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• NetMeeting 3 Public Beta Due April
  Time: 19:07 GMT Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Byron

  All of you NetMeeting fans with be pleased to hear that we have been told that NetMeeting 3 will have its first public beta this coming Mid-April. It will sport a great new look and a number of new features and perhaps be renamed Windows NetMeeting.

   
• New Windows NT Tips Added
  Time: 15:33 GMT Source: Luis Posted By: Byron

  Luis has posted a number of new Windows NT based tips. You can check them out right here. We also have some new Windows 95 and WinZip tips on the way this week too.

   
• New Poll - IE5 Chat
  Time: 12:42 GMT Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Dennis

  We have a new poll. The Poll Archive hasn't been updated with the old poll, but it will be as soon as possible.

  We have updated our Chat page. We will be chatting March 17th at 6 PM to the time IE5 will be released, which we are still waiting for. We will post more and more information about this chat as time goes on.

   

• Office 2000: Worth The Bother?
  Time: 10:38 GMT Source: PC World Posted By: Byron

  PC World has also posted an article/review of Office 2000. Here is a snippet:

  All the applications--particularly Word, Access, Excel, and Outlook--contain genuine improvements, and we like some of the new Web tools. Microsoft has also reduced the native file-format incompatibilities that riled early adopters of Office 97, though you'll likely run into snags with Access 2000 and HTML formats. Casual users, however, may not notice much difference in Office 2000 and shouldn't rush to upgrade. And some serious flaws, including haphazard browser compatibility, questionable tweaks to the interface, and seemingly half-finished workgroup features, turned us off.

   
• Getting Started With Linux
  Time: 10:30 GMT Source: PC World Posted By: Byron

  PC World has posted a great in depth article on how to get Linux up and running. Here is a snippet:

  Are you looking for a fast, reliable, inexpensive operating system that can serve multiple users, act as an Internet server, and support a slick graphical interface? You're looking for Linux. Every day thousands of new users discover the power of this open source operating system, which has its origins in UNIX. What makes them curious in the first place? First, there's a strange rumor circulating that Linux never crashes. That's a bit of an exaggeration, but it's almost the truth: It's very hard to crash a Linux system. Some installations have been known to run for years without a reboot. Linux also runs on older machines that can't handle Windows 95 or 98; it will run beautifully on that old 486 gathering dust in the closet. And of course, some folks are interested in Linux just because they don't want Bill Gates's vision of personal computing ruling their lives.

   

• PSN Exists In All 0.25 Micron Intel Chips
  Time: 10:20 GMT Source: The Register/Netigen Web Posted By: Byron

  An architect who currently works for Intel has confirmed what everyone was beginning to suspect -- every 0.25 micron Intel chip has the PSN (personal serial number). When word spreads across the Internet, Intel will be looking down the barrel of a fully loaded PR nightmare.

  The chip designer, who revealed the news under strict conditions of anyonymity made the claim that "any 0.25 micron core including the Pentium II, all Celerons and all current Xeons have had serialisation ever since 0.25 micron technology started." This means that Intel has been shipping products with the serialisation number switched off. The only exception is the Tillamook P5 0.25 micron parts, he said.

  But why didn't Intel tell us and the whole world what it was doing then, and why? It seems that maybe it just thought it would lump in the PSN announcement to co-incide with the introduction of the Pentium III.

• Upcoming Reviews
  Time: 21:45 GMT Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Byron

  We have a number of new reviews coming up both this week and next across all of our sites, so here comes the list: Sigma Hollywood Plus DVD Decoder Card, DVD-RAM Drive, The Exorcist DVD, Urban Legends DVD, Sim City 3000, REAH, Championship Manager 3, Voodoo 3 Preview and Internet Explorer 5 Gold.

   
• Welcome ActiveIE Users
  Time: 20:44 GMT Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Byron

  As we start the change over of ActiveIE to ActiveWindows. We have decided to redirect you to the main ActiveWindows site. The new ActiveIE site will go online March 18th.

   
• ActiveHardware Launched
  Time: 20:40 GMT Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Byron

  Matt has launched his ActiveHardware site. Check it out, this site will keep you all up to date with the latest in hardware reviews and articles.

   

• Internet Explorer 5 Goes Gold
  Time: 20:40 GMT Source: Wugnet Posted By: Byron

  WinInfo is reporting that Internet Explorer 5 has now officially gone gold (Final) and will be released next week. Here is the snip:

  It's done! According to sources close to Microsoft, the long awaited Internet Explorer 5.0 has been released to manufacturing, and will be mailed to anyone that pre-ordered the CD version starting Monday. And next Wednesday, anyone with an Internet connection will be able to download IE 5.0 from the Microsoft Web site.

  While Internet Explorer 5.0 looks a lot like its predecessor, it's a vastly improved suite of products. I'll have a full review of IE 5.0 ready for the launch next week.

   

• We're Back
  Time: 20:26 GMT Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Byron, Cliff, Dennis

  Yes!!!, all our problems have been sorted out. Expect everything to be up and running in the next few minutes along without major news updates.

   
• PC Retailers sued over Y2K
  Time: 11:51 GMT Source: MSNBC Posted By: Bob

  THE ACTION — WHICH NAMES Circuit City, Fry’s Electronics Inc., The Good Guys Inc., CompUSA Inc., Office Depot Inc., Staples Inc. and OfficeMax Inc. as defendants — alleges the businesses violated California’s Unfair Business Practices Act by failing to tell customers whether their products can recognize the date change from 1999 to 2000.

   
• IE 5 will browse and broadcast
  Time: 11:51 GMT Source: ZDNet Posted By: Bob

  Internet Explorer 5.0, earmarked for release on March 18, will include a "radio" button in its toolbar, sources at the company said. This will let the user click directly to a page offering a customizable online audio tuner, which will offer pre-set links to audio content from National Public Radio, CNN, the BBC, and the House of Blues, according to sources

   
• HP tries another tack against Java
  Time: 11:47 GMT Source: ZDNet Posted By: Bob

  Hewlett Packard(NYSE:HWP) is contributing compatibility tests for its Chai Java clone to an open-source Java compatibility testing project called Mauve, according to other Mauve partners.

   
• Net taxes look likely
  Time: 11:42 GMT Source: ZDNet Posted By: Bob

  WASHINGTON -- A key lawmaker predicted Friday that Internet sales ultimately will be subject to state and local taxation.

   
• Microsoft: No big surprises this quarter.
  Time: 11:39 GMT Source: News.com Posted By: Bob

  In a recent teleconference for analysts, Microsoft Corp. [NASDAQ:MSFT] described a business continuing on course with no big surprises. But the picture was ambiguous enough to invite conflicting interpretations.

   
• Long awaited domain application released
  Time: 11:33 GMT Source: News.com Posted By: Bob

  For companies hoping to cash in on the ".com" registration bonanza, the waiting is over. After months of wrangling, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, a nonprofit corporation charged with privatizing administration of the Net's addressing system, has released the long-awaited application for becoming a domain registrar.

   
• Gamestock '99: Microsoft's love-in
  Time: 11:30 GMT Source: CNN Posted By: Bob

  What do '60s-style love-beads and computer games have in common? Absolutely nothing! Yet, every year Microsoft hosts Gamestock--a press event that shows off its latest gaming lineup, complete with an amusing “flower power” theme--at its Redmond, Washington, campus.

   
• AT&T, Lucent sued over Y2K problems
  Time: 11:25 GMT Source: CNN Posted By: Bob

  A New York law firm has launched a class-action lawsuit against AT&T and its spin-off Lucent Technologies on behalf of individuals or organizations who use the companies' telecommunications equipment that isn't Year 2000-compliant.

   
• AOL/Netscape deal approved by DOJ
  Time: 11:15 GMT Source: News.com Posted By: Bob

  The Justice Department has approved America Online's proposed acquisition of Netscape Communications, as well as the strategic alliance between AOL and Sun Microsystems, a spokeswoman at the federal agency said.

• Site News and Copyright Stuff
  Time: 23:59 GMT Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Byron, Cliff, Dennis, Jonathon, Matt

  Hi all. We have updated a few bits and pieces on the site, including links etc. As was mentioned earlier in the day, we have some new sites coming on the way, but a couple of them may now be delayed due to complications which will hopefully be sorted out this week.

  We have also posted the correct copyrights across the site so everyone knows who to contact when it comes to content, reviews, images etc incase you would like to use them on your sites.

   
• IE 5 Will Browse and Broadcast
  Time: 23:59 GMT Source: ZDNet Posted By: Byron

  Microsoft Corp.'s next-generation Web browser will include an online radio tool that will allow users to press buttons to switch from "station" to "station," similar to a car radio, ZDNN has learned.

  Internet Explorer 5.0, earmarked for release on March 18, will include a "radio" button in its toolbar, sources at the company said. This will let the user click directly to a page offering a customizable online audio tuner, which will offer pre-set links to audio content from National Public Radio, CNN, the BBC, and the House of Blues, according to sources.

  The browser will also incorporate a Web events listings area, providing links to live and archived audio and video.

   
• Online Ad Expenditures to Reach $7.1 Billion by 2002
  Time: 22:52 GMT Source: Internet News Posted By: Bob

  Driven by big gains in PC penetration and Web usage, Web/online advertising expenditures are predicted to reach $7.1 billion by 2002, according to a new industry study.

   
• Mexico: Y2K Head Start
  Time: 22:46 GMT Source: Fox News Posted By: Bob

  Mexico has a head start over many other governments and expects to inoculate all of its computer systems against the millennium bug six months before the year 2000 begins, a senior spokesman said.

   
• Viper V770 TNT 2 Preview
  Time: 22:38 GMT Source: Sharky Extreme Posted By: Byron

  Sharky Extreme has posted a preview of Diamonds Viper V770 TNT2. Here is a snippet:

  The 3D feature set is as you'd expect similar to Nvidia's TNT chipset. The main benefit of the Ultra TNT2 over any past or present 3Dfx board lies within its ability to utilize larger texture sizes. The Ultra TNT2 is capable of handling textures up to 2048x2048 as opposed to the Voodoo3's more limited 256x256. The 16-bit image quality of the TNT2 is clearly superior to that of the any 3Dfx based product- including the Voodoo3 (see composite screenshots below). The TNT2 also has the ability to shift these larger textures with its full support for AGP texturing (the Voodoo3 doesn't support this feature and uses its own proprietary DME). As stated above, the Ultra TNT2 supports AGP 4X and will thus take full advantage of Intel's forthcoming Camino chipset, where as the current Voodoo3 3500 does not (3Dfx has stated that their Voodoo3 4000 will support AGP 4X bus speeds). You could argue that the Ultra TNT2 is a 'little more future proof' in that respect. No doubt id's Brian Hook will tell you that Quake III Arena harbors a 24-bit palette and 512x512-texture resolution. This is where the TNT2 will really shine in comparison to a Voodoo3. The same can be said for Epic's Unreal Tournament.

   
• FTC Moves on Net Fraud
  Time: 17:35 GMT Source: ABC News Posted By: Bob

  Type "get rich quick" into an Internet search engine, and dozens of Web sites appear guaranteeing big money in a short time.

   
• Microsoft backs Antitrust Beef
  Time: 17:32 GMT Source: ABC News Posted By: Bob

  Microsoft is reportedly joining a group of Web-based travel agents who will ask the Justice Department to investigate possible antitrust violations by the nation's airlines.

   
• Microsoft pushes Internet in China
  Time: 17:28 GMT Source: ABC News Posted By: Bob

  Microsoft, eyeing a restricted but rapidly growing computer market in mainland China, said today it will start offering systems to let the Chinese download movies, music, e-mail and other services.

   
• Intel admits PII serial snafu
  Time: 17:12 GMT Source: MSNBC Posted By: Bob

  PC chip giant Intel Corp. admitted on Wednesday that its controversial processor serial number had been inadvertently included in one of its lines of mobile Pentium II processors.

   
• Shockwave password bug fixed
  Time: 17:12 GMT Source: ZDNet Posted By: Bob

  Macromedia Inc. said it's fixed a hole in its Shockwave 7 player that could let the company view users' passwords and other private information.

   
• Motorola sues Intel
  Time: 17:12 GMT Source: ZDNet Posted By: Bob

  Motorola Inc. said it sued Intel Corp., accusing the rival semiconductor maker and a former Motorola executive of misappropriating trade secrets.

   
• FCC: The Net' Shall Remain Free
  Time: 17:05 GMT Source: Wired Posted By: Bob

  In the three weeks since the Federal Communications Commission settled a dispute involving how phone companies pay each other for connecting calls to the Internet, William Kennard's inbox has been overflowing.

   
• Microsoft Admits to Privacy Blunder
  Time: 16:20 GMT Source: Wired Posted By: Bob

  Microsoft knows its customers. Perhaps it knows them better than it should. Redmond admits that it collected registration data from individuals and sent it on to its Web site. Now the company promises to change the way users are identified.

   
• New Drivers
  Time: 16:06 GMT Source: AGN 3D Posted By: Byron

  ELSA has posted new drivers for their Banshee powered Victory II video card. You can download the drivers from their site here. Next we have Matrox who has posted v3.49 of its unified Bios for their graphics cards. You can download that here.

   
• Microsoft To Take Hit On Office 2000 Delay
  Time: 16:01 GMT Source: News.com Posted By: Byron

  Microsoft expects to report a $400 million revenue shortfall in the March quarter leading to total sales of $4.2 billion, well below analyst projections, because of a delay in the introduction of Office 2000 word-processing and spreadsheet software.

   
• Microsoft To Split Into Four Next Week
  Time: 16:00 GMT Source: News.com Posted By: Byron

  The software giant reportedly is expected to announce next week a long-anticipated reorganization that splits the company into four major groups.

   
• MS Planning A Windows 98 Follow Up?
  Time: 15:59 GMT Source: The Register Posted By: Byron

  In among the rumours that Microsoft's long-expected split into four divisions (Earlier story) is due to take place next week there's an interesting little nugget - according to the Wall Street Journal, which today chases after a story that first broke surface over a month ago, senior VP and butterfingered video impressario Jim Allchin is to "retain responsibility for the forthcoming Windows 2000 operating system, as well as the successor to Windows 98."

  If this is true, then it takes us a little nearer confirmation of the stories that the planned convergence of operating systems at Win2k stage has been cancelled. MS' previously stated intention was for Windows 98 to be the last of the line, and for Win2k to provide the standard business platform for both clients and servers. Just to make it confusing, of course, there's also record of an intention to produce a consumer version of Win2k/NT, so the plan as was catered for convergence, followed by a swift divergence again, but based on the new code base.

   
• How To Use Disk Cleanup
  Time: 15:49 GMT Source: PCVelocity Posted By: Byron

  PC Velocity has posted an article all about how you use the Disk Cleanup program within Windows 98. Here is a snippet:

  The process of cleaning up files left behind on your system has always been a task left as a last recourse when you’ve been hit with the reality that you don’t have enough hard drive space to install that new program you’ve just purchased. Windows 98's Disk Cleanup has simplified the tedious task of searching the hard drive for files and deleting them for you. How does it free up space?

   
• WindowBlinds Note
  Time: 11:19 GMT Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Dennis

  You may only download WindowBlinds 0.61 unless you are an Object Desktop subscriber. This may make things a lot easier for your to understand why the website wasn't responding. Object Desktop is Stardock's Shell addon.

  Also, WindowBlinds 0.62 has been made, but because of the crash problem, it's been kept internally. Also, we have a work around for your WindowBlinds 0.61 users for the crash problem. Put the OLD (0.50.3) wbload.exe in the 0.61 directory. All the features are in the wblind.dll, so it won't impact the new features, but because the problem is in the wbload.exe, they have told us that the 0.50 wbload.exe is the one to use.

  WindowBlinds 0.70 is the next public release. We will keep you updated, as always. We will also be reviewing Object Desktop in the coming weeks so be ready for that.

   

• MS Office For Linux?
  Time: 10:29 GMT Source: Sm@rt Reseller Posted By: Byron

  Could Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq:MSFT) be doing the unthinkable in porting Office to the Linux operating system? Developers say all the signs are there. Microsoft says it can't comment. Didn't Microsoft say the same when it was asked whether it was developing a version of Microsoft Office in Java -- which later turned out to be the case?

   
• WindowBlinds 0.61 Test Release Posted
  Time: 10:24 GMT Source: NetiGen Web Posted By: Byron

  Yesterday a pre-release version of WindowBlinds 0.61 was posted on the Object Desktop test site (http://od-test.stardock.net). This release still contains a critical issue that can cause WindowBlinds to crash on loading -- once this problem is resolved, the build will be posted directly on the Object Desktop site.

  Despite the aforementioned issue, 0.61 appears to be an marked improvement over 0.50.3 which was released early last week. Several programs no longer need to be excluded, window positions are once again remembered, and the Control Panel glitch has been fixed. If and when this build will be publicly released has not yet been determined.

   

• Site News
  Time: 10:20 GMT Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Byron

  We are currently looking into a number of new things for ActiveWindows. My plan is to have the new Internet Explorer section (ActiveIE) moved over to http://www.activewin.com/ie on March 18th to coincide with the release of IE5. We are also currently completing a layout (Probably the same as this one and ActiveDVD) for ActiveGames, a news and reviews site for all you PC Gamers out there.

  On another note it is Comic Relief day here in the UK (Comedians doing stuff for the needy in Africa) and I'll be doing some stuff for it today so don't worry if you don't see me posting as much ;o).

• Yes... Dennis is alive.
  Time: 23:59 GMT Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Dennis

  If you are a hardcore AW visitor, you may have wondered where I was. I doubt it though... I was working on school work 1st for the first time.

  We have been receiving a lot of email about our ActiveWindows Daily News Update, but because of listbot problems, we are canceling it. We are sorry for any inconveniences this may have caused.

  The IE5 Countdown chat is still set for March 17, we will post a time as we come close to the date. Also, we recommend ordering the IE5 cd via our Countdown link on the right cell. If you pay the extra 4 bucks you can get it within a week of the release, which is a lot better than spending a week trying to download it. I don't know if any of you were involved in the IE4 launch, but practically millions of people were fighting to download IE4, on the night of release. The cd is so much easier, and for the extra couple bucks you will have it not only for now, but for all eternity. I still have my IE4 Commemorative CD. Maybe I should get it scanned....

   

• New Pentium III Security Flaw?
  Time: 23:13 GMT Source: Wired Posted By: Bob

  Intel's embattled new processor is taking another beating.

  Canadian software developers claim they've figured out a way to bypass security measures that the company says protect the Pentium III's controversial serial number.

   
• Macromedia Patching Shockwave Privacy Hole
  Time: 22:52 GMT Source: News.com Posted By: Byron

  Macromedia has moved to fix a privacy glitch in its Shockwave animation player that was sending users' private information back to the company.

  Part of Shockwave's automatic update feature sends Macromedia the URLs for Web sites users have visited. Macromedia collects these Web addresses to determine the most popular sites using Shockwave animation and then assist those sites in making their animations smaller and faster with the aim of exerting some quality control on Shockwave implementations.

  But Macromedia found itself receiving thousands of Shockwave users' user names, passwords, and other information that was included in the URLs to some password-protected sites.

   
• Sony Out Front In Living Room Race
  Time: 19:48 GMT Source: MSNBC Posted By: Byron

  Sony’s next-generation PlayStation machine will redefine home entertainment. A new chip enables PlayStation to connect with standard PC accessories such as a keyboard, mouse, digital camera and the all-important modem for Internet connections. It even gets along with standard household appliances such as the VCR. The result is a machine tailor-made for churning through three-dimensional graphics, pumping out CD-quality music, showing movies and hooking into the Net.

   
• New Security Hole Found In Windows 98
  Time: 14:39 GMT Source: News.com Posted By: Byron

  A security problem in Windows 98 can leave private information vulnerable to interception by Web sites, according to a programmer who said he discovered the new bug.

  Richard Smith, president of Phar Lap Software, said he came across the security flaw in the operating system after finding an earlier bug that causes customer information to be stored on Microsoft's Web site. Through the latest bug, Smith said other sites can read customer ID numbers, including a unique number that identifies a specific user's PC through its Ethernet network card and a Microsoft-assigned identification number used to track movements on the company's Web site.

   
• Microsoft Shows Sneak Peek Of Windows 2000 Beta 3
  Time: 11:16 GMT Source: ZDNet UK Posted By: Byron

  At Local Media Day on the Microsoft campus in Redmond, Washington, company officials showed a recent build of Windows 2000 beta 3 and discussed enhancements that customers can expect in the coming months. At the same time, Microsoft officials admitted that application compatibility has been a problem with Windows 2000 (formerly NT 5.0) betas to date. "Application compatibility is one of our top issues," said Yusuf Mehdi, director of Windows marketing. "We are breaking compatibility today with lots of applications. Our goal is to maximise for reliability." He added that application compatibility is of secondary concern, a change in pace from Windows 95, when compatibility could be assumed.

   
• Intel: Some Pentium II Chips Have Serial Numbers
  Time: 11:13 GMT Source: ZDNN Posted By: Byron

  PC chip giant Intel Corp admitted on Wednesday that its controversial processor serial number had been inadvertently included in one of its lines of mobile Pentium II processors. "We were informed by a customer that the chip ID was present in the mobile Pentium II processor in mobile module form," said George Alfs, a spokesman for the Santa Clara, Calif., company. According to Alfs, the serial number circuitry was included on the mobile Pentium II as a way to prototype the manufacturing process for creation of the Pentium III. On most factory lines, the circuit was switched off before it left the factory. However, one line failed to disable the controversial feature. Full Story.

   

• A Request From Byron
  Time: 11:12 GMT Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Byron

  Just a quick request going out to anyone who can help (Companies etc). I am looking for a 50-foot long S-Video cable, It is really important that I get one ASAP. The price of a 50-foot long S-Video cable here in the UK was quoted to me as being close to £100 so there is no way I can spend that much on something that is reasonably cheap in the US. So If anyone can help me or perhaps a company can send me one for review (Long shot) then I would be extremely grateful. My e-mail is byron@activeie.com as if you didn't know.

• Site Downtime
  Time: 23:59 GMT Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Bob

  The Active Windows Team would like to apologize for any inconviencies you've had with the network downtime that has occurred tonight. One of the wires in our new connection lines physically shortened out, and we had to wait until the phone company went down the manhole and fixed it. We are not expecting anymore problems and we hope you enjoy the new double bandwidth speed throughout our network.

  There was also a note on the front of the site just before that which stated that the site was going to close on April 1st, that was a mistake by someone here that has been fixed, it is just on of our old servers closing down on that date not anything to do with this site at all. Sorry for any problems.

   

• You Can't Get Away From The Office
  Time: 21:13 GMT Source: MSNBC Posted By: Byron

  So you want to rid yourself of Microsoft products once and for all. Maybe you convert all the computers in your office to the Linux operating system, or FreeBSD, or even Unix. You even retrain everyone to use Corel’s WordPerfect. You are a Microsoft-free zone. That works fine, if you’re living on a desert island. But if you must communicate with other businesses, they will inevitably e-mail you a Word document or an Excel spreadsheet. And that’s when you’ll discover that the place to look for a Microsoft monopoly isn’t Windows, it’s Office suite applications.

   
• Microsoft Confirms Windows NT Glitch
  Time: 21:06 GMT Source: News.com Posted By: Byron

  Microsoft has confirmed a security vulnerability in its Windows NT operating system that could allow unauthorized access to sensitive information in administrator files. The news comes just two days after Microsoft acknowledged that a feature in its Windows 98 operating system can be used to collect information on authors of electronic documents without their knowledge and vowed to fix the problem. (See related story)

   
• Businesses Using IE 5 Report Cost and Productivity Gains as Microsoft Prepares for Launch
  Time: 14:24 GMT Source: Press Release Posted By: Byron

  As recently as two years ago, most corporations didn't devote much time or effort to picking a Web browser. Back then, IT planners were likely to view the online world as more nuisance than necessity. They worried that the Web was a time-waster, used for tracking sports scores and stock prices instead of communicating with colleagues or gathering information about customers and competitors. As a result, the corporate browser of choice was simply the one that came loaded on a new machine, or that more savvy users downloaded from the Web.

   
• Leading Corporations Worldwide Choose Internet Explorer 5
  Time: 14:22 GMT Source: Press Release Posted By: Byron

  Microsoft Corp. today announced that leading companies in industries ranging from pharmaceuticals to finance are already choosing Microsoft® Internet Explorer 5 for companywide browser deployment. These companies, comprising more than 300,000 desktops, are adopting Internet Explorer 5 because of the improved productivity and reduced cost of ownership it will offer through its premier ease of use, powerful deployment and management tools, and its unmatched ability to create rich enterprise applications.

   
• New G200 Drivers
  Time: 14:18 GMT Source: Gamespot Posted By: Byron

  Matrox has released new Win95/98 drivers for their G200 powered Millennium board.

   
• DirectX 7 Preview
  Time: 10:46 GMT Source: Gamespot Posted By: Byron

  Gamespot has posted a preview of DirectX 7.0. Here is a snippet:

  The day before Microsoft's Gamestock event, I sat down with Kevin Bachus, program product manager for DirectX. We spoke about DirectX 7.0, and he shared a little insight into next year's DirectX 8.0. I noted that things had been fairly quiet on the DirectX front. Bachus chuckled and said, "Everyone's been saying that, though I'm not sure why. I think it's because we didn't have a Meltdown event in February." (Meltdown is the event where software and hardware developers get together and test their products on the newest version of DirectX.)

  DirectX 7.0 is taking shape very nicely. Bachus noted that Microsoft was still on track for delivering the first beta in the March/April time frame, with the final product shipping by mid to late summer. "It's pretty much the same schedule as any other year," he noted.

  Most of the development work for DirectX 7.0 is taking place on beta versions of Windows 2000. In fact, Windows 2000 is the target platform for game developers. "The goal is for developers to use Windows 2000 for the development platform but still target the titles for Windows 95/98."

   
• Microsoft Promises Much For Windows 2000 Beta 3
  Time: 10:42 GMT Source: Infoworld Posted By: Byron

  Beta 3 of Windows 2000, which Microsoft has targeted for wide release in April, will go a long way toward fixing many of the problems reported in earlier versions of the next-generation operating system, a key Microsoft executive said Monday. Since Beta 2 of Windows 2000, formerly called Windows NT 5.0, was given to testers in August 1998, Microsoft has identified several areas of concern that it will fix in Beta 3, according to Yusuf Mehdi, director of marketing for Microsoft's Applications and Internet Client Group.

  Among the problem areas were compatibility with existing applications; the upgrade from Windows 9x systems; device coverage in Windows 2000 Professional, the OS formerly known as NT Workstation; the large memory footprint; installation woes with Active Directory; and a lack of Component Object Model+ (COM+) integration in Windows 2000 Server, Mehdi said at a briefing for journalists at Microsoft's headquarters.

   
• Netscape Announces Plans To Integrate XML
  Time: 10:33 GMT Source: Press Release Posted By: Byron

  Netscape Communications Corporation today announced that it will integrate comprehensive support for XML across its portfolio of e-commerce applications. This process is enabling business customers to harness the benefits of XML to streamline interoperability between companies to better manage their commerce foundation in the Net Economy.

  Continuing its ongoing support for open standards, Netscape is leveraging XML, a common language for doing business on the Internet, to build real business solutions for fast, flexible interactive communications. Support for the XML language is a key ingredient to Netscape's e-commerce strategy that will enable new cross-company business models. Netscape's implementation of XML will support e-commerce transactions, business processes and catalog exchanges.

   
• Microsoft Readies Another NT4 Service Pack
  Time: 10:33 GMT Source: Smart Reseller Posted By: Byron

  Microsoft Corp. began distributing Tuesday its first beta release yet another service pack update to its NT 4.0 operating system. The release follows on the heels of Microsoft's updated Service Pack 4, which it posted to its Web site in mid-February. Microsoft says Service Pack 5, the first beta of which will go to 500 customers, is not a required update, but will include fixes related to Dial-Up Networking, a new System Preparation Utility and various setup and installation issues. It also will include a Year 2000 update related to the Microsoft System Information Tool.

   

• New Creative Dxr3 To Use Sigma Designs Based Card?
  Time: 10:24 GMT Source: CBS Posted By: Byron

  It now looks sure that Creative will use the Sigma Designs based MPEG DVD decoder card as the basis for their new Dxr3 card due out within the month. [Read More]

• Microsoft Stocks Climb High
  Time: 21:28 GMT Source: ZDNet Posted By: Dennis

  Microsoft stock is up today as the company and the Justice Department are exploring possible avenues that could lead to a settlement, according to a report. In morning trading, Microsoft was up 4-5/8 at 163-5/8 in very heavy trading after the Seattle Times reported that the company and the government were exploring ways to settle the lawsuit before it resumes next month.

   

• AT&T Buys TCI - Official
  Time: 21:28 GMT Source: ZDNet Posted By: Dennis

  AT&T Corp. said Tuesday it completed its $55 billion acquisition of cable television giant Tele-Communications Corp., creating a one-stop shop for phone service, Internet access and cable television. The combined company will offer long distance and cellular phone service, cable television and high-speed Internet access. AT&T, the No. 1 U.S. long distance company, also will provide local phone service over TCI's cable TV wires instead of traditional phone lines.

   

• Creative 3DBlaster TNT2 Preview
  Time: 15:21 GMT Source: 3D Hardware Posted By: Byron

  3DHardware has posted a preview of Creative's 3DBlaster TNT2. Here is a snippet:

  A little less than a year ago, during the battle of the second-generation processor press releases, nVidia released something that, at the time, seemed too good to be true. As so often in this business it sure was too good to be true, and the initial 250 Mtexels per second were degraded to a mere 180. The feature list remained at the pace-setting fullness it had in the press release though, and therefore it's follower, the TNT2 has a nearly unchanges set of features. But times have changed, and so have the consumers and the competition, so some novelties have, and are avaliable. The TNT2 offers goodies such as a maximum resolution of 2048x1536 and AGP 4X support, thus combining the best out of the worlds of the Voodoo 3 and Savage4. Digital out for flatpanel displays is also something available, added to ensure the happiness even of the people hanging out on the cutting edge.

   
• Intel, Itself Warns PIII ID Number Not Secure
  Time: 15:15 GMT Source: The Register Posted By: Byron

  A kindly reader has taken the trouble to read through Intel's application note literature on the Pentium III and has discovered the company has no faith in its own serial number technology.

  The reader said: "Today I was perusing through to bone up on CPU ID and PSN of the Pentium III and found the following interesting disclaimers"

  PSN not reliable From page 16, section 4.0 entitled: "Processor Serial Number": (Identical paragraph in App Note AP-909, March 1999,"Intel Processor Serial Number", Order #245125-001, Page 4-5):-

  "Processor serial number provides an identifier for the processor, but should not be assumed to be unique in itself. There are potential modes in which erroneous processor serial numbers may be reported. For example, in the event a processor is operated outside its recommended operation specifications, the processor serial number may not be correctly read from the processor.

   
• Netscape Rolls Out New Version Of Communicator
  Time: 15:15 GMT Source: ZDNet Posted By: Byron

  Netscape Communications Corp. on Tuesday will roll out the latest upgrade to its Communicator applications suite. Communicator 4.51 adds enhancements to the Netscape/America Online Inc. instant messaging client, along with a new utility for pulling stock quotes off the Internet without having to switch back and forth between applications, company officials said. The changes extend the integration between Communicator and the company's Navigator browser that began with the Communicator 4.5 release in July 1998, they said.

  The new version of the instant messaging client adds the ability to click on Web links from within the IM screen, along with single-click access from the IM screen to a user's "My Netscape" Web page, Internet-based e-mail, and Web search functions, said Eric Mann, group product manager for Communicator.

   

• Outlook 98 Archive Patch
  Time: 14:59 GMT Source: E-mail Posted By: Byron

  Microsoft recently learned of an archive fidelity issue in Outlook 98 that involves potential data loss during an archive process. The problem is that during the archive process, there is a small window of time when archival information is only in memory before being written to the archive personal store (PST) file. If a computer failure occurs at this exact time, the items that are in memory are lost. So, if you were archiving information in Outlook and a power failure occurred, for example, you might notice that when you restart Outlook you cannot find some of the information you were archiving. http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/downloadDetails/arch98en.htm

• AMD Debuts New Laptop Processor
  Time: 21:43 GMT Source: Andover News Posted By: Dennis

  AMD today introduced the Mobile AMD-K6(R)-2 P processor with 3DNow!(TM) technology. Available in clock speeds of 380 MHz, 366 MHz, and 350 MHz, the new processor has the highest clock speed of any mobile CPU available today.

   

• Tech Stocks Up
  Time: 21:33 GMT Source: ZDNet Posted By: Dennis

  Techs gained at midday Monday in a mixed day for the broader markets. The Nasdaq rose 30 to 2,367 and the @Net gained 17 to 770. The Dow Jones industrial average dipped 32 to 9,703. Intel Corp. rose 3 7/8 to 118 1/2 after the FTC reached a proposed settlement in its antitrust suit against the chipmaker. Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NYSE: AMD) rose 7/16 to 18 7/8.

   

• Intel, FTC Deal made
  Time: 21:29 GMT Source: News.com Posted By: Dennis

  Lawyers for Intel and the Federal Trade Commission today filed a joint motion to delay start of their antitrust trial so that commissioners can vote on an eleventh-hour settlement the two parties reached over the weekend.

  After the news broke, one of the companies central to the case, Intergraph, says it will continue to pursue its own legal action against Intel.

   

• Netscape Fights Browser Bug
  Time: 21:23 GMT Source: News.com Posted By: Byron

  Netscape is moving to patch a browser security hole that exposes a variety of information on users' hard drives, the company said today. The bug in Netscape Communications' Communicator browser can reveal the content of HTML files, cache, and browsing directories. The bug exposes only parsed HTML files, meaning that it reveals only what the Web page visitor would see and not the underlying source code.

   

• Microsoft-HKTel To Offer Software Rental
  Time: 21:22 GMT Source: Reuters Posted By: Byron

  Microsoft Corp and Hong Kong Telecommunications Ltd. will announce an Internet deal on Tuesday to allow computer users to rent software and download films, a Hong Kong newspaper said on Monday. According to the newspaper, the new service would allow users to rent a wide range of software from Hongkong Telecom's computer at low cost for one-time use, the newspaper said without naming any sources. Applications such as Microsoft Word could be downloaded almost as quickly as if the software was on the home computer's hard drive, it said.

   
• McAfee Debut Customized Browser
  Time: 17:41 GMT Source: PC World Posted By: Byron

  McAfee Software on Monday debuted its new customizable Web navigation tool, WebView, a free download designed to give McAfee customers a customizable browser, while also acting as a potential conduit for future McAfee software updates and news.

  WebView works as a kind of modified Web browser with a separate e-mail client and a few Web utility features thrown in. It's a complicated arrangement: WebView is actually a slightly specialized version of the NeoPlanet "browser shell" program, which is based on Microsoft Internet Explorer.

   
• Windows 98 Sends Hardware ID To Microsoft
  Time: 17:33 GMT Source: Reuters Posted By: Byron

  Microsoft will fix a flaw in Windows 98 that allowed the software giant to collect unique computer identifying information without a user's knowledge, company executives said on Sunday. But a software programmer who detected the problem said he remained concerned Microsoft was amassing a huge database that theoretically could be used to track down the authors of individual documents. Rob Bennett, a group product manager at Microsoft, said the company learned on Friday that Windows 98 users were transmitting a unique hardware identification number during the registration process--even when they specifically elected not to send data about their hardware.

   

• Windows ID Numbers -- How They Work
  Time: 13:59 GMT Source: The Register Posted By: Byron

  Further details of the identification system used in Windows 98 registration have emerged. In the past few days it has been revealed (see earlier story) that data gathered during the registration process gives Microsoft the means to track both individual users and the documents they produce across the Internet.

  Each copy of Windows has its own registration number, and during online registration the user is asked to fill in personal details, including name, address and class of user. The registration also produces a hardware audit of the local machine, but the user can decline to send this to Microsoft if they want. In addition, however, machines with an Ethernet adaptor present will send a unique hardware identification number, whether or not the user declines to send hardware audit information.

Read more of the past months news in our News Archive for March.

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