A sure-fire way to tell that development has moved up a gear: Ubuntu 25.04 daily builds are now available to download. Development formally got underway on Ubuntu 25.04 ‘Plucky Puffin’ last month, with the final stable release of Ubuntu 25.04 arriving on Thursday April 17, 2025. You’re probably wondering what sort of new features … [Read more...]

Linus Torvalds has announced the release of Linux kernel 6.12, and an eclectic assortment of changes contained within make it one of the most biggest kernel releases for a while. In terms of features, I mean. I didn’t sit bean-counting the code byte-by-byte! In his message to the Linux Kernel Mailing List to announce the release Linus … [Read more...]

I’d promise to shut up about the Tiling Shell GNOME Shell extension but I can’t because new features are coming thick and fast — the latest: support for automatic tiling. Yes, this nifty workflow wonder is finally able to automatically tile newly opened windows based on the currently active tiling layout (and as you may sick of me … [Read more...]

A new version of the GTK-based music player Rhythmbox has been released, the first major update in over a year. Rhythmbox 3.4.8 is billed as a ‘minor improvement release’, so there are no shiny new features or (some would say overdue) UI changes to speak of. But there are plenty of bug fixes and smaller quality enhancements worth … [Read more...]

It could be all change for the PDF viewer in the next version of Ubuntu. Ubuntu’s long-time PDF viewer Evince (aka Document Viewer) is comes preinstalled in Ubuntu at present—I can’t recall using a version of Ubuntu that didn’t use it. But next April’s release of Ubuntu 25.04 ‘Plucky Puffin’ may replace Evince … [Read more...]

Framework make the most exciting laptops around —I don’t own one to be able to say they’re good, but the modular components, and upgradeable and repairable ethos is unlike anything else. As news earlier this year that owners would be able to swap their Intel-based mainboard for a RISC-V mainboard underscores. Well, there’s now an … [Read more...]

Back in the spring, VMware did something unexpected: it made its desktop hypervisor software free to download and use on Windows, macOS, and Linux. No trial period, no in-app purchases, no feature limitations; the full version of VMware Workstation Pro (Windows, Linux) and Fusion Pro (macOS) for free. The “catch” was that it was only … [Read more...]

MPRIS is something most of us associate with music apps and movie players, but a new app makes use of this freedesktop standard for something less entertaining: timers. Yes, timers. Timing your pizza in the oven, setting a deadline for a task, dedicating time to a hobby, or obsessively counting down to a date (figurative or romantic), MPRIS Timer … [Read more...]

For a pinch more personalisation of Ubuntu 24.10 check out Auto Accent Colour, a new GNOME Shell extension that changes the system accent colour based on your current desktop wallpaper. Accent colours are a headline feature in GNOME 47, although not new to Ubuntu users since Ubuntu added its own approach to accent colours back in 2022. Now aligned … [Read more...]

Calibre ebook manager, converter, and reader is out with a new update, and it adds an enticing sounding new feature. For a while now Calibre has offered a ‘read aloud’ feature that does exactly what you think it does: a computer voice reads the text of an ePUB book. Calibre 7.2.1 intros a “new tool to create an audio overlay in … [Read more...]

GNOME 47 ‘Denver’ proved a decent update to the GNOME desktop, delivering a hearty dose of new features, UI refinements, and app improvements. As those of you using Ubuntu 24.10 are no-doubt enjoying. But as one release goes out, work on the next begins… GNOME 48: Release Schedule GNOME 48 ‘Bengaluru‘ (named after the host … [Read more...]

Raspberry Pi has unveiled another low-price own-brand product, this time a 4-port USB 3.0 hub compatible with most of its single-board computers. In the past few months we’ve seen the company expand its range of official accessories and add-ons to encompass everything from AI HATs to SD cards and SSDs guaranteed to contain the right tech to … [Read more...]

It’s been a while since the gorgeous (if admittedly gimmicky) Burn My Windows GNOME Shell extension added a new effect to appease fans of over-the-top window closing and opening animations. But the latest release, Burn My Windows v44, rolling out on the GNOME Extensions right now, dutifully delivers one – and it’s rather dreamy! Called … [Read more...]

Sweeping staffing cuts have fallen at The Mozilla Foundation, the nonprofit arm of Mozilla tasked with advocating for web standards, internet privacy, and open-source. A huge 30% reduction in head count at the foundation cleaves away the entirety of the dedicated advocacy division, according to an internal memo seen by TechCrunch but since … [Read more...]

If it feels like the next major release of open source image editor The GIMP has been in the works forever, know that anticipation for its arrival has been building longer still – yet the wait will soon be over. Today, a GIMP 3.0 release candidate was tagged for release. This gives creatives eager to see what new features Wilber has in store for … [Read more...]

Raspberry Pi has announced a new version of its 7-inch ‘Touch Display’ accessory. And given that the previous model was announced 9 years ago, some kind of update was arguably due for this device. The Raspberry Pi Touch Display 2 runs at a higher-resolution display than its predecessor, and uses a slimmer form factor now that the … [Read more...]