line (for those terminal junkies out there).

More about SpiderOak HERE.

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

Popular Hollywood Movies that Utilizes Linux

noreply@blogger.com (Jun) — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 01:38:00 +0000

Hollywood, with all its glitz and glamour, seems like the last place you'll find the mighty penguin's influence. Well thankfully for all Linux fans, the truth is quite the opposite. The open source operating system has played a key role in turning many directorial dreams into silver screen successes. What attracts the billion-dollar industry to this 'free as in free beer' operating system is not its price. In fact, it is Linux's unmatched performance is what makes it the preferred choice over some of the top-of-the-line operating systems like Windows and Mac OS X.

Be it screenwriting, animation, editing, or post production, Linux can be used in pretty much every department involved in the making of a major motion picture. If you're wondering where exactly the mighty penguin has impacted Los Angeles, sit tight as we list some of the most prominent examples of Linuxian influence in Hollywood movies.

Scooby-Doo (The Movie)

Scooby-Doo was a popular 2002 flick by Warner Brothers starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. Adapted from the popular cartoon series, this was the first live action movie in the franchise. Since the success of the movie relied on portraying an animated dog, and not just any dog, but the mighty Scooby Doo himself, the pressures were high. And this, my friends, is the scene wherein Linux steps in to save the day.

Animators of the post-production studio Rhythm & Hues used about a hundred Linux desktops to make the popular Hannah-Barbara look as realistic as possible. Using Film Gimp (now Cinepaint http://www.cinepaint.org/ ) and other proprietary Linux-based tools, the open-source desktop was a key contributor to the movie's success. No wonder, Scooby-Doo was the 15th most successful film of 2012 with an official box-office gross of more than $275 millions.

Spirit Stallion of the Cimarron

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron is a 2002 Oscar-nominated movie that has grossed over $122 million so far. On June 3rd 2002, in a press release, HP announced that Linux played a critical role in the production of the movie. It was also the first movie to place Linux in the hands of animators giving them power to create a unique blend of 2D and 3D animation. Furthermore, it also helped power Dreamworks' proprietary 2D animation software Toonshooter thanks to HP's high-power Linux workstations.

Karen Duffin from HP had the following to say about Linux:

"This deal also signifies a larger emerging trend - the shift in Hollywood
from proprietary (a la SGI's IRIX systems) to open source platforms, and
HP's leading role in this evolution. Many of the major studios are moving
over to Linux, but DreamWorks is pioneering this movement. The evolving
relationship between HP and DreamWorks and the movies emerging from the
multi-year alliance is indicative of this movement."

Source: https://lwn.net/Articles/1712/

Shrek the Third

Shrek the Third is another great movie where Linux was involved in the making. Released in 2007, the third installment of the popular animated movie franchise grossed over 322 million dollars at the box office. DreamWorks with their powerhouse animation backend of more than 1,000 desktops and more than 3,000 server CPUs relied heavily on Linux for bringing the movie to fruition. What was more important was that Shrek pushed the limits of where animation can go with the accurate detailing of the models' hair and flow dresses. Furthermore, the movie also included lighting and effects that were rarely found in movies at that time. You can read more about the involvement of Linux in the movie on a Linux Journal article.

Titanic

Probably one of the biggest movies ever made, Titanic ranks amongst the movies with the best special effects. According to Box Office mojo, the current worldwide gross of the Oscar-winning masterpiece stands at a whopping $2,186,772,302. And yes, here too, Linux had a big part to play in the making of the film. Titanic, as you may know, relied heavily on the use of visual effects. A risky move at that time considering they had to create a complete ship from the ground up and everything from the water to the flag on the ship was to be pure CGI. Despite having a lot of choices in the operating systems department, no other OS proved as powerful as Linux to give birth to one of the biggest cinematic experiences of the decade.

Digital Domain, the company responsible for the visual effects of Titanic had the following to say about Linux:

"The Linux systems worked incredibly well for our problems. The cost benefit was overwhelmingly positive even including the engineering resources we devoted to the problems. The Alpha Linux turned out to be slightly more difficult than first expected, but the state of Alpha Linux is improving very rapidly and should be substantially better now.

Digital Domain will continue to improve and expand the tools we have available on these systems. We are engendering the development of more commercial and in-house applications available on Linux. We are requesting that vendors port their applications and libraries. At this time, the Linux systems are only used for batch processing, but we expect our compositing software to be used interactively by our digital artists. This software does not require dedicated acceleration hardware, and the speed provided by the Alpha processor is a great benefit to productivity."

Source: http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/2494

Conclusion

Time and again, Linux has played a huge role in successes of many Hollywood blockbusters and continues to do so till this day. It is not just the low cost that has made Linux such an attractive choice for high-profile media studios, it is also the unmatched performance it offers that easily outshines what Apple or Microsoft offers.

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

Best Cross-Platform Note-taking Apps to Enhance Productivity

noreply@blogger.com (Jun) — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 08:40:00 +0000

When it comes to taking notes on the go, there are many solutions you can try out. You can carry a small notepad, you could take notes in a simple text file, or you could try out any app from the thousands of choices the Android Play Store offers. While there seems to be no dearth of good choices in this department, apps that are truly cross-platform are hard to find. That's why, in today's article, we'll help you find apps that you can use to take notes and refer to them from everywhere.

OneNote

OneNote is Microsoft's heavily publicized note-taking application. It is a simple, easy-to-use service that ties in perfectly with MS Office Suite of desktop tools. Compared to Evernote, OneNote stacks up quite well with its easy-to-use interface and cross-platform capabilities. You can take and access your notes on desktop, web, mobile, and tablets. The interface conforms to Microsoft's popular ribbon UI and anyone who has used MS Word or MS Excel (2013+) would have no trouble getting started with it. The best thing of all is that OneNote is entirely free to use with no premium tiers or restrictions. Much like Evernote, there isn't a Linux version for OneNote. However, having tried the web version myself for about a few months now, Linux users won't be missing out on much.

Pricing: Free
Publisher: Microsoft
OpenSource: No
Platforms: Windows, Mac, Web, Mobile
Website: www.onenote.com

Evernote

Evernote is a frontrunner in the race for being one of the best cross-platform note-taking applications out there. It is stable, works across all major platforms, and has excellent features that are useful for users from all backgrounds. What's great about this application is that it seamlessly syncs all your data across all platforms. Be it bills, receipts, or even a complete novel, you can store pretty much everything in your Evernote account without having to worry about data loss. While there isn't a Linux version for this service yet, there are a couple of third-party applications you can try that will let you access your notes on Ubuntu and other distributions. Once such application is Nevernote, an open-source clone of Evernote ( http://nevernote.sourceforge.net/). The app provides a basic interface for accessing your notes and creating new ones. Other than that, you won't find any bells and whistles you usually find on the Windows or Mac application. The basic version is free to install and use and is enough for anyone who's looking for a solid cross-platform note taking solution.

Pricing: Free for Basic, $24.99 per year for Plus, $49.99 per year for Professional
Publisher: Evernote Corporation
Platforms: Windows, Mac, Web, Mobile
Website: www.evernote.com

Simplenote

Simplenote has been around for quite a while now. However, it never really got the attention it deserved. Its lightweight, clean interface is something that makes it stand apart from other feature-heavy applications and services. The application has a web-based interface and has apps that work perfectly well on iOS and Android. Simplenote, by living up to its name, ensures that you get the bare minimum features you need from a cross-platform note editor. That said, as simple as it is, the service supports Markdown thus letting you publish your notes on the web and share them with your friends and coworkers. Overall, Simplenote stands apart not only as a great note-taking tool but also an effective productivity app.

Pricing: Free
Publisher: Automattic
Platforms: Mac, Web, Mobile
Website: www.simplenote.com

Google Keep

Google Keep is the search giant's way of letting you know that it has its tentacles spread across all areas of your life. Just kidding. If you're an avid note-taker and are looking for something that ties in well with the Google ecosystem, this is an app you must try. It's simple, colorful, and does the job pretty well. You can group your notes in categories and tag them with different colors. Furthermore, it also allows you to show notes based on your location, thus letting you remember anything you have to buy whilst going out shopping.

Pricing: Free
Publisher: Google
Platforms: Web, Mobile, Chrome-based apps for Windows, Mac, Linux
Website: https://keep.google.com/

5 of the Best Raspberry Pi Projects Out There

noreply@blogger.com (Jun) — Sun, 03 Jan 2016 03:50:00 +0000

Raspberry Pi, when first launched about two years ago, became an instant phenomenon. After all, who could have thought of a $35 computer that lets you browse the web and does most of your office work? What is even more surprising is the reception it got from average users. Usually, one would expect a bare-minimum $35 board computer that runs Linux to be popular only among developers or geeks. However, as many as 100,000 Raspberry Pi units were sold on the day of its launch eventually selling more than 2.5 million units till date.

Completely open-source, Raspberry Pi lets you do most of the basic tasks you'd normally do on a full-fledged desktop. You can browse the web, you can create documents, and you can even play music and watch videos. When it comes to desktop computers, Raspberry Pi is a veritable "Starter's Edition." Since its inception, the project has made common computing available to parts of the world where owning a desktop was once considered a luxury. Moreover, it has also spurred a flurry of interesting projects that take this tiny superboard to a whole new level. If you are ready to show your creative, geeky side, then read on as we cover some of the best Raspberry Pi projects out there.

1. Turn Raspberry Pi into a Low-cost Coding Tutor for Kids

We've already covered a list of the best programming courses out there. However, as good as these courses are, learning programming can be a tough ordeal for kids who need a more hands-on approach to code. Instead of letting them mess up your production computer, you can buy them a little Raspberry Pi box, hook it up to a monitor, and let them code their heart away. A good programming language that's up to this task is Scratch that turns programming into an activity that's geared towards kids, making the whole process fun and enjoyable to them. In fact, this combination of Pi and Scratch can make programming accessible to places where kids who don't have the privilege of owning a computer, thus making it easy to spread knowledge everywhere.

2. Turn Raspberry Pi into a Media Center

Did you just say media center? Yep, there's a lot this little board can do that you won't usually expect it to do. What's great about Pi is that it supports 1080p out of the box with a tiny-but-powerful GPU running behind the scenes. Combine that with the Xbian project, you got a full-fledged media center on your hands. XBian is a small, fast and lightweight media center distribution that is designed for Raspberry Pi that brings the latest of XBMC to your mini-computer. It's a great, cheap investment if you're someone who likes watching a lot of movies.

3. Turn Raspberry Pi into a Car Computer

A very interesting blog post by developer Andrei Istodorescu shows you exactly how you can turn Pi into a PC that sits in your car. This means that you'll be able to watch your favorite movies or TV shows in your car. While that's a perfect idea for a romantic date, just make sure that you're not doing Game of Thrones marathons while driving. The blog post explains pretty much everything you need to do in order to install, configure, and get it up and running. The approximate cost of the parts requires comes down to about $200. However, as costly as that sounds, compared to the $25 board, it's a worthy investment for every geek who also loves her car.

4. Make a Wearable Raspberry Pi Computer

Envious of your Google Glass-sporting friends? Or maybe you're too privacy conscious to try the search giant's latest wearable. Whatever the case maybe, geeks and privacy enthusiasts can make use of Pi to create a DIY wearable that they can brag about to their friends who are busy drooling over Android Wear, Google Glass, and other wearables. While no way near perfect, this project can provide a full-powered desktop computer that you can use wherever you are. Even while walking. Although the cost of this project is about $400, it's a justified investment for every geek out there who wants to have a great learning experience.

5. Turn Raspberry Pi into a Universal Remote

Instructables has another cool guide on turning your Pi computer into a universal remote. Though you'll need some parts to get that working for you, those little investments are worth it if you're a lazy geek who loves to control everything from the couch. Also, it's a great learning experience for anyone who's interested in knowing more about the LIRC or tinkering with electronics. A bit tough to get working overnight, this project can be treated as a huge learning experience more than just a way to create a universal remote. You can also pair this off with XBMC and then create an ultimate media center with remote and everything at a very low cost.

Best Bitcoin Applications for Linux

noreply@blogger.com (Jun) — Sat, 28 Nov 2015 03:51:00 +0000

Bitcoin is, if many industry experts are to be believed, the future of currency. Everyone from expert coders to entrepreneurs is banking on it thus making it one of the hottest topics. We already discussed a lot about bitcoins in our earlier article and we believe that it does have a potential to cause a huge disruption in the market. For our FOSS supporters out there, bitcoin means a great deal. The reason for this is that this digital currency is entirely open-source. Which means, if Bitcoin ever reaches public adoption, it will be the most popular use of open-source technology.

If you are a Linux user, managing your bitcoins and even mining them is a piece of cake. The penguinian platform offers some great tools for bitcoins enthusiasts to manage their digital currency.

CGMiner

CGMiner is a multi-thread multi-pool miner for bitcoins. It works from the command line and can help you mine bitcoins in a way that makes maximum usage of your resources. The commands are pretty simple and straightforward thus making it easy even for non programmers (with a little bit of help, of course) to get started with bitcoins. What makes CGMiner popular is the fact that it gives you complete control over the mining process. If you are new to Bitcoins and want to get started with mining, a fantastic guide that teaches you how to mine Bitcoins on a Xubuntu desktop with CGMiner can be found HERE.

Bitcoin QT

Bitcoin QT is the official Bitcoin app that provides you with the ability to manage your coins. It has a simple interface that works across most Linux distributions and makes it easy for you to handle all your bitcoin transactions from one place. Though there are better Bitcoin applications out there, this one may be a preferred choice if you are looking for something more official.

MultiBit

MultiBit is a free application that serves as a wallet for your Bitcoins. Open-source and easy to install, MultiBit works across all major platforms. Once installed, it lets you manage your Bitcoin transactions from one single place. The application is very lightweight and quick to install. It even stores your data in files of really small size, thus making it easy to work with on computers that have low resources. This also means that you can backup your data onto a pen drive or even your smartphone's SD card and not have to worry about computer crashes. MultiBit is fast and keeps all your private keys encrypted on your machine. Overall, it is a great lightweight application for Bitcoiners.

BitMinter

If you are someone who wants to make money mining Bitcoins, BitMinter is a mining pool that allows you to do just that. The aim of this mining pool is to make mining accessible to everyone so that they too could be a part of this open-source phenomenon. Of course, mining coins using a regular computer is not really profitable. It will not only tax your resources but will also send you a huge electricity bill. However, if you have a powerful graphics card, you can surely use it to mine coins as much as you want. And, for that, you'll need to install the BitMinter application. Built on Java, BitMinter works across all major platforms out there.

Electrum Bitcoin Wallet

Electron is a Bitcoin wallet that lets you store your coins in a safe place. One of the striking features about this app is its simple user interface. Working perfectly well across all major platforms, Electrum stores your data in a secret phrase so that even if your computer gets stolen, only you would have access to your stuff. Also, apart from security, Electrum also offers a lot of convenience for users who like to travel. It does so by letting you use your wallet offline. If you are an Android user, Electrum will also work on your smartphone.

Best Firefox Add-ons for a Better YouTube Experience

noreply@blogger.com (Jun) — Thu, 26 Nov 2015 08:42:00 +0000

From blocked videos to annoying ads, there are many things about YouTube we don't like. These restrictions and distractions only dampen the amazing experience that the video-sharing website is meant to provide. If you are a Firefox user, however, you won't have to worry about such things. Firefox offers a variety of add-ons that let you fix pretty much any annoyance that YouTube has. Furthermore, they also let you download videos right to your desktop so that you can watch them whenever you want, even without a connection.

So, without much ado, here are some of the best Firefox add-ons that help you have a better YouTube experience.

1-Click YouTube Video Downloader

What makes this downloading app so special is purely its simplicity. Once installed, you'll find a small button below the video you are watching. This will let you choose the quality of the video you want to download, and then once you click it, the video starts downloading automatically. The add-on supports a wide variety of major formats like MP4, FLV, WebM, 3GP thus letting you watch the video later on any device you like. While it doesn't add any fancy functions to the mix, its simplicity is the only reason, which will probably make you start using it right away.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Ageless for YouTube

If you are over 18 but still find it annoying that you have to sign in to watch age-restricted videos, then this next add-on is just for you. Once installed, you won't have to sign in every time you watch an age-restricted video. This is great for people who don't have a YouTube account or don't want to sign up for one.

DOWNLOAD HERE

CleanTube

If you are someone annoyed by some of the unwanted elements on the YouTube page then this extension will come in handy. By simply a single click you can hide the comments section, the sidebar, ads, and other parts of YouTube that you find annoying. What gives this add-on the upper edge is that it lets you customize the look of your YouTube page the way you want it to. If you prefer, you can customize it till the only thing you see is your video and nothing else. It is really a great tool for minimalists.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Download YouTube Videos as MP4

Much like the aforementioned 1-click YouTube Downloader, this one too puts a simple download button below your videos. What is great about this add-on is that it doesn't require you to restart the browser. As far as restrictions go, this one is limited to MP4s only. However, if all you do is watch videos on your desktop, this addon fits the bill.

DOWNLOAD HERE

YouTube Unblocker

If you are not living in the United States, watching videos that are blocked in your country can be quite a trouble. Though there are many workarounds for that (like VPN), there isn't a convenient solution that just works. Thankfully, though there's a simple extension to remedy that problem. YouTube Unblocker does exactly what it says, it automatically unblocks disabled videos like VEVO by enabling proxy that directs to the US website. So instead of completely using YouTube with a proxy server, this addon intelligently queries the video so that you will be watching only the blocked videos through a proxy. There are no VPN or shady sites involved here.

DOWNLOAD HERE

7 Nifty VLC Tricks You Should Know

noreply@blogger.com (Jun) — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 12:47:00 +0000

VLC started as an academic project in 1996 and back then it was called "VideoLAN Client", and hence the name VLC. Soon, however, it grew to become a client as well as server that can be used to stream videos across the network. Its popularity showed steady growth leading up to the development of Version 1.0 that was released in 2009. In other words, the project took 13 years of development to reach its first major release, something that shows us how stable the open-source tool has indeed become.

Be it Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux, VLC still remains the undisputed king of media players. From playing YouTube videos and MP3s to helping you enjoy Blu-ray movies, this open-source tool is regarded as one of the indispensable tools every desktop user should have installed. If you are using Linux right now, chances are you are a VLC user too. And if you are, we've got some useful tips for you that will help you get the most out of it.

1. Taking Screenshots of the Currently Playing Video

Whenever you are playing a video, you can grab a quick screencap without even pausing. All you have to do is press the combination Shift + S and your screenshot will automatically show up in the Pictures folder. If, however, you are using Mac OS X, use the shortcut Cmd + Alt + S and the snapshot will be waiting for you in the Pictures folder.

2. Bookmark a Position in a Video

Imagine you are busy watching your favorite movie and suddenly your smartphone rings. It is a bummer right? Start the video again and then seeking to the last position you were on. Thankfully, VLC saves you the trouble by letting you bookmark a position in the video so that you can come back to it whenever you want.

All you have to do is go to the menubar and then Playback -> Custom Bookmarks -> Manage. A new window will pop up. Here, simply click on the button that says "Create" and you will have the bookmark at your disposal whenever you want.

Note that you can also use this for listening to audiobooks as well where bookmarking plays an important role.

3. Record the Currently Playing Video/Audio

If you listen to streaming audio or watch a lot of online videos natively, this next tip will help you keep the best bits to yourself. By recording a currently playing song or video, you can re-listen to it whenever you want.

To start recording, simply go to the menu bar and navigate to View -> Advanced Controls. Once you do that, a small red button will show up below the video or audio. Click on it and the stream will be saved to your default Videos or Music folder.

4. Record from a Webcam

If you are a wannabe rising YouTube star, this tip might help you a lot. VLC, apart from playing your favorite movies, also lets you do a recording from the webcam. Simply go to Media -> Open Capture Device. There, you'll find a dropdown menu. There, select DirectShow to select your webcam. Once that is done, start recording by hitting the red button. The video will be stored in the default videos folder.

5. Play Video Files in .zip and .rar Archives

The next time someone hands you a bunch of video files packed in a .rar archive, simply open it in VLC and it will play. VLC reads through the archive letting you play the video files contained in it.

6. Watch a YouTube Video Without a Browser

Instead of watching a YouTube video in a distraction-ridden webpage, you can use VLC to watch it on your desktop. Simply click on the menu bar -> Media and click Open Network Stream. There, paste the URL of your favorite video and it will start playing automatically. Alternatively, you can press Ctrl + N anytime and paste the video directly.

7. VLC Does Podcasts Too

VLC can do a lot more than playing videos and music. It also acts as a full-fledged podcast downloader and player. Open VLC and if the playlist view isn't showing up yet, press Ctrl + L or hit the playlist button at the bottom. In the left pane under Internet, you'll find an option that says Podcasts. Hit the grey button besides it and paste your favorite podcast URL.

Windows 10: Is it Really Worth Ditching Linux for?

noreply@blogger.com (Jun) — Sat, 17 Oct 2015 07:22:00 +0000

For many years, Linux desktop held the bragging rights for being free as in free beer. It was going swell until Windows 10 came along. Microsoft's latest desktop offering, apart from being a move towards convergence, ushers in a new model of operating system licensing. In July 2015, the Redmond giant in what is considered a bold move, decided to upgrade every Windows 7 and 8 user to the latest and greatest version -- for free. What's more, the development of the operating system was more community-oriented and focused on taking valuable feedback from testers and implementing into the OS. The result was a perfect blend of the familiarity of the good ol' Windows 7 and the modernity of Windows 8.1.

Though we won't call Windows 10 the perfect desktop OS, it is certainly an eye-catching offering packed with features that are hard to resist, even for Mac users. The homely start menu, the sharp Cortana, and Linux-esque features like virtual desktops all blend in to provide a seamless desktop experience that, for the first time, matches up with the prowess of the Mac OS X desktop experience. While Ubuntu's growth remaining stagnant and no new 'big' announcements on the Linux front this year, many penguinian users are considering migrating to the dark side. While some have already crossed the threshold, others are reflecting on the pros and cons. For them the following article will shed light on some of the tempting features of the OS and how they compare to what Linux currently offers.

The Search Experience

One of the biggest changes in Windows 10 is the integration of search with Cortana, local files, and content from the web. This combination makes search a powerful addition to the Windows 10 experience. With the ability to look through files, folders, and content on the web, the need for opening the web browser time and again becomes redundant.

The search experience on Linux, however, is still mediocre as compared to what Windows or Mac offers. On Ubuntu you can search through files; but searching on the web through the Dash is still flaky. If you are someone who wants a unified desktop and web experience and online search is a big deal for you, switching to Windows 10 might not be such a bad move. Otherwise, the good ol' Dash works perfectly for the normal desktop user.

The Start Menu

Yep, it's back. After hearing the complaints of millions of users from around the world, the Redmond giant finally decided to bring the Start menu back. Though it is not the same as what Windows XP and 7 had, it still retains the functionality of its predecessor. You can search, browse through programs, and even pin tiles to your start menu. This is a welcome change from the gaudy Windows 8 start screen that took up useful real estate. For Linux users, there has always been an equivalent of the start menu. In Mint for example, the start menu is reminiscent of the Windows 7 start menu and on Ubuntu we have the Dash, which is the right blend of modernity and functionality. If you are looking to ditch Linux for the Windows 10 start menu, unfortunately, it might not be worth it.

Free as in Free Beer, but not Freedom

Windows 10 is free. Yes, completely free. Well, almost. If you own a genuine copy of Windows 7 or Windows 8, you can upgrade to the latest desktop without paying a single penny. If you don't, you'll have to pay the retail price for a new copy of the operating system. So, if you are already on an earlier version of Windows, probably dual booting with your tux desktop, there are no reasons not to upgrade to Windows 10. However, it is essential that you backup your data before making the switch as the upgrade has been known to cause some issues.

Always Updated

Both Linux and Windows rely on updates to provide a secure and up-to-date desktop experience. Windows, however, goes a step further with this process. Switching to a software-as-a-service model, the latest version of the desktop will deliver all future updates and upgrades online. This means no Windows 11 or 12 and every new feature or major change will be delivered to your desktop via a simple over-the-air update. The only problem, though, with this model is that you can't opt out of it. If you upgrade to Windows 10, there's no official way of disabling those updates. So, if you have a limited bandwidth, just think a couple of times before upgrading. Compared to Linux, this might feel like an intrusive move, but Microsoft plans to make money as a service rather than an operating system that is quite different from the way Linux operates.

Privacy Issues

Last, but not the least, one of the controversies surrounding Windows 10 is quite a biggie for Linux users and that is of privacy. Despite clarifications by Microsoft on this matter, Windows 10 is known to collect a huge amount of data that is quite unsettling for a desktop user. If there's one big deal breaker Linux users have to face while installing Windows 10 is this one. Even though you can tweak the settings, having complete control over your data is something only a Linux user can enjoy in its full glory.

Conclusion

So, is it worth ditching Linux for Windows 10? While it is a great update to Windows 8, the one that fixes it all, upgrade problems and privacy issues are main reasons Linux users should be wary of the upgrade. However, if you want the latest and greatest, it should be a no-brainer. Our advice is to wait till Microsoft settles the issues plaguing the OS and then give it a shot. Till then, penguins are always your friends.

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