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Posts published by “Phil Shapiro”

For the past 10 years, Phil has been working at a public library in the Washington D.C.-area, helping youth and adults use the 28 public Linux stations the library offers seven days a week. He also writes for MAKE magazine, Opensource.com and TechSoup Libraries. Suggest videos by contacting Phil on Twitter or at pshapiro@his.com.

Software Freedom Conservancy’s Karen Sandler On FOSS and the IoT

By Phil Shapiro on June 10, 2016 |

Hardware, Software and Video

Software Freedom Conservancy’s Karen Sandler On FOSS and the IoTKaren Sandler

As an increasing number of our devices become connected to the Internet, Karen Sandler explains, the openness of open source becomes more important than ever.

The Video Screening Room

A fascinating interview conducted by Jenn Webb at this year’s OSCON with Karen Sandler, open source evangelist and executive director of the Software Freedom Conservancy, was uploaded to YouTube this week. These thoughts of hers really hit home — “We’re only as safe as our weakest leak…. With the Internet of Things, all the software that seems not-so-critical is becoming critical — because everything talks to each other and interacts with each other. And so free and open source software has never been so important.”

Continue readingSoftware Freedom Conservancy’s Karen Sandler On FOSS and the IoT
Using Inkscape in CartographyInkscape logo

Using Inkscape in Cartography

By Phil Shapiro on June 7, 2016 |

Software, Tutorial and Video

There are literally thousands of practical uses for the free and open source Inkscape vector graphics editor. Here, we get a glimpse at how mapmakers can use it in combination with another FOSS tool.

The Video Screening Room

Michele Tobias, an environmental scientist with the California Department of Parks and Recreation, gave a fascinating talk last month at the FOSS4G North America conference in Raleigh, North Carolina. She spoke about cartography and Inkscape, explaining the process of bringing GIS (geographic information systems) software data into Inkscape. Her tips and insights are available for all to learn from in this YouTube video. Viewing this video, you not only learn some GIS, you learn some Inkscape features too.

Phil Shapiro

For the past 10 years, Phil has been working at a public library in the Washington D.C.-area, helping youth and adults use the 28 public Linux stations the library offers seven days a week. He also writes for MAKE magazine, Opensource.com and TechSoup Libraries. Suggest videos by contacting Phil on Twitter or at pshapiro@his.com.

Continue readingUsing Inkscape in Cartography
If Your Kickstarter Campaign Isn’t Ready for Prime TimeKickstarter draft

If Your Kickstarter Campaign Isn’t Ready for Prime Time

By Phil Shapiro on June 3, 2016 |

Community and Video

What do you do if you have an open source idea you think might get some traction from a Kickstarter campaign but you’re not sure it’s ready?

The Video Screening Room

If you’re an open source enthusiast who thinks you might have a good idea for a Kickstarter campaign, but are not yet ready to launch the campaign, why not launch a draft campaign and request feedback from the public? In doing so, you might be able to rally supporters before your campaign launches — and you might also receive vital cautions that could help you revise (or abandon) the planned campaign. This neat video for an Audio DSP Shield for Arduino reminds us that you can use Kickstarter to test the waters before launching a campaign.

Phil Shapiro

For the past 10 years, Phil has been working at a public library in the Washington D.C.-area, helping youth and adults use the 28 public Linux stations the library offers seven days a week. He also writes for MAKE magazine, Opensource.com and TechSoup Libraries. Suggest videos by contacting Phil on Twitter or at pshapiro@his.com.

Continue readingIf Your Kickstarter Campaign Isn’t Ready for Prime Time
Women Dominate 2016’s O’Reilly Open Source AwardsO'Reilly Open Source Awards OSCON

Women Dominate 2016’s O’Reilly Open Source Awards

By Phil Shapiro on May 31, 2016 |

Community, News and Video

In an illustration of the value of diversity, four out of five of the recipients presented with O’Reilly Open Source Awards at this year’s OSCON were women.

The Video Screening Room

At O’Reilly’s OSCON conference earlier this month in Austin, Texa, open source developers and evangelists who have earned the respect of their peers worldwide were honored. In case you run into these folks at upcoming conferences, this short video will help you recognize these open source luminaries.

Phil Shapiro

For the past 10 years, Phil has been working at a public library in the Washington D.C.-area, helping youth and adults use the 28 public Linux stations the library offers seven days a week. He also writes for MAKE magazine, Opensource.com and TechSoup Libraries. Suggest videos by contacting Phil on Twitter or at pshapiro@his.com.

Continue readingWomen Dominate 2016’s O’Reilly Open Source Awards
A Look at Android Apps on ChromebookChromebook running Android app

A Look at Android Apps on Chromebook

By Phil Shapiro on May 24, 2016 |

Operating Systems and Web Apps

The Video Screening Room

While the initial reaction from the FOSS community to Android Apps on Chromebooks will probably be a little cooler than lukewarm, the fact is that this might eventually be good for free and open source software.

When Google announced this week that future Chromebooks (and some current ones) will be able to run Android apps, a booming thunderclap spread across Silicon Valley — and could be heard in the four corners of the world. This news is indeed a game changer, reported nicely here in video form by The Verge.

Phil Shapiro

For the past 10 years, Phil has been working at a public library in the Washington D.C.-area, helping youth and adults use the 28 public Linux stations the library offers seven days a week. He also writes for MAKE magazine, Opensource.com and TechSoup Libraries. Suggest videos by contacting Phil on Twitter or at pshapiro@his.com.

Continue readingA Look at Android Apps on Chromebook
Building an Artificial Pancreas Using a Raspberry Piartificial pancreas

Building an Artificial Pancreas Using a Raspberry Pi

By Phil Shapiro on May 20, 2016 |

Hardware, Software and Video

The Video Screening Room

DIY health care is here. Open source is providing the ways and means for amazing and affordable advances, like an artificial pancreas built using a Raspberry Pi, and letting people take charge of their health care in the process.

If you love open source, you’re going to love browsing thru the many OSCON 2016 videos being uploaded to YouTube. The one I found most fascinating is this short clip in which Dana Smith explains about an artificial pancreas built using a Raspberry Pi.

Phil Shapiro

For the past 10 years, Phil has been working at a public library in the Washington D.C.-area, helping youth and adults use the 28 public Linux stations the library offers seven days a week. He also writes for MAKE magazine, Opensource.com and TechSoup Libraries. Suggest videos by contacting Phil on Twitter or at pshapiro@his.com.

Continue readingBuilding an Artificial Pancreas Using a Raspberry Pi
Learning OpenToonz the Easy WayPhil Ray OpenToonz tutorial

Learning OpenToonz the Easy Way

By Phil Shapiro on May 17, 2016 |

Software, Tutorial and Video

The Video Screening Room

Especially when dealing with a visual art, it might be easier to see how it’s done rather than read about it.

Some of the OpenToonz animation software tutorials being uploaded to YouTube are excellent. I’m fond of Phil Ray’s explainer videos — especially this one.

Phil Shapiro

For the past 10 years, Phil has been working at a public library in the Washington D.C.-area, helping youth and adults use the 28 public Linux stations the library offers seven days a week. He also writes for MAKE magazine, Opensource.com and TechSoup Libraries. Suggest videos by contacting Phil on Twitter or at pshapiro@his.com.

Continue readingLearning OpenToonz the Easy Way
Government Analytics Forum: Handling Big Data With Apache Sparkbig data application Apache Spark logo

Government Analytics Forum: Handling Big Data With Apache Spark

By Phil Shapiro on May 13, 2016 |

Business, Software and Video

The Video Screening Room

If you’re like us, your eyes glaze over whenever the subject of big data or Hadoop comes up. Watch this video and you’ll be able to join the conversation the next time the subject is broached.

When you’re talking big data analysis, you’re almost always talking open source. Apache Hadoop is what often comes to mind as a valuable big data analysis tool. But do you know the advantages that Apache Spark has to offer? This May 5 presentation from IBM’s Government Analytics Forum in Washington, DC does a nice job of explaining the advantages.

Phil Shapiro

For the past 10 years, Phil has been working at a public library in the Washington D.C.-area, helping youth and adults use the 28 public Linux stations the library offers seven days a week. He also writes for MAKE magazine, Opensource.com and TechSoup Libraries. Suggest videos by contacting Phil on Twitter or at pshapiro@his.com.

Continue readingGovernment Analytics Forum: Handling Big Data With Apache Spark
PBS Digital Studios Asks ‘Should Everything Be Open Source?’proprietary vs open source

PBS Digital Studios Asks ‘Should Everything Be Open Source?’

By Phil Shapiro on May 6, 2016 |

Copyright, Hardware and Video

The Video Screening Room

The DMCA doesn’t just make it illegal for you to circumvent DRM to rip and burn a DVD of ‘War Games’ or to install a pirated copy of Windows. It also can make it illegal for you to repair or modify things you own.

Public television and radio in the United States have been surprisingly shy about covering the open source movement, but this video by Mike Rugnetta at PBS Digital Studios shows that they may be waking up.

Phil Shapiro

For the past 10 years, Phil has been working at a public library in the Washington D.C.-area, helping youth and adults use the 28 public Linux stations the library offers seven days a week. He also writes for MAKE magazine, Opensource.com and TechSoup Libraries. Suggest videos by contacting Phil on Twitter or at pshapiro@his.com.

Continue readingPBS Digital Studios Asks ‘Should Everything Be Open Source?’
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