With just over two weeks left for photographers, illustrators and other arty-folks to enter the Ubuntu 13.04 Wallpaper Contest we thought now would be a good time to take a gander at the stunning work already sub

Ubuntu Phone

If you’re a Linux user, and if you like tablets, it’s hard to say whether these are the best of times or the worst of times. While some initiatives to put Linux on tablets appear to be making steady progress, other open source projects in this vein have stagnated or disappeared.

This has to be the biggest headline for the month. Gaming on Linux will never be the same again. It all started with rumors, which hinted at Valve's sudden change of mind and its new found love for Linux.

Steam for Linux is now distributing over 100 titles (60 games plus DLCs) and the beta tag has been lifted.

Freeing up disk space in Ubuntu might be easy. I haven't thought much about doing the same in Android yet though. Clean Master not only has one of the cleanest of designs, it works really well and the app itself is completely free too.

Valve’s Steam for Linux client is now available to install on Ubuntu directly from the Ubuntu Software Center.

The app is available in both 32bit and 64bit for Ubuntu 12.04 and 12.10.

Profile Sync Daemon is a tool to move the web browser profile to RAM, using tmpfs, which has the advantage of reducing disk writes (useful for SSDs, some would say), increased speed and responsiveness.

Desktop weather app Stormcloud was January’s best selling app on Ubuntu.

A number of employees (around 25) were laid-off from Valve recently, as per a report from Gamasutra.

Gallium3D is a free software library for 3D graphics device drivers.

TeamViewer is a popular application for remote control, desktop sharing, file transfer, online meetings and more, that's available for Windows, Mac OSX, Linux, Android and iPhone.

Ubuntu has published a set of design guidelines for developers looking to create apps for the Ubuntu Phone.

Fine-tuning your Mouse and Touchpad settings in Ubuntu is easier in Ubuntu 13.04

Along with a refined set of preferences comes an interactive ‘testing’ area for double-checking your buttons, double-click speed and scroll wheel.

Ubuntu 13.04 Raring Ringtail is still in its alpha state, while its multi-touch capabilities are probably in a very early pre-alpha state. So you can't expect much from a video featuring Ubuntu on a multi-touch screen. Still, worth a watch. 

Ever wished that your Kubuntu desktop looked a little bit more like Ubuntu, with its warm tones and orange highlights?

If you answered no then you’re free to return to whatever it was you were doing before following a link here.

But if you answered yes, read on…

Music streaming service, and major Spotify rival, Rdio recently upped its ‘free’ offerings for international users.

Let’s face it: when most games describe themselves as a ‘mental challenge’ they’re saying it in earnest hope rather than actual truth.

But Strange Masks, the latest gaming title from indie outfit ThinkSlow, would live up to such a claim – if it chose to make it.

erra is a Python / GTK3 drop-down terminal emulator similar to Guake or Yakuake, which shows up from the top of the screen when you press a keyboard shortcut, like the console used in games such as Quake.

Who ever decreed that ‘patience is a virtue’ clearly underestimated the power of ‘want’ when faced with an Ubuntu Phone.