Best of 2009

Productivity Sauce
The new year is almost upon us, so it's a good time to wrap up the year 2009 and ruminate over the best open source software and hardware this year brought us. So without further ado, let me present my personal "Best of 2009" list in no particular order.
The coolest hardware: TonidoPlug
The concept of plug computer has been floating around for quite some time. But CodeLathe turned the idea of a tiny server with extremely low power consumption into a real and genuinely useful product named TonidoPlug. The little server runs Tonido software, an open source peer-to-peer platform and application suite that includes several top-notch applications such as a blog engine, a torrent client, a photo sharing app, a file sharing tool, and a fully-fledged collaboration environment. Better yet, developers can write third-party applications that can be easily installed on TonidoPlug.
The best Firefox extension: Zotero
The Zotero add-on transforms Firefox into a powerful research and archiving tool. You can use it to store and manage notes, Web pages, and documents. Powerful search and tagging capabilities make it easy to find information in your Zotero libraries, and the Zotero extension for OpenOffice.org lets you generate and manage properly-formatted bibliographies using your favorite productivity suite. You can sync data stored in Zotero between several machines, including file attachments, using either Zotero's own service or any third-party server that supports WebDAV. As if this was not enough, Zotero also offers a Web-based service which lets you access your data via a browser as well as share it with other Zotero users.
Best distro release: Knoppix 6.x
After a long hiatus, the venerable Live CD Linux distribution emerged in a new version redesigned from the ground up. The latest version sports a brand new accelerated boot procedure which significantly reduces the boot time, and the LXDE lightweight graphical desktop environment. Unlike previous versions, Knoppix 6.0 comes with a trimmed software bundle, but key productivity applications like OpenOffice.org, Iceweasel (aka Firefox), Icedove (aka Thunderbird), Pidgin, and the GIMP are still there. The latest version of Knoppix features a new flash-knoppix tool that allows you to install Knoppix on a USB stick or a flash card.
Best software release: digiKam
A 1.0 release is usually a significant milestone in the life of an open source project, and digiKam is no exception. The highlights in the 1.0 release include a new batch queue manager that lets you queue photos for processing through multiple tools. The new version adds support for OpenStreetMap in the Geolocation panel for digiKam used for geotagging photos. digiKam 1.0 also features a brand new liquid rescaling tool, a first run assistant, and new color filters. The application now supports metadata templates that let you easily add copyright and metadata to photos. The color management code part has been rewritten from the ground up, and the Advanced Rename tool now features syntax highlighting and history management.
Comments
comments powered by DisqusIssue 262/2022
Buy this issue as a PDF
News
-
Kali Linux 2022.3 Released
From the creators of the most popular penetration testing distributions on the planet, comes a new release with some new tools and a community, real-time chat option.
-
The 14" Pinebook Pro Linux Laptop is Shipping
After a considerable delay, the 14" version of the Pinebook Pro laptop is, once again, available for purchase.
-
OpenMandriva Lx ROME Technical Preview Released
OpenMandriva’s rolling release distribution technical preview has been released for testing purposes and adds some of the latest/greatest software into the mix.
-
Linux Mint 21 is Now Available
The latest iteration of Linux Mint, codenamed Vanessa, has been released with a new upgrade tool and other fantastic features.
-
Firefox Adds Long-Anticipated Feature
Firefox 103 has arrived and it now includes a feature users have long awaited…sort of.
-
System76 Refreshes Their Popular Oryx Pro Laptop with a New CPU
The System76 Oryx Pro laptop has been relaunched with a 12th Gen CPU and more powerful graphics options.
-
Elive Has Released a New Beta
The Elive team is proud to announce the latest beta version (3.8.30) of its Enlightenment-centric Linux distribution.
-
Rocky Linux 9 Has Arrived
The latest iteration of Rocky Linux is now available and includes a host of new features and support for new architecture.
-
Slimbook Executive Linux Ultrabook Upgrading Their CPUs
The Spanish-based company, Slimbook, has made available their next generation Slimbook Executive Linux ultrabooks with a 12th Gen Intel Alder Lake CPU.
-
Fedora Linux is Coming to the Raspberry Pi 4
Thanks to significant work in the upstream, the upcoming release of Fedora 37 will introduce support for the Raspberry Pi 4.
Zotero
-MaDiga
http://www.mynitor.com/