Apple has given the iBook a much-needed speed boost, announcing new souped-up models with prices starting at $999 USD. Exactly one year ago, Apple transitioned the iBook to same G4 processer found in its PowerBook line and continues to tout the portable as a low-cost option for consumers and education customers.

The new 12- and 14-inch iBooks feature either a 1.2 GHz or 1.33 GHz PowerPC G4 processor, built-in AirPort Extreme wireless, and an optional slot-loading SuperDrive DVD burner. Apple boasts 6 hours of battery life on the new models.

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In a "special event" scheduled for October 26 at San Jose's California Theater, Apple may be set to unveil a special edition iPod developed for the band U2. U2 recently recorded an iPod commercial to promote the release of their single "Vertigo" exclusively on iTunes. According to reports, the U2-edition iPod will feature a unique enclosure and contain the band's major album releases. Rumors have also been circling that a photo-capable color iPod is in the works.

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UPDATED A listing on Amazon.com for Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger has let slip a potential release date for Apple's new operating system: June 30, 2005. Amazon.com has in the past leaked pricing and dates for new software such as Windows XP, and first incorrectly listed Tiger's launch date as March 31. Tiger made its debut last June, and is set to introduce over 150 new features including the much-hyped Spotlight search tool.

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Looking to take on Adobe and Microsoft in the graphics arena, Corel has announced the purchase of Jasc Software, maker of the popular Paint Shop Pro image editing tool. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Corel said it plans to continue marketing Jasc software independently and bundled with Corel titles.

"Like Corel, Jasc has consistently delivered innovative, reliable and easy-to-use graphics solutions at a very competitive price point," said Corel CEO Amish Mehta. "This acquisition signals our focus on increasing the breadth of our product family in order to service the broad, growing market of value-conscious consumers and businesses."

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Microsoft has released to beta testers a new preview build of MSN Messenger 7, numbered 225, which removes the touted "Winks" feature. Described as animations with sound that grab the attention of IM contacts, Winks first appeared in Microsoft's ThreeDegrees concept before being added to the Messenger 7 beta. But testers soon found many avenues to exploit the feature, allowing malicious content to be loaded on a contact's computer. Nudges, which make IM notification windows vibrate, remain in the beta.

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Furthering its efforts to provide a low-cost alternative to Apple's iPod, Dell has unveiled a slimmed down version of its Digital Jukebox portable music player. The Pocket DJ 5 sports a 4.4-ounce silver and black form factor, with a 5GB hard drive capable of holding 2,500 MP3 and Windows Media songs. Dell also updated its 20GB DJ model with the same sleek design, as well as a new interface for loading music. The Pocket DJ 5 will sell for $199 USD - $50 less than the iPod mini; the 20GB DJ will be offered at $249.

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A U.S. District Court Judge in California has denied three motions by Microsoft to invalidate patents related to AutoPlay in a lawsuit brought by TV Interactive Data (TVI). Judge Jeffrey White rulred that Microsoft did not offer sufficient evidence of prior art and the case will go to trial. TVI filed suit in 2002 claiming that Microsoft's AutoPlay technology -- found in all versions of Windows -- infringes on TVI patents. Microsoft has been swamped by patent cases, and continues to battle Eolas in a dispute over Internet Explorer.

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The OpenOffice.org project has turned four years old, celebrating its birthday on the anniversary of Sun's donation of StarOffice to the open source community. With 31 million downloads and counting, the free office suite has helped push for mainstream acceptance of open source software by offering an alternative to Microsoft's pricey Office System. OpenOffice.org 2.0 is set for release next spring, complete with an open equivalent to Microsoft Access.

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Service Pack 1 for Office 2004 for Mac is now available via AutoUpdate, Microsoft announced Tuesday. The update delivers security and bug fixes, which were reported by customers since the suite's release last May. To this end, SP1 bundles the Microsoft Error Reporting Protocol (MERP) to allow users to send bug data anonymously to Microsoft. Office 2004 for Mac SP1 will also soon be available on Microsoft's Mactopia.

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Novell is preparing a private beta test for Open Enterprise Server, a networking platform that combines open source and commercial software. The initial test will last through November, with a public beta test slated to follow. Open Enterprise Server includes both SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 and NetWare operating systems. The final product will ship in February, and "will deliver the best of both worlds to customers," according to Novell.

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Two months after the announcement of WS-Addressing, Microsoft has again joined Sun and other industry leaders including AMD, Dell and Intel in publishing the Web Services Management specification.

WS-Management provides a common way for systems to access and exchange management information. The spec includes remote management for devices ranging from handheld devices to PCs, servers and even large datacenters.

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According to a report by Think Secret, Apple is putting the finishing touches on a new iPod, complete with 2-inch color LCD screen and photo viewing capabilities. The device will boast a 60GB hard drive, iPhoto synchronization, along with a video-out port for connecting the iPod to external viewing devices such as a television. The new iPod will likely be announced within the next 60 days, with a retail price of $499 USD.

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Anti-spyware legislation that prohibits companies from installing software on a computer without user consent has been approved by the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee. Dubbed the Spy Block Act, the bill now moves to the full Senate where it will likely be voted on before the end of the year. The Spy Block Act requires software to provide an uninstall option, as well as outlaws any software that transmits user information without explicit approval.

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Sony Computer Entertainment is set to unveil a smaller version of the PlayStation 2 on October 26, according to industry reports. Dubbed "PStwo," the new console will be 30 percent smaller, but retail for the same price. Sony reinvigorated sales of the original PlayStation by making a smiliar move with the smaller PSone console. Sony refused to comment on the rumors, but the company is holding a strategy briefing in Tokyo next week where an official announcement is expected.

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America Online has declared it will not support the Sender ID antispam technology proposed by Microsoft, instead placing its online might behind SPF, or Sender Policy Framework. The announcement is the second major setback for Microsoft's efforts, following news this week that the IETF standards body would not validate Sender ID due to patent concerns. Meanwhile, Yahoo! is focusing on another standard called DomainKeys, leaving the industry without a consensus on how to block spam.

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