RSS
Security firm: Windows patches not responsible for 'Black Screen of Death'
On second thought, maybe that access control list thingie with the lockdown something-or-rather didn't trigger an alleged, perhaps non-existent, pandemic.
Windows desktops and notebooks reach near price-performance parity for Holiday 2009
Gone are the days when average Windows desktop offered more for less than laptops.
Latest Firefox 3.6 beta fixes 133 bugs, promises faster page load times
A once-sluggish beta testing process has kicked into overdrive, with astonishing success at finding serious bugs. Will Mozilla be able to fix all the others in time?
Confirmed: Office 2010 to ship in June
Two weeks after Microsoft had been expected to draw a clearer roadmap for its principal applications suite, it's finally ready to commit to the end of H1.
Apple settles with Psystar except for 'circumvention devices'
The fracas with the Florida clone computer maker might have ended today had Apple not have muddled the issue over a cheap piece of Psystar software.
Microsoft denies latest 'Black Screen of Death' claims
After an anti-malware producer announced a fix to what it says is a swarm of recent KSoD problems, evidence of the swarm itself has yet to turn up.
New EU antitrust commissioner will oversee Microsoft, Oracle+Sun, Intel issues
As one of Europe's most prominent politicians shifts positions in January, her replacement remains a question mark over technology's biggest issues.
Without its own 'iTablet' yet, is Apple missing the boat?
Steve Jobs is on record as dissing "single-purpose" devices like e-readers. But given their recent popularity, was that a mistake?
Not-so-mobile battery life: Time to force the issue
Carmi Levy | Wide Angle Zoom: If power efficiency is important when you buy a car or even a motorcycle, why shouldn't it matter for a smartphone?
Apple invokes DMCA, claims Psystar is 'trafficking in circumvention devices'
In trying to close the book on possibly the last attempt at a Mac clone, Apple cites from its own landmark case...but may actually be misinterpreting it.
The fallacy of Facebook privacy
Carmi Levy | Wide Angle Zoom: If an insurance company learns something interesting about its client through the Internet, is that snooping?
Google Indexing Subscription Content
By David Worthington on June 30, 2005, 4:48 PM
4 Comments
BetaNews has learned that Google is testing a premium service that will open up mainstream access to the "Deep Web," allowing webmasters with restricted or subscription content to let in Google and provide the masses with free previews.
The service is being tested server-side with a small number of sites that are under strict confidentiality agreements.
AOL Tests Video Search with Web Player
By David Worthington on June 30, 2005, 3:50 PM
Add Comment
In an extension of its strategy to build an audience on the open Web, America Online has rolled out a stealth release of its new Video Search product and an accompanying inline video player, BetaNews has learned.
AOL Video Search corrals together SingingFish's index of more than 1.5 million video assets from its partners and the Web with AOL's vault of on-demand content and independent RSS feeds.
Microsoft Slims Down Windows Updates
By David Worthington on June 30, 2005, 9:50 AM
17 Comments
From here on out, downloads from Microsoft Update and Automatic Updates will seem just a little bit faster. That is because Microsoft has released a non-security "critical" Windows update that places a permanent copy of the Package Installer for Windows on an end user's computer.
As a result, the footprint of downloads is made significantly smaller.
'Cell' Processor Breaks Out of Gaming
By David Worthington on June 29, 2005, 2:41 PM
1 Comment
For the first time, a vendor outside of the gaming industry has signed on to use the "Cell" processor architecture. Massachusetts based Mercury Computer Systems will integrate Cell into defense and life sciences products in collaboration with engineers from IBM's Engineering and Technology Services group.
IBM, Toshiba and Sony jointly developed Cell for placement in next-generation computing applications and consumer electronics. The processor has reached clock speeds exceeding 4GHz and will be used to power Sony's upcoming PlayStation 3 gaming console.
Yahoo Socializes Search with 'My Web'
By David Worthington on June 29, 2005, 2:08 PM
2 Comments
Yahoo has released a beta version of My Web 2.0, a so-called "social search" engine that accepts contributions from its users. My Web layers editorial content on top of standard search results to make it easier for users to find what it is they are looking for.
Perhaps inspired by the success of Wikipedia, social search content is fleshed out by members of "trusted communities" that tag Web pages with their own comments and insights to share their knowledge of the Web with other community members.
Windows 2000 Update Rollup Released
By David Worthington on June 28, 2005, 8:24 PM
15 Comments
Two days before it ends mainstream support of the OS, Microsoft has provided its Windows 2000 customers with a parting gift: the long-awaited post Service Pack 4 Update Rollup. The Update Rollup contains every security related fix issued since SP4, along with several non-security related sustained support updates.
The rollup was announced last November and underwent beta testing starting January 2005 until its recent release to manufacturing. A public release was originally projected to arrive in April.
Microsoft Cleans Up AJAX with 'Atlas'
By David Worthington on June 28, 2005, 7:05 PM
2 Comments
BetaNews has learned that Microsoft is preparing an object oriented JavaScript framework for AJAX developers code-named "Atlas." The first Atlas bits will arrive at PDC 2005 in September following the 2.0 release of ASP.NET, and provide developers with new options for creating Avalon enabled browser applications.
Microsoft has supported components of AJAX, or Asynchronous JavaScript and XML, within Internet Explorer dating back to its adoption of JScript, DHTML and XMLHTTP. But, development using the AJAX approach has consisted of intensive scripting and what Microsoft deems as cobbling together of complementary technologies.
palmOne Unveils GPS Navigator
By David Worthington on June 28, 2005, 5:07 PM
2 Comments
palmOne has introduced a GPS (global positioning system) navigation accessory for its Treo 650 and LifeDrive products, transforming the devices into portable navigation units that may be mounted on an automobile dashboard or taken anywhere else where a user wishes to be. The palmOne GPS Navigator offers up mapping and directions functionality with a real-time, nationwide traffic flow analysis feature that has beaten rival Microsoft to the market.
Units are powered by Navigator 5 software developed by TomTom -- a manufacturer of portable car navigation systems -- and atlas map data is provided by Tele Atlas.
Microsoft Tools Aids Shared Computers
By David Worthington on June 28, 2005, 3:20 PM
7 Comments
Microsoft has released a toolkit for Windows XP designed for administrators with little or no IT experience that operate shared computers in public places.
The Microsoft Shared Computer Toolkit combines software tools with best practice documentation, enabling administrators to restrict system resources with the correct user policies, prevent programs from making unauthorized changes to the computers' hard disks and simplify the end user experience by eliminating unnecessary programs and interface elements.
Google Adds Video Playback to Search
By David Worthington and Nate Mook on June 27, 2005, 5:58 PM
4 Comments
Google on Monday officially launched its video search and added playback from directly within the Web browser. Google Video Viewer is a browser plug-in for Firefox and Internet Explorer designed to play video captures from more than 20 TV stations that are partnered with Google.
The player is based upon the work of the Video LAN open source project. The Video LAN Client is cross-platform supporting Linux, Mac OS X, BSD and BeOS. However, Google Video Viewer only works with Microsoft Windows.
Sun Opens Source Code to Java Tech
By David Worthington on June 27, 2005, 5:47 PM
Add Comment
In an effort to jumpstart Java, Sun Microsystems is open sourcing several of its Java Enterprise technologies. Sun will release the source code to Java Application Server Edition 9.0 and Java Enterprise Server Bus (Java ESB).
Sun will also release over 135,000 lines of code to promote the development of what it hopes will be a new wave of new Java-based enterprise applications.
Audible Aims to Turn Podcasting into Business Model
By David Worthington on June 24, 2005, 5:18 PM
3 Comments
Audible has begun to use Really Simple Syndication (RSS) to podcast spoken word periodical programming over the Web. Beginning today, audio programming from sources such as the New York Times, This American Life, Wall Street Journal and BBC News Hour may be downloaded by Audible customers and content partners.
With RSS, customers can subscribe to feeds and use compatible RSS software to synchronize content with their portal media devices. RSS is an XML-based Internet publishing standard commonly used to inform subscribers when new content is available and that content can be downloaded and aggregated by RSS-aware applications.
Continue reading Audible Aims to Turn Podcasting into Business Model...
Microsoft to Embed RSS in IE, Windows
By David Worthington on June 24, 2005, 1:30 PM
14 Comments
Microsoft is attempting to bring RSS to the masses by making the emerging technology even simpler and closely tying it Windows and Internet Explorer.
Friday, at the Gnomedex conference in Seattle, Microsoft announced platform level support for Really Simple Syndication (RSS) in Longhorn with end user facing facilities intended to make it easier to discover RSS feeds and support for simple list extensions.
Microsoft Refreshes AntiSpyware Beta
By David Worthington on June 23, 2005, 6:43 PM
10 Comments
Microsoft has quietly released a refreshed build of its AntiSpyware software. Build 613 provides better documentation about unwanted software, fixes bugs that make it difficult to read alert messages and reduces the likelihood that its Winsock LSP removal mechanism will trigger unintended network disruptions.
Microsoft's AntiSpyware is based on technology the Redmond company acquired from GIANT. The acquisition is part of an ongoing effort to secure the Windows operating system in the aftermath of many high profile exploits.
Microsoft to Embrace RSS in IE7
By David Worthington on June 23, 2005, 4:15 PM
23 Comments
Microsoft is deepening its commitment to the Really Simple Syndication (RSS) Web publishing standard and, according to a prominent blogger, will detail the level of its commitment on Friday at the Gnomedex conference in Seattle.
RSS, a standard used by bloggers and content providers to notify subscribers of new or updated content, is said to be of great interest to Microsoft.
eBay Pushes Open Source Development
By David Worthington on June 22, 2005, 6:07 PM
Add Comment
eBay is attempting to greenhouse the development of applications built on its Web services using the allure of open source. At its 2005 Developers Conference, eBay announced its Community Codebase program to provide developers with a place to collaborate and unleash their creative energies on open source projects.
To see its developers off to a good start, eBay has seeded the site with sample code including a proof-of-concept TiVo application that allows TiVo users to bid and search for items in eBay auctions. Other seeded code projects are an Eclipse plug-in and an eBay themed Firefox toolbar.
IBM Leads, Intel Gains in Supercomputer Ranking
By David Worthington on June 22, 2005, 2:19 PM
3 Comments
Wednesday, at the 20th International Supercomputing Conference (ISC2005) in Heidelberg, Germany, the 25th edition of the TOP500 list of the world's fastest supercomputers was released. IBM tops the list with 51.8 percent of systems, followed by Hewlett-Packard at 26.2 percent, with SGI trailing at 5 percent.
Aside from the customary breakdown of market share, the listing has revealed rapid technological progress in the sector, the growth of the supercomputing market in Asia outside of Japan, and charts the rise of Intel hardware in the space.
Continue reading IBM Leads, Intel Gains in Supercomputer Ranking...
Google CEO Confirms Payment Service
By Nate Mook and David Worthington on June 22, 2005, 10:37 AM
4 Comments
Google CEO Eric Schmidt has acknowledged that his company's Google Payment Corp. subsidiary is engineering an electronic payment system, but shrugged off speculation that it would be competing with eBay's PayPal. Rumors of a planned service peaked over the weekend and sent eBay shares falling early Monday.
"We do not intend to offer a person-to-person, stored-value payments system," Schmidt said in a statement read to reporters. "The payment services we are working on are a natural evolution of Google's existing online products and advertising programs, which today connect millions of consumers and advertisers."
Tool Provided to Block Windows Server 2003 SP1
By David Worthington on June 21, 2005, 7:35 PM
9 Comments
Microsoft is allowing IT administrators to buy some more time before they must forcibly upgrade Windows Server 2003 to Service Pack 1. A special toolkit is available that will temporarily disable the delivery of the service pack via the automatic update service and Windows Update.
The SP1 upgrade will take place on July 26, 2005 for those without the toolkit installed.
Continue reading Tool Provided to Block Windows Server 2003 SP1...
Phishing Exploit Affects Major Browsers
By David Worthington on June 21, 2005, 4:24 PM
25 Comments
Sometimes the argument over which browser is most secure is a moot point. Tuesday, Secunia Research posted an advisory on a secuirty flaw that affects all major Web browsers. The firm demonstrated how even a link to a 'trusted' Web site may not be as harmless as it may seem.
In its advisory, Secunia detailed how malicious users can exploit a vulnerability found in JavaScript to craft dialog boxes that pop up in front of the user's browser after the user navigates to a trusted Web site. This method can be used to obtain personally identifiable information, called phishing, by making it seem as if the dialog box was loaded by the target Web site.