Android Leftovers

• Thank you: Android manufacturers finally listened to users in 2016

  We tech writers spend most of our time ranting about something or the other, so let me acknowledge something positive instead: 2016 has been by far the best year for Android phones. I don’t just say that as the usual yearly platitude, the way one might say ‘the iPhone 7 is the best iPhone ever” (2016 tech is better than 2015 tech, duh). I mean that after trying out nearly every flagship available in the US this year, it feels like 2016 is the year Android manufacturers actually listened.

• Yup, now the iPhone 7 is exploding

• This Guy Basically Turned His Mirror Into a Giant iPhone

• Android 7.0 Nougat: List of Mobile Devices Getting the New Mobile OS

• Unity game engine now supports Vulkan rendering on Android [Ed: Mono]

• Blackberry Bites the Dust - Yeah, we saw that one coming a LONG time ago

Licensing resource series: Free GNU/Linux distributions & GNU Bucks

When Richard Stallman set out to create the GNU Project, the goal was to create a fully free operating system. Over 33 years later, it is now possible for users to have a computer that runs only free software. But even if all the software is available, putting it all together yourself, or finding a distribution that comes with only free software, would be quite the task. That is why we provide a list of Free GNU/Linux distributions. Each distro on the list is commited to only distributing free software. With many to choose from, you can find a distro that meets your needs while respecting your freedom. But with so much software making up an entire operating system, how is it possible to make sure that nothing nasty sneaks into the distro? That's where you, and GNU Bucks come in.

Linux 4.7.6

I'm announcing the release of the 4.7.6 kernel. All users of the 4.7 kernel series must upgrade. The updated 4.7.y git tree can be found at: git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux-stable.git linux-4.7.y and can be browsed at the normal kernel.org git web browser: http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/stable/linux-st... Also: Linux 4.4.23

Linaro beams LITE at Internet of Things devices

Linaro launched a “Linaro IoT and Embedded” (LITE) group, to develop end-to-end open source reference software for IoT devices and applications. Linaro, which is owned by ARM and major ARM licensees, and which develops open source software for ARM devices, launched a Linaro IoT and Embedded (LITE) Segment Group at this week’s Linaro Connect event in Las Vegas. The objective of the LITE initiative is to produce “end to end open source reference software for more secure connected products, ranging from sensors and connected controllers to smart devices and gateways, for the industrial and consumer markets,” says Linaro. Also:

• Linaro organisation, with ARM, aims for end-end open source IoT code

  With the objective of producing reference software for more secure connected products, ranging from sensors and connected controllers to smart devices and gateways, for the industrial and consumer markets, Linaro has announced LITE: Collaborative Software Engineering for the Internet of Things (IoT). Linaro and the LITE members will work to reduce fragmentation in operating systems, middleware and cloud connectivity solutions, and will deliver open source device reference platforms to enable faster time to market, improved security and lower maintenance costs for connected products. Industry interoperability of diverse, connected and secure IoT devices is a critical need to deliver on the promise of the IoT market, the organisation says. “Today, product vendors are faced with a proliferation of choices for IoT device operating systems, security infrastructure, identification, communication, device management and cloud interfaces.”

• An open source approach to securing The Internet of Things

• Addressing the IoT Security Problem

  Last week's DDOS takedown of security guru Brian Krebs' website made history on several levels. For one, it was the largest such reported attack ever, with unwanted traffic to the site hitting levels of 620 Gbps, more than double the previous record set back in 2013, and signalling that the terabyte threshold will certainly be crossed soon. It also relied primarily on compromised Internet of Things devices.