Compiz brings dynamic desktop effects to my Unbuntu desktop

Lately I've been messing with Ubuntu 8.04 on my desktop PC. I have to say I am really impressed by the usability and feature set of this thing. I has nothing to envy to Mac OS X or Windows Vista.
Today I just installed Compiz and Emerald theme manager on my Ubuntu desktop.
For those who may one day fall on my blog, here are the step I followed in order to install, configure and use Compiz+Emerald:

1) step by step guide to installing Compiz

2) Installing a nice OS X like theme for Compiz

3) Compiz useful shortcuts

Finally some screenshots of my Ubuntu/Compiz desktop and I strongly advise you to try it for yourself.
Thumbs up of the developers of this great piece of software.

Mac OS X like theme:



Example of a special effect:



Compiz Desktop Cube feature:



Compiz Expo feature:

Skype call quality better on (K)Ubuntu

Recently, I've been using Skype a lot to talk to my parents and friends abroad. I've used Skype on Windows XP for a while and most of the time my phone call quality used to degrade. I thought it was because my laptop was not a bleeding edge model and that it's CPU was not powerful enough. Until I installed Kubuntu on my laptop and started to use the beta version of Skype on it. To my surprise call quality was much better.
It is either because the sound subsystem of Linux is better than Windows' one or Skype is better compiled and optimized on Linux than on Windows.
Dual booters, if you use Skype and witness poor quality on Windows consider giving Skype on Linux a try.