• Site News: Microsoft Request Us To Stop Using The Name "ActiveWindows"
  Time: 15:24 EST/20:24 GMT News Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Well now, we've had more fun with Microsoft's Legal department today. You may remember a couple of months back we were forced to change our logo because Microsoft said it was against their logo program, although it was a bit of an annoyance, we didn't mind changing it as we always planned to at some point anyway. Well today we get another call and letter from Microsoft's Legal department saying thanks for changing the logo but can you now cease from using the name "ActiveWindows" as they say it is misusing the Windows trademark and giving Windows a bad name somehow.

  We would like you to comment about this either by e-mailing us or by writing a message on our message board so Microsoft can see it. We doubt it'll make a difference but anyway.

  We would also like to publicly state that we are having our lawyers look into it and a decision will be made early next month, oh and one last thing - we know who made the complaint about this, just like she did for the logo but we're used to that windows badly coordinated beta department being (how do we put this) difficult so we're used to it.

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• February Training Month for Microsoft Windows 2000 Further Prepares IT Work Force for Final Release of Product
  Time: 15:36 EST/20:36 GMT News Source: Press Release Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Microsoft Corp. today announced that it anticipates more than 30,000 additional IT professionals worldwide will be trained on the Microsoft^® Windows^® 2000 operating system as part of February Training Month, designed to prepare the industry and ready customers for the release of the final Windows 2000 product. Microsoft has been preparing IT professionals for the business operating system's release since April 1999. Highlights of February Training Month include discounted, one-day hands-on Microsoft Official Curriculum (MOC) training courses delivered by the Microsoft Certified Technical Education Center (Microsoft CTEC) channel; Technology Week, a one-week event providing professional trainers with information on Microsoft Windows 2000 and other related sessions; and four new TechNet briefing sessions to optimize IT professionals' solutions based on the Microsoft Windows 2000 operating system.

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• Microsoft Provides Two Comprehensive Tax Resources To Ease the Pain of Tax Season
  Time: 15:35 EST/20:35 GMT News Source: Press Release Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Just in time for Americans to open the W-2 forms that are landing in their mailboxes, Microsoft Corp. today announced that its comprehensive tax resources are now available to help consumers reduce the hassle, pain and anxiety associated with preparing and filing their taxes this season. Consumers who prefer a CD-based product can choose the new Microsoft^® TaxSaver™ tax preparation software that arrived on store shelves last month. TaxSaver offers an easy, step-by-step method for preparing and filing accurate returns. For consumers interested in an online solution, the MSN™ MoneyCentral™ online personal finance service offers a wide range of tax resources on the Internet, including free online filing for 1040EZ tax forms. Consumers can take advantage of the award-winning online personal finance resource to easily research, prepare and file their taxes from beginning to end, or as an online companion to TaxSaver.

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• Microsoft TechNet Offers New and Unique Resources to IT Professionals
  Time: 15:34 EST/20:34 GMT News Source: Press Release Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Microsoft Corp. today announced the redesign and immediate availability of the TechNet Web site for IT professionals at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/. In addition to the Web site redesign, Microsoft will offer a Windows^® 2000 Discussion Forum and 15 new TechNet sessions, nine of which are focused on the Microsoft^® Windows 2000 operating system.

  "IT professionals have told us they want one location where they can find the latest technical information about Microsoft products and solutions as well as a better way to plug into the Microsoft peer network to discuss current technical issues and share information," said Rosa Garcia, director of TechNet at Microsoft. "Microsoft is committed to providing innovative, all-inclusive resources to IT professionals through the TechNet program, and the new redesign of the TechNet Web site offers customers a flexible, powerful knowledge source that can be customized to address their specific organizational needs and provide a launch pad for peer-to-peer interaction."

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• Lotus lashes out over MS Exchange v Domino test
  Time: 14:59 EST/19:59 GMT News Source: The Register Posted By: Byron Hinson

  What had been a little local skirmish between Microsoft and Lotus over Notes may be escalating into a war, despite the fixed smiles of chumminess following Lotus' decision this week to offer MS Outlook with Notes.

  Microsoft had of course hoped that Notes would fall to Exchange as had 1-2-3 fallen to Excel many years earlier, but it didn't happen. From time to time, Microsoft ran a campaign to show that "independent research" purported to prove that Exchange Server was "preferred by IT administrators", was "easier, faster than Lotus Domino" or that it "outperformed" Domino. The skirmishes were punctuated by announcements that Lotus and Microsoft would "promote interoperability on the Web" with IE4 (July 1997), or integrate Windows Media Technologies into Lotus Notes and Domino" (last September). The recent trouble started on 10 January when Microsoft announced that "an independent laboratory test" showed that "Exchange leads in email performance". It turned out that the lab was ZD Labs.

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• Transmeta chips to run Linux, Windows, attack Intel x86
  Time: 14:57 EST/19:57 GMT News Source: The Register Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Just hours before the big gig where Transmeta's super-secret was due to be revealed, company CEO Dave Ditzel blew it by spilling his guts to Dow Jones Newswires. We shouldn't be too hard on the lad, as spinmeisters and top flight execs alike generally melt when confronted by the Mighty Dow, but even so - Transmeta was supposed to be the big secret, and it's a bit careless of the boss to spoil the party. But it's happened now. There are two chips initially, the 400MHz 3120, aimed at appliances running Linux, among other things, and the 5400, running at 700MHz and aimed at Windows portables.

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• Palm loses ground to WinCE over Xmas
  Time: 14:55 EST/19:55 GMT News Source: The Register Posted By: Byron Hinson

  The Palm handheld platform continued to maintain a strong lead over Windows CE in the US last month, according to the latest data from market researcher NPD Intelect. Palm Computing ended the year with a marketshare of 73.6 per cent, up 8.1 per cent on December 1998. Windows CE took around 25 per cent, divided between products from Casio, Sharp, Hewlett-Packard and Compaq.

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• Microsoft Beefs up Security Center
  Time: 04:42 EST/09:42 GMT News Source: PC World Posted By: Alex Harris

  Microsoft plans to keep your information safe and secure and educate you in the process, a company executive declares.

  Part of that vision involves re-launching the company's around-the-clock Security Response Center, for which Microsoft promises a 24-hour response time to every customer report. Brian Valentine, Microsoft's senior vice president of Windows, described the company's plans in a keynote at the RSA Data Security Conference here this week.

  On Microsoft's security Web site, you'll find information on security, cryptography, and firewalls, as well as products. The site also provides patches or work-around solutions, and posts bulletins.

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• ValiCert digital certificate validation enhances Windows 2000 e-commerce security
  Time: 04:27 EST/09:27 GMT News Source: Microsoft Daily News Posted By: Alex Harris

  With Microsoft® Windows® 2000, validating a digital certificate can be as easy as verifying a credit card.

  ValiCert Inc., a leading provider of electronic transaction solutions, has announced that its Global VA Service root keys will be embedded in Windows 2000. The solution enables any secure Windows 2000-based application to automatically verify all digital certificates before trusting them for Internet transactions, resulting in improved e-commerce security.

  "Microsoft is pleased to be able to offer its customers the enhanced security made possible through the inclusion of the ValiCert root keys in Windows 2000," said Brian Valentine, senior vice president of the Windows Division at Microsoft. "Certificate validation is truly a critical requirement to ensure trust in e-business transactions, and we look forward to continuing our ongoing relationship with ValiCert."

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• HP quietly adopts AMD's Athlon chip
  Time: 04:25 EST/09:25 GMT News Source: CNet News Posted By: Alex Harris

  True to its button-down culture, Hewlett-Packard has been quietly shipping consumer PCs using AMD's Athlon processor to some retail outlets and will likely begin to sell them on the Web by early March.

  Since the beginning of the month, Hewlett-Packard has been selling Athlon-based Pavilion models in Sam's Clubs and Costco stores, an HP spokesman confirmed. The PC maker is expected to start selling them on its Web site by late February or early March, sources have said. Although wider distribution is likely, the decision to sell the Athlon systems online may not yet be final, the spokesman said.

  With HP adopting the chip, AMD has persuaded four out of the top five PC makers to manufacture Athlon consumer systems. Dell remains the holdout. Gateway said it would start using Athlon chips earlier this month, after deciding to not release an Athlon PC last year. AMD could not be reached for comment.

  HP's use of the chip is the latest victory for AMD, which will announce earnings for the fourth quarter tomorrow after the market closes. AMD is expected to report earnings of 1 cent a share for the quarter, according to a consensus of analysts compiled by First Call. Although this will amount to a profit of around $1.5 million, AMD hasn't posted a profit since the fourth quarter of 1998. The company is expected to report losses for 1999 in the range of $350 million.

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• Excite@Home Usenet death penalty lifted
  Time: 04:23 EST/09:23 GMT News Source: CNet News Posted By: Alex Harris

  Excite@Home averted a Usenet "death penalty" today by reducing an excessive amount of newsgroup postings emanating from spammers.

  The self-appointed administrators of Usenet, a computer bulletin board system containing topic-specific messages, have agreed to lift a proposed measure that would have blocked many newsgroup postings originating from Excite@Home servers.

  The Redwood City, Calif., company said the unwanted messages have stemmed from spammers taking advantage of misconfigured software used by some subscribers. As a result, some spam, or junk email, appears to be originating from Excite@Home users but is actually generated by another source.

  "Because of the rapid and positive response from the people at Excite@Home Network, the Usenet Death Penalty originally announced to go into effect at the close of business (Tuesday) has been lifted," Usenet spam tracker David Ritz wrote today in an email.

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• Microsoft: We didn't break the law
  Time: 04:21 EST/09:21 GMT News Source: ZDNet Posted By: Alex Harris

  Microsoft Corp. stood its ground against government trustbusters Tuesday with its latest legal filing to U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson.

   Citing copyright laws, a 1998 appeals court ruling and Jackson's findings of fact, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) claimed it is not a monopoly and did not break federal antitrust laws by tying Internet Explorer to Windows or striking exclusionary agreements with its partners.

  In a 70-page filing, Microsoft responded to charges by the U.S. Department of Justice and 19 state attorneys general that the company violated both sections of the Sherman Antitrust Act in at least four ways.

  Tuesday's filing follows Jackson's Nov. 5 findings of fact, which declared Microsoft a predatory monopolist.

  In Microsoft's filing, the company argued that, even based on Jackson's findings, it didn't break the law. "Needless to say, Microsoft respectfully disagrees with many of the Court's findings of fact and believes that they are unsupported by the record," the filing stated.

  Download The Entire Document ( RTF )

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• Windows 2000 Final Now Available On MSDN
  Time: 03:43 EST/08:43 GMT News Source: E-Mail Posted By: Byron Hinson

  As expected, Microsoft yesterday released the final version of Windows 2000 to MSDN subscribers a couple of days early. So for those lucky enough to have a subscription, what are you waiting for?

  http://msdn.microsoft.com/subscriptions/resources/subdwnld.asp

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• Supreme Court lets domain fees stand
  Time: 17:28 EST/22:28 GMT News Source: ZDNet Posted By: Alex Harris

  The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday let stand a ruling that the fees charged by Network Solutions Inc. for registration and renewal of Internet addresses do not represent unconstitutional, unauthorized taxes, as Congress approved their collection.

  The high court, without any comment or dissent, rejected an appeal by a group of nine individuals or companies that sued Network Solutions (Nasdaq: NSOL) and the National Science Foundation, a federally financed agency that had a cooperative agreement with the company.

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• Lotus to allow Domino access from Microsoft Outlook
  Time: 17:27 EST/22:27 GMT News Source: CNet News Posted By: Alex Harris

  While Lotus says it is not ceding victory to archrival Microsoft in a long-running messaging software market war, it is certainly extending an olive branch.

  At its annual user conference here, the company is set to announce today that it will allow users of Microsoft's Outlook client software to link to its Domino Web server software across corporate networks. The move is significant, since for years Lotus and Microsoft have fiercely defended their proprietary messaging products.

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• Microsoft beats estimates with another big quarter
  Time: 17:25 EST/22:25 GMT News Source: CNet News Posted By: Alex Harris

  Although much of the focus on Microsoft lately has been on lawsuits and executives switches, the company today got back to its strong suit--profits--by reporting higher than expected quarterly earnings of 47 cents a share, excluding extraordinary charges.

  Benefiting from growing demand for PCs loaded with Microsoft operating systems and software, the company reported earnings of 47 cents per share, on revenues of $6.11 billion. This is up from split-adjusted earnings of 36 cents per share for the same period last year and revenues of $5.2 billion. First Call analysts expected the company to report earnings of 42 cents per share.

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• Microsoft scoffs at government findings
  Time: 17:23 EST/22:23 GMT News Source: CNet News Posted By: Alex Harris

  Microsoft today disagreed with a federal judge's findings that strongly suggest the software maker violated U.S. antitrust law.

  As reported earlier, Microsoft filed proposed "conclusions of law" today in its landmark antitrust case with the Justice Department and 19 states. The government filed a similar document--but one that supported U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson's findings of fact--on Dec. 6.

  Microsoft took the offense early in the filing, relying on more than 20 years of precedents to show that, in legal terms, it did not violate two sections of the Sherman Act.

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• Intel Delivers Trusted Network Security Solutions With New Family of Adapters
  Time: 17:21 EST/22:21 GMT News Source: Yahoo! News Posted By: Alex Harris

  Intel Corporation today announced, during the ninth annual RSA Conference, its new family of Intel® PRO/100 S network security-enabled adapters, which help accelerate network security over the local area network (LAN) and are designed for today's e-business network environment. In addition, Greg Lang, vice president and general manager, Intel's Network Interface Division, will deliver a keynote presentation during the conference on Jan. 19 entitled, ``Security Building Blocks for e-business.''(b)

  Featuring an on-board network encryption co-processor, the Intel® PRO/100 S Management Adapter and the Intel® PRO/100 S Server Adapter help enable higher performance and end-to-end security within the LAN to safeguard continuously the confidentiality and integrity of data that flows between the personal computer (PC) and the network server.

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• Zero-Knowledge hires Mozilla's "international incident"
  Time: 16:57 EST/21:57 GMT News Source: CNet News Posted By: Alex Harris

  A company devoted to keeping Net users' identities under wraps is planning to take its software out in the open.

  Zero-Knowledge Systems, a Canadian firm whose Freedom software lets users conceal their identities online, today said it had hired Mike Shaver, who is currently winding up his short tenure heading developer relations and evangelism for America Online's open source browser development group, Mozilla.org.

  The Canadian Shaver, whose whimsical title at Mozilla was "international incident," will be chief software officer at Zero-Knowledge.

  Hiring Shaver signals the company's plans to move its software into open source development, in which the underlying source code is published, volunteer developers can work on it, and people and companies can use it under the terms of a public license.

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• CorelDRAW 9 Review
  Time: 16:57 EST/21:57 GMT News Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Alex Harris

  Garrett has posted his review of CorelDraw 9. Here is a snippet of the review:

  Corel doesn't just want you to be able to edit some images or fool around with a print-shop knock off. They want to give you the best of all graphics worlds, and package them all together, in one box. They want to call it CorelDRAW 9. And they have.

  The box weighs at least 5lbs, and it contained tons of stuff. I must admit, it frightened me to see not one, but three user's guides, three discs (not including the CorelSTUDIO demo that is included), and 35 pages of a feature list. That's a lot of stuff. But, there are a lot of features too.

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• Flink Ink: Embedded Linux Strategies
  Time: 16:53 EST/21:53 GMT News Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Alex Harris

  As an old (junior-grade) UNIX™ guru, I'm well aware of the (pre-) history of Linux and the Open Source movement. Spare me a few moments while I describe the first UNIX wave and draw some parallels with the current explosion of interest in Linux. If Windows is your thing, don't turn away! It doesn't matter which side of the fence you stand on, the fence will still be there! ....besides, the grass is always greener on the other side, right?!

  Part of the success of UNIX was timing. This portable, cheap, and very coherent OS appeared at just the right time to catch the introduction of the minicomputer. The "mini" meant an order-of-magnitude drop in the cost of computing. It also meant there wasn't enough profit in computer sales to support a proprietary operating system from each vendor. Every vendor's OS development shop was under pressure to match the hardware scale-change with operating software for one-tenth the cost of the prior generation. Further, the customers were suffering out-of-control training costs as more and more relatively inexpensive minicomputers with incompatible operating systems made there way into the organization. A major change was required. A portable, vendor independent OS was just the ticket.

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• Flink Ink: Thunder in the Clouds: AOL-TW, DoJ & Microsoft
  Time: 16:51 EST/21:51 GMT News Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Alex Harris

  The gods on mount Olympus have seriously rearranged the furniture this week! The news the first week of Y2K was how quietly the year passed. Apparently the gods had been hunkered down in their bunkers waiting for the predicted disasters to strike. In stunning contrast, this week they came out with lightening bolts and thunder galore!

  As everyone on the planet knows by now, AOL and Time-Warner have agreed to merge in a stock swap with AOL's Steve Case leading the combined company. Though the merger of Internet with the mainstream media has been talked about for years (e.g. Web TV, Interactive Television, Cable Modems, etc.) nothing so bold was expected so quickly. This truly is a Y2K-class event, a deal for the new millennium! In this editorial I'll try to summarize why this is such a stunning move and analyze a bit of the fall out from the perspective of us "e-Developers".

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• Windows 2000 to Deliver 128-Bit Encryption Abroad
  Time: 16:41 EST/21:41 GMT News Source: Yahoo! News Posted By: Alex Harris

  News we posted about last month but no one took any notice of it - anyway, here is the PR:

  Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT - news) today announced that the Windows® 2000 operating system will be the first platform with 128-bit encryption to be shipped internationally under the federal regulations on encryption exports announced Jan. 14, 2000. Microsoft worked closely with U.S. government regulators to obtain the necessary approvals to ship Windows 2000 with strong encryption to worldwide customers, irrespective of industry or application.

  Previously, international customers with increased security needs had to buy additional software and add on strong encryption. International customers will now be able to benefit from built-in 128-bit encryption in Microsoft® Windows 2000 when it ships. This eliminates delays and restrictions associated with individual export licenses.

  ``Windows 2000 will be the most secure operating system Microsoft has ever shipped, and we are excited to be able to further extend this security for our international customers via 128-bit encryption,'' said Brian Valentine, senior vice-president of the Windows Division at Microsoft. ``In addition, we are pleased to have worked so closely with the federal government in developing a security solution that benefits all international computer users.''

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• Digital receipts for brick-and-mortar sales?
  Time: 16:39 EST/21:39 GMT News Source: ComputerWorld Posted By: Alex Harris

  Within a year to 18 months, shoppers could be able to opt for an XML-based digital receipt that can be viewed through their Web browsers under a proposed standard NCR Corp. unveiled last night in conjunction with Visa International Inc., Office Depot Inc. and several major high-tech vendors.

  Backers said consumers no longer would have to worry about losing receipts, since they'd have an always-available record that could be used for warranty and potentially even tax purposes. The digital receipts also could benefit businesses that want to better manage and track employee purchases made with procurement cards, proponents said.

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• Athlon 1GHz Review Part 2: Synthetic Benchmarks
  Time: 16:25 EST/21:25 GMT News Source: CPU Review Posted By: Alex Harris

  CPU Review have posted part two of their 1Ghz Athlon review. This part covers synthetic benchmarks; and includes results from:

  - Final Reality 
  - 3DMark 99 Max 
  - 3DMark 2000 
  - Indy3D 
  - RC5 client 
  - Pov-Ray 
  - Sandra 99

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• Camera Connect Pro Review
  Time: 16:21 EST/21:21 GMT News Source: CPU Review Posted By: Alex Harris

  CPU Review have posted a review of the Camera Connect Pro. Here is a snippet of the review:

  Digital cameras are fantastic, but don't you just HATE downloading images from your camera? I've been getting REAL tired of downloading 24Mb at 115.2kbps (or hooking up my laptop to the network and using a CompactFlash to PCMCIA converter). Quite frankly the hassle of downloading pictures from my "workhorse" camera (a Kodak DC200) has limited how much I use it.

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• Crusoe Processor News
  Time: 16:16 EST/21:16 GMT News Source: Betafiles.com Posted By: Alex Harris

  Introducing the Crusoe Processor from Transmeta, a brand new architecture, a new rival in today's world of limited choice, this could be big, this could be huge. This project has the backing of Linux, lets just hope that Microsoft follow suit. This processor appears to be a new mobile processor, able to run under ANY architecture that is currently available. More news as it breaks. The processor is going to be launched on January 19th at 9am PST (12 midday EST) (5pm GMT), with the website going live 3 hours later.

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• Win2K RAM Requirements and Pagefile Size
  Time: 16:11 EST/21:11 GMT News Source: Windows NT Magazine Posted By: Alex Harris

  Last week, Microsoft advised editors reviewing Windows 2000 Server (Win2K Server) and Windows 2000 Advanced Server (Win2K AS) that the reviewers guide for Win2K Server and Win2K AS contained incorrect information about system requirements; the system requirements appear to have grown since the last time Microsoft told us about them. The new figures for Win2K Server are:
  
  

  • CPU: 133MHz or faster Pentium-compatible
  • RAM: 256MB recommended minimum (though Microsoft will support 128MB)
  • HD: 2GB with a minimum of 1GB free (you'll need more free space for network install and for pagefile space—see note below)

  Win2K AS has the same minimum requirements, but it supports up to eight CPUs in a multiprocessor configuration (Win2K Server tops out at four), and up to 8GB of RAM (Win2K Server tops out at 4GB). What's striking about this change is that the memory requirement has doubled. Although Microsoft will support users running Win2K Server or Win2K AS with 128MB of RAM, the company no longer recommends it. That echoes my experience with Win2K Pro, which really needs more than the required 64MB to minimize disk swapping. Remember that Win2K is built on the Windows NT kernel, and NT has always benefited from extra RAM—so do yourself a favor, and don't skimp on memory.

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• New CEO could change Microsoft's image
  Time: 16:07 EST/21:07 GMT News Source: USA Today Posted By: Alex Harris

  Bill Gates' decision to step down as CEO is an opening for Microsoft to change its image, branding experts say. And they warn it's an opportunity not to be squandered.

  Can Microsoft's new CEO Steve Ballmer breathe new life into the software giant's image? (AP) "We live in an era of CEO brands," says Sam Hill, president of Helios Consulting. "You have Larry Ellison, Richard Branson, Bill Gates. One way to move a company's brand image is to change the CEO."

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• Goodbye, or hello, to Gates?
  Time: 16:00 EST/21:00 GMT News Source: ZDNet Posted By: Alex Harris

  So Bill Gates is stepping down and passing the baton of CEO to his long-time friend, confidante, and coworker Steve Ballmer. Ostensibly Gates is going to focus on making great software and great development tools and will leave the business aspects of running Microsoft to Steve. Why did he do this? There are a number of theories.

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• AOL-Time Warner could be trouble for Road Runner
  Time: 15:55 EST/20:55 GMT News Source: CNet News Posted By: Alex Harris

  While striking his own multibillion-dollar deal, America Online's chief executive Steve Case may have decided the future of Net-over-cable firm Road Runner. When Case agreed to acquire media giant Time Warner for $160 billion in stock last week, he may have set in motion a series of events that could spell the end of Road Runner.

  Many believe privately held Road Runner has huge potential in growing market for high-speed Net services, but it hasn’t yet successfully capitalized on its position. Owned by Time Warner and cable operator MediaOne Group, among others, Road Runner trails only Excite@Home in the market in terms of subscribers. Yet it doesn’t carry nearly the same clout in the financial markets as does Excite@Home, often a closely watched metric of the recent Net stock phenomenon.

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• Former MS prosecutor joins New York law firm
  Time: 15:34 EST/20:34 GMT News Source: ZDNet Posted By: Alex Harris

  Stephen Houck, who helped prosecute the government's case in the Microsoft antitrust case has joined the New York law firm of Reboul, MacMurray, Hewitt, Maynard & Kristol as a partner. Houck, who was the lead trial counsel for the 19 states participating in the landmark antitrust trial, will focus on antitrust and commercial litigation. Houck had previously worked as chief of the New York State Attorney General's antitrust bureau.

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• Intel unveils 'SpeedStep' Pentiums
  Time: 15:32 EST/20:32 GMT News Source: ZDNet Posted By: Alex Harris

  As expected, the Santa Clara Calif., company Tuesday introduced two mobile Pentium III processors, running at 600MHz and 650MHz. Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) also reduced prices on its stable of existing mobile chips.

  The chips are the first to offer Intel's SpeedStep technology. The design allows notebooks to power down from 600MHz or 650MHz to 500MHz when running on battery power.

  SpeedStep arose as a response to some of the power-management compromises that notebook PCs present. Intel's research showed that most notebook users spend the majority of their computing time plugged in, so SpeedStep is focused on providing notebooks with maximum performance while plugged in and maximum battery life while not.

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• All eyes on new Lotus CEO
  Time: 15:30 EST/20:30 GMT News Source: ZDNet Posted By: Alex Harris

  Don't come to the feel-good home of Walt Disney World looking for negative vibes about Lotus Development Corp. Kicking off the annual Lotusphere conference here Monday, Lotus executives painted an extremely positive picture of the IBM subsidiary's current success and future prospects.

  "We're at the absolute peak of product and business strength as we enter the new millennium," said Jeff Papows, making what could be his last public appearance as Lotus' president and CEO. Papows, who announced earlier this month he was resigning as of Feb. 1, says he's leaving on a high note, with Lotus coming off its "greatest period of revenue growth in many years" in 1999.

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• PC surge expected to boost Microsoft earnings
  Time: 15:28 EST/20:28 GMT News Source: CNet News Posted By: Alex Harris

  Microsoft will report higher fiscal second-quarter earnings today as sales of personal computers boosted demand for its software, analysts said. Microsoft is expected to report that its earnings for the period ended Dec. 31 rose to 42 cents a share from a split-adjusted 36 cents a year ago, according to analysts polled by First Call/Thomson Financial. Revenue rose to $6.2 billion from $5.2 billion, analysts forecast. The company has beaten earnings forecasts for the past eight quarters, and unofficial "whisper" estimates run as high as 47 cents a share.

  Microsoft benefited from strong sales of personal computers during the holiday season, boosting sales of its Windows operating system and application programs such as its Office products, analysts said. Microsoft's Windows software runs on more than 90 percent of PCs sold in the U.S. today.

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• Microsoft antitrust response due today
  Time: 15:26 EST/20:26 GMT News Source: CNet News Posted By: Alex Harris

  A battered but confident Microsoft today for the first time will officially respond to harsh antitrust findings issued by a federal judge.

  Microsoft will present its proposed conclusions of law later today to U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson in the landmark antitrust case brought by the U.S. Justice Department and 19 states.

  In November Jackson concluded in his findings that Microsoft wielded immense monopoly power and had illegally acted to preserve it. The findings are not a final ruling in the case.

  The government filed a similar brief last month where it concluded Microsoft violated two sections of the Sherman Act.

  Microsoft must base its brief on the findings of fact Jackson issued on Nov. 5. While on the surface Jackson's findings appear to have delivered the government a great victory, the findings leave plenty of wiggle room for Microsoft to turn near-certain defeat into a quasi draw, said legal experts.

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• The Haunting: DVD - Review
  Time: 13:26 EST/18:26 GMT News Source: ActiveDVD Posted By: Byron Hinson

  I have posted my review of Dreamworks, The Haunting directed by Jan De Bont of Speed fame. I have also redesigned the review pages to include more information about the DVD and to improve the look. Here is a snippet from the review:

  I'll get the basic story out of the way first so I can talk about the actual DVD content. The movie is based on the old story "The Haunting Of Hill House" and features the excellent Lili Taylor as Nell, a shy woman who has been looking after her sick mother so long she has started to lose her mind and has trouble sleeping, next up we have Theo played badly by Catherine Zeta-Jones a bisexual woman who is also having trouble sleeping...Finally we have Liam Neeson who takes the part of Dr. Marrow and Owen Wilson who plays another sleep deprived character called Luke.

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• Microsoft check auctioned on eBay
  Time: 10:43 EDT/15:43 GMT News Source: ZDNet Posted By: Byron Hinson

  A man who helped Microsoft Corp. out of a jam with its e-mail service is auctioning off the company's reward check on eBay. Michael Chaney received a $500 check from Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) after he helped the company get its Hotmail free e-mail service back on track.

  The service had been shut down over Christmas weekend after a billing mix-up with Network Solutions Inc. over the passport.com domain. Chaney noticed the problem and paid the $35 fee to get the service up and running again. As a reward, Microsoft sent Chaney the check and some software. Chaney is auctioning the check off on eBay and says he will match up to $2,000 of the winning bid and donate the proceeds to charity.

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• Be to offer free version of its latest OS
  Time: 10:42 EDT/15:42 GMT News Source: ZDNet Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Be Inc. said today that will offer the newest version of its operating system for free later this quarter. Version 5 for the desktop will be available for download to pre-registered individuals. Be (Nasdaq:BEOS) will also work with publishers and other partners to distribute the software.

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• Gates lacks golden touch with $5bn investment portfolio
  Time: 07:28 EDT/12:28 GMT News Source: The Register Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Bill Gates has around $5 billion in private investments outside his $100 billion Microsoft holding, but he seems to have been losing on many of the quoted stocks in his portfolio over the past few months. That's quite hard to do in a bull market. He doesn't seem to possess any magic touch so far as his investments go, and has chosen some sectors that are seriously under performing the market.

  Gates' precise private holdings are shrouded in secrecy, because Michael Larsen, his investment manager who runs the investment vehicle Cascade Investments on his behalf, has successfully invoked a confidentiality provision in the SEC rules to keep his acquisitions and sales secret for around a year, unless Gates accumulates more than 5 per cent of a company.

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• Microsoft and CyberSafe Extend Windows 2000 Security Across the Enterprise
  Time: 07:26 EDT/12:26 GMT News Source: Press Release Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Microsoft Corp. and CyberSafe Corp., a leading provider of enterprise network security solutions, today announced they have collaborated to extend Microsoft^® Windows^® 2000-Kerberos interoperability to enterprise customers operating mixed-system environments. Based on cooperative efforts with mutual customers such as Morgan Stanley Dean Witter and Co., this announcement validates the interoperability of Kerberos v5 in the Windows 2000 operating system, with other Kerberos implementations in real-world, customer environments, bringing to the enterprise heightened security as well as the flexibility to continue utilizing existing infrastructure investments.

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• Microsoft Security Bulletin (MS00-005)
  Time: 19:59 EDT/00:59 GMT News Source: E-mail Posted By: Matthew Sabean

  Microsoft has released a patch that eliminates a security vulnerability in the Rich Text Format (RTF) reader that ships as part of Microsoft(r) Windows(r) 95 and 98, and Windows NT(r) 4.0. Under certain conditions, the vulnerability could be used to cause email programs to crash.

  RTF files consist of text and control information. The control information is specified via directives called control words. The default RTF reader that ships as part of many Windows platforms has an unchecked buffer in the portion of the reader that parses control words. If an RTF file contains a specially-malformed control word, it could cause the application to crash.

  Microsoft believes that this is a denial of service vulnerability only, and that there is no capability to use this vulnerability to run arbitrary code. The most serious risk from this vulnerability would result if a user had preview mode enabled on a mail program like Outlook, and received an email that exploited the vulnerability. Because preview mode causes the mail to be parsed without user assent, the mail program would continue to crash until a subsequent mail was received or the mail program was started with preview mode disabled.

  Read more

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• Windows 2000 vs Win98SE in Games and Windows
  Time: 19:45 EST/00:45 GMT News Source: PC Gunk Posted By: Matthew Sabean

  The people over at PC Gunk have posted an interesting article comparing games run on Windows 98SE with the same games running on Windows 2000.

  All benchmarks were performed on a clean install of Windows98/Windows2000.

  Read More

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• Public Invitation to Millennium Install Fair
  Time: 19:25 EST/00:25 GMT News Source: E-Mail Posted By: Matthew Sabean

  This advertisement was found in the Seattle Times Sunday paper in the Personal Technology section by one of our readers.

  View The Advertisement

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• Windows 2000 Professional Wins Popular Mechanics' "Design & Engineering Award"
  Time: 18:49 EST/23:49 GMT News Source: Press Release Posted By: Matthew Sabean

  Windows 2000 Professional, which becomes available to consumers on Feb. 17, has earned Popular Mechanics magazine’s prestigious Design & Engineering Award for technology.

  The magazine announced its year 2000 award winners in its December 1999 issue. The awards recognize innovative design and engineering quality in new products in five major categories -- automotive, home improvement, science, technology, and outdoors.

  In honoring Windows 2000 Professional, the magazine called Microsoft’s new client operating system "the ticket to turn your computer into a powerhouse."

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• Oxygen Media Announces Online Advertising Agreement With MSN Hotmail
  Time: 18:43 EST/23:43 GMT News Source: Press Release Posted By: Matthew Sabean

  Oxygen's Popular Women's Health and Fitness and Soon-to-Be-Launched Teen Sites Will Provide Content to MSN Web Courier Newsletters, Reaching 45 Million Subscribers.

  Oxygen Media and Microsoft Corp. today announced that Oxygen Media has entered into an advertising agreement with the MSN™ Hotmail™ Web-based e-mail service. This agreement was announced by Sarah Bartlett, Oxygen's editor in chief, and Jim Kinsella, general manager of MSN sales and marketing at Microsoft and president and CEO of MSNBC.

  Under this agreement, Oxygen will have premier placement in the Hotmail Women's newsletter and will be an anchor tenant within its Health and Fitness and Teen categories. Among others, Oxygen Media's popular online properties Girls On , Moms Online , Breakup Girl , Oprah.com , Thriveonline, and the soon-to-be-launched sports site We Sweat will supply content for the Hotmail Web Courier, which distributes free online newsletters three times each week to 45 million subscribers to Hotmail. Further, Oxygen expects to see a significant increase in traffic to its online site, Oxygen.com.

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• Lotus Agrees With Microsoft
  Time: 17:58 EST/22:58 GMT News Source: TechWeb Posted By: Matthew Sabean

  Lotus has reached an agreement with Microsoft to allow Outlook as an alternative integrated platform for Domino, the president of Lotus said.

  Jeff Papows, speaking at the company's Lotusphere conference, said the collaboration with Microsoft was not admitting defeat but acknowledging that companies have to work together to give customers all the options.

  "We must collaborate with other companies," Papows said, "even those we compete with. We have not conceded the client market here, not 1 inch. We have a superior offering. But Microsoft Office is a good product."

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• MS preparing to make more antitrust filings
  Time: 16:55 EST/21:55 GMT News Source: ZDNet Posted By: Byron Hinson

  After a heady week that included the America Online-Time Warner merger announcement, a settlement with Caldera Systems, Steve Ballmer's promotion and truculent leaks from the Department of Justice, Microsoft attorneys are scheduled to file Proposed Conclusions of Law on Tuesday as part of the next phase in the company's ongoing antitrust trial. In the document, Microsoft will try to create doubt about key DOJ allegations in the government's case and attempt to soften the blow of November's scathing Findings of Fact, which tagged the company a monopoly.

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• The race is on: Linux vs Windows
  Time: 16:55 EST/21:55 GMT News Source: ZDNet Posted By: Byron Hinson

  With a month to go until Microsoft Corp. officially launches Windows 2000, some Linux stalwarts are realizing there's not much time left to capitalize on a golden PR opportunity.

  Linux enthusiast Deepak Saxena is attempting to rally the troops to create some alternative publicity on or around Microsoft's Feb. 17 launch date. Saxena has created a Web site where corporate sponsors, Linux User Groups and other interested parties can link up and organize.

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• Microsoft Joins Cisco Security Associate Program
  Time: 16:52 EST/21:52 GMT News Source: Press Release Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Today at the RSA Conference 2000 in San Jose, Microsoft Corp. announced that it has joined Cisco Systems Inc.'s Security Associate Program, demonstrating commitment for interoperability of the Microsoft^® Windows^® 2000 Professional and Server operating systems with Cisco Secure network security solutions.

  Customers benefit from the security innovations that Microsoft has built into Windows 2000, including native Kerberos implementation, an encrypting file system, an easy-to-manage public key infrastructure (PKI), extensible authentication device support, encrypted end-to-end communications and secure virtual private networking (VPN). Joining the Cisco Security Associate Program is a natural extension of Microsoft's commitment to security, which is embodied in the features of its highly anticipated operating system. The objective of the Cisco Security Associate Program is to ease deployment for customers of third-party security products by fully testing and verifying them for complete interoperation with Cisco Secure offerings.

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• Wheel of Time Review
  Time: 13:38 EST/18:38 GMT News Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Alex Harris

  I have posted my GT Interactive/Legend Wheel of Time review. Here is a snippet from it:

  The Wheel of Time books have spawned a generation of followers, which I am one of them. I was so pleased when I heard that they were going to make a game of this wonderful series of books. But the only thing that I was worried about was that the images I had created in my mind for what the characters would be completely different from the game. But now onto the features.

  Wheel of Time uses an enhanced version of the Unreal engine to bring Robert Jordan's world to life. In addition to the Unreal engine's core capabilities like 24-bit color (with MMX), multiple dynamic (and colored) light sources, complex geometry, smooth character animation, real moving/rotating brushes, seamless level transition, and a powerful scripting language, they have endowed the engine with a host of WoT-specific effects. The particle system they created for Wheel of Time makes for some of the coolest explosions and smoke effects you've ever seen. In addition, they went in and provided support for weather effects like rain, snow and wind.

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• Crusoe chip mystery to be revealed
  Time: 04:58 EST/09:58 GMT News Source: ZDNet Posted By: Matthew Sabean

  Transmeta Corp. has been secretive about its new Crusoe processor, but the veil will be lifted -- partly -- in the coming week.

  Can the world's most secretive technology company change the world? The folks at Transmeta Corp. think they can.

  But they're not talking. At least until Wednesday, when the company will lift its veil of secrecy at an event in Silicon Valley and reveal details behind its mysterious new processor named Crusoe.

  The biggest mystery, however, is how Transmeta's new technology will change the landscape of computing -- although it is safe to say Transmeta intends to shake things up.

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• Ballmer As CEO May Help Microsoft
  Time: 04:48 EST/09:48 GMT News Source: Yahoo! News Posted By: Matthew Sabean

  Steve Ballmer, the back-slapping, boisterous salesman who became Microsoft's chief executive last week, is giving the company a friendlier public face for its stare-off against the government. But will the switch from a more-aloof Bill Gates, whom he replaces, really make a difference in the antitrust case? It depends on whom you ask.

  As Microsoft Corp. moves through a critical stage of antitrust settlement talks with U.S. prosecutors, the watershed management change has triggered speculation that Microsoft may show new flexibility in the negotiations, helping to bridge diametrically opposed views.

  Known as a friendly guy who promotes smooth relationships with customers, Ballmer's personality contrasts sharply with the arrogant and distant image perpetuated by Gates during his testimony at the antitrust trial. Gates' fumbling videotaped deposition last year was criticized by U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson, who ultimately agreed with the government's contention that Microsoft is a monopolistic high-tech bully.

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• Microsoft Earnings Seen Showing Strong Gains
  Time: 04:05 EST/09:05 GMT News Source: Yahoo! News Posted By: Matthew Sabean

  Despite its dramatic reshuffling at the top and signs that the ``post-PC era'' has Microsoft Corp. (NasdaqNM:MSFT - news ) in a quandry, look for the software giant to report strong earnings on Tuesday.

  The reason: The Wintel world is still alive and kicking up strong earnings, fueled by the growth of the Internet that eventually is supposed to make Microsoft's packaged software obsolete.

  Not yet though. Results next week will show strong double-digit earnings growth, with most analysts expecting a 16 to 17 percent gain. The consensus earnings per share forecast is 42 cents a share, up from 36 cents a year ago.

  Those results, too, come ahead of the anticipated February release of the Windows 2000 operating system that will update Windows NT to make it a stronger player in the booming Internet server market. The new system will sustain, and perhaps accelerate, the growth rate through the year, analysts said.

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• MS settlement chances even more remote
  Time: 04:00 EST/09:00 GMT News Source: ZDNet Posted By: Matthew Sabean

  The plot thickens. More papers are to be filed Tuesday, as the software giant and DOJ sling charges of media leaks and reckless remedies. And was the Gates-Ballmer CEO shuffle a smoke screen?

  Chances of a settlement in the Microsoft Corp. antitrust case were never very good, but after a week of raucous public debate over breaking up the company the possibility of a deal seemed more remote than ever.

  Both sides had promised Judge Richard Posner -- the chief of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit acting as a private mediator in the case -- to stay quiet during the talks

  The quiet lasted from late last year until last week, when USA Today reported the government was going to propose breaking the company into two parts.

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• Top Story
  PR: Bill Gates Promotes Steve Ballmer to President and CEO; Gates Creates New Role as Chairman and Chief Software Architect
  Time: 17:35 EST/22:35 GMT News Source: MS Press Release Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Accelerating the company's major strategy initiative, Microsoft Corp. today announced that its co-founder, Bill Gates, has created a new role for himself -- Chairman and Chief Software Architect -- so that he can dedicate all of his time to helping drive the next generation Windows Internet platform and services. Microsoft announced that Steve Ballmer becomes president and CEO, and will take over management of the company.

  These changes were announced following the release of Microsoft^® Windows^® 2000, which the company said is a crucial building block of its strategy to focus on software services -- a major technology shift that will transform the industry in the way the Graphical User Interface (GUI) and the Internet did. Driving this major shift is the need for a better Internet User Experience to enable businesses, consumers and developers to better personalize and tailor the services they use, and to store and share the information they need -- any time, any place and on any device.

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• Top Story
  Gates To Step Down From Microsoft Helm
  Time: 17:30 EST/22:30 GMT News Source: MS Press Release Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Bills Gates has said he is to step down as chief executive officer of US software giant Microsoft after 25 years. Mr. Gates, who has held the post since co-founding the firm in the mid-1970's, will take on a new role as its chief software architect and remain chairman.

  Billionaire Mr. Gates said he wanted to "return to what I love most - focusing on technologies for the future" Company president Steve Ballmer will take over as chief Executive.

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• Exclusive: Microsoft Internet Keyboard Pro - Preview
  Time: 12:43 EST/17:43 GMT News Source: ActiveWindows Exclusive Posted By: Robert Stein

  We have posted our Exclusive preview of the Microsoft Internet Keyboard Pro. Here is a snippet from the preview:

  Don't feel like bending over to plug in USB devices or wasting time looking for Internet or multimedia buttons? With the latest keyboard coming out of Redmond it looks like now you don't have to. With customer concerns addressed, this newest keyboard is a beauty. Comfort, Design, and Timesaving elements are just a few of the things the tech savvy engineers at Microsoft implemented with this keyboard debut. And to top it off, they even made sleep mode at the touch of a button. Along with the new programmable mice, life couldn't be any easier. The Microsoft^® Internet^® Keyboard Pro is Microsoft Corp.’s most technologically advanced standard-geometry keyboard to date, offering 19 timesaving hot keys and a pair of USB ports. The Internet Keyboard Pro preset controls make PCs easier for novices to use and allow experienced PC users take their systems to new levels of customization.

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• Microsoft Security Bulletin (MS00-003) - Patch Available for "Spoofed LPC Port Request" Vulnerability
  Time: 16:50 EST/21:50 GMT News Source: Microsoft Security Posted By: Alex Harris

  Microsoft has released a patch that eliminates a security vulnerability in Microsoft(r) Windows NT(r) 4.0. The vulnerability could allow a user logged onto a Windows NT 4.0 machine from the keyboard to become an administrator on the machine.

  Issue

  LPC Ports is a facility that allows LPC calls on a machine. One of the functions in the LPC Ports API set enables, by design, a server thread to impersonate a client thread on the same machine. However, a flaw in the validation portion of the function would allow a malicious user to create both the client and server threads, and manipulate the impersonation request to allow it to run in the context of any desired user on the local machine, including the System itself. The primary risk from this vulnerability is that a malicious user could exploit this vulnerability to gain additional privileges on the local machine. However, it also could be used to cause audit logs to indicate that certain actions were taken by another user. A malicious user would require the ability to log onto the target machine interactively and run arbitrary programs in order to exploit this vulnerability, and as a result, workstations and terminal servers would be at greatest risk. 

  Affected Software Versions
   - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Workstation 
  - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Server - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Server, Enterprise Edition 
  - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Server, Terminal Server Edition

   
• ActiveWindows listed on TechNet
  Time: 16:45 EST/21:45 GMT News Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Alex Harris

  I thought our readers would be interested by the fact that ActiveWindows has been listed on Microsoft's TechNet site in the website section for Windows 98/95 and Windows 2000. To see the site listed then check out these websites:

  Windows 2000 Technology Centers site - http://www.microsoft.com/technet/win2000/websites.htm 
  Windows 98/95 Technology Center site - http://www.microsoft.com/technet/win98/websites.htm 

   

• Testing Of Windows 2000 Apps Raises Questions
  Time: 16:40 EST/21:40 GMT News Source: TechWeb Posted By: Alex Harris

  When Microsoft's long-awaited Windows 2000 ships next month, it may be more stable and easier to manage than prior versions of NT, but it remains to be seen how well older applications work with the new OS.

  For its part, Microsoft officials insist that 7,000 applications are "Windows 2000-ready." But that doesn't mean they will work well.

  In an effort to address lingering concerns by IT managers about how stable applications will be on the new system, Microsoft said it plans to offer a more rigorous certification program next month. By certifying an application, Microsoft said it wants to assure IT managers that the application doesn't just run on Windows 2000 -- it runs well. A certified application is one thatdoesn't make illegal system calls and get into conflicts with other applications that frequently crash the operating system, according to Microsoft officials.

  But with only 40 applications to be certified as Windows 2000-ready when the operating system becomes available on Feb. 17, one analyst questioned whether the certification program will be too little, too late.

  "One of the things that Microsoft realized is that if it wanted to be a member of the enterprise software club, it needed to produce an environment that was reliable, consistent, and manageable," said Dan Kusnetzky, an analyst at International Data Corp.

   
• Rumors of Microsoft breakup proposal not surprising
  Time: 16:27 EST/21:27 GMT News Source: News.com Posted By: Alex Harris

  Legal experts today said they are not surprised by reports that government lawyers are proposing a breakup of software giant Microsoft and that news of the plan yesterday was most likely leaked to accelerate settlement discussions.

  Reports yesterday indicated that the Justice Department and 19 states have proposed to break Microsoft up into two or three smaller companies. Under a breakup, one company would likely take over operating systems, while a second company would be in charge of applications. A third would own Microsoft's Web properties. A breakup on lines like this have been suggested earlier by antitrust experts and others.

  That the government--or for that matter, Microsoft--would make such a proposal is no revelation, said legal experts. However, until now, both sides have kept secret ongoing negotiations with Judge Richard Posner, who heads the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Both the government and Microsoft have repeatedly refused to comment on settlement talks.

  Legal experts speculate that if there was an intentional leak, it may have come from the states.

  Justice Department spokeswoman Gina Talamona reaffirmed federal trustbusters are respecting the secrecy of settlement talks.

   
• Athlon/Pentium 3 Price Comparison
  Time: 16:23 EST/21:23 GMT News Source: E-Mail Posted By: Alex Harris

  CPU Review have updated their comparison with new pricing information from PriceWatch from January 12, 2000. To read more of the article then click here.

   
• Windows 2000 Compatibility Program released
  Time: 16:21 EST/21:21 GMT News Source: E-Mail Posted By: Alex Harris

  Microsoft have released a program that you can download that will check your hardware to make sure it is compatible with Windows 2000. You can download the program from the following page:

  http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/upgrade/compat/default.asp

   

• StarNet's X-Win32 Review
  Time: 16:17 EST/21:17 GMT News Source: E-Mail Posted By: Alex Harris

  CPU Review has posted a review of StarNet's X-Win32 for Windows 95/98/NT; it lets you run X applications on a Unix / Linux computer and display its desktop on your Windows box. To read the review click here.

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• Windows 2000 virus detected
  Time: 15:28 EST/20:28 GMT News Source: News.com Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Windows 2000 won't come out for another month, but anti-virus software makers say they've found the first virus that targets Microsoft's forthcoming business operating system. The virus, known as the Win2000.Install or W2K.Installer virus, inflicts no damage, but can potentially point out conceptual vulnerabilities for future virus authors, said researchers at anti-virus software makers Symantec and F-Secure. So far, Win2000.Install has not been released in the "wild," or infected users at large.

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• WindowBlinds 1.1 - Released
  Time: 15:25 EST/20:25 GMT News Source: E-Mail Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Finally after FOUR months, the longest time between public updates ever, Stardock has released WindowBlinds 1.1 to the general public. The new version adds a host of new features including Start bar and Start button skinning, support for creating scrollbars, progress bars, and notebook skins, and much more.

  The update supports numerous performance enhancing features that skin authors can use to speed WindowBlinds up to 40% over the previous version. Over 4 months of testing and effort went into making v1.1 far more compatible and stable on a wide variety of machines.

  Stardock has also created v1.1 Enhanced for registered users which enables scrollbar, progress bar, notebook, and tab skinning. WindowBlinds is a program that allows people to completely change the look and feel of Windows to however they want it to look like.

  A screenshot is available at:
  http://www.stardock.com/products/windowblinds/wb-jan00.jpg

  Users can download it at:
  http://www.stardock.com/products/windowblinds/download.html

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• Customers Choose Windows 2000 As Foundation for the Business Internet
  Time: 15:23 EST/20:23 GMT News Source: Press Release Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Microsoft Corp. today announced that companies such as Alibre Inc., Commerce One Inc., Data Return Corp., Dell Computer Corp., Getronics NV, Prologic Corp., PublicHost Corp. and Trilogy Corp. are using the Microsoft^® Windows^® 2000 operating system as the cornerstone of their Business Internet solution, which provides customers with scalable, reliable and highly manageable solutions. These companies are experiencing phenomenal benefits in a wide range of scenarios, because of the Internet-enabling capabilities of Windows 2000.

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• Flink Ink: Who do YOU trust? ....Insure to Assure
  Time: 15:19 EST/20:19 GMT News Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Charles has posted his latest editorial called Who do YOU trust? ....Insure to Assure. Here is a snippet:

  According to Merriam-Webster, the words ensure, insure, and assure are "interchangeable in many contexts" with assure stressing the removal of doubt and suspense from a person's mind, while insure stresses taking action beforehand to guarantee a certain outcome. In our brave new e-World, we want to be assured that we can trust our fellow e-Citizens, but for many of us, that time won't come until we can be insured against losses. How can we go about this?

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• Windows 2000 Hardware Compatability List Updated
  Time: 12:47 EST/17:47 GMT News Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Robert Stein

  We have added Microsoft's update of the Windows 2000 Hardware Compatability List to the Windows 2000 section. Very handy document, however be careful as it is about 500 KB.

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• ZD Labs Proves Windows Media Sounds More Like CD-Quality Music at Half the Size of MP3
  Time: 11:29 EST/16:29 GMT News Source: Press Release Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Microsoft Corp. announced today a new consumer study that proves digital music in the Microsoft^® Windows Media™ Format sounds more like CD-quality audio in half the size of MP3. ZD Labs conducted a study that compared Windows Media- and MP3-formatted content to original CD recordings. The study found that when compared to the CD-quality originals, nearly 90 percent of consumers tested preferred or could not tell the difference in quality between music in the Windows Media Format and songs in the MP3 format that were twice the size. In addition, this study revealed that consumers overwhelmingly chose the quality of Windows Media for live streaming of audio at 32k bps and at 64k bps over MP3.

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• Sporting goods maker scores high in collaboration, productivity with Office 2000
  Time: 03:09 EST/08:09 GMT News Source: Microsoft Daily News Posted By: Alex Harris

  For sporting goods maker Lifetime Products, work is a team effort. And Microsoft® Office 2000 helps make teamwork possible. Employees at Lifetime, which manufactures portable basketball and table tennis equipment, can easily share information and collaborate on documents now that the company has upgraded to Office 2000. The move to Office 2000 also reduced the workload for IT staff because the suite can be deployed more quickly and requires less support than the company's former system.

  "Office 2000 lets us deliver rock-solid, lightning-fast desktops," said John Bowden, director of Information Systems at Lifetime. "And it makes the jobs of the IT department easier and provides our end users with the tools they need to make the best business decisions fast."

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• Microsoft licenses FastLane technology to speed NetWare-to-Windows 2000 migration
  Time: 03:07 EST/08:07 GMT News Source: Microsoft Daily News Posted By: Alex Harris

  Upgrading to a new operating system can be intimidating, but new tools from Microsoft are helping to ease the move to Microsoft® Windows® 2000 Server.

  Microsoft has licensed technology from FastLane Technologies designed to speed and simplify the migration from Novell NetWare to Windows 2000 Server. The technology helps administrators move large numbers of files to Windows 2000 while maintaining directory structures and security permissions. It also allows employees to access their data while administrators migrate the files.

  Microsoft will release the technology in the Microsoft File Migration Utility (MSFMU) component of Services for NetWare version 5. A collection of tools and services to help organizations migrate from NetWare to Windows 2000 Server, Microsoft Services for NetWare is expected to be available soon after the launch of Windows 2000.

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• More X-Box Information
  Time: 17:56 EST/22:56 GMT News Source: E-Mail Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Microsoft will finalize hardware and first and third party development plans by January 15th, 2000. The current plan is to have the X-Box technology finalized and in the factory by April 2001. This will allow Microsoft to realize the company's target fourth quarter 2001 release. Microsoft planned to have a fifty percent share of the PC market by now, but has only managed to achieve a twenty-percent share to date. The X-Box is seen as a fresh start by Microsoft.

  There are around twenty-five first party titles to be released per year for the X-Box. Microsoft expects to capture a thirty to thirty five percent market share. Microsoft is also pursuing top third party companies to develop for the X-Box. Before major third parties will commit, Microsoft needs to build and test a new Operating System for the unit.

  The confirmed X-Box titles from Microsoft so far are:  Age Of Empires III (a 3D version of the original Age Of Empires), Black Pearl, Cartoon Mayhem and Links PGA Golf.

  Oh and one last thing - the hardware features (Graphics etc) have not been finalized.

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• X-Box: Officially Non Official
  Time: 17:46 EST/22:46 GMT News Source: IGN Posted By: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2000/Jan00/ZDLabspr.asp

  According to at least one developer, the X-Box was officially signed off on by Microsoft last year, and is ready to do battle with Sony this year with a 100% PC compatible system. IGNPC has spoken with a developer who has confirmed that Bill Gates signed off on the X-Box on the 21st of December, making the product official with publishers who have been rumored to be working on upcoming projects with Microsoft. Though the hardware has not been confirmed by the company officially, the word is that higher-level publishers have been given the green light in regards to developing for the system.

  The developer went on to say that Microsoft is touting the system as 100% compatible with all current PC titles, giving it an advantage over the Windows CE-ready Dreamcast. Sony, however, is the companies' main concern, and the console is to be Microsoft's attempt to stop Sony's control of the console marketplace, says the developer, an arena that Microsoft (at least up until now) has yet to step into. With Microsoft on the verge of making an official announcement regarding the system, perhaps we won't have to wait until E3 to find out what the software companies' release dates and specs are regarding its big console venture (GeForce, anyone?).

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• Downloadable Allegiance Beta To Begin Friday
  Time: 17:43 EST/22:43 GMT News Source: E-Mail Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Microsoft announced today that on Friday, January 14, the gaming public at-large will be able to download Allegiance, an online space-action game, and participate in the game's open beta program. Coming to stores in March, Allegiance will be playable on the MSN Gaming Zone as well as independent game servers worldwide. Allegiance combines furious space combat with the social challenge of squadron-based combat in a stunning 3D universe.

  To participate in the Allegiance open beta, gamers must visit the official site this Friday at http://www.microsoft.com/games/allegiance/. The site will feature details on where to download Allegiance and how to begin playing with thousands of other gamers from around the globe.

  In Allegiance, players can pilot and customize many different classes of ships; from scouts and fighters to battle cruisers. They also have the ability to switch between a variety of combat roles, including pilot, turret gunner or base commander. Hundreds of players can engage each other in death-match style arenas or in cooperative play. Gamers will be able to represent their identity, through recorded accomplishments and medals, giving combatants the chance to become part of an ongoing, dynamic universe. Allegiance also features rich strategic elements such as controllable assets, researchable technology and command features.

  Planets, novas, nebulae, black holes, asteroids, naturally occurring wormholes, and over 36 user-controllable spacecraft are rendered in amazing graphic detail. Unique digitized sounds delivered in 3D stereo accompany conditions ranging from the thud of asteroid impact to the scream of failing shields.

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• Microsoft Exchange Server Gains Momentum With Leading Application Service Providers
  Time: 15:23 EST/20:23 GMT News Source: Press Release Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Microsoft Corp. today announced that a growing list of leading application service providers (ASPs) have committed to using Microsoft^® Exchange Server as the foundation of their managed corporate messaging and collaboration offerings. The growing availability of managed Exchange services will enable customers to deploy messaging and collaboration more quickly, and potentially reduce total cost of ownership by outsourcing hardware, network and application management to an ASP.

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• Report: Gov't wants Microsoft breakup
  Time: 10:31 EST/15:31 GMT News Source: ZDNet Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Government prosecutors reportedly appear to have reached a consensus that would punish Microsoft Corp. for anticompetitive behavior by splitting the software giant into separate companies.

  According to a report in USA Today, which quoted unnamed sources, government lawyers favor splitting Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) into two companies - one for its Windows operating system, and a second for software such as word processing.

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• IBM Joins Global Launch Effort for Microsoft Windows 2000
  Time: 09:03 EST/14:03 GMT News Source: Press Release Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Microsoft Corp. today announced that IBM Corp. has joined Adobe Inc., Cisco Systems Inc., Commerce One Inc., Compaq Computer Corp., Dell Computer Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co., i2 Technologies Inc., Intel Corp., SAP AG, Toshiba Corp. and Unisys Corp. as a Microsoft^® Windows^® 2000 Global Launch Partner. These industry leaders are showcasing significant investment in the Microsoft Windows 2000 operating system through solutions, services and support.

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• Windows 2000 - More Tips & Tricks
  Time: 05:40 EST/10:40 GMT News Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Byron Hinson

  We have added four more Windows 2000 tips and tricks to the Windows 2000 tips section, we will be adding four tips each day as we have quite a lot to post. So keep checking back daily for more updates.

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• MSN Calendar Beta
  Time: 19:18 EST/00:18 GMT News Source: E-Mail Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Microsoft today released a beta version of its MSN Calendar service. The service features appointment tracking, tasks, reminders and notes all viewable via the web. The service also allows you to print off your calendar dates via various printing options.

  MSN Calendar

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• Microsoft Appoints New Vice President of Mobile Devices Division
  Time: 15:29 EST/20:29 GMT News Source: Press Release Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Microsoft Corp. today announced the appointment of Ben Waldman, 32, as vice president of the Mobile Devices Division in Microsoft's Business Productivity Group. Effective immediately, Waldman will report to Microsoft Group Vice President Bob Muglia to lead the design, development and marketing of software for mobile devices such as Pocket PCs, Handheld PCs and mobile phone products.

  "In his more than 10 years at Microsoft, Ben has led several teams in the development of highly innovative products that have delighted customers and won numerous awards," said Bob Muglia, group vice president of Microsoft's Business and Productivity Group. "I believe his talent and creativity, applied to this exciting and emerging business, will help us develop and ship a new generation of intelligent, connected devices that further Microsoft's vision of empowering people through great software any time, any place and on any device."

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• Windows 2000 - More Tips & Tricks
  Time: 15:23 EST/20:23 GMT News Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Byron Hinson

  We have added four more Windows 2000 tips and tricks to the Windows 2000 tips section, we will be adding four tips each day as we have quite a lot to post. So keep checking back daily for more updates.

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• Matrox G400 Windows 9* DirectX 7 Beta Drivers
  Time: 15:20 EST/20:20 GMT News Source: E-Mail Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Matrox has released a beta set of DirectX 7 drivers for Windows 9*. These are version 5.50.005 (Similar to the beta drivers for Windows 2000).

  http://www.matrox.com/mga/drivers/files/w9x_550.htm

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• Windows 2000 Evaluation Edition is now available from MSDN
  Time: 04:38 EST/09:38 GMT News Source: E-Mail Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Important: Please note that the Evaluation Edition of Windows 2000 will expire 120 after installation. Please be sure to upgrade your installation to the retail version of Windows 2000, available from this site on January 20th, 2000.

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• Microsoft, Caldera settle long-standing lawsuit
  Time: 04:38 EST/09:38 GMT News Source: News.com Posted By: Matthew Sabean

  Microsoft and Caldera announced that they have settled a long-standing lawsuit between the two companies, just weeks before a trial was supposed to begin.

  In a statement, both firms announced they had reached a "mutually agreeable settlement" of the suit filed by Caldera against Microsoft in July 1996.

  As part of the announcement, Microsoft said it will record a one-time charge against earnings for the quarter ending March 31, which will cut earnings per share by about three cents. This could mean that the settlement could cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $150 million, based on one analyst's estimate, although the actual settlement could be higher. Caldera had been expected to ask for at least $400 million, according to another observer.

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• Merger drops a bomb on Microsoft
  Time: 04:35 EST/09:35 GMT News Source: News.com Posted By: Matthew Sabean

  America Online's surprise acquisition of Time Warner was a frontal assault on Microsoft's ambitions to become a major content player, capping a year-long series of battles between the two technology companies.

  By enlisting Time Warner's vast arsenal of assets, AOL has gained a commanding lead in the race to deliver content across an array of media. Analysts say the move may further weaken Microsoft's already-wavering commitment to content and hasten the company's to return to its software roots.

  "AOL is a content company, and Microsoft is a software company," said Jon Puricelli, an analyst with A.G. Edwards. "This solidifies it. Microsoft shouldn't try to be a content company; these two companies shouldn't be competing in the least bit.

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Read more of the past months news in our News Archive for November and December News.