Your next desktop could be a phone!
Ubuntu has announced it is releasing its Linux based desktop for Android phones. Developers have approached this release from a very different point of view, instead of releasing a stand-alone operating system or a virtualized app that behaves like Ubuntu, they instead focused on converging mobile and desktop computing environments. The result is a product that lets your phone become a fully functioning Ubuntu Linux computer when docked.
"When you are using your Android phone that has Ubuntu installed as well, it will behave in exactly the same fashion it does now. You will have access to all the Google applications, the Market, your contacts, and the ability to make calls. So in the morning when you grab your phone to check on the emails and SMS messages that came in overnight, nothing will change there. When you arrive to your office however, your phone can become your desktop. You will simply plug the HDMI-enabled device into its dock, and you have a the full Unity experience on your big screen.
The best part is that you won’t be walled off from the information that you were using when the device was acting like a phone. You have access to all your emails, SMSes, and contacts, as well as the ability to make and receive calls. Additionally, you will be able to do tasks like edit and display pictures, as well as view videos that you have taken with your mobile device."
Unfortunately, Ubuntu will only be releasing this product directly to hardware manufacturers and mobile carriers, and has no plans to release it to the general public for independent development. "While Ubuntu is open source, Canonical plans to control the release of this version. It’s possible that, given the ingenuity of Android users, one day there will be a leaked build, but such a thing wouldn’t be endorsed by the company."
More info is available at http://www.ubuntu.com/devices/android
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