Open source ‘blocks’ connect the offline world with the web
Hard on the heels of our recent story about EVRYTHNG comes word of yet another venture that brings us one step closer towards an Internet of Things. The spotting this time? Ninja Blocks, an open source hardware project based in San Francisco that aims to provide “a two-way bridge between the things in your life and the web services you use every day.” READ MORE…
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New Hope For Open Source Textbooks | TechCrunch
Free digital open source textbooks are a promising alternative for states looking to cut costs and for universities trying to spare students from the soaring price of higher education. A growing number of laptop computers and tablets in the classroom provide an even greater opportunity to switch. Indeed, the fledgling open source textbook movement is getting extra attention these days. Experiments are underway in a number of states and districts.
Last month, Utah’s State Office of Education said it would start a program to make open source textbooks available to students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Washington State’s legislature is considering a similar program. The idea of open source textbooks is not new. They have been around for more than a decade, a period in which the major commercial publishers hiked textbook prices faster than inflation. Until recently, however, open source textbooks gained little traction, in part, because of the byzantine process for approving school books. State and local school boards, which insure that books meet standards, are not known for innovative thinking.
Photograph: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images
24 hours in pictures
London, UK: characters from Star Wars pose for a photocall
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Anon is fashionable, yo.
Le gross.
Всегда делай то, что ты боишься сделать.
(Always do what you’re afraid to do.)
Клиент Desurium опубликован под GPL v3
Как и обещали, разработчики Linux-клиента Desura выложили исходники клиентской программы под свободной лицензией. Проект называется Desurium и хостится на github. Официальный анонс этого события состоится, вероятно, в понедельник, но уже сейчас можно сделать вывод, что разработчики выбрали модель Chrome/Chromium, то есть будут поддерживать две версии: одну часть открытую, а другую часть с корпоративными трейдмарками — под коммерческой лицензией.
Так или иначе, но на данный момент Desurium — единственная свободная платформа дистрибуции игр. В этом её преимущество перед Steam от Valve Corporation, хотя сами разработчики Desura не говорят о конкуренции, а стараются скорее «дополнить» Steam.
Desura специализируется на независимых играх. Сейчас в каталоге насчитывается 110 игр под Linux, из них 33 бесплатных.
Для сравнения, у Steam в каталоге 1504 игры и 40 млн активных аккаунтов. Там размещаются крупнейшие издатели, в том числе Activision, Rockstar Games, 2K Games, Sega.
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As promised, the developers of Linux-client Desura posted the source client software under a free license. The project is called Desurium and hosted on github. The official announcement of this event will be held, probably on Monday, but now it can be concluded that the developers chose a model Chrome / Chromium, that is, will support two versions: one part of the open, but another part of the corporate treydmarkami - under a commercial license.
One way or another, but at the moment Desurium - the only free distribution platform games. This is its advantage over Steam from Valve Corporation, although the developers Desura not talk about competition, but rather trying to “supplement» Steam.
Desura specializes in independent games. Now the catalog number 110 games under Linux, 33 of them free.
For comparison, the Steam games in the catalog in 1504 and 40 million active accounts. They posted the biggest publishers, including Activision, Rockstar Games, 2K Games, Sega.
