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Linux founder Linus Torvalds spoke at the recent LinuxCon about the hopes and challenges of Linux in 2014. He explained that he still wants Linux to have a major presence on the desktop and that the challenge of the desktop is not a kernel problem but rather an infrastructure problem.
Torvalds added that Linux has been bloating the kernel for 20 years, and he hopes for it to shrink in size. He also wants to push the envelope for the embedded market despite challenges in that sector as well, such as the fact that some of the small-form-factor device vendors have their own operating system technologies in place already. Those vendors don’t always make hardware readily available to Linux kernel developers, Torvalds noted.
Both AT&T and Verizon Wireless are adding a Windows Phone 8.1 version of the HTC One M8 smartphone to their consumer device lines as they expand their Windows Phone lineups. HTC made its new Windows-equipped HTC One M8 smartphone immediately available for Verizon Wireless customers, while AT&T revealed on Aug. 19 that the phone will be available to its customers soon.
Data security provider Symantec announced that its main software product—Norton—is moving into a cloud-based subscription model. The announcement came Aug. 19, and the company added that it will also retire some of its stand-alone Norton legacy products, such as Norton Internet Security, Norton AntiVirus and Norton360. These moves are indicative of the way the overall software market is moving, and it is moving fast toward cloud service options whenever possible.
Microsoft is adding new automated controls and features to SharePoint Online that make it easier for administrators to manage their storage capacity by lending increased visibility into their IT environments.
Mark Kashman, a SharePoint senior product manager, explained in an Office Blogs post that the additions are part of their new usage-based storage model. This makes it easier to manage storage availability across SharePoint Online team sites.