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Free/Open Source Software localization news

Indic Printing in GNOME by Khairil Yusof — last modified 2004-08-04 11:01 AM

Sayamindu reports that Indic printing has now been added thanks to the addition of Pango support for common printing component of the GNOME desktop environment

Cambodians have access to Khmer-language email software for the first time by Khairil Yusof — last modified 2004-08-04 11:49 AM

The Open Forum of Cambodia has reported that Cambodians are now able to send and read email in Khmer using localized version of the open source email client Thunderbird.

Open source's local heroes by Khairil Yusof — last modified 2004-09-10 11:37 AM

If the commercial sort does not speak your language, open-source software may well do so instead

Mozilla and Pango integration by Khairil Yusof — last modified 2004-08-12 11:13 PM

Sayamindu reports that Christopher Blizzard has added a new feature to Mozilla which enables it to handle complex scripts like Hindi, Thai, Tamil etc through Pango. Pango provides an open-source framework for the layout and rendering of internationalized text.

Why India is struggling with localized language computing by Khairil Yusof — last modified 2004-08-18 10:14 AM

While IT is improving the quality of life in many developed nations, the use of technology is still out of reach for people in many other countries. Nowhere is this digital divide as big or visible than in India. Apart from access to a computer, unfamiliarity with the English language is one of the biggest factors contributing to this problem. In countries like India, where the majority of the population is English-illiterate, computing has to speak a language the locals understand. This is where user-interface localization steps in.

Let us salute the Linux localisers (India) by Khairil Yusof — last modified 2004-11-16 10:30 AM

Linux distributions for the consumer desktop may be imperfect; but Indian developers have already created some compelling applications, especially in local languages.

Indians Inch Towards Completely Localized Linux by Khairil Yusof — last modified 2004-10-02 12:29 AM

When it comes to lingual diversity, India clinches the top spot hands down. With an immense untapped potential in the worldwide local language software market, Indian tech gurus have taken the lead to push their own mantra, “Be Indian, Buy Indian”.

Africans get tools to cross the digital divide by Khairil Yusof — last modified 2004-09-27 07:17 AM

A few pioneering experts want to remove the English barrier so the continent can fully join the computer age.

OpenOffice.org development boosted by Arab and Israeli collaboration by Khairil Yusof — last modified 2004-10-17 10:22 PM

The Hebrew and Arabic OpenOffice.org teams have cooperated on local versions of the open-source productivity application, which celebrated its fourth birthday.

Gnome Live CD customized for Chinese Available by Khairil Yusof — last modified 2005-03-22 02:33 PM

Based on Ubuntu this Live CD greatly improves the Chinese display with sharp and solid fonts and bitmap fonts installed.

OpenOffice.org goes Swahili by Khairil Yusof — last modified 2004-12-07 11:33 AM

Developers have released the first version of OpenOffice.org in the East African language of Swahili, having overcome translation and infrastructure difficulties

Free/Open Source Software Guide to Localization Published by Khairil Yusof — last modified 2006-08-10 08:16 AM

UNDP-APDIP's International Open Source Network has produced a guide on Free/Open Source Software Localization.

Free/Open Source Software Localization Primer Published by Khairil Yusof — last modified 2005-06-09 10:45 AM

UNDP-APDIP's International Open Source Network has produced a primer on Free/Open Source Software Localization.

African localisation wins at Stockholm by Khairil Yusof — last modified 2006-05-26 09:51 AM

A little-known African localisation projected called KiLinux, which translated open source office suite OpenOffice.org into Swahili, scooped an award under the Education category.