[ Search | Mail Us News | News Archive | Contact | Newsgroups | Poll Archive ]

• Microsoft Launches New MSDN Online Site for Developers
  Time: 20:09 GMT Source: Press Release Posted By: Byron

  Microsoft Corp. today unveiled a new version of its popular MSDN™ Online developer site at http://msdn.microsoft.com/. In addition to providing more than 2 million developers worldwide with access to the most comprehensive development information available from Microsoft, the new MSDN Online site provides a personalized, single point of entry for all developers, making it much easier to customize and filter information. The updated site also connects developers with industry experts and peers around the world, offers new Online Special-Interest Groups (OSIGs), provides instant access to training and support resources, and much more.

   
• Melissa Virus Creator found?
  Time: 14:23 GMT Source: ZDNet Posted By: Dennis

  There is a ton of controversy over the creator of the Melissa virus. ZDNet has posted several articles on not only the creator but the code itself. It also includes links to download tools to get rid Melissa.

  If you didn't know what Melissa is, its a new word macro virus spreading rapidly. It was first posted to alt.sex on Friday and has spread extremely rapidly. Even the FBI is getting involved.

   

• Office 2000: The Big Yawn
  Time: 14:23 GMT Source: ZDNet Posted By: Byron

  Microsoft's marketing machine will be in high gear soon for Office 2000. It gets rolling this week at an Office 2000 Deployment Conference in New Orleans. The next version of Office is due next month for large corporate customers (early June for consumers). Though Office 2000 offers some improvements, it is nowhere near the must-have status of Office 97.

  Upgrades are costly in time, training and money. I've presented the pros and cons of upgrading to Office 2000 below. But you'll have to make up your own mind.

• First AOL, now the FBI?
  Time: 21:52 GMT Source: Wired Posted By: Dennis

  This morning, AOL posted a Community Watch for AOL members on the welcome screen to warn members of the Word Melissa virus. Now, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) gets in the picture.

   

• Whitehouse.gov hacked by Russians?
  Time: 21:50 GMT Source: Wired Posted By: Dennis

  Anti-NATO crackers claim credit for an all-day outage at the official White House Web site. Sources call it a hardware problem. Declan McCullagh reports from Washington.

   

• Instant Messenging = Instant Profits?
  Time: 21:47 GMT Source: ZDNet Posted By: Dennis

  Instant messaging is already changing the face of community and communications -- but can it make money? Online businesses are betting the answer is 'yes.'

   

• Gates and Ballmer Outline Blueprint to Reinvent Microsoft
  Time: 20:25 GMT Source: Press Release Posted By: Byron

  Microsoft Corp. President Steve Ballmer and Chairman and CEO Bill Gates today outlined a fundamental realignment of the company designed to meet the needs of its customers well into the next decade. The two executives outlined a shift in its organizational structure to establish business divisions based on the requirements of core customers. The business division leaders will think and act in parallel, each empowered with driving product planning and marketing strategies for their respective customers. The customer-focused parallelism represents a move away from the alignment by products and technologies that had served the company since its inception.

   
• Microsoft Office 2000 Released to Manufacturing With Enterprise Customers Ready to Deploy
  Time: 20:22 GMT Source: Press Release Posted By: Byron

  Today, at the first Microsoft® Office Deployment Conference, Bob Muglia, senior vice president of Microsoft's business productivity group, announced that the company has completed the development and testing of Office 2000. The suite is scheduled to be available to volume license customers in April and to be broadly available to retail customers on June 10, 1999. Microsoft also announced a new integrated deployment framework that includes tools, information, training programs and industry partners that, when coupled with the deployment capabilities in Office 2000, dramatically increases the ease and efficiency of deploying and managing Office 2000. In a show of early support among enterprise customers, Lockheed Martin Electronics and Missiles, University of Texas, J.D. Edwards & Co., and Turner Broadcasting Sales Inc. today announced their plans to deploy Office 2000.

   
• MSN Internet Access Begins Digital Subscriber Line Trials
  Time: 20:21 GMT Source: Press Release Posted By: Byron

  Microsoft Corp. today began trials of its new high-speed digital subscriber line (DSL) in four U.S. cities. MSN™ Internet Access DSL provides consumers with Web access at speeds of up to 8 MB per second - up to 275 times faster than today's 28.8 modem standard and up to thirty times faster than competitors' DSL offerings. MSN Internet Access DSL works across existing telephone lines, eliminating the need for a second voice line so consumers can navigate the Web while they talk on the telephone. In addition, the service is always turned on so there is no wasted time in dialing up for access to the Internet.

   
• PIII 500MHz Review
  Time: 20:18 GMT Source: Sharky Extreme Posted By: Byron

  Sharky Extreme has posted a review on the Intel Pentium III 500MHz. Here is a snippet:

  Now a CPU with Coppermine's specifications could possibly warrant a massive $700 price tag in our minds, as it will deliver approximately 25 to 40% more raw gaming performance than the current $700 P3-500 CPU does. Until September comes around, the P3-500 is the most powerful mainstream CPU available for purchase.

   
• States Reportedly Propose Windows Auction
  Time: 13:54 GMT Source: News.com Posted By: Byron

  SEATTLE--State attorneys general preparing for antitrust settlement talks with Microsoft will ask the software giant to give up control of the Windows operating system, possibly through an auction, according to a report today.

  The idea for a forced auction of Windows licensing rights was one of several proposals the attorneys general will take to a negotiating session with Microsoft executives Tuesday, the Seattle Times reported.

  Under the proposal--presented as the best way to redress what Microsoft's critics see as abuses of its monopoly power--intellectual property rights to Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows 2000 would be sold to two or three companies. Microsoft would retain the right to market and develop its own versions of the software, and Microsoft shareholders would get "reasonable compensation."

   

• Win64 Order Of Boot Expected RSN
  Time: 11:49 GMT Source: The Register Posted By: Byron

  Veteran Digital and Compaq watcher Terry Shannon is reporting in his newsletter Shannon knows Compaq that a demo of Win64 is imminent.

  Shannon says that Win64 may be demoed at the WinHEC conference in early April but Compaq would love to show it off at Innovate 99.

  Compaq successfully booted Win64 on its Alpha platform at the end of last year, and at an Intel Developer Forum in February, senior Merced engineers reckoned they'd be able to do the same in a month or so.

• E-Mail Virus Spreading Rapidly
  Time: 22:15 GMT Source: CNet Posted By: Byron

  A new virus is actively spreading itself across the Internet, taking advantage of users' email address books to replicate "extremely quickly," according to one expert. The virus, W97M_Melissa, uses a combination of Microsoft Word macros and Microsoft Outlook to send a list of 80 pornographic Web sites. It works with either Word 97 or Word 2000, according to antivirus companies TrendMicro, McAfee, and Network Associates.

   
• Windows 98 - Take Two
  Time: 16:22 GMT Source: PC World Posted By: Byron

  According to a Microsoft spokesperson, the new edition will carry the same price as the current one--about $90 for the upgrade from Windows 95. Current Windows 98 users will be able to order a less expensive upgrade CD-ROM from Microsoft's Web site. However, Microsoft has yet to determine when the disc will ship or how much it will cost. In the past, Microsoft has charged between $10 and $20 for CD-ROM updates such as the Office 97 Service Release and Windows NT service packs. Judging from our hands-on testing with the update's second beta version, many Windows 98 users will jump at a similarly priced upgrade.

   
• Microsoft Vows To Fix Registration ID Within Week
  Time: 16:20 GMT Source: PC World Posted By: Byron

  Microsoft said Friday it will post a free software tool within a week that lets users delete from their hard drives an identifying number generated when they registered Windows 98.

  Earlier this month, Microsoft promised to modify future releases of its Windows 98 Registration Wizard to exclude this function, which sends a hardware serial number to a Microsoft server. The company also promised a free utility to current users who want to delete their numbers.

   
• IE5 Security Hole Lets Snoopers Scoop Your Clipboard
  Time: 10:45 GMT Source: The Register Posted By: Byron

  Microsoft is denying that a major security hole discovered in IE 5 is a problem - it's a feature of the software's security, according to the company. The hole allows web servers to read whatever is in an IE 5 user's clipboard cache, without their knowledge or consent. Microsoft software that allows remote servers access to data on local machines without knowledge or consent has of course been topical recently. The latest problem/feature has been documented by http://www.sysopt.com here - the page also has a little demo to prove it can be done. Reading the clipboard can be done via a small piece of Java/ActiveX code, and remote servers can do this essentially because IE 5's default installation has the security features set to allow it.

   
• NEC Launches 128MB Rambus DRAM
  Time: 10:43 GMT Source: Newsbytes Posted By: Byron

  NEC Corp has announced the commercial availability of a 128 megabit Direct Rambus DRAM becoming the first computer memory maker to debut such a device.

  The new chip, which operates at 800 megahertz and offers 1.6 gigabytes per second of peak bandwidth, will be offered as a single package and built into a 184-pin, 128 megabyte Rambus inline memory module (RIMM). It will be available in volume quantities from July this year and production is scheduled to hit 3 million units per month by the end of 1999.

  Backed by Intel Corp, the chips are based on proprietary technology by Rambus Inc. Use of Rambus DRAM chips is expected to take off this year with, on a bit-basis, output of Rambus chips making up around 9 percent of all DRAM output by the end of this year. This figure is expected to climb to 50 percent in 2001.

   

• Credit Card-Size PC Comes With USB
  Time: 10:38 GMT Source: CGO Posted By: Byron

  Cell Computing, Inc. is shipping a 233 megahertz (MHz) CardPC micro-motherboard with Universal Serial Bus (USB) expansion capability. The credit card-sized device is sold to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for embedded or highly mobile designs. The 233 MHz CardPC uses a low-power Intel 233 MHz Mobile Pentium processor with MMX technology. It supports USB transfer rates up to 12 megabits per second.

  The AT-compatible system has a mobile Pentium CPU, Intel chipset, Trident Cyber9320 PCI graphics controller with one megabyte (MB) of video RAM, National Semiconductor Super input/output (I/O) chip, two serial ports, one parallel port, one USB port, up to 128 MB of dynamic RAM, industry-standard Phoenix BIOS with power management features and interfaces for LCD and CRT.

• WindowBlinds 0.80.6
  Time: 12:08 GMT Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Dennis

  Stardock has put a WB 0.80 update, which fixes some slight bugs like the uneven menus. To update you have to do the following:

  • Make sure WB is not set to load on startup. Via the configuration window.
  • Unload WB
  • Reboot
  • Unzip the zip into your WB folder.
  • Run WB 0.80.6

  Also, make sure you check out our review! Also, the WB 0.80.4 download link on the right has been fixed, sorry for this inconvenience

  Update: Sorry, we forgot to put the WB 0.80.6 download link. Its on the title now.

   

• Office 2000 To Go Gold Next Week
  Time: 09:43 GMT Source: CRN Posted By: Byron

  Microsoft will release Office 2000 to manufacturing next week in preparation for April availability to select corporate customers, sources said.

  At its Office 2000 Deployment Conference in New Orleans next week, Microsoft officials will announce the Office 2000 testing is complete and will be available to licensed customers on CDs beginning in April, company sources said. The shrink-wrapped Office 2000 box will be available to retailers starting in early June, several retail sources said.

   

• Are Ads Too Late For Windows CE Handhelds?
  Time: 09:42 GMT Source: CNet Posted By: Byron

  Microsoft has launched a print advertising campaign to erase misconceptions about its Windows CE platform, but some wonder whether the ads can reverse the history of sluggish sales and consumer confusion associated with the handhelds. The campaign will initially be directed at clearing the air around the PC Pro, Microsoft's name for handhelds that are powered by the Windows CE operating system and are about the size of mini notebooks. HP's Jornada 820 is an example of a PC Pro. Later, the campaign will come to promote palm-sized CE devices.

   

• Intel Opens Site To Give Pentium Advice
  Time: 09:41 GMT Source: CNet Posted By: Byron

  Intel today launched a new site to help customers get the most bang out of their Pentium bucks. Initially, WebOutfitter will offer software tools and tutorials on what can be accomplished with PCs based around Intel's Pentium III processor and will eventually include "next generation" content, technologies, and services, the company said. The site is part of an overall push by Intel to give consumers strong reasons to upgrade to its more expensive chips--and as a way to ensure that they won't be disappointed if they do.

• Amazon.Com Stocks Soar
  Time: 20:20 GMT Source: ZDNet Posted By: Dennis

  Amazon.com shares picked up 2 7/8 to 142 3/4 in heavy trading Friday after BancBoston Robertson Stephens predicted the online bookseller would see sequential revenue growth in its first quarter above the record $253 million it recorded last quarter.

   

• What was MS thinking?
  Time: 20:10 GMT Source: ZDNet Posted By: Dennis

  Microsoft will likely offer small concessions. The DOJ wants much, much more.

  If history is any indication, Microsoft is likely to try to position some of the previous concessions it has made in the Windows licensing arena as permanent amendments to contracts available to all OEMs. But some OEMs and other sources critical of Microsoft's business policies say such a move would have little or no value.

   

• Sun and AOL to disclose plans for Netscape
  Time: 20:10 GMT Source: News.Com Posted By: Dennis

  America Online and Sun Microsystems said today that early next week they plan to unveil details of their strategic alliance to develop corporate Internet software and electronic commerce products.

  At a news conference to be held in New York Tuesday morning, executives from America Online, Sun Microsystems, and the alliance team the two companies have formed will discuss their plans for the venture, first announced in November of last year.

   

• PSINet Forced to pay $49 million Fine
  Time: 20:08 GMT Source: News.Com Posted By: Dennis

  The ISP is ordered to pay $49 million following a failed business venture with a firm backed by financier George Soros. The fine may force the company to restate its loss for 1998.

   

• How Serious is the PIII Privacy Threat?
  Time: 20:06 GMT Source: News.Com Posted By: Dennis

  Technology experts say recent reports of software programs capable of "grabbing" PC users' Pentium III serial numbers without their knowledge or consent shouldn't alarm PC users. On the other hand, those on all sides of the debate agree that no one should be overly confident about the level of security these microprocessors can ensure.

   

• MS Planning Shedloads Of Windows NT Variants
  Time: 12:54 GMT Source: The Register Posted By: Byron

  Weird noises from this week's Gartner Symposium in San Diego say Microsoft, despite apparently postponing development of one version of NT, is planning something in excess of ten different new versions. But from the reports it seems clear that the scheme is going to fall awkwardly between the techie plan, which is converging on one code base and then tailoring in different directions, and the marketing one, which is give us all your money.

  Marketing will as always triumph in the definition of MS strategic direction. Hence the planning as reported by Gartner presumes the leap of faith that says Microsoft is going to get a version of Windows 2000 that it can build on out of the door by 2000.

   

• Users Fume Over Customized IE 5
  Time: 12:51 GMT Source: CoolInfo Posted By: Byron

  As Internet Explorer Version 5.0 enjoys record downloads, one of the browser's chief selling points is turning off some users. One of IE 5's attributes--which Microsoft has been touting heavily--is its customization option. The feature, which allows content sites to alter the browser's look or add content references, has been the lynchpin of Microsoft's strategy of enticing some of the big Web portals and other content sites to promote IE to their users.

• Microsoft Exaggerated Downloads
  Time: 19:58 GMT Source: Reuters Posted By: Byron

  Microsoft said Wednesday its new Web browser had been downloaded by more than 1 million people in record time, forcing executives to admit they had exaggerated public response to the previous version released in 1997. Microsoft declared in a news release that customer downloads of Internet Explorer 5, released a week ago for free distribution over the Internet, "more than tripled those of the previous record-setting Internet Explorer 4.0.''

   
• MS Settlement Offer A PR Stunt?
  Time: 15:37 GMT Source: ZDNet Posted By: Byron

  Microsoft has made a proposal to settle its antitrust case but it was nowhere near acceptable to the states suing the software giant, a state attorney general said Wednesday.

  "It was a minimalist opening offer,'' California Attorney General Bill Lockyer told reporters at a meeting of state attorneys general. "It was far from what anyone in our group would expect to be adequate.''

   
• New Creative TNT Drivers
  Time: 11:51 GMT Source: Diamond Posted By: Byron

  Creative has posted new drivers for Win95/98 and NT4 for their Graphics Blaster TNT card.

   
• New Diamond Viper 550 Drivers
  Time: 11:50 GMT Source: Diamond Posted By: Byron

  Diamond has released new drivers for their Viper V550 TNT based card. Hopefully none of you will run into that IE 5 problem now.

   
• Voodoo 3 2000 Review
  Time: 11:46 GMT Source: Sharky Extreme Posted By: Byron

  Sharky Extreme has posted a review of the Voodoo 3 2000. Here is a snippet:

  The 3500 will not be shipping for a while yet but the 166MHz version (the 3000) and the 143MHz version (the 2000) are much more successful in terms of yields and thus closer to being released. The focus of this article is the Voodoo3 2000 AGP, which will be pitched to entry level end users as a low cost 2D/3D solution. Not long after you read this, the Voodoo3 2000 AGP will actually be available for purchase and hence we've been given a full retail version (a Rev. B) for review purposes. The board itself (pictured below) is actually straight off of STB's FAB line in Mexico and not a 'pre-production' board from 3dfx. A PCI version of the 2000 will also be available, which we'll test for you at a later date.

   

• Diamond IE5 Bug Fixed
  Time: 05:10 GMT Source: Voodoo Extreme Posted By: Cliff

  Whew! That was fast. Diamond has released fixed drivers for their Video Cards to compensate for the problems that were reported with Internet Explorer 5.0 earlier. You can download the updated drivers here.

• WindowBlinds 0.80 Released to Public
  Time: 23:49 GMT Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Dennis

  WindowBlinds 0.80 is now available on Download.Com. While your downloading you can view our review here.

   

• eBay Faces Patent Infringement Lawsuit
  Time: 23:45 GMT Source: Internet News Posted By: Bob

  Online auctioneer eBay is being sued by a software developer which maintains a program that lets eBay users post auction listings infringes on its patented technology. 

   

• Court Rules Domain Names Are Property
  Time: 23:42 GMT Source: Internet News Posted By: Bob

  In a ruling with major implications for domain registrants, a federal court in Virginia has ruled that domain names are property and are subject to different legal protection than previously thought.

   

• Industry group urges Microsoft breakup
  Time: 23:40 GMT Source: ABC News Posted By: Bob

  The Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) is joining the growing chorus that's calling for the restructuring of Microsoft. The association has drafted a white paper due out this spring that urges the courts to break the software giant into several pieces, or face future rounds of antitrust litigation.

   

• House clears crypto bill
  Time: 22:58 GMT Source: ABC News Posted By: Bob

  Federal lawmakers today advanced a bill to ease encryption export restrictions, but the proposal still contains a controversial provision that would make it a crime to use the data-scrambling technology to cover up illegal activity.

   

• NSI accused of traffic diversion
  Time: 22:58 GMT Source: ABC News Posted By: Bob

  The federal government has accused Network Solutions of diverting traffic from the public Internic Web directory for commercial purposes. The charge could help end Network Solutions’ lucrative control over the domain-name registry system.

   

• Gates downplays Linux threat
  Time: 22:58 GMT Source: Techweb Posted By: Bob

  Bill Gates said that while he views Linux as a competitor, he does not expect it to have a significant impact on commercial markets.

   

• AOL to cut 1,000 jobs
  Time: 22:54 GMT Source: Wired Posted By: Bob

  America Online said Wednesday it will be cutting up to 1,000 jobs, or 8 percent of its 12,000 employees, as part of a reorganization following its acquisition of Netscape Communications.

   

• Officials don't like settlement proposal
  Time: 22:54 GMT Source: News.com Posted By: Bob

  California Attorney General Bill Lockyer calls the proposal--recently submitted by Microsoft--"a minimalist opening offer" that is not sufficient.

   

• Sun gets small with Java-based browser
  Time: 22:54 GMT Source: News.com Posted By: Bob

  The company releases a Java-based browser for devices such as TV set-top boxes or cell phones, the first product from Sun's acquisition of Beduin.

   
• MSN expands focus on female Netizens
  Time: 22:52 GMT Source: News.com Posted By: Bob

  Microsoft's MSN portal forms an alliance to expand its products and services aimed at busy professional women.

   
• Softbank to set up Net joint venture with Microsoft
  Time: 22:48 GMT Source: News.com Posted By: Bob

  Separately, IBM and Sharp will announce cooperating in the home networking market.

   
• CBS wants to dominate the 'Net
  Time: 22:44 GMT Source: News.com Posted By: Bob

  The TV network is seeing strong first-quarter growth and aims to become one of the largest companies in the Internet industry, chief executive Mel Karmazin says.

   
• Notes bug exposes email messages
  Time: 22:44 GMT Source: News.com Posted By: Bob

  Lotus confirms the existence of a bug in its Notes messaging software that exposes encrypted email messages.

   
• Hardware glitch plagues Hotmail
  Time: 22:44 GMT Source: News.com Posted By: Bob

  Microsoft's free email product is offering a new "stationery" feature, but many users can't access it while a hardware problem locks them out of their accounts.

   
• IBM cutting many new chip deals
  Time: 22:40 GMT Source: News.com Posted By: Bob

  Big Blue is once again focusing on its power areas--hardware technology and manufacturing--and it seems to be paying off.

   

• WinAMP 2.10 is now Available
  Time: 20:59 GMT Source: Netigen Posted By: Dennis

  As we told you last night, WinAMP 2.10 is now available. You can download here.

  Just a note, we udpated the WB article below with a link to the official Stardock WB press release.

   

• Communicator 5 Beta Due In June
  Time: 20:16 GMT Source: NewsBytes Posted By: Byron

  Netscape originally predicted to show the beta version of its Communicator Web suite during CeBIT. However, the company has now reportedly moved the beta date to the end of the first half of 1999, with the final product to be available towards the end of the year.

  Just like the open source operating system Linux, Netscape developed Communicator 5 publicly. Developers from around the world submitted code for the new software. The project is coordinated by Netscape through the Web site Mozilla.

  According to Netscape's senior product marketing manager, Michael LaGuardia, the new browser's construction will be modular. LaGuardia said that user prompting is based on open standards such as HTML (hypertext markup language), XML, and Style Sheets.

  Another important concept addresses the new rendering functions for Web content representation. The user interface consists of a set of HTML/XML files , whose symbols and buttons are embedded in GIF graphics form. This allows any future user to adjust the appearance of the software.

  At this time it has not been clarified, if the final Communicator version actually will allow free access to these elements.

   
• WindowBlinds 0.80 Available
  Time: 20:07 GMT Source: Stardock Posted By: Dennis

  Although, WindowBlinds 0.80 is not available to the general public on download.com and hotfiles.com, it is available if you want to purchase it. If you didn't know the next version of WB will be shareware, and it will popup a registration prompt if not registered at startup. If you had plans to purchase it in the future, might as well now, and you can download WB 0.80 before everyone else. You can read my review here. You can get WB 0.80 (buy) here.

  If you don't want to purchase it, you can wait until it is posted for public download.

  The official press release is here.

   
• Gates Say MS In Settlement Talks
  Time: 20:06 GMT Source: ZDNet Posted By: Byron

  Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates said Wednesday the software giant is in discussions to settle an antitrust lawsuit the U.S. government brought against the software giant. In an interview with Sir David Frost at an investor conference here, Gates said, ``There are ongoing discussions and I won't speculate as to the probabilities or anything, but I hope it does get settled,'' referring to a possible settlement.

   
• Microsoft Reports Record Customer Downloads of Internet Explorer 5
  Time: 14:14 GMT Source: Press Release Posted By: Byron

  Microsoft Corp. today announced that more than 1 million downloads of Microsoft® Internet Explorer 5 have taken place since the newest version of the Microsoft browsing software was made available last Thursday, March 18. Customer downloads of Internet Explorer 5 during the "opening weekend" more than tripled those of the previous record-setting Internet Explorer 4.0 and were greater than the total number of people who attended the opening weekends of Best Picture nominees "Shakespeare in Love," "Elizabeth," "The Thin Red Line" and "Life is Beautiful" combined. One of the reasons for the overwhelming customer demand is the widespread recommendation of Internet Explorer 5 from top industry experts and publications.

   
• Internet Explorer 5 Torpedoes Diamond Video Driver Upgrades
  Time: 12:17 GMT Source: MSNBC Posted By: Byron

  If you have installed Microsoft Internet Explorer 5, be careful of updating any of your Diamond video drivers. If you do, you may enter “DLL Hell.” According to the Internet Explorer release notes, if you have installed Internet Explorer 5, and then upgrade a Diamond video driver that you download from Diamond’s Web site, your computer may not restart.

   
• Sony Confirms Linux To Be PSX2 Development Platform
  Time: 12:13 GMT Source: The Register Posted By: Byron

  Sony has confirmed that it has selected Linux running on Intel-based hardware as the development platform for PlayStation 2 games. Speaking at last week's Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Jose, Sony Computer Entertainment's Phil Harrison mentioned in his keynote that all future PlayStation 2 releases would be developed under Linux.

  Harrison said Sony had selected Linux rather than Windows because developers need "a stable platform".

   
• IE5: Branded For Life?
  Time: 10:22 GMT Source: PC World Posted By: Byron

  As the browser war rages between Netscape and Internet Explorer, Microsoft has changed the entire battlefield. With Internet Explorer 5's Web Accessories feature, any developer can create customized versions of the browser. Now you can search and surf the Web with a browser specially tuned for AltaVista, Excite, Lycos, InfoSeek's Go Network, MSN, Snap, Yahoo, or other sites. Each portal can tweak IE5's user interface and integrate a plethora of custom features into toolbars, bookmarks, separate frames, and shortcuts. It also can deliver headlines, e-mail notification, and stock quotes.

  Analysts say this customization is the latest weapon in the ongoing browser brouhaha. Microsoft says a parade of content sites are preparing to build extensions to IE5. But what happens when you install such a custom browser--and don't like it?

   
• Celeron 433MHz Review
  Time: 10:19 GMT Source: Sharky Extreme Posted By: Byron

  Sharky Extreme has posted a Celeron 433MHz Review. Here is a snippet from the review:

  Intel's counterattack on the low end of the CPU market continues this week with the introduction of the Celeron 433 (6.5 x 66MHz) CPU. Recent published data indicates that over the past four months, ever since the launch of the Celeron 300A really, Intel has been scarfing up big chunks of the precious "under $1,000" PC marketshare they lost to AMD during most of last year.

  The re-invigorated Celeron line of CPUs is the reason for the upward spike in Intel's recent sales, their combination of aggressive pricing plus strong performance has equaled OEM wins from 85% of the top 10 Tier-1 PC system integrators.

  Today's review of the Celeron 433 offers a well rounded look at the part's overall capabilities compared to the Celeron 400, as well as the Pentium 2 450 and the Pentium 3 450 CPUs.

   

• Internet Explorer 5 Easter Eggs
  Time: 10:07 GMT Source: E-Mail Posted By: Byron

  Thanks to LockerGnome for sending them in. These two work with the Windows 95/98/NT version of IE5

   

  1. Open up Notepad

  2. Type: "<!-- introducing the Trident team -->" (without the quotes)

  3. Save the file as "test.htm" (yes, it must be saved as an HTM file)

  4. Open up "test.htm" in IE5

  5. That's IE5 Easter Egg Number 1

   

  1. Open up IE5

  2. From the menu, select Tools | Internet Options | General (tab) | Languages (button)

  3. Press "Add'

  4. Type: "ie-ee" (without the quotes) and click "OK"

  5. Move "User Defined [ie-ee]" to the TOP of the list

  6. Exit back to where you can browse in IE5 again

  7. Click on the Search icon (to pull up the side search menu)

  8. Laugh at the new options

  9. Select 'Previous Searches'

  10. That's IE5 Easter Egg Number 2

• WindowBlinds 0.80 Announcement
  Time: 23:59 GMT Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Dennis

  Stardock has announced that WindowBlinds 0.80 will be available tomorrow. Included in the zip (link on the title) is the WB 0.80 announcement describing the changes, and the WB 0.80 readme.

   

• WinAMP 2.10 Set for Release Tomorrow
  Time: 23:59 GMT Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Dennis

  Nullsoft will release WinAMP 2.10 tomorrow. We will have more information on this as its released.

   

• WindowBlinds 0.80.4 Released to OD Users
  Time: 21:23 GMT Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Dennis

  You heard it here, WindowBlinds 0.80.4 was released to Object Desktop Network Users today. This has been confirmed as the final 0.80 that will be released tomorrow, depending on when Download.Com updates. You can check our review here. We will post here when the download is available to the public.

   

• Internet Explorer 5 CD's For Free (UK Only)
  Time: 13:41 GMT Source: Microsoft UK Posted By: Byron

  For those of you who are based in the UK. Microsoft has announced that you can order a free copy of Internet Explorer 5 on CD. Thanks to a friend of mine at Microsoft UK for pointing it out.

   
• MS To Unveil Digital Music Delivery System Next Month
  Time: 12:56 GMT Source: The Register Posted By: Byron

  Microsoft has confirmed it is to build a complete digital content encryption, management and tracking system into Windows 2000, and that it plans to unveiled the technology at next month's Audisee 99 show to be held in Los Angeles.

  The system will be primarily aimed at the Internet-delivered music market and the emerging for Net-based video on demand services. It will be based on the company's MS Audio 4.0 digital music format, which is said to offer twice the compression of MP3 and better playback quality, and technology from digital rights management tools developer Reciprocal, in which it last month made a massive $15 million investment.

   
• New Windows 95 Tips Added
  Time: 11:35 GMT Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Byron

  Just to prove we haven't forgotten any of you Windows 95 users out there, we have added a massive load of tips just for Windows 95 on just two pages for you to sort through.

   
• New Internet Explorer 5 Tips Added
  Time: 11:22 GMT Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Byron

  We have started to add more Internet Explorer 5 tips to the ActiveIE section on the website. We are working hard to also get a page ready that will explain what all the options in Internet Explorer 5's advanced menu mean.

   
• Intel To Slash Pentium III Prices On April 11th
  Time: 11:13 GMT Source: The Register Posted By: Byron

  Distributors close to Intel's plans have passed us details of price cuts the company will make on April 11 next. There will be "sizeable" cuts in mobile Pentium IIs and Celerons, but the exact prices have not yet been finalised, the source said.

  The PII/333 will disappear as an Intel part on that date, while other Pentium IIs will drop by around $70 or so each. The Pentium III/450 will drop to just below $400/1000, while the Pentium III/500 will cost $635/1000. When it is released in June, the Pentium III/550 is likely to cost $750, the distributor said.

   
• AMD Thrashes Intel Again
  Time: 11:12 GMT Source: The Register Posted By: Byron

  Market research company PC Data said yesterday that AMD had taken over 50 per cent share of the US desktop retail market in February. That is two months in a row that AMD has trashed Intel's retail share. The figures show AMD at 51.4 per cent, Intel at 38 per cent and Cyrix at 10.4 per cent.

   

• Rumours Of MS Settlement Hype From Shareholders
  Time: 11:09 GMT Source: The Register Posted By: Byron

  The rumours of settlement talks between the DoJ and Microsoft are just that: Microsoft does not have the slightest intention of settling at the moment, but it is pretending to be willing to settle so that it can get the best possible result in the District Court from Judge Jackson. Lawyers from both sides had been advised by the judge to use their time wisely during the recess – implying to conduct settlement talks.

  The current rumours were started by those with most to lose – institutions holding large amounts of Microsoft stock – according to sources. And where better to start the rumour than in the Wall Street Journal? Microsoft was caught on one foot by this investor pressure, so that its anonymised statement (by Mark Murray no doubt) was intended to make it seem more authoritative and as though Microsoft was trying. Murray himself has lost credibility as a result of his absurd daily black-is-white statements after Microsoft had been roughed up in court.

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

Do you have any Windows based news? Just Remember To Get In Touch!