We've posted an update to our Asheron's Call review, originally it was for Beta 2, but with the November release of the final version we've updated it. Here's preview of it:

Ready for the next big game? Well ready or not, here it is. Not only is Asheron's Call revolutionizing MSN's Internet Gaming Zone, but its setting records for the number of players playing a Zone game.  For a game that has been in development for over 2 years, you'll be surprised all you can do in 2 years!

The game is quite different from other games because AC can NEVER be solved, and you can never "win" the game. The game has one of the most expansive gaming world in the business with 500 continuous square miles of land. There's always somewhere you can go. In fact, the game will be changing with a major event every month. December's change will include the temperature change! Lets hope the January change isn't a blizzard!

Also, I'm sure you read Byron's post regarding the new job opportunities at ActiveWindows, I have resigned from ActiveWindows as of today so there is an opening for content providers see the post below for more information. 

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A few new opportunities to work on our sites. If you are interested then pop along to our new Job Opportunities page and see if there is anything you would like to apply for.

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Microsoft Corp. today announced that it has helped make holiday Internet shopping safer for millions of consumers by filing legal actions and asking for injunctions ordering defendants in six different states to stop offering and distributing counterfeit Microsoft® software. The defendants in each lawsuit use the Internet as a primary forum for distributing counterfeit Microsoft software. Three of them operate by offering illegal software via Internet auction sites. Others offered counterfeit software to consumers over a variety of Web sites, while at least two relied heavily on advertising through mass unsolicited e-mail.

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AS IN THE CONTEST for basic Web browsers, the player war pits Microsoft Corp. against a scrappy upstart that leapt to a commanding early lead. In this case, the market-share leader is RealNetworks Inc.’s RealPlayer, which in November was used by about four times as many Internet surfers as Microsoft’s Windows Media Player, according to Nielsen/NetRatings.

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Taking another step toward empowering people through great software any time, any place and on any device, Microsoft Corp. today announced Microsoft^® Mobile Explorer (MME), the company's comprehensive, open software platform designed to power Internet-enabled mobile telephones. Microsoft Mobile Explorer is modular, customizable and flexible, enabling handset manufacturers and wireless carriers to provide their customers with the choice of a broad line of applications and services on today's data-enabled telephones (or "feature phones") and next-generation "smart phones." Microsoft Mobile Explorer is a key component of Microsoft's end-to-end wireless strategy to provide mobile Internet solutions that utilize additional technologies such as Microsoft Exchange Server, the BackOffice^® family and MSN™ Mobile Services.

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Want a good medium to advertise your technology product, or service? ActiveWindows has a savvy high-tech audience that will produce a high turnaround for your advertising campaign, plus we have some of the lowest CPM rates in the industry. For more information, including rates, contact bobstein@activewin.com

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Today at the Bank Administration Institute's Retail Delivery '99 Conference, Microsoft Corp. showcased customer and industry support for the forthcoming Microsoft^® Windows^® 2000 operating system, including plans for migration by financial services companies.

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In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Northern California, the Recording Industry Association of America charges start-up Napster with violating federal and state laws through "contributory and vicarious copyright infringement," because it has created a forum that lets online users trade unauthorized music files directly from their PCs.

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Please take a few moments of your time and fill out our User Profile Survey. This information will help us get a better idea of our average user's wants and needs. With this information, we will make ActiveWindows more customized to our viewers!

Plus, we are giving away gift certificates to PC Connection - so it can't hurt! No E-Mail addresses will be given out, they are kept for our own use.

I have posted my review of the recently release title from Terminal Reality, Nocturne. Not only that - but you can also enter to win a copy of the game in our regular competition. Here is a snippet from the review:

Nocturne owes a lot of its gameplay to the superb Alone In The Dark series. Nocturne blends together two forms of gameplay - combat and puzzle solving. As in Alone In The Dark the game is set in a flick screen manor as the action is viewed from a fixed third-person camera that changes from angle to angle depending on where you move to. This works very well in terms of generating a great scary atmosphere as it allows you to only see short glimpses of the creatures walking along castle walls or hiding behind trees....but can work badly when trying to avoid running into unseen traps and dodging enemies whilst fighting.

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As most of you already know, we plan to launch http://www.activelinux.net at some point this month. My plan is to switch the frontpage of that domain to a linux news page sometime next week instead of the template that is up now. The site will contain all of the news, reviews and tips that you expect from us.

We have begun our regular daily updates of ActiveSci-Fi, so those of you who are interested in science fiction - check it out. As you know we take your feedback seriously here - so if you have any comments on the Sci-Fi site just let me know.

As usual it is also time to mention our MSN Community, we are currently still the leading Operating System community on MSN, so make sure you check us out - our next chat is on December 17th Here is a list of our upcoming reviews:

Hardware: Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer, SoundBlaster Live! Platinum, Microsoft Force Feedback Steering Wheel, Microsoft Force Feedback Joystick
Software: Tomb Raider 4, Quake 3, Gabriel Knight 3, SWAT 3, Interstate 82, Star Trek: Hidden Evil, Ultima 9, Asheron's Call (Ongoing Monthly), Unreal Tournament, Wheel Of Time (This weekend), Delta Force 2, Flight Simulator 2000 (Next week), Driver (This weekend), Encarta Africana
Applications: Corel Suite 9, Vizact 2000

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Microsoft Corp. and IBMâ Corp. today announced they are working closely on a series of joint initiatives to help prepare the two companies' customers for the upcoming launch of the Microsoft® Windows® 2000 operating system. These initiatives will help the companies' mutual customers make a smooth transition to the new operating system once it is released, which currently is scheduled for Feb. 17, 2000. IBM will be one of the leading technology companies to provide innovative solutions, support and services in time for the launch of Windows 2000.

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Today at Streaming Media West '99, Microsoft Corp. Chairman and CEO Bill Gates outlined "The Digital Media Revolution," the mainstream use of digital audio and video, as the next major wave of Internet computing. In his keynote address, Gates described the importance of establishing a blend of innovative technologies and industry partnerships to make the digital media revolution a reality in the home, the workplace and everywhere in between.

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Microsoft Corp. today announced increasing support for its communication services offered on the MSN™ network of Internet services; there are now more than 52 million users of the MSN Hotmail™ Web-based e-mail service and 5 million users of MSN Messenger Service worldwide. This phenomenal growth demonstrates consumers' excitement about Microsoft's latest efforts in delivering the Everyday Web. The new Message Center introduced as part of the MSN.com™ home page redesign makes it easier for people to keep track of their communications in one integrated view that includes MSN Hotmail, MSN Messenger Service, MSN Web Communities and MSN Chat.

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Today at Streaming Media West '99, Microsoft Corp. and Preview Systems Inc. announced the first Windows Media™-based solution for distributing, licensing and selling digital music and video, using the ZipLock® technology of Preview Systems. This combination provides a comprehensive solution for retail media and media distribution companies that want to securely distribute digital music and video using the Microsoft® Windows Media format. Microsoft and Preview Systems have also agreed to cooperate in other digital content industries including electronic books, documents and images.

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Today at Streaming Media West '99, Supertracks Inc., a new company founded by music industry and technology professionals to provide complete music download solutions and services for retailers, announced support for Windows Media™ Technologies, Microsoft's digital media platform. Windows Media, featuring superior CD-quality audio and digital rights management technologies, enables Supertracks to use Microsoft's digital rights management technologies to provide digital distribution of music (DDM) to retailers.

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Microsoft Corp. and Texas Instruments Inc. (TI) today announced that both companies will collaborate on pairing TI's world-leading programmable digital signal processors (DSPs) with Microsoft^® Windows Media™ Format and digital rights management (DRM) technology. Texas Instruments will also provide free licensing of the Windows Media Format and DRM to its original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) at no additional cost. Windows Media gives consumers the ability to create and store up to twice as much CD-quality music as other formats on portable audio players.

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BT is to introduce flat-fee, unmetered access to the Internet, the giant telco announced today. A spokesman for the company said there were "no strings attached" and that it was a "wonderful offer", but denied it took the decision in the wake of unbearable pressure for reform.

According to BT, 24/7 unmetered access would could users £34.99 a month. Daytime access from Monday to Friday would cost £26.99, and weekend or evening and nighttime access would cost just £6.99 respectively. The new initiative could be up and running by the spring although it is subject to regulatory approval by industry watch, Oftel.

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Bob has posted his review of the Microsoft IntelliMouse Featuring IntelliEye. Here is a snippet from the review:

Well, It looks like Microsoft has done it again. The latest creation coming from Redmond is not like the rest - it is a completely new advance in technology. In the last five to ten years, how often have you changed or upgraded your monitor, CPU, printer, etc. but kept the silly old white mouse? Well this particular silly white mouse still looks the same, but how it works is a completely different story. IntelliMouse Featuring IntelliEye pointing device is Microsoft's classic-design ergonomic mouse, built with durable materials, a high-gloss finish and a rubberized when between the two mouse buttons. Microsoft's IntelliEye optical tracking technology adds unsurpassed accuracy and reliability to the efficiency of universal scrolling and the comfort of expert ergonomic design.

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Microsoft is expected to show off the first glimpses of the new Windows "Neptune" operating system in the near future. As expected now that the Windows 2000 beta test is coming to an end, testers have already been sent their Non Disclosure Agreements for the operating system (Classed as Neptune 1.0) that is going to be the first Consumer version of Windows 2000. We don't have much in terms of the features apart from the Activity Centers we mentioned and showed off months ago.

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A new version of MSN Messenger 2 has been released. This version is 2.0.0085:

• Easier setup: MSN Messenger Service version 2.0 includes several features that make it easier to quickly get your friends up and running on the service, including an easier setup process and the ability to search for your friends' e-mail addresses in your Windows® Address Book or the Hotmail® Member Directory and send them instructions for how to get started on the service.
  
  
• Links to news and information: MSN Messenger Service now includes news and headlines from MSN.
  
  
• Microsoft Passport authentication: You can now log on to MSN Messenger Service with the same sign-in name and password you use across your favorite MSN sites, as well as a variety of other sites that support Microsoft Passport.
  
  
• Message formatting: Version 2.0 enables you to customize your message fonts, colors and styles.
  
  
• Improved Hotmail integration: The new Mail toolbar button gives you easier access to your Hotmail account as well as an up-to-date count of your unread e-mail.
  
  
• Always on Top mode: You can now choose to keep MSN Messenger Service in the foreground at all times so you have easier access to MSN Messenger Service features when using other programs.
  
  
• Usability improvements: There are several basic usability improvements to MSN Messenger Service version 2.0 based directly on your feedback, including the ability to view you current online status in the Status Bar as well as changes to some of the names used to designate status.
  
  
• MSN Message Center: The updated MSN.com page includes a new feature called the Message Center, which gives you a quick summary on your MSN homepage of who

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The U.S. Department of Justice said Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq:MSFT) violated the Sherman Act in at least four ways in its findings of law, filed Monday. The DOJ said Microsoft illegally maintained a barrier to entry in the Intel-compatible PC operating system market; illegally tied the browser to the OS; struck illegal exclusionary agreements with ISPs and PC makers; and tried to cut off consumer access to Netscape Communications Corp.'s rival browser.

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Microsoft Corp. today announced two major U.S. government evaluations: "Orange Book" evaluation of the Microsoft® Windows NT® 4.0 operating system at the C2 level and FIPS 140-1 validation of the cryptographic services provided in the Windows® 95, Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000 operating systems. With these evaluations, customers now have formal, third-party verification of the security of Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000.

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The Justice Department will file its preliminary conclusions of law later Monday, asking the court to find Microsoft violated the Sherman Act, the nation's chief law to ensure competition.

The trial proceedings are advancing at the same time as Justice, the states, and Microsoft meet for the second time Monday with federal mediator appellate judge Richard Posner in Chicago.

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Microsoft Corp. today will announce three donations aimed at increasing technology access, education and training for Latino communities in San Francisco and across the United States. These grants, totaling more than $1 million in cash and software, continue Microsoft's commitment to help bridge the "digital divide" -- the gap between those with access to information technology and those without -- and extend the company's efforts to cultivate a more diversified work force for the technology industry.

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It's the government's turn to play its hand in the high-stakes antitrust poker game with Microsoft. Today the government presents its proposed conclusions of law to U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson. That document, the final phase of the government's case, will lay the groundwork for Jackson's conclusions of law, in essence his verdict, expected as late as March.

If trustbusters overplay their hand, they could lose everything, even after the government's long winning streak, say legal experts. The Justice Department and 19 states may be holding high cards after Jackson's findings of fact presented on Nov. 5. But the government must now play to a new dealer: the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

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Microsoft now seems to be confirming the strategic change we read into the company's latest reorganisation announcement on Friday. By merging the two Windows divisions, Consumer and Business, into a single unit within Jim Allchin's Platforms Group the company was effectively signalling the end of the Millennium consumer Windows project, and reverting to a 'one Windows' strategy, at least for the PC space.

Millennium has been in development for most of this year, and made Beta 2 late last month. But it has also been the subject of a tussle within Microsoft; earlier ambitious plans for the OS were steadfastly pooh-poohed here months ago, and subsequently the project declined to the status of a service pack (not entirely on our say-so, we concede). Microsoft is now being quoted in today's Wall Street Journal as saying Millennium will go out next year as "a relatively minor upgrade to Windows 98," and is also worth noting that MS is telling the WSJ that it will be previewing "features" (no, we're not sure what that means either) of Neptune, the consumer version of Win2k, shortly.

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Last week's Register article suggesting Microsoft was pulling Windows support for OpenGL has generated considerable response, some of it critical, some positive, and some positively menacing.* Microsoft itself has been particularly keen to stress that OpenGL will be supported by Windows 2000, and in a related matter that the Fahrenheit project is alive and well; but curiously, none of the rebuttals we've received either directly explain the OpenGL 'issues' that arose at Win2k RC2 stage or refute the basic thesis that Microsoft is retreating from support of OpenGL in favour of its own Direct3D.

Our original piece was based on an email string involving Microsoft Direct3D evangelist Philip Taylor and a number of bug reports from the Win2k beta programme. Taylor seems to have been somewhat more vehement on the subject ("OGL is not strategic for us... as the last three years of history in the multimedia space have shown") than Microsoft would have preferred, but the bug reports themselves say quite a bit about where Microsoft was at with OpenGL support at RC2 stage. In the words of Microsoft employees:
"There is no OpenGL support for any video driver that will ship with Windows 2000."
"We are not supporting OGL until D3D is 100 per cent."
"It was determined that it is requiring an ICD and it [sic] not supported. This bug will be closed 'By design.'"
And our favourite:
"Ya know, for the record, I have this card at home myself. This kinda sucks, IMHO."

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Paul from WinInfo Just let us know that he has written a massive introduction and review of Millennium Beta 2 that you might be interested in. Here is a snippet:

Millennium is the first deliverable from the Consumer Windows Division and its focus lies in advancing technologies for home computer users in four key areas: PC Health/"It Just Works", digital media and entertainment, the online experience, and home networking. In addition, the second beta release of Windows Millennium further embraces the effort to simplify the PC. Millennium offers technologies that streamline the start-up process, increase support for a myriad of hardware components and proactively seek to prevent system problems before they occur. In this introduction and review, I take a look at Millennium Beta 2, the next version of Windows 98.

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The other day I posted an article called Netscape Granted Federal Approval to Export Netscape Communicator With Strong 128-Bit Encryption to Customers Worldwide. It was my fault that the article got posted - I misread something I was sent and then jumped at the chance of posting it...The article is 2 years old for a start. Expect more information from us about 128-Bit exporting later in the month (Once we're allowed to post it)

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By now I imagine some of you have read news reports indicating Microsoft has sold Visual J++ to another company. I want to make it clear that these articles are in error. We absolutely have not - and have no plans - to sell off the Visual J++ product. Visual J++ 6.0 is the most widely used Java development tool, and we look forward to its continued success in the market.

Read More

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With the holiday season upon us don't forget that the first ActiveWindows piece of merchandise is now available to order. The first product in our new range of logos is the ActiveWindows Mouse Pad.

What a great gift for all you ActiveWindows readers.

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As most of you already know, we plan to launch http://www.activelinux.net at some point this month. My plan is to switch the frontpage of that domain to a linux news page sometime next week instead of the template that is up now. The site will contain all of the news, reviews and tips that you expect from us.

We have begun our regular daily updates of ActiveSci-Fi, so those of you who are interested in science fiction - check it out. As you know we take your feedback seriously here - so if you have any comments on the Sci-Fi site just let me know.

As usual it is also time to mention our MSN Community, we are currently still the leading Operating System community on MSN, so make sure you check us out - our next chat is on December 17th Here is a list of our upcoming reviews:

Hardware: Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer, Microsoft IntelliMouse with IntelliEye, SoundBlaster Live! Platinum, Microsoft Force Feedback Steering Wheel, Microsoft Force Feedback Joystick
Software: Tomb Raider 4, Quake 3, Gabriel Knight 3, SWAT 3, Interstate 82, Star Trek: Hidden Evil, Ultima 9, Asheron's Call (Ongoing Monthly), Unreal Tournament, Wheel Of Time, Delta Force 2, Nocturne + Competition (This Weekend), Flight Simulator 2000 (Next week), Driver (Early next week), Encarta Africana
Applications: Corel Suite 9, Vizact 2000

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CNET has posted a review of the newly released Internet Explorer 5.5 Platform Preview. Here is a snippet from the review:

Most of the improvements in IE are behind the scenes. Version 5.5 integrates all the patches and updates for IE 5.0 and is supposedly more stable and secure--good news for anyone who had problems with IE 5.0's frequent lockups and other bugs.

Microsoft says that 5.5 is compliant with a slew of new Web development standards, and that it also handles some old standards more elegantly. (We were unable to test IE 5.5's actual compliance with these Web standards in time for this review.) For instance, IE 5.5 promises more robust support for DHTML and Cascading Style Sheets. Plus, Microsoft claims IE now offers support for the W3C's new Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language initiative, which allows developers to combine text, graphics, sound, and video into online presentations.

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Microsoft president Steve Ballmer reinvented a reinvention earlier today, and Redmond-watchers can safely conclude that this latest reorganisation of Microsoft's High Command comes perilously close to winding up the Millennium consumer Windows project. Consumer Windows, it now seems likely, will be making its debut instead on the CE platform.

The big winners from today's reorganisation are Jim Allchin, custodian of the Microsoft Windows Empire, and Bob Muglia, heading the Business Productivity Group. Big loser is the Consumer Windows Division, which is no more, and that's a crack Millennium seems destined to vanish down.

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These downloads are now officially live to the public so here we go again. For those of you who are outside the US etc, here are a few of the localized versions of Internet Explorer 5.5 Platform Preview:

Chinese: http://download.microsoft.com/download/ie5/55pprevu/5.5/w9xnt4/cn/ie5setup.exe
German: http://download.microsoft.com/download/ie5/55pprevu/5.5/w9xnt4/de/ie5setup.exe
Spanish: http://msvaus.www.conxion.com/download/ie5/55pprevu/5.5/w9xnt4/es/ie5setup.exe
Japanese: http://msvaus.www.conxion.com/download/ie5/55pprevu/5.5/w9xnt4/ja/ie5setup.exe
Korean: http://msvaus.www.conxion.com/download/ie5/55pprevu/5.5/w9xnt4/ko/ie5setup.exe
Taiwanese: http://msvaus.www.conxion.com/download/ie5/55pprevu/5.5/w9xnt4/tw/ie5setup.exe

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Microsoft® Internet Explorer 5.5 introduces powerful new features while retaining the superior performance and stability of Internet Explorer 5. The new Internet Explorer 5.5 features include:

• Enhanced HTML component (HTC) model that uses Element Behaviors and ViewLink
• More control over user interface components, such as scroll bars, frames, and pop-up windows and menus
• Improved rendering and layout interfaces for binary behaviors
• More cascading style sheet (CSS) styles, such as the first-letter and first-line pseudo-elements
• Vertical text, made possible by using the writingMode property
• Enhanced HTML+TIME support
• Print Preview

To learn more about Internet Explorer 5.5 and how Web authors and C++ developers can use its new features, see the following topics.

• What's New in Internet Explorer 5.5 (Script)
• What's New in Internet Explorer 5.5 (C++)

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A year after agreeing to be acquired by America Online and nearly two years after forming its open-source browser development group, Netscape Communications has yet to produce a new, feature-rich browser, and it doesn't expect to release a trial version for another two months.

Since missing a summer deadline for Communicator 5.0, Netscape has seen its existing version 4.7 continue to lose market share to Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser, whose trial version 5.5 is expected to be released today on its MSDN site. And studies show marked migrations to IE among corporate users.

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The Justice Department's decision to retain a New York investment firm is a clear sign the government would like to break up Microsoft, legal experts say.

As previously reported, the government yesterday tapped Greenhill & Co., a specialist in mergers and acquisitions, to advise on possible remedies in the landmark antitrust trial.

While Justice Department spokesperson Gina Talamona said Greenhill & Co. would assist in "a full range of possible remedies," which include "conduct and structural relief," antitrust experts contend there is only one reason to retain the firm: divestiture proposals.

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Microsoft banner ad network LinkExchange is struggling under a heavy order backlog, forcing long delays for customers seeking to post online pitches just as holiday sales begin to accelerate.

Deborah Whitman, director of Microsoft's new small-business portal, bCentral, said an employee shortage was to blame for an increasing lag in turnarounds from about 24 hours to as long as 10 days.

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Microsoft made some tweaks to its executive reporting structure on Thursday, and in the process, merged its Consumer and Business Windows groups.

Brian Valentine, the current manager of Windows 2000 development, was named as the new head of the merged Consumer Windows Division and Business and Enterprise Division. The newly merged group will be called, simply, the Windows Division. The move is in-line with Microsoft's campaign to move away from the confusing mishmash of Windows product names -- NT, CE, NT Embedded -- and place them all under the "Windows" banner.

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The full final Quake 3 Arena demo has been released, weighing in at 46.6 MB's. Check out Bluesnews.com for all of the download sites

http://www.bluesnews.com/files/idstuff/quake3/win32/q3ademo.shtml

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Netscape Communications Corporation (Nasdaq: NSCP) today announced the United States Department of Commerce has granted the company permission to export Netscape(R) Communicator client software with 128-bit encryption capabilities. Available for immediate download from the Netscape Internet site, Netscape Communicator with strong encryption would allow users worldwide to enjoy far greater protection for their information when communicating with certified, strong encryption applications on Intranets and the Internet.

Netscape also received approval to export Netscape SuiteSpot server software featuring 128-bit encryption capabilities to certified banks worldwide. VeriSign will be providing a special-use digital certificate which enables the encryption. This will allow Netscape Communicator users to access their banking information from almost anywhere in the world and communicate using strong encryption with those banks which have implemented Netscape SuiteSpot servers and completed the certification process.

Read More

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When a business turns to the Internet to enhance and expand its operations, it is essentially opening a branch that never closes, enabling its customers anywhere to enjoy around-the-clock service. To cope with this explosion of e-commerce, many new businesses are turning for help to a growing market of solution providers called Application Service Providers (ASPs) -- companies that lease computer software, hardware and service to business customers via the Internet.

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No longer is the Internet simply a place where people read static information posted on Web pages. It is rapidly evolving into a vast network of personal and programmable services that enable users to do everything from shop for groceries to receive notification if their car alarm has been activated.

To take the Web to the next level, software developers need the right mix of tools, products and technologies. And leading Microsoft’s effort to provide developers with what they need is Tod Nielsen, Microsoft’s vice president of developer marketing.

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The U.S. Justice Department announced on Thursday it has retained Greenhill & Co. of New York City to advise it on the financial implications of a "full range" of potential remedies in the landmark Microsoft antitrust case.

The Justice Department said that Greenhill & Co. would "assist the division in analyzing financial aspects of the full range of potential remedies in U.S. v. Microsoft, including conductand structural relief."

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Microsoft has finally dropped its Visual J++ Java development system. However, it appears to be focusing instead on XML and not the Cool tool it had originally envisaged as the successor to J++.

For the time being, J++ isn't going away. While there's a strong likelihood that it will be pulled from the Visual Studio suite, according to Microsoft sources cited by Computing, J++ itself has been licensed to tools developer Rational Software, which will continue its development.

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PC Buyer's Guide has posted a detailed look at Internet Explorer 5.5 - Here is a snippet:

The update, available as of Dec. 2nd from Microsoft's website (for those who know where to look), varies in size depending on which components are already present on your system. On one of the systems we tested, the update was 12MB in size; on another, a "typical" installation was 18MB. In either case, the installation proceeds much as it does when upgrading version 4.0 to the 5.0x release. There's also an uninstall option, in case you decide to revert to your previous release. The installer provides a default "easy install" option, or you may elect to specify which components are installed. The update includes new releases of Outlook Express  (still identified as Outlook Express 5, although the About... screen reveals a new version number), MSN Messenger, and Windows Media Player (now at version 6.4.07.1028). When you choose to perform a custom installation, you will see some additional options not installed by default: additional web fonts, foreign languages and -- surprise! -- the Microsoft Java Virtual Machine. Web folders and NetMeeting services are also optional

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As announced first yesterday - Microsoft as expected has released Internet Explorer 5.5 Platform Preview (NOT codenamed Mars) for public download. You will first need to download the setup file and then go from there.

Download the Internet Explorer 5.5 PP Setup File:

http://msvaus.www.conxion.com/download/ie5/55pprevu/5.5/W9XNT4/EN-US/ie5setup.exe
http://download.microsoft.com/download/ie5/55pprevu/5.5/W9XNT4/EN-US/ie5setup.exe

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Microsoft has released 2 new security patches

Microsoft Security Bulletin (MS99-053) :  Microsoft has released a patch that eliminates a vulnerability in the SSL ISAPI filter that ships with Microsoft(r) Internet Information Server and is used by other Microsoft products. If called by a multi-threaded application under very specific, and fairly rare, circumstances, a synchronization error in the filter could allow a single buffer of plaintext to be transmitted back to the data's owner.

Microsoft Security Bulletin (MS99-054) :  Microsoft has released a version upgrade that eliminates a vulnerability in Microsoft(r) Internet Explorer 5. Under very specific conditions, the vulnerability could allow a malicious user to provide proxy settings to web clients in another network.

Read more

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Today in a keynote speech at the Application Service Provider (ASP) Summit in San Francisco, Tod Nielsen, vice president of marketing in the Developer Group at Microsoft Corp., said Microsoft's Web development architecture is differentiated from its competitors by its unparalleled choice and flexibility. Nielsen spoke on the final day of the two-day summit, which attracted top executives from leading and emerging application service providers eager to learn more about the emerging ASP industry.

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What: Microsoft Corp. will announce three donations totaling more than $1 million in cash and software aimed at increasing technology access, education and training for Latino and minority communities in San Francisco and across the United States. Grant recipients include the Digital Mission, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.

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Just received an e-mail stating that Internet Explorer 5.5 Platform Preview will be officially released to the public sometime tomorrow - so keep an eye out here...as soon as we know, you'll know.

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It's the giving season, and Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates has been digging deep (and publicly), as of late, to dole out some big bucks to his favorite charities. But how generous will Gates & Co. be when it comes to giving where it really counts: on the Department of Justice vs. Microsoft concessions front?

As my colleague Charlie Cooper notes, Microsoft's got a lot to gain by being generous. The 19 states who are still party to this legal action could be a lot less willing to be charitable. It will take all of mediator Judge Richard Posner's formidable experience and quirkiness to find common ground among the disparate parties.

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On Thursday, Microsoft will brief between 500 and 1,000 of its channel partners on its latest Windows 2000 positioning, selling and marketing strategies at its Windows 2000 Channel Marketing Day in San Francisco.

Besides showing off Windows 2000's latest features to the Microsoft Certified Solution Providers (MCSPs) and Value Added Providers (VAPs) in attendance, Microsoft officials will discuss some of the new skill sets Windows 2000 resellers will need in the coming year.

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Matrox Graphics Inc. is the first graphics vendor to offer support for a full set of utilities in its beta Microsoft Windows 2000 driver. Available a full two months before Windows 2000’s scheduled release, the beta 5.00.007 driver for Matrox Millennium G200 and G400-based cards can be downloaded at http://www.matrox.com/mga/drivers/latest_drivers/home.htm. The Matrox beta 5.00.007 driver for Windows 2000 includes Matrox’s full OpenGL ICD (compliant with the latest 1.2 specifications); DirectX 7 for full Direct3D support; full Matrox G400 DualHead Display capability; and full support for the Matrox PowerDesk suite of utilities. Full Matrox PowerDesk support means that users can continue to work with the same high quality resolution, TV output and other display settings that they are accustomed to without having to settle for the OS’s default display configuration.

Even though Microsoft is still in release candidate mode, Windows 2000 is currently being used by software developers, beta testers, IT managers and others. Game developers in particular are having great success doing their 3D development with Direct3D on Windows 2000 which for the first time, merges the stability of the Windows NT platform with Windows 98 features.

Chris Taylor, president of Gas Powered Games, has already made the move to Windows 2000. “It is exciting to see that Matrox has set us up with full functionality within their beta driver now, when we really need it for our current project. Having advanced features like Environment-Mapped Bump Mapping in the beta driver today allows us to do prototyping early on, rather than waiting until the last minute to bolt features on,” he said. The Matrox beta 5.00.007 driver is expected to be certified by Microsoft in late December 1999. A final Matrox driver will be available for download from the Matrox Web site when Microsoft publicly releases Windows 2000.

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Now that the "respectable" news wires have picked up on our story yesterday (you know who you are) about the bug that means you have to switch your PC on twice, it's worth taking a longer look at the implications for Intel and for people able to buy Coppermine processors.

We note that several of these wires have run, verbatim, comments from Intel US PR spinners claiming that the problem only affects between one to two per cent of Coppermines going out the door.

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We have begun our regular daily updates of ActiveSci-Fi, so those of you who are interested in science fiction - check it out. As you know we take your feedback seriously here - so if you have any comments on the Sci-Fi site just let me know.

As usual it is also time to mention our MSN Community, we are currently still the leading Operating System community on MSN, so make sure you check us out - our next chat is on December 17th Here is a list of our upcoming reviews:

Hardware: Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer, Microsoft IntelliMouse with IntelliEye, SoundBlaster Live! Platinum, Microsoft Force Feedback Steering Wheel, Microsoft Force Feedback Joystick
Software: Tomb Raider 4, Quake 3, Gabriel Knight 3, SWAT 3, Interstate 82, Star Trek: Hidden Evil, Ultima 9, Asheron's Call (Ongoing Monthly), Unreal Tournament, Wheel Of Time, Delta Force 2, Nocturne + Competition (This Weekend), Flight Simulator 2000, Driver (This Weekend), Encarta Africana
Applications: Corel Suite 9, Vizact 2000

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For those of you that have already downloaded the platform preview of Internet Explorer 5.5 and wanted to talk about problems, new features etc etc. Microsoft has opened up their IE5.5 newsgroups on news://msnews.microsoft.com

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I have updated the History of Internet Explorer page with a few more build numbers of Internet Explorer that have been released to the public in the last few years.

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I somehow managed to ignore this e-mail this morning so here goes. Creative Labs has released new drivers for the SoundBlaster Live! range of cards and yes - this time they are just drivers so you don't have to download the 25 odd megabytes of rubbish that usually comes with LiveWare.

http://scripts.soundblaster.com/registereddownload/download2.asp

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Microsoft has finally come out as a full-fledged supporter of Bluetooth, and as a top table member of an expanded Bluetooth steering group. Four new companies in all, Microsoft, 3Com, Lucent and Motorola, have been added to the original group of five founders, forming a new "Bluetooth Promoter Group."

An announcement that Microsoft would join the wireless connectivity group has been expected for some time now, particularly as Microsoft accidentally tipped its hand by advertising for Bluetooth developers last month. (see story) Microsoft had previously been critical of the way the 1,200-strong Bluetooth SIG had been managed by the five founders, Intel, IBM, Ericsson, Nokia and Toshiba, but the company's new status among the leaders will have overcome this and any residual Not Invented Here prejudices.

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Microsoft antitrust case mediator Judge Richard Posner held an exploratory meeting in Chicago yesterday, but although the intended 'secret' location was tracked by the press, nothing about the proceedings seems to have leaked out yet.

This apparent absence of spin could in itself be a good sign for a settlement. Posner has been recruited in order to explore the possibility of a negotiated settlement between Microsoft, the DoJ and the states before trial judge Thomas Penfield Jackson moves on to the next phase of the case (when the baseball bat will come out). Considering that the public positions of the two sides are virtually diametrically opposite, he's quite possibly on a hiding to nothing here, but it's just possible Microsoft may now be ready to deal.

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Alternative OS developer Be is preparing a version of its BeOS that operates as an application under Windows -- described by the company's CEO, Jean-Louis Gassee as "the ultimate Trojan Horse".

Speaking in an interview with TechWeek, Gassee said the program was being developed to counter Microsoft's insistence that PC vendors are not allowed to offer dual-boot Windows/BeOS systems.

'BeOS Lite' will be offered as a free download and positioned as a trial version of the operating system, Gassee said.

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Microsoft today launched a Platform Preview of Internet Explorer version 5.5 for MSDN users. The Platform Preview will only be available to MSDN Subscribers, although there is no news yet as to whether Microsoft will release the platform preview version to the public or not but it is unlikely. MSDN subscribers have to download the program as it will not be shipped out in any MSDN packs.

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Beta 1 of Microsoft JScript 5.5 and VBScript 5.5 are now available for download. This release of JScript is a complete implementation of the ECMA-262 Version 3 Standard (ECMAScript), with additional enhancements. VBScript's regular expression support has also been improved to match JScript. For more information, and to download this beta, click here.

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The year’s nastiest computer virus has made a comeback. The so-called Explore.Zip worm, notorious because of its ability to delete huge numbers of computer files across a network, is once again rummaging through corporations. The virus has been updated to sneak around most anti-virus protection programs, and has already hit a number of Fortune 500 companies — and things could be ever worse Wednesday morning, according to an anti-virus firm.

LikeMelissa, the first of this year’s high-profile viruses, ExploreZip is a worm capable of sending itself out and appearing to come from a known e-mail correspondent. The virus itself arrives as an attachment with the filename “zipped_files.exe”. The body of the e-mail message will likely contains the following text:

I received your email and I shall send you a reply ASAP. Till then, take a look at the attached zipped docs.

If a recipient is duped into opening the attachment, the virus will attempt to delete all Microsoft Office documents on the local hard drive and on all mapped network file shares. The virus will then automatically send itself to all senders listed in the victim’s e-mail Inbox. It is so nefarious that it can even delete the files of a user whose antivirus software is updated to defend against it. Any user who’s computer is shared on a network is vulnerable.

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Attorneys for Microsoft and the Justice Department met with a federal mediator for about two hours Tuesday to determine if there was a basis for settlement in the antitrust suit, but participants were tightlipped about future discussions.

Federal judge Richard Posner, the chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, huddled with the chief attorneys representing Microsoft, states attorneys general, and Justice behind closed doors in Chicago exploring prospects for settlement. Posner, acting in a private capacity as mediator, is considered a conservative judge from the Chicago school of antitrust law, which is skeptical of government intervention to restore competition.

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There are huge changes in store for Microsoft's beleaguered Windows CE operating system, starting with its name.

In an attempt to kill several birds with one stone, Microsoft is planning to revamp the branding of its scaled-down Windows CE operating system for non-desktop computers next year. Instead of stamping palm-size and handheld PCs with the "Windows CE" logo, Microsoft will begin marketing all such devices as "Windows Powered," CNET News.com has learned.

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