Microsoft Enters Home Mortgage Business
Microsoft Corp., long known as a software developer and manufacturer, has decided to become involved in what for most people is the most expensive hardware purchase they'll ever make: a home.
The software giant announced today the formation of HomeAdvisor Technologies Inc., a new company that Microsoft claims will revolutionize the way homes are bought and sold, as well as shave weeks off the typical mortgage-closing process.
Rioport Launches Next Generation Audio Manager software
Rioport, Inc., maker of the popular Audio Manager software, has announced the beta version of its next generation software. Version 3.0 comes with Windows 2000 compatibility and packed with an array of new tools and technologies to further enhance the music downloading and listening experience.
The latest version offers the ability to stream both audio and video, and the ability to burn CD's for use with home and car stereos. With Version 3.0 of Audio Manager, you can also easily download multiple formats of audio tracks to your portable device or home PC.
Diablo 2 Beta Testing
Blizzard has announced that at 12:01 a.m. on March 20th, beta testing applications will be available for Diablo 2. Only 1000 testers will be chosen at random to receive the beta, and application acceptance will end at 11:59 p.m. on March 20th. It is currently only supported on Windows 9x/NT, and will contain multi-player levels for Battle.net stability. Visit the sign-up page to register to beta test Diablo 2.
BeOS 5 Available March 28th
Be, Inc. announced today that BeOS 5 Personal Edition would be available for download from their Web site on March 28th. This version will be entirely free, and will not be restricted by time limits or any other nag screens. The Pro Edition of BeOS will be available shortly after the release of the Personal Edition, and can be purchased through a third-party distributor in North, South, and Central America, and soon after in Europe and Asia.
What makes BeOS 5 special is that it can be downloaded for free, and run within Windows, without repartitioning the hard drive or making any other adjustments. It runs within a self-contained file, and can be started by simply doulbe-clicking the file on the desktop.
Borland C++ Builder 5 Available
Inprise Corporation is set to release Borland C++ Builder 5 this week, hosting a live Web conference today with David Intersimone presenting the new program. With a myraid of new features, and added support for the Web, Dale Fuller, interim president and CEO of Inprise/Borland stated "C++Builder 5 shakes-up the C++ landscape by fusing the Internet with C++ development."
Among the new features of Builder 5, XML support has been added to speed up the development and deployment of Web applications. The new InternetExpress clients, which use DHTML and XML, allow developers to quickly develop applications for e-commerce and other Web technologies.
Andersen Consulting, Microsoft Cut $1 Bil Deal
Andersen Consulting and Microsoft Corp. announced today plans for a new joint venture, and the expansion of an existing relationship, to create an entity for customers seeking to buy, build or integrate large-scale industry applications, including e-commerce offerings, built on the Microsoft enterprise platform and Windows 2000 operating system.
An official announcement pegged the value of the deal at $1 billion and said the new unit will be called Avanade (av'e nad) and, subject to regulatory approval, will deliver Internet-specific and other enterprise platform services based on the Windows 2000 operating system.
IBMs New PCs
IBM has announced plans to launch a new line of computers featuring LCD screens and a sleek futuristic look. The NetVista series boasts 256-bit encryption and a wireless networking interface, and includes four initial models, one being a legacy free PC featuring serial and parallel ports, with a networking interface. This all comes as part of IBM's "Edge of Network" initiative, and as they move from their Aptiva home PCs and commercial computers. Visit IBM online at to learn more about it.
Windows 2000 Released to Testers - March 9th?
Microsoft's loyal beta testers are just starting to receive their copy of the OS. Ironically, when asked earlier today when testers would get their copies, Microsoft stated that the OS would arrive next week. So this week, when the brown uniformed UPS deliverer showed up at some testers' doors, they never thought the package that was waiting for them would be their beloved Windows 2000 boxed copy.
Most testers will receive their copy starting tomorrow, and only testers near Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond, Washington were lucky enough to get theirs today.
NextSTART 2.1 Beta Testing has Begun
The Winstep 2000 Project has announced private beta testing for the next release of their start menu replacement software entitled NextSTART. This beta is available for registered users only, as they are working out the final bugs before releasing it to the public. One of the project members told BetaNews "There haven't been hardly any bugs reported so far, which means 2.1 should
come out of beta soon." For now, the previous public version (2.0.95) can be downloaded from FileForum, and users who register the program are automatically entitled to testing version 2.1.
Beta Testers Needed for PalmVNC
Harakan Software is requesting beta testers for the newest version of its Palm connectivity software, PalmVNC. Using TCP/IP, PalmVNC allows users to connect to remote PC, UNIX, or Mac workstations. It also displays the Palm desktop in 16 shade grayscale, while only consuming 35Kb of memory, and can be stored in Flash memory using TRG's FlashPro. Users must be running PalmOS 3.3 or 3.5 to participate in the testing. Visit the sign up page to become a beta tester, and visit Harakan Software for more information about PalmVNC.
Powerline Networking in Europe this Summer
Working in conjunction with the American company Enikia, the German energy firm Veba has announced that this summer they hope to begin a trial run of the powerline area networking technologies the company has developed over the last few years. Working under a new name, Oneline AG, the trials are set to begin this summer, with full service deployment at the end of this year. This is the first official trial of powerline networking since Nortel attempted it in 1997 with United Utilities, an England-based company. MediaFusion from the United States is also working on this technology, and hopes to begin trials this summer as well.
AMD Crowned 1GHz King
After announcing initial shipment of 1GHz Athlon processors would begin today, AMD chairman and CEO W.J. Sanders III told the press the milestone "is a watershed event not only for AMD, but also for the personal computer industry." He then went on to compare reaching the 1GHz mark to Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier.
Just nine months after shipping the first Athlon processor, AMD has quickly become a strong rival to chip giant Intel, and pushed production to the extreme. With Intel hot on its heels, AMD was able to reach the mark first due to its "strategic investment in process technology, product development and productive capacity over the past several years."
Microsoft to Host Virtual Golf Association Tournament
For those gamers out there who play golf online, and wish you could get the big money the pros on the PGA Tour get, this tournament is for you. Sponsored by Microsoft, the PGA, and Wingspan, the Virtual Golf Association tournament will take place over the next nine months, with the winner taking home a nice $100,000 USD prize. To play in the tournament, you must have Links 2000 LS, a Vitual Tour CD, and an MSN Gaming Zone membership. Both the tour card and the gaming zone membership are free of charge. The top four players at the end of the tournament will be flown to Hawaii to compete head-to-head for the championship.
Microsoft Offers Online Music Video Guide
Microsoft has announced a new feature at WindowsMedia.com that allows users to watch music videos from top artists both in broadband format for high-speed connections, and narrowband format for dial-ups. This online music guide will feature artists such as Creed, Britney Spears, and the Backstreet Boys, and many other popular artists, all provided by Vidnet.com. It will also feature artists from Sony, EMI, and the Warner Music Group, all courtesy of LAUNCH.com. Jay Samit, senior vice president of New Media at EMI, stated "There is tremendous interest in watching music videos on demand, and Windows Media is an excellent platform for delivering videos over the Internet." Learn more about the online music guide at WindowsMedia.com.
Stardock Releases WindowBlinds 1.2
After 2 months of development and beta testing, Stardock Systems has released version 1.2 of its popular Windows skinning program WindowBlinds. This version brings a myriad of new functionalities including 'Always on Top' and 'Roll Up' features for windows, as well as the ability to create shortcut buttons that launch and interact with Web pages, and launch programs. Using version 1.2, nearly 100 percent of the user interface is customizable, complete with transparencies and other Windows 2000 features. Check out the eFront Skins Contest 2000 to see some of the newest skins, and download WindowBlinds from FileForum. Visit the Stardock Web site for more information.
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