Ubuntu integrated Amazon search results in Desktop via dash. From 12.10 onward Amazon search results is available by default. Users can search products in Ubuntu dash and click on the product and it will land in Amazon website.
I heave searched “iphone” in Ubuntu 12.10 dash and got below results
Amazon Search in Ubuntu
It makes perfect sense to integrate Amazon search results in the Dash, because Dash will find anything anywhere. Technically Dash search is one of the best feature Ubuntu has developed.
I have consolidated few bullet points about Amazon search results in Ubuntu Dash
1. If you put a string in Dash, first it searches locally and then globally ( Amazon )
2. Ubuntu did not search or display any ads or banners
3. No spyware attached
4. From 12.10 Desktop onward Dash global search is on by default
5. User can easily remove the Dash global search. (See steps below )
6. Ubuntu will protect your data and will not disclose to anyone
7. In Ubuntu 12.10 user can search only Amazon and in future Ubuntu might include Ebay too
How to remove Amazon Search from Dash
Click “System Settings”
Click “Privacy”
System Settings – Privacy
There is “ON/OFF” button to handle the online search on or off
set on or off online search Ubuntu
Ubuntu online search in Dash has been turned off.
Controversary
It is little controversial to include Amazon search result in Ubuntu and note that these are not Ads but just search results. Some of the free software activists like Richard Stallman publicly criticized Ubuntu integration of Amazon search results. From 12.10 onward Ubuntu made it default but added a feature to remove graphically.
Personally I like this feature and I used to disable it whenever I don’t need it and enable when I need it.
Like iTunes,Google play, Amazon, now Ubuntu also has a online music store with Ubuntu One. Ubuntu launched it last week and users can buy music from Ubuntu one site from Desktop or Mobile. Link – Ubuntu One Music Store
Ubuntu one is available in Windows, Ubuntu, Android and iPhone.
Ubuntu music store
Ubuntu has a promotional offer. Screenshot below. So hurry up and buy music from Ubuntu Store !
Opened above 10 tabs in each browser and verified the memory by using System Monitor
1. Mozilla Firefox – Version 14.0.1
Firefox memory consumption
2. Google Chrome – Version 21.0.1180.89
Chrome memory consumption
3. Opera – Version 12.01
Opera Memory Consumption
Firefox – 655 MB
Chrome – 652 MB
Opera – 318 MB
Firefox and Chrome consumes almost same amount of memory while Opera use just around half of others. So Opera is the absolute winner!!!!
So we must give 100% credits to opera. I am running my Ubuntu12.04 in a laptop with 2 GB ram. So if I open 10 tabs in firefox or chrome it will use more than 30% memory !!.
How to forcefully quit or kill an application or program.
In Ubuntu 11.10 we have an application “Force Quit” which is not available in Ubuntu 12.04 ( If you need it in Ubuntu 12.04 you can download and install manually using the link –> Force Quit )
So what is the alternative. Use system monitor.
System Monitor
Open System monitor and click Process tab. Locate your application and click “end process” ( This is almost similar to Microsoft windows task manager )
Arguably Gimp is the best image editor in Ubuntu ( You can do a lot more than this )
Currently Ubuntu12.04 is running stable version Gimp 2.6.1. Great news is that Gimp 2.8 is available but not directly available through Ubuntu repository. So I tried 2.8 version and its much better and lot of performance improvements. single-window mode is the best features of 2.8 version.
In Ubuntu 12.04 Remmina Remote Desktop Client is the default remote desktop program. But unfortunately I didn’t work well in Ubuntu 12.04 and lot of issues users are logging.
So install Vinagre ( Website ) – which was available in previous Ubuntu Versions. Ubuntu 12.04 you need to install in Manually.
How to install Vinagre
Method 1 : Using Ubuntu Software Center
Open Ubuntu Software Center and search “Vinagre” or “Remote Desktop Viewer” and Install
Remote Desktop Viewer Ubuntu
Method 1 : Using Terminal
Execute below command in Terminal
sudo apt-get install vinagre
Open a remote desktop connection with Ubuntu
Pre-requisites
1. Host computer ( Your System ) and Remote System should have vinagre installed
2. Required IP Address or Remote System host name ( Note :- If Remote System is connecting internet via Router, you need to find Router IP ( or Service Provide IP – This may be static or dynamic ).
3. Desktop Sharing Settings – This must be done for both Host System and Remote System
Open Desktop Sharing
desktop sharing properties
Apply below properties as you require.
setup desktop sharing property ubuntu
Step 1 – Open Vinagre or Remote Desktop Viewer
Step 2 – Click Connect
Step 3 – Choose
Protocol – VNC
Host – vnc://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx::yyyy ( Where xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx is IP of Remote Computer/Router and yyyy is the port )
Remote Desktop Connection Ubuntu
Click Connect
Now Remote System might have received a request from you. Remote system has to accept the connection by entering password ( if required )
