It's time for a little preview of the incoming Icaros Desktop v1.1.6, which includes also version 1.6 of the AmiBridge scripts, which currently allow launching AmigaOS Workbench applications straight from the AROS side. The next version, however, will also add support to ADF files, which means that Icaros users will also run classic Amiga games and demos from their AROS computers. AmiBridge 1.6 will support sound and games on multiple disks (up to 4 ADF files), but obviously it will need original Amiga ROMs and software (the best way to get 'em all is buying Amiga Forever from Cloanto. And it's incredibly cheap). This video shows how it will work...

When I was younger, so much younger than today, I had two wet dreams: a date with Claudia Schiffer, and owming an Amiga notebook. While I am still waiting for Claudia to call me, I just realized the second one, at least from my current point of view. Some times ago I read a message from Yannick on Aros-Exec.org, where I got the description of the Compaq Evo N610c, a old but wonderul laptop completely supported by AROS. So I decided that I had to get one as well. I followed some bids on eBay, until I won one, and after two weeks of travel from England to Italy... it's finally mine! You can see the laptop in the picture on the top left corner of this article: I had to "patch" the keyboard (in the real meaning of the term) to meet the italian layout (buying a spare keyboard would cost me more than the whole laptop, while stickers worth their few bucks and do their duty). I had also to change the electric plug, but after these minimal hardware "modifications", I could enjoy my new computer. I've immediately installed the release candidate of Icaros Desktop Live! 1.1.6 (oh... did I mention version 1.1.6 is practically ready?) and now I finally have my own personal portable Amiga (-like) computer! Video is well supported by the VESA driver, AC97 sound works great, Intel Pro100 network is up and running, and processor grunt is just fine. Its only serious issue is the battery, since it's completely dead and I have to use the power cable. But maybe, some day, I will find a good replacement as well. So, what can I say? Thanks to Yannick for the hint, and if you want one like me... just follow the bay!

In Italy we say "un'immagine vale mille parole", an image worths one thousand words, and I frankly couldn't be happier this time: Hitchhikr has posted on AROS-EXEC a new driver for RTL8169 and similar network adapters, which eventually covers also my netbook's one. So now I can do networking with Icaros on my Acer Aspire One, and that's another important piece of the puzzle, before having a complete Icaros mini-laptop. Since I recently got also 1024x600 resolution correctly supported (thanks, Csami) and USB was already working fine, the last thing that I really miss on the netbook is sound. But I'm faithful it will come, a day or another. It would also be good to have wireless connection, but wi-fi requires some more work for AROS developers, and cabled networking is already a great news.

Icaros 1.1.6 update is on the works (slowly, slowly, but it will come), and I am collecting ideas and files also for the next point release, which will be obviously called 1.2. For that release, I'd love to have a new look. Icons will be the same, but I start feeling the default OS4-like windows borders a bit... abused. Unluckily, I am not a good graphic artist, even if I contributed some artistry in the past, so I need your help. What I am looking for, is mainly something that will remember, for look and functionality, the current theme, because I feel that Amiga is well represented by the classic window shapes, but I don't want it to look too much like AmigaOS 4.0. I'd love that Icaros Desktop had its own "personality", with a theme that is clean and immediately recognizable as the Icaros Desktop one. So I am asking the community for help. I'd love to get some new themes from you, and the best one will become the new official Icaros theme, for versions 1.2.x. Would you be the author of the next Icaros look? Join this discussion and read the guidelines. Themes can be posted to archives.aros-exec.org, or a link may be provided in the following forum discussion:

> Click here for the discussion on AROS-EXEC with graphic guidelines

Ok ok, we have talked about this before, and GLExcess running on AROS with hardware 3D acceleration is no more a fresh news. However, I noticed that current videos are not very well done, so I decided to grab the TV output of my Icaros machine (yes, you can connect an AROS machine to a standard TV set if you like, you just need a good video card) with a Pinnacle Dazzle, and this is the result: isn't it nice?