Canonical has made Ubuntu Lucid Lynx Beta 2 available for download for those who are willing to have a look at the new Ubuntu before it's stable version is released at the end of the month. The latest version of the popular Linux operating system is slated for a release on 29 April, 2010.

What are the new features in Ubuntu Lucid Lynx?

1. Ubuntu 10.04 includes the latest GNOME desktop environment.
2. It includes the 2.6.32-16.25 Linux kernel based on 2.6.32.9, which includes lots of hardware and graphic enhancements. (The latest stable release of the Linux kernel as on 12 April, 2010 is 2.6.33.2.)
3. The Kunbuntu build uses KDE SC4.4.
4. Lucid Lynx has also removed HAL (hardware abstraction layer) from the boot process, thereby reducing the time taken by Ubuntu to boot.
5. The open source Nouveau video driver is now the default for nVidia hardware.
6. The new Ubuntu also has two new themes—Ambiance and Radiance—along with fresh icons and wallpapers.
7. One of the important new features in Ubuntu Lucid Lynx is the built-in integration with Twitter, identi.ca, Facebook, and other social networks. The Gwibber project-based MeMenu in the panel makes using social networking more easy from Ubuntu. Gwibber is the popular microblogging client for Linux.
8. Yahoo! has replace Google as the default search engine in Firefox and its homepage, though there is the option of switching to Google homepage.

A screenshot  of the new MeMenu in the Ubuntu Lucid Lynx. (Image: Ars Technica)