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In a special edition of the Gillmor Gang, Steve Gillmor,Cubic Zirconia jewelry, Mike Arrington, Doc Searls, Dana Gardner,A Lange and Sohne Watches, Robert Anderson,Pearl Jewelry, Robert Scoble and I discuss Microsoft’s decision to walk away from its bid to acquire Yahoo.

The consensus: Google is a big winner, Microsoft is not dead, and lives to bid another day, and Yahoo better be able to execute with precision on its strategy or it faces difficult times and a less lucrative result for shareholders.

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HTC Jade 100

Huawei V830i

LG KC780

LG KP330

LG KS500Q

Motorola

Motorola

Pantech OZII

Samsung SCH-B319

Samsung SGH-A767

Sony Ericsson F305

Sony Ericsson W902

ZTE A933G

A new Sony Ericsson Walkman phone and a successor to the Helio Ocean received certification from the FCC. The W902 offers a 5-megapixel camera, a music player, and Bluetooth, and the OZII (aka the Ocean 2) has EV-DO 3G support, a full HTML Web browser, Bluetooth, and a 2-megapixel camera. Because the Federal Communications Commission has to certify every phone sold in the United States, not to mention test its SAR rating, the agency’s online database offers a lot of sneak peeks to those who dig. And to save you the trouble, Crave has combed through the database for you. Here are a selection of filings from the past week on new and upcoming cell phones. Click through to read the full report.

Pantch OZII

Novell, to a rising degree, sits at the center of that development. It will be interesting to watch how this translates into revenue for the company over time.

This isn’t a confederacy of dunces, either, with committee-based gridlock impeding the pace of Linux kernel development. On the contrary, Linux is developed at a fast pace:

So, while Novell crows about its rise in revenue market share in the Linux market, it’s the company’s development market share that I view as the true leading indicator of its business. Linux sales are up 200 percent, while Linux development is up 250 percent. See a correlation?

The Linux kernel is being developed by nearly 1,000 developers working for more than 100 different corporations;
Since 2005, the number of active kernel developers has tripled;
Between 70 and 95 percent of those developers are being paid for their work.

An average of 3,621 lines of code are added to the kernel tree every day, and a new kernel is released approximately every 2.7 months;
The kernel, since 2005, has been growing at a steady state of 10 percent per year. (Credit:
Linux Foundation)

One year ago, Linux kernel development was almost predominately Red Hat’s game. Today, Red Hat’s lead has dipped considerably, according to a report just released by the Linux Foundation.

In open source, it’s all about “owning” the source of code, not necessarily the source code.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Novell’s share of the Linux market has grown considerably in that same time, with Novell reporting a 200 percent increase in its Linux business over the past year.

Importantly, it’s not just Novell and Red Hat who contribute. As detailed statistics demonstrate, the Linux kernel is perhaps the world’s largest, most distributed development effort, reflecting its increasing importance to an ever-widening array of disparate parties:

Over the past three years, the top 10 individual developers have contributed almost 15 percent of the number of changes, and the top 30 developers have contributed 30 percent.

Even so, these numbers illustrate just how impressive (and different) Linux is, as this number would be closer to 85 percent of core development being done by the top 10 to 15 developers in a “normal” open-source project. Clearly, Linux is a true community effort with a very big community.

Red Hat continues to contribute/sponsor 11.2 percent of the Linux kernel’s development, down from 14.4 percent in 2007, while Novell has jumped from an anemic 3.6 percent in 2007 to a robust 8.9 percent in 2008.

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Now if only the U.S. federal government could manage its committees in this way.

As with any open-source community, the vast majority of contributions come from a small group of core contributors:

(Credit:
Linux Foundation)

Apple on Wednesday released an update to the
Safari browser that plugs security holes on Macintosh and Windows machines.

Safari 3.1.1 fixes two Safari vulnerabilities that affect Windows XP or Vista and two WebKit vulnerabilities that affect
Mac OS and Mac OS X Server versions 10.4.11 and 10.5.2, as well as Windows XP or Vista.

One of the two WebKit vulnerabilities could put computer users at risk of a cross-site scripting attack that can inject malicious code onto a victim’s computer. The vulnerability was discovered during the PWN to OWN contest at CanSecWest last month by Dan Charlie Miller, Jake Honoroff, and Mark Daniel of Independent Security Evaluators.

The other WebKit vulnerability could lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution. Apple credited Robert Swiecki of the Google Security Team and David Bloom for reporting this issue.

The remaining two vulnerabilities, which affect only Windows XP or Vista, could lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution, or control the contents of the address bar and spoof the contents of a legitimate site.

The Windows version of Safari 3.1.1 can be downloaded from CNET’s Download.com here and the Mac version here.

Apple has more information about Safari 3.1.1 here.

Mariah Power said on Wednesday that it has raised additional funding to bring its small wind turbine to market.

The company said it has secured $500,000 in funding from venture capital firm Big Sky Partners. As part of the investment, Michael Schwab of Big Sky Partners will join Mariah Power’s board.

Mariah Power's vertical-axis wind turbine called the Windspire.

(Credit:
Mariah Power)

Mariah Power, based in Reno, Nev., makes a ground-mounted vertical-axis wind turbine that is designed for people’s homes or businesses. It’s expected to be available later this month for about $4,000.

Company Mike Hess told Greentech Media that its forthcoming spire-shaped Windspire turbine can generate one third of the home’s electricity use.

The business of building wind farms with giant turbines is booming. But the world of small wind is getting more attention.

Marquiss Wind Power in January raised a Series A round to build up its square-shaped turbine meant for placement on top of the flat roofs of commercial buildings.

Southwest Wind Power, which raised a series B round of $6.5 million last year, makes a ground-mounted propeller-type turbine for individual homes or business.

I’m starting to wonder if anything about Linux is going to be easy. But I remain undaunted in my efforts to use Ubuntu 7.10, or Gutsy Gibbon, to accomplish the same computing tasks for which I use Windows. Now that I’ve got Flash and QuickTime working in Ubuntu, I feel like I’m nearly there.

I say “nearly” because I’m still running into some glitches, this week relating to getting the full suite of updates available for Gutsy installed. The update failure is a minor inconvenience compared to the crashes I experienced last week whenever I tried to run a Flash or QuickTime video.

After poking around the Linux forums, I found out that Ubuntu installs a la carte: only the truly free supporting software is included in the default installation, which excludes proprietary media players such as Adobe’s Flash and Apple’s QuickTime. To get these restricted formats to play, you have to install a set of files called ubuntu-restricted-extras.

Once I got them loaded, I checked the Synaptic Package Manager and found their listing. I still had to find, download, and install the Flash Player for Linux. I’m not going to complain about the multiple steps required, though. Compared to Windows’ kitchen sink approach to software installation and updating, I’m coming to appreciate Ubuntu’s download-as-needed philosophy.

To get Flash, QuickTime, and other proprietary media players to work in Ubuntu, you have to install a set of files manually.

After I reopened
Firefox, the Flash and QuickTime files that previously sent Ubuntu into a tailspin ran without a hitch. Even though the process took me about three hours of searching, downloading, installing, downloading some more, and installing some more, I’m becoming familiar with the operating system.

Using Ubuntu’s Terminal applet for system maintenance is similar to the old DOS days of living on the command line. You won’t save much time initially when you switch from Windows to Ubuntu, but once you get used to the Linux style of computing, I bet you’ll spend more time working and less time futzing with your “tools”.

That’s not to say everything’s peachy for me on Linux Street: right now, the update notification icon keeps telling me that there’s an update available, but when I run the Update Manager, the file xserver-xorg-core won’t download. It’s a minor annoyance, I know, but when I close the error dialog box, the updater keeps prompting me to download the update. I have no idea how important the file is–or whether I really need it. All I know is that I can’t get it.

Ubuntu's Update Manager can’t download a file the Notification alert recommends that you install.

Apart from this minor annoyance, I’m pretty happy about the progress I’ve made as a Linux neophyte. I’m a long way from wiping Windows off the drives of my other PCs, but it’s a heck of a start.

Tomorrow: Five super Office add-ons.

(Credit:
Andy Purdy)

On Wednesday, HBGary announced that Andy Purdy has joined their advisory board.

Purdy, while a member of the White House, co-drafted the 2003 edition of the National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace, then joined the Department of Homeland Security. There, he served on the tiger team that helped to form the National Cyber Security Division (NCSD) and the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT). He went to head both organizations and was dubbed by the media as the “cyberczar” of the United States until DHS appointed Greg Garcia as assistant secretary for cybersecurity and communications.

In 2006, Purdy oversaw the first large-scale mock cyberattack, code-named Cyber Storm. A second mock attack, under Garcia, was held earlier this year.

In August, HBGary has announced a partnership with McAfee to provide forensic tools for its enterprise offerings. HBGary specializes in monitoring information systems for external and internal threats.

The magazine notes that guys are natural gadget lovers and with Apple’s sales soaring, “more men than ever are stopping by Apple boutiques.”

Not a
Mac lover, not to worry. Another of the magazine’s recommendations is going to work for a tech company. More than a fifth of workers meet their spouse on the job, the magazine notes, adding that Cisco Systems is 78 percent male, while Hewlett-Packard’s workforce is 68 percent men.

The article would appear to suggest that geeks could be faring better than ever in the social scene, though the weight room at the gym was also on the list. So perhaps it still takes brains and brawn.

Cosmo says that if you are looking to meet a man, you can’t do much better than heading to your nearest Apple store.

I’m not sure this is what Ron Johnson had in mind when he set out to create Apple’s chain of retail stores, but recently the shops unexpectedly topped a list of hot spots.

“The vibe at the stores is conducive to man meeting too: You can check your email among cuties, take a free workshop on anything from Photoshop to podcasting (a great opportunity to strike up a conversation), or just survey the, ahem, good-looking merchandise,” Cosmo concludes.

If you were eagerly anticipating Digeo’s Moxi Multi-Room HD digital media recorder, don’t hold your breath.

This is a big shift for Digeo, which acquired the Moxi brand when the two companies merged in 2002. Though the Paul Allen-backed company made a big splash with Moxi’s vast feature set at the Consumer Electronics Show that same year, the Moxi DVR was never available to retail customers directly–a la TiVo–and instead was only available from a handful of cable companies. Digeo will still release future retail products, as well as continue its cable relationships, Gudorf said.

Digeo will focus on, and still plans to release, the Moxi HD DVR for Cable sometime later this year. Gudorf will take over as chief executive “very soon,” according to Fidler, who will stay on as long as necessary to help with the transition. Fidler says he chose to step down on his own.

(Credit:
Digeo)

The Kirkland, Wash.-based company revealed significant changes Tuesday, including the cancellation of two previously announced product lines, the Multi-Room HD DMR and the Moxi Home Cinema Edition DMR. As a result of slashing those products from its lineup, nearly half of its staff will be laid off, and current Chief Executive Mike Fidler will be replaced by Chief Operating Officer Greg Gudorf, the company said Tuesday.

The canceled products were in various stages of production, from pre-production to beta testing with customers, though none was produced in volume yet, said Gudorf.

“As we assessed our situation, it became clear that the best action for Digeo was to focus our work on the next-generation product for the retail market,” Gudorf said in a statement. “Building the software and hardware for this category is a complex endeavor, with dynamic technical standards, regulatory issues, and content considerations. Previously, we were spreading our energies across too many platforms.”

Update 12:00 p.m. PST: This blog has been updated with more details, as well as comments from Mike Fidler and Greg Gudorf.

In an interview with CNET News.com, Fidler blamed the shift in strategy on the company’s “inability to deliver some products on time” and “dynamics that occur in the marketplace.”

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He hasn’t given any real details as to why but says he’s leaving over “certain principles.”

UPDATE: Heard from a credible source that Martin is on his way to Microsoft. I guess the “certain principles” weren’t things like “open source purity” and such. Maybe Martin wasn’t happy that Novell hasn’t fully sold itself to Microsoft.

Positive changes? Well, apparently not, from Martin’s perspective. You don’t quit a company after eight and a half years over “certain principles,” unless things are really bad.

Wow. Martin Buckley, longtime product manager and global evangelist for Novell’s Systems and Resource Management products (e.g., Zenworks), has quit Novell.

Martin Buckley

(Credit:
Novell)

Word on the street is that Buckley was set to do a lot of stuff at Novell’s upcoming Brainshare user and partner conference. His departure may be a harbinger of really big changes in Novell’s systems and resource management business unit.

I never knew Buckley during my time at Novell, but he was and is well-respected. His departure doesn’t inspire confidence.

The companies are committing a combined $20 million to fund parallel computing research centers at the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

“The software has to also start following Moore’s Law,” Intel fellow Shekhar Borkar said at a May gathering with reporters.

Both Intel and Microsoft have been working on this issue for some time.

Tony Hey, Microsoft’s vice president of external research, echoed that on a conference call Tuesday, saying the shift in chip architecture will “profoundly impact” the way software is written.

Such is the case with Intel and Microsoft, which announced on Tuesday they are jointly backing university research to help address the challenges posed by a shift to processors with many brains.

For years, the PC processor just got faster and faster, performance gains that software could easily take advantage of. In recent years, though, chip speed gains have flattened out, while Intel and others have been pushing multiple processing cores on a single chip.

Microsoft Chief Research and Strategy Officer Craig Mundie told CNET News.com in May that the shift of the PC from a single processor to one with many processing engines is “probably the single most disruptive thing that we will have done in the last 20 or 30 years.”

More cores can also add up to better performance, but to fully utilize multiple brains, software needs to be rewritten in ways that allow tasks to be split up and handled in parallel, a significant technical hurdle.

There’s nothing like a big challenge to bring a couple closer together.

“We’re really in the midst of a revolution in the software industry,” he said.

In January, Microsoft announced it was setting up a joint research facility in Spain in conjunction with the Barcelona Supercomputing Center.