Greetings Developers,
Microsoft announced their new subscription model for Office this week, dubbed Office 365. Adobe has been offering a similar service for a while, allowing Creative Suite users to have the latest versions of the software for a monthly fee. As more software integrates into the cloud, or moves entirely to online versions, pay-as-you-go is gaining ground.
Of course, it also does an end-run around the doctrine of first sale, since you won't be actually purchasing software anymore—merely renting it. But is subscription software what the users want? We'd like to hear your thoughts.
Write to us at code-ne...@oreilly.com. We're glad to gift all respondents a free O'Reilly ebook of choice.
Cheers,
The Code newsletter team
OSCON 2013
ENDS FEB. 4: Call for Speakers—OSCON 2013
![OSCON Images]()
We're looking for speakers to be part of the program for the 15th edition of OSCON, happening July 22-26, 2013, in Portland, Oregon. If you have a new idea, a better way to do something, an interesting and instructive case study (battle scars optional), or the desire to pass on your hard-won knowledge, submit a proposal to lead sessions or tutorials. Deadline is Monday, Feb. 4.
Open Dialog
What the Open Source Community Is Talking About
Redmond Got Git
If the thought of ever touching Visual Source Safe again makes your skin crawl, rejoice! Microsoft has announced that upcoming versions of their developer tools, including Visual Studio, will support Git.
Pi All Around
What do you get when you put 15,000 single board computers in the hands of schoolkids? Google will soon find out, having given the UK's school system a grant to do just that.
![Lego Raspberry Pi]() Reciprocity
Planning to release an app that leverages Facebook's APIs? Better cross your fingers, because Facebook has toughened its policies.
Berry Good
In what is either a brilliant move to signal the launch of their new BlackBerry Z10, or the ultimate case of rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic, Research in Motion has changed its name to match that of its best known product.
Registration is Open for Fluent 2013
Master the Tools and Technologies Driving the Web
![Fluent Masters]()
Tracks include:
Front End Frameworks and Libraries • The Server Side • HTML5 and Browser Technologies • Pure Code and JavaScript • Mobile • Tools, Platforms, and APIs • The Leading Edge • Doing Business on the Web Platform
Register by February 27 for our best price
Pop! The Weekly Quiz
Go Bang
![CSI]() Think you know your Nobel Prize winners? Well, riddle us this: Which Nobel prize recipients earned their title after cleaning up pigeon poop?
Think you know? Write code-ne...@oreilly.com with your answer. The first correct respondent is welcome to choose a free ebook from the O'Reilly catalog.
![Dawson's Creek]() LAST TIME, Brent Black rang in first with the right answer, being the first of many of you to know that West Las Vegas University and Boston Bay College were both fictional schools, from CSI and Dawson's Creek respectively.
Q's A'd
The Interactive Bit
![Penguin Thingee]()
Penguin's Progress
Last week, we asked you to name your preferred Linux distro. A record number of you responded, forcing us to revert to math.
Ubuntu was the massive overall fave, receiving three times as many votes as the second runner–up, Mint. Next was good old Debian, with Open Suse and Arch Linux in a tie for fourth place. Those with negligible (but fanatic) support included KNOPPIX, Crunchbang, Gentoo, Mandriva, Xubuntu, Fedora, Scientific Linux, and Slackware.
The overwhelming majority of you wrote several impassioned paragraphs describing your bestest love and the reasons why. It made for great reading! Here is just the smallest sampling.
"I would love to run pure Debian but am running Ubuntu for the cohesion of the interface," says Keith.
"Without a doubt it's Ubuntu," echoes GQ Lewis, who explains, "It is simply the most intuitive of the Linux variations that I've used, and I have easily tried 10 or more. That's what has been most impressive about it to me."
"Ubuntu," pronounces Charlie, "because I've found it the easiest to install and manage without having to sweat the details."
"I would like to put in a strong second vote in for Puppy Linux," says Michael O'Grady. "Brings older machines back to life and is pretty snappy."
"Crunchbang takes up virtually no space and runs like greased lightning," says Stefan.
"Straight to the chase: Arch Linux," says Nick. "Clear and comprehensive documentation, simple and lightweight architecture, and an insanely elegant package manager. For the first time in my digital life, things 'just work.' What's not to love?"
tail -f /dev/newsletter
All Good Things Must End
![Cheating Phones]() Cheatin' Hearts
When shopping for a cell phone, most people look at battery life, voice quality, and perhaps what apps it can run. But for a segment of the Japanese cell phone consumer market, the most important factor is how well it can hide your cheating ways.
The wily and promiscuous evidently swear by the Fujistu 'F' series phones, clunky awkward flip phones that look like some weird invention from the late '90s. But, magic can be ugly. The handsets include a mode that hides texts and call history on demand, allowing philandering Don Juanabees to carry on several secret lives.
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