Yet another small update I’ve noticed in Ubuntu 10.10 is the inclusion of an actual Pause button (icon and all).
An actual pause button! Ouuuhh Ahhhh 
I would imagine this bug from 2006 was finally fixed so that the sound menu play/pause buttons and Rhythmbox play/pause buttons are consistent.
Either way, its the polishing touches that can really make a product shine. 
Another discovery of mine has led to the exposure an unmentioned feature in Gwibber that will help you follow your friends’ conversation more closely (or so I assume).
Thread me not..
If you’re the ultimate stalker, like my girlfriend, then you’ll most likely find this feature to be very useful. Others may only use it on rare occasions.
New in Gwibber is the ability to expand conversations you’ve directed towards Twitter. With an expand button (currently the somewhat large green plus icon), you’re able to view a conversation you’ve posted to Twitter and (assumingly) the follow up posts from your friends.
At the moment Gwibber only seems to expand your own personal tweets, but it appears to be a feature that will (as a speculated example) help you find out exactly why your friend Kathy agrees with your tweet on the recently hot weather in Raleigh.
Understand that my speculations are just that, speculations, and nothing more. This feature could easily evolve into anything more than I’ve imagined. In the meantime, share your ideas, thoughts and opinions! I’m always excited to hear new speculation and ideas!
With so many people talking about the new Ubuntu Font that’s soon to be released to the public for beta testing, I thought I would take the opportunity to post a quick and easy guide to testing these fonts before everyone else does!
Preview of the new Ubuntu Font in action..
If you’d like to test these fonts, then you need to follow these instructions exactly (since the ppa is “private”). I found other site instructions a bit confusing, so if you follow my directions you should have these installed effortlessly and pain free in no time.
Install
Applying the new font..
You should now have the new font installed. Good luck and enjoy!
If you’re using Ubuntu 10.04 or newer then you’ve probably seen the borders around your thumbnail pictures and movies.
This is how your images look by default.
You may like them with a thick white border, but if you’re looking for something a little sharper then give my thumbnail frame tweak a try!
This is how they look with my tweak!
The image that you’ll be downloading to use from me gives the thumbnails a drop-shadow effect and gives them a bit of a 3D stylish feel rather than a rounded clunky feel.
Open a terminal window and copy/paste the following commands to install or remove.
How to Install
Restore to original
Enjoy the new style thumbnails if you like them! This was brought about by a thread at UbuntuForums.org entitled “Changing the Nautilus ugly thick white border for thumbnails“. You can post either here or at the forums for help or general friendly comments!
I just noticed this change in the sound menu and I’ve very pleased so far with the progress!
The sound indicator as of July 12, 2010.
The menu is beginning to take shape nicely, but don’t get too excite just yet. While the back, forward and pause/play buttons do indeed work, they don’t currently have any mouse animations. By this I mean that there is no visual change when you click them as you would see in a regular button. The pause button also doesn’t toggle back to the play button.
Eventually the menu will gain a few more features as are displayed in the following mockup.
Official mockup.
After the song progress bar and time are inserted, there won’t be much more to look forward to usability-wise other than the playlist sub-menu’s. I’m sure there will be several tweaks and adjustments coming along after these features work their way in, but they seem to be piecing things together in a very orderly fashion!
Update: See the linked comment for more details.
I’ve been in talks with the GSPCA maintainer for a week now discussing possible issues that the Microsoft LifeCam VX-1000 was having in Linux. In case you don’t know (which I didn’t at first either), GSPCA stands for “Generic Software Package for Camera Adapters.”
Microsoft LifeCam VX-1000
This software package contains drivers to a wealth of webcams and other video input devices, the Microsoft LifeCam VX-1000 included. The problem I had was that the built in microphone would stop working as soon as you turned on the camera. If you never used the camera and only opened a sound recording application then the microphone would work perfectly. In the long mailing list discussions that let me to this post, we discovered that the bug was is in setting a GPIO register that instantly breaks communication with the microphone. I’ve worked up a patch that I would like to get tested by others. Basically, the patch just includes conditionals that tell the driver not to apply this GPIO register change if the camera is using the OV7660 sensor. What I would like to test is, does disabling for this sensor affect other OV7660 devices? If not, then this patch will likely go into the main Linux kernel. If you’re using the Microsoft LifeCam VX-1000 or VX-3000 and are having trouble with your microphone, could you please do the following?
Testing the Patch
Make sure that when you start your webcam in Cheese that the microphone continues to work. You can verify this in the Sound Preferences window if you click on the Input tab (make sure you have selected “LifeCam VX-1000″ as your input device). Let me know in the comments below or in the Ubuntu thread regarding this issue how it works for you! In case anyone is interested, here is the “diff -uNr” for the original sonixj.c against my modified version:
--- sonixj-original.c 2010-07-10 05:03:02.000000000 -0400
+++ sonixj-patch.c 2010-07-12 17:52:20.000000000 -0400
@@ -1749,7 +1749,8 @@
reg_w1(gspca_dev, 0x01, 0x62);
reg_w1(gspca_dev, 0x01, 0x42);
msleep(100);
- reg_w1(gspca_dev, 0x02, 0x62);
+ if (sd->sensor != SENSOR_OV7660)
+ reg_w1(gspca_dev, 0x02, 0x62);
break;
default:
/* case SENSOR_HV7131R: */
@@ -2317,8 +2318,10 @@
reg2 = 0x40;
break;
}
- reg_w1(gspca_dev, 0x02, reg2);
- reg_w1(gspca_dev, 0x02, reg2);
+ if (sd->sensor != SENSOR_OV7660) {
+ reg_w1(gspca_dev, 0x02, reg2);
+ reg_w1(gspca_dev, 0x02, reg2);
+ }
reg_w1(gspca_dev, 0x15, sn9c1xx[0x15]);
reg_w1(gspca_dev, 0x16, sn9c1xx[0x16]);
UPDATE 2010-07-13: As of today this patch is included in GSPCA v2.9.52+! It looks like my hard work paid off after all and now all Linux users, not just Ubuntu users, will be able to enjoy the fruit of my labor since GSPCA is merged into the official Linux Kernel. 
Open Sourcing Skype
Skype is already available in Linux and usually works well. However, Skype to due to release an open source client (keeping the back-end closed source). Fortunately for Linux users, this means that you will likely get to use only one messenger client such as Empathy or Pidgin without ever opening the old Skype client and still have your Skype buddies listed in Empathy or Pidgin.
Closed source Skype 2.1.0.81 in Ubuntu 10.10.
While the announcement was released in November 2009, there is no expected date of arrival. So unfortunately, Linux users could be waiting anywhere from a few more weeks to a few more years.
I’m looking forward to never having to launch the Skype client again and simply using Empathy alone to chat and call all of my Skype friends!
Dropbox 0.8.x
Anyone who has ever used Dropbox knows that it is dang good at what it does. You need something backed up? Drop it in your Dropbox folder and forget about it.
Current Dropbox 0.7.110 in Ubuntu 10.10.
Experimental builds of Dropbox 0.8.x have been in the works since February 2010 and appear to be progressing nicely.
With Dropbox 0.8.x, we will gain a new feature called “Selective Sync” which will enable you to pick which files and folders from your Dropbox to sync, giving you more overall control.
Dropbox 0.8.x also brings a wealth of performance improvements to the table. With faster startup times and lower memory consumption when idling, this update is sure to be well received. File attributes are now noted and properly synchronized, so if you make a script executable on one computer it will be updated on all others as well. This is very handy for Unix/Linux users.
Rhythmbox Last.fm Plugin Updates
Being a Last.fm user myself, I find myself scrobbling a lot of music and very few options to manage my profile. I’d love to see this plugin integrate the ability to “Love” and “Unlove” tracks that you are playing from Rhythmbox itself.
Rhythmbox + Last.fm plugin in Ubuntu 10.10.
According to OMG! Ubuntu!, a developer by the name of Jamie Nicol will be improving this plugin in the Google Summer of Code event. The details of what will be improved with this project are vague to say the least, but very promising.
Ubuntu 10.10 Sound Indicator Applet
The sound indicator applet is receiving an update which will manage to bring all of your sound controls into a clean and simple menu.
Case scenario mockup (image source).
With this project well underway, you are already able to view what’s playing in Rhythmbox and pause/play the song from the menu. The artist, title and album are also implemented, leaving album art, playlists, back and forward controls, and a song progress bar to be anticipated.
Windicators (aka Window Indicators)
Windicators, as Mark Shuttleworth describes them, are indicators located in the top right side of a Window’s title bar that indicate specific states of applications that users should be alerted of.
Mockup of Windicators for Ubuntu 10.10
From the mockup, you can see that Windows producing sound will likely have per app volume control windicators. Those dealing with stores and shopping carts will feature a shopping cart windicator to help you manage and navigate what you’ve stored away to buy.
I’m really hoping that this Windicator will be used in applications such as web browsers and the Ubuntu Software Center (which, by the way I think should be renamed to the Ubuntu App Store) so that web sites like eBay or Amazon and the Software Center can take advantage of this feature.
Theme enhancements for Maverick
There are a number of theme enhancements that are set to land in Ubuntu 10.10 and will help to polish the user interface.
One improvement will be closer maximize and minimize buttons. The improvement, as I image it, can be seen below, but is not meant to represent a final product in any way.
Closer max/min buttons mockup.
Scrollbar steppers don’t appear clickable. One design I’ve been hoping for, but have yet to see anything implemented, is some nice themed steppers. Nicer of course than my crude artistic example below.
Mockup of a clicked or hovered stepper.
Also mentioned is “Changing GTK to allow for a rounded stepper,” which is why I rounded the button in the mockup (if you click to view the larger version).
There are several other changes to be made for the theme, but as far as I’ve seen they’ve yet to appear in updates.
Compiz 0.9
One of my favorite features in Ubuntu is desktop effects which are powered by Compiz. It seems like compositing windows managers have been changing at an incredibly unpredictable rate since I first started using Linux.
I first started using Beryl to get cool effects for the desktop way back in the early stages of Ubuntu. Soon after, Compiz-Fusion became the next big thing. This developed as a bit of a merge between Compiz and parts of Beryl.
Not long thereafter, various Compiz related branches were merged and the project became known simply as Compiz again. What’s cool about this is that in the merge, Compiz was being ported from C to C++ (also known as Compiz++) giving it a large number of benefits (that I won’t get into here).
Ubuntu 10.10 using the Cube in Compiz.
The good news is that Compiz 0.9 unstable has been released and is ready for regression testing! Hopefully it won’t be a great deal longer before Compiz 0.9 matures and is released into the wild.
Vavle’ Steam Client
If you don’t already know about Steam, according to Wikipedia it’s “a digital distribution, digital rights management, multiplayer and communications platform developed by Valve Corporation.”
The Steam client..
Its been rumored that the Steam client will be coming to Linux, but all we can do is wait in anticipation and see what happens.
Steam recently became available to Mac users, so it may not be too far fetched. If it does come to Linux then it will bring a plethora of games to the platform that would have otherwise never been available.
Here’s to hoping that someday soon I will be able to play Counter-Strike: Source without booting up into Mac or Windows (or using Wine).
Ubuntu Boot Screen Fixes
While there are ways to fix the boot screen yourself, I tend to prefer them just working automatically. This isn’t the case in Ubuntu 10.04 if you’re using the nVidia or ATI video drivers.
Ubuntu 10.04 Boot Screen
Being only in Alpha 2, Ubuntu 10.10 still uses the boot screen of 10.04 as pictured above. While this is a very nice boot screen, it does have several problems.
As I said earlier, if you’re using nVideo or ATI drivers then you’ll have problems where the boot screen’s resolution is horribly wrong and your boot screen looks more like a crash.
Ubuntu is on the track of speeding up boot times, but if your system hasn’t booted before the animated dots make their cycle then you get to see it again. While this isn’t a horrible failure, its still a very unpolished design and desperately needs some attention. Still worse, the shutdown screen uses the same animation which gives it the illusion of loading, not unloading.
Grub Boot Loader
I’m hoping that if they take the time to address the boot screen that they will also take time to polish the boot menu for dual booting users. In its textual state it looks like something straight out of the days of DOS, and since Ubuntu is “Linux for Human Beings” I would say its time to ditch the textual Grub interface and move on to a polished Burg menu…based on Grub, but graphical.
I recently stumbled upon this neat little application that lets you track your mouse movements in a visual way and save the image that is created!
My IOGraph in a Dual Screen (2.5 hours).
As you can see, most of my activity is in my second monitor (right) where my web browser rests, between the tabs and content towards the top. My coding habits and text editor occupy the first monitor (left) and show noticeably less mouse movement and more periods of pausing to work with the keyboard or read.
This application is Java based and runs in Windows, Mac and Linux! I’ll give you a quick run down on how to use this application in Ubuntu..
Allow executing file as program
Open with OpenJDK Java 6 Runtime
Now that you’ve got the application running, you can minimize it and let it track your every move! If you’re having trouble, you may be able to find more help with .Jar files here.
The circles represent points where the mouse was left motionless for a period of time. The larger the circle, the longer it was left motionless.
Enjoy making art while you work and please share your results!
Now that GNOME 2.30 stable is out, we can all look forward to GNOME 3. I’m extremely hopeful that the GNOME applications will see some much needed updates and additions of missing features.
One feature that I really miss from Digsby and Trillian in Windows is the ability to quickly respond to a message via the notification bubble. Sometimes you just want to send a quick and short response. Thats why I’d like to see this feature added to Empathy for the release of GNOME 3.
Mockup of how this would look.
In Ubuntu, the notifications appear in the upper right corner of the screen and (as far as I’ve seen) contain no buttons or other actions. Clicking them isn’t even possible as the click carries through to whatever rests below it.
If I’m not mistaken there will be notifications with buttons for interaction, but if I understand it correctly then the “Fallback alert boxes” will offer this option. If this is true then my mockup could easily be put to work!
I recently posted an idea in the “Idea Mill” for Gwibber which is a social client for GNOME developed with Python and GTK+.
My idea is to evolve My.Opera from a traditional web browser based social community to a client based community so that users can quickly and effortlessly update their status, reply and receive private messages, follow community updates and more.
This project will require a large effort to get going from the start, but would help the My.Opera community grow by making the service available to a larger crowd.
The current problem with My.Opera is that it depends on a community of Opera enthusiasts. Lets face it, Opera has a very small market share when compared to the current leading browsers. If the community is to truly succeed it would make more sense to remove the requirement of being an “Opera fan” and focus more on making the service a social success such as Facebook or Twitter.
With my idea, My.Opera could integrate with applications such as Gwibber and TweetDeck to allow users of the online service to easily follow others, review and update their private messages, keep track of community updates and stay updated in general with the activities available at My.Opera.com.
Here is my mockup for Gwibber:
As you can see, My.Opera would be able to attract users in a fashion nearly identical to that of Twitter with features that already exist and have existed for some time now.
The only current setback….My.Opera doesn’t offer an extensive API to make this idea possible. While they do have some API support in place, they lack what is needed (AFAIK) to make this support possible without fetching and parsing pages designed for a web browser.
The inclusion of this support would be very beneficial to My.Opera, especially when Ubuntu 10.04 is release with default integration with the social client Gwibber.
Making this giant step into the micro-blogging and “friending” era via clients would also be very beneficial to Opera Software ASA‘s business model. With more people joining the My.Opera community (after seeing the service support in Gwibber and other clients) the number of people exposed to the Opera browser would be fantastic!
This could potentially be a game changing move for Opera and it would be wise to take advantage of it as soon as possible with the current popularity and high demand for social micro-blogging services today!
If you’re a frequent My.Opera user and you’re interested in this idea for Gwibber and potentially other social clients, please cast your vote to show support and let the My.Opera community developers know that you’re interested!