DirectX 9.0 Beta 3 was made available for download this week, with beta testers receiving notice of the release on Wednesday. The pre-release code is designed to facilitate the creation of DirectX applications based on the upcoming version 9.0 feature set.

DirectX 9.0 most notably adds a new high-level shader language -- based on C -- designed to simplify development.

Continue reading →

In four TechNet security bulletins, Microsoft late Wednesday disclosed eleven vulnerabilities related to Windows and SQL Server, five of which are labeled critical. Patches have been released for each flaw, and will likely soon be available on Windows Update. The bulletins come a day after Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer sent out a memo discussing actions the company is taking to improve software updates and customer feedback.

The first posted vulnerabilities involve decompression of ZIP files that are natively supported in Windows Me, XP and Windows 98 with Plus! Pack. A malformed filename could cause Explorer to crash or an attacker's code to be run, according to the bulletin. In addition, an attacker could place files in directories other than those specified by the user, without notification.

Continue reading →

Apple has released the much anticipated beta version of iSync, which was first demoed at Macworld in July. iSync synchronizes calendar and contact information between Mac OS X and mobile devices including Palm OS handhelds, iPods and Bluetooth-enabled wireless phones. .Mac customers will also have the ability to sync data between multiple computers, regardless of which was most recently updated.

iSync 1.0 Beta runs only on Jaguar version 10.2.1 or later and utilizes the system's Address Book along with Apple's recently released iCal calendar application. Support for Palm OS comes as a separate iSync component and requires Palm Desktop 4.0 be installed.

Continue reading →

Microsoft on Thursday released to manufacturers an update for Windows XP that adds support for Bluetooth devices. The software enables developers to build products using the Windows Bluetooth format, which will allow Windows XP users to easily connect a PC to Bluetooth peripherals such as cell phones, printers and mice.

"Microsoft is excited to have hit this milestone because the company believes it will be a catalyst to increasing use of wireless technologies -- one of the fastest-growing segments of the industry," a Microsoft spokesperson told BetaNews. "Mainstream availability of products containing Bluetooth wireless technology are expected to be a boom for wireless market opportunities and users will start to see an increasing number of Bluetooth devices available."

Continue reading →

Darwin 6.0.1, the BSD UNIX operating system that serves as the core of Mac OS X v10.2, was released Wednesday under Apple's ongoing open source initiative. Along with Darwin, Apple opened the source code to Rendezvous, the company's automatic network discovery technology that made its first appearance in Jaguar and iChat.

"Rendezvous is a major innovation in IP networking that creates dynamic networks of computers, devices and software applications with zero user configuration," said Apple senior vice president Philip Schiller in Wednesday's announcement. "By supporting an open standards process and providing open source software that is available today, Apple is encouraging the rapid adoption of Rendezvous technology.

Continue reading →

Microsoft this week began accepting nominations for the .NET Framework 1.1 SDK Beta, code-named Everett. The .NET Framework SDK includes tools to write, build and deploy .NET applications, including documentation, compilers, and samples. Beta versions of the 1.1 SDK and Redistributable were made available to testers on Wednesday.

"The .NET Framework version 1.1 features improved scalability and performance; support for mobile device development with the ASP.NET Mobile Controls (formerly the Microsoft Mobile Internet Toolkit); support for Internet Protocol version 6; and classes in ADO.NET for native communication with ODBC and Oracle databases," Microsoft beta coordinators wrote in an e-mail to testers.

Continue reading →

At DEMOmobile in southern California, Microsoft on Thursday took the wraps off its much-anticipated line of broadband network hardware designed for home users. Rumors of Microsoft's plans to enter the home network market began last February, when the company invited a select group to test a beta version of its wireless base station.

The Microsoft Broadband Networking products include five devices for wired networks and three for wireless, along with two wireless kits for desktops and laptops. All wireless products, which utilize Intersil's PRISM chipset, include 128-bit WEP and the Microsoft Broadband Base Station features NAT support and a built-in hardware firewall.

Continue reading →

Lindows.com today announced the second revision of its Linux-based operating system, LindowsOS, and made the release available to members of the company's Insiders group. LindowsOS is based on Xandros, a user-friendly version of Debian GNU/Linux formerly owned by Corel, which will make its own public debut on September 30.

The most noticeable change in LindowsOS 2.0 is a new user interface that runs atop KDE. Support for printers and laptops has also been greatly improved, with added configuration dialogs. Netscape 7.0 serves as the foundation for Web browsing, e-mail and instant messaging in LindowsOS 2.0.

Continue reading →

Apple is set to release the first update for Mac OS X version 10.2, according to a knowledge base article posted on the AppleCare Web site. The update comes less than a month after the debut of 10.2, also known as Jaguar, following Apple's trend of releasing frequent updates to Mac OS X.

10.2.1 primarily focuses on improving the operating system's compatibility with CD writers and other multimedia devices. Notable enhancements to CD burning include better compatibility with Windows and support for additional third-party burners. Bugs in iTunes and Disk Utility have also been corrected.

Continue reading →

As part of the company's beta release of the next version of Visual Studio, code-named Everett, Microsoft today released the second beta of the .NET Compact Framework. The Compact Framework is a subset of the full desktop .NET Framework designed to run on mobile and thin client devices. Microsoft also announced today the release of SQL Server CE 2.0, a compact database designed for mobile applications.

"We're delivering a complete, coherent mobile development platform so that .NET developers can hit the ground running to create and deploy smarter mobile applications," said vice president of the Developer Platform and Evangelism Division at Microsoft, Tom Button, in today's announcement.

Continue reading →

Three days before it will make an official debut, Service Pack 1 for Windows XP is now available for download. The 133MB update corrects a myriad of security issues and bugs that have cropped up since Microsoft released Windows XP in October of last year.

"Windows XP SP1 is a well-tested collection of updates that improve upon the operating system's security, reliability and compatibility, including fixes developed as part of the Trustworthy Computing Initiative," a Microsoft spokesperson told BetaNews.

Continue reading →

A select group of testers received invitations from Microsoft Wednesday to take part in the upcoming Office 11 beta test, scheduled to begin this Fall. Office 11 was publicly unveiled at the TechXNY conference in June and will feature increased XML support and better integration with .NET services.

"Our goal is to have a targeted group of testers willing to actively participate and provide useful feedback to our development team," Microsoft wrote in the e-mail invite.

Continue reading →

In a star-studded Hollywood event Wednesday, Microsoft unveiled the much anticipated public beta version of its next-generation Windows Media platform. Under the main spotlight was Windows Media Player 9 Series, an evolutionary update to Microsoft's ubiquitous digital media player.

Among the new features in the beta release are improved media management tools, smart playlists, and enhanced audio and video codecs. A new Mini-Player Mode allows Windows Media Player to shrink onto the taskbar, reminiscent of Microsoft's scrapped Shell Audio Player PowerToy.

Continue reading →

Microsoft this week released to manufacturing the fifth version of Windows XP, designed to facilitate a new generation of media-centric PCs. The aptly named Windows XP Media Center Edition brings together digital music and video, photos, DVD playback, live television and PVR capability into a unified interface controlled via remote control.

"Windows XP Media Center Edition takes the great photo, music and video experiences introduced last fall with Windows XP to the next level and adds a new TV experience that only the power of the PC can deliver. It's an example of how innovation continues to make the PC even more central to people's lives," said Microsoft's vice president of the Platforms Products Group, Jim Allchin.

Continue reading →

A beta test is set to begin for network delivered virus software and Centercode is looking for network managers to participate. This new technology is designed to simplify the process of virus protection on a network, keep users up-to-date with all of the latest virus definitions and provide a detailed breakdown about virus protection on the network.

Eligible candidates will need to have management rights over a large network and be willing to test this innovative product on it. Centercode is specifically looking for applicants who are willing to deploy software across anywhere between 10-5000 nodes and report feedback on the performance.

Continue reading →