Gates to Unveil Office XP in May
On May 31, Microsoft founder Bill Gates will be unveiling the latest addition to the slew of Microsoft products, Office XP. One of the most anticipated features this software contains is advanced voice recognition capabilities. Users will be able to manage their Office functions through the power of their voice. Another important add-on is Office XP's 'smart tags', which allow users to link web resources with spreadsheets, databases, and other office documents. Previously codenamed Office 10, Office XP is the first set of XP products Microsoft plans to release.
Along with voice recognition and smart tags, Office XP offers exclusive integration with Windows 2000 Server, the ability to cut, copy and paste multiple data sets, color schemed appointments, and a document recovery feature, which will guarantee no data loss in the event of an error.
Ximian GNOME 1.4 Offers New Features
Ximian, Inc.(formerly known as Helix Code), released the latest version of their GNOME shell software earlier today. This build offers innovative software updating, new file management functionality, online support, and is packaged with the Mozilla Web browser.
The current version does not run properly on the unstable version of Debian GNU/Linux, however Ximian is working on a fix.
Beta Software Glitch Causes TiVo Reboots
A particular beta distribution of TiVO software is causing the unit to reboot repeatedly, according to users. Subscribers have been issued a fix by the company, however it has not yet reached everyone. The problem only effects those using DirecTV services. "It seems that there are isolated incidents of people having problems," said a TiVo spokeswoman. "The problems are tied to WishLists and searches for actors with single names..." TiVo recently released the beta of version 2.0, offering added features and speed not found in 1.3.
An estimated 153,000 customers were using DirecTV services at the end of January. Many users have been posting complaints for several months, yet the issue has only been brought up to TiVo executives rather recently.
Caldera to Open Project 42 Beta
Caldera Inc. plans to release its first public version of 'Project 42,' their latest distribution of OpenLinux. Designed for businesses, Caldera has developed the most recent version to be an uncomplicated, yet sophisticated server. The latest development will show up very shortly on Caldera's beta site. Keep checking back for more updates as it unfolds.
Based on the Linux 2.4 kernel, Project 42 features secure Web, file and print servers along with a set of network infrastructure services. Project 42 is Caldera's attempt to poke their Linux distribution into the mainstream vendor line.
Microsoft Unleashes Mobile Manager
On the move, and tired of having to login on your laptop to check mail and other updates? If your mail services are hosted by a Microsoft Exchange Server, your answers may be solved. Microsoft has released mobile software which allows you to download updates from your home or office computer to a text-enabled mobile device.
Fully integrated with the Office 2000 suite, the package enables users to receive notifications on their cellular phone, pager, handheld PC, or other device whenever their desktop PC is running.
Gates Officially Announces WindowsXP
Microsoft's Bill Gates officially announced the WindowsXP operating system yesterday, bringing with it a slew of articles, Web site, and screen shots of the upcoming software. Beta 2 invitations were sent out this week to some testers not originally included in the beta test, much like Microsoft is doing with OfficeXP. Testers thus far are raving about the new interface, which is being revamped for Beta 2 to include the new Luna interface.
Several features of Luna have Windows lovers reved up to get their hands on a copy, which currently stands at Build 2428 released to testers this week also. Alpha-blending has been included to add new dimensions to the look and feel of the Windows desktop, along with a new skinning system to provide users with "themes" much like WindowBlinds from Stardock.
DivX Codec Optimized to Create 3ivX
A new codec team, Happy Machines, plans to optimize the DivX codec to the fullest extent, resulting in lower file sizes, higher quality, and faster encoding. The developers of 3ivX plan to offer the codec to Windows, Macintosh, BeOS and *nix systems. Mr. Stux, one of the developers of DivX for Mac, is supervising the team's progress.
As said on their site, "We are currently concentrating on getting things done and working on all platforms. That means that our code is generic and fully NOT optimized. 3ivX is a temporal codec. That means it tries to find motion from one frame to another. It also means that it will be very efficient on movies that contain little difference from one frame to another, but will have a hard time with movies that have a lot of action."
Yahoo Brings Encryption to E-mail
Adding yet another feature to their web-based e-mail solutions, Yahoo has announced that they will be using Zixit's SecureDelivery service to encrypt their mail. Any Yahoo Mail user will have access to this new option. The technology is free, and protects any e-mail deliveries and attachments. You can sign up for a Yahoo Mail account by clicking here.
Dransik Beta Testing
A developer of such games as Ultima Online, Ultima 8 and the Crusader series is creating a game of his own... out of his own pocket. Free to play, this multiplayer role-playing game (MPRPG) is quickly gaining popularity throughout the internet. Dubbed 'Dransik,' players must gain experience and formidable weapons to fight enemies and subdue other players.
Players who first enter start out in a small town called 'Jeel,' and must gain experience by killing spiders and bats south of the village. After higher levels are reached, the character will have enough power to travel further into the world of Dransik. 'Good' players have a green name tag, to show that they do not attack other players, or townspeople, while red 'Evil' players have shown just the opposite.
KDE 2 Final Released!
After a long beta period, the good folks at KDE have released their latest and greatest shell over X Windows, KDE 2.0. The new release comes bundled with some neat new features that give Gnome a run for its money... er, open source profits. Dubbed Kopernicus, the latest version is developed by creators spanning over 30 countries.
"With the experience gained from developing KDE 1, we almost completely re-engineered KDE 2 to make it even more intuitive, powerful and user friendly," noted founder of the KDE project, Matthias Ettrich.
3Com Releases Web Appliance
'Audrey' is the name of 3Com's attack at the Internet appliance department, which became available on Tuesday. Ringing in at $499, this device allows the consumer to access e-mail, planning tools, and syncronization with handheld devices. The gadget features an 8" color display, a NSG (National Semiconductor's Geode) processor, and a 56k modem.
"One way to think of this is the Palm of the home," said vice president of 3Com's consumer business, Julie Shimer. "We want to deliver an enjoyable Internet experience in the nerve center of the home. In most homes, that's the kitchen."
Mac OS X Allows Two Programming Paths
Apple is attempting to aid programmers in their tasks by offering two programming options for Mac OS X applications. Developers have the choice of rewriting existing OS 9 code using the Carbon APIs, or they may start from scratch utilizing the Cocoa API technology. A rather strange selection of names for the APIs, but they do the job nonetheless. Cocoa coded applications will only work on OS X, while Carbon written code is usable in OS 9 and X.
Apple has posted a list of OS 9 software that works in the Classic Environment, and a list of software that is OS X-optimized. For more information, visit ZDNet.
Sony Unleashing New Vaio Laptop?
Sony has posted pictures of what looks like the PC's answer to the iBook. Rounded and sleek in design, the black laptop compares closely with its Apple, Inc. opponent. Not not much is known about hardware details, release dates, or whether it will hit the US, however we will keep you posted. To check out some images on Sony's Japanese site, click here. What do you guys think, would you buy one?
Microsoft SNA Server 4.0 SP4 Beta Testing
Microsoft has informed BetaNews that their latest service pack for SNA Server 4.0 is available for testing. Testers who are qualified must be running SNA Server 4.0, and have the ability to download service pack 4. Users are required to report results within 1 week. This offer is limited to the first 100 people who email their Beta
ID to the SNA Server SP4 Alias [email protected]. Hurry before it fills up!
Microsoft.com Gets Slight Makeover
If you haven't visited Microsoft's home page lately, you may be suprised to see that their initial layout has changed. Many navigational aspects remain the same, but the creators made it more eye-appealing by including many images and colors. Also, the main page focuses on every division of the company, rather than just a few topics. Microsoft.com's simple logo indicates loud and clear, "this site belongs to us."
Check out the new layout by visiting Microsoft.
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