Beta testers of Microsoft's forthcoming Windows .NET Server received notice this past weekend that Release Candidate 1 would soon arrive in the mail. "In the coming weeks, we will be shipping your Windows .NET Server RC1 kit," beta coordinators wrote in an e-mail. "A definitive delivery date is not available. Inquiries regarding a ship date will not receive a response."

Along with the announcement, Microsoft issued interim build 3660, a "checkpoint to ensure that no new, major issues have been introduced." All beta testers are encouraged to install the build, which may serve as the final pre-RC1 release if all goes well.

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Philips is looking for 100 active beta testers to trial two new portable digital audio players created for use on the run or in the gym. Designed for wear on the arm, the psa[128max will feature 128MB of built-in memory, while the slightly larger psa[cd8 will utilize 8cm CDs that hold up to 50 songs. Both devices will be released under the Nike brand name and sport no-look buttons and smart wire management.

Continuing to build its digital audio arsenal, Philips adds the portable sports audio devices to its already extensive lineup solid-state, CD and home-based MP3 audio players. FM radio and CD audio players are also on the docket for release under the Nike brand.

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ICQ on Monday released a new alpha version of its wildly popular instant messaging client, dubbed ICQ Lite. Named for its small size and interface simplicity, ICQ Lite is a new direction for a company that continues to tack new features onto its main Windows client.

The release is also a sign that ICQ has been listening to its users who have long complained about unnecessary additions and the abundance of advertising in ICQ chat windows.

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Although not yet officially announced, Microsoft has issued a maintenance update for DirectX, brining the latest version number to 8.1b. DirectX 8.1b incorporates a few critical fixes over its predecessor, most notably in DirectShow and Direct3D. DirectX is Microsoft's suite of application programming interfaces used by developers to take full advantage of Windows' multimedia capabilities.

In a post to the MSDN DirectX newsgroup, product manager Phil Taylor attributed the delay in announcing the update to "an artifact of the release process here at MS. We have to release the download on the download server before we can get an MSDN page on it."

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Internal beta builds of Microsoft's forthcoming Service Pack 1 for Windows XP are finding their way onto the Internet thanks to some unscrupulous employees. Although public betas almost always leak to the Web, in the past Microsoft has been mostly successful at keeping private builds it issues to internal Redmond workers secure. But since SP1 build 1050 shipped to beta testers, unreleased builds 1060, 1063 and 1065 have cropped up on underground Windows sites.

These private builds usually contain few updates from public releases and are generally less stable, but that hasn't stopped hordes of enthusiasts wanting to run the latest XP code. Weighing in at over 100 MB the service pack isn't light on bandwidth, either.

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This week at the TechXNY conference in New York, Microsoft gave attendees a sneak peek at its upcoming next-generation office suite, currently named Office 11. Microsoft group vice president Jeff Raikes discussed the new Office in his keynote speech, touting increased XML support that will better link data between programs.

Raikes demonstrated a new interface in Outlook, Microsoft's flagship e-mail software, which splits the message window vertically instead of horizontally. He said the next version of Outlook will utilize a database-like backend to store e-mails.

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Windows Media Player received a hefty update late Wednesday, which corrects three newly discovered security vulnerabilities and contains two configuration changes. The most critical of the flaws could potentially enable an attacker to run code on a user's system, and thus Microsoft recommends all Windows users immediately install the cumulative patch for versions 6.4, 7.1 and Windows Media Player for XP.

A privilege elevation vulnerability that could allow a local user to gain administrator rights and a script execution vulnerability that could run a script of an attacker's choice at a specific time are also corrected in the update.

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Microsoft on Wednesday announced the official naming for its upcoming Mira technology that will allow for portable monitors, aptly titling the software Windows CE for Smart Displays. First unveiled at CES in January, Mira is targeted at a consumer environment and will enable a user to work on a PC from anywhere in the home.

Windows CE for Smart Displays will initially ship in two form factors: 15-inch detachable displays and six- to 10-inch remote mobile monitors, which can be placed up to 150 feet away.

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Microsoft sent to testers this week the Beta 2 release of its Wireless Home Networking hardware and software product, which is described much like current wireless gateways. An initial beta program ran until May, and this second beta phase is expected to extend through July. Testers will be asked to return beta kits, but will receive a final version once the product is complete.

"Welcome to the beta 2 release of Microsoft Wireless Home Networking," beta coordinators wrote in an e-mail to testers. "For this beta program, BetaPlace, Email, and Newsgroup services will be available to you. You will be receiving your kit in the mail soon."

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The lucky few selected to beta test Windows XP's new Freestyle technology have a new toy to play with. Microsoft shipped to Freestyle testers a beta version of the multimedia interface designed to be used with a remote control from across the room.

"The Freestyle beta release kit will include a PC and all the necessary equipment required to setup and run Freestyle, along with support and bug reporting information," Microsoft beta coordinators wrote in an e-mail to testers. "As a reminder, you will need to provide a monitor that can support 1024 x 768 resolution."

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Microsoft and Ensemble Studios are looking for 10,000 testers to participate in an multiplayer alpha trial of the upcoming real time strategy game, Age of Mythology. An extension to the popular Age of Empires series, Age of Mythology casts players as one of nine civilizations sent to battle with the help of mythological creatures and mighty gods.

"By using a new state-of-the-art 3-D engine, our designers are able to do more than what was ever possible with the previous Age of Empires games," said senior game designer at Ensemble Studios Bruce Shelley, in the initial Age of Mythology announcement. "We are now able to produce stunning visual effects, wild mythological beasts and hundreds of on-screen units."

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With Longhorn set to enter beta testing next year, Microsoft has begun to make plans for supporting new hardware technologies in the upcoming version of Windows. At the top of the list is the inclusion of native DVD write capabilities, with floppy-like drag and drop writing support. But multiple non-interchangeable DVD formats may lead Microsoft to back a single technology and force manufacturers to reach a consensus on standards.

Writable DVDs are beginning to catch on for backup purposes, transfer of multi-gigabyte files, storing video from a camcorder and other areas where CDs do not provide enough space. And as prices continue to drop, many computers are shipping with the new drives. However, disagreements between industry leaders have led companies to back different formats and thus fragment the growing consumer market.

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Microsoft revealed Wednesday that MSNBC.com, the company's joint venture with NBC News, has been running a beta version of Corona to deliver streaming video for the last two months. MSNBC is utilizing the technical beta of Windows .NET Server to deliver over 10 million streams per month.

The next-generation Windows Media Services in .NET Server provides for the foundation of the Corona platform that is expected to up the ante in Microsoft's quest for digital media dominance.

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UPDATED America Online this week released a beta version of its upcoming AOL 8.0 client, code-named "Spacely." Version 8.0 sports slight enhancements over its predecessor, but lacks the company's Gecko browser engine that was expected to be included in lieu of Internet Explorer. The update instead puts an emphasis on broadband support as more users make the switch from dial-up Internet connectivity.

AOL has been aiming to integrate Gecko, which lies at the core of Netscape, into its client ever since an agreement with rival Microsoft to include IE was not renewed in early 2001. The company began testing a browser agnostic technology dubbed Komodo shortly thereafter, which allowed CompuServe to switch between Internet Explorer and Gecko.

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PalmSource, Palm's software unit, announced Monday that the next version of its handheld operating system has gone gold and is now shipping to developers and licensees. Palm OS 5 adds security enhancements, wireless capability and support for the more powerful ARM-compliant processors. The new OS will be backwards compatible with current software titles, allowing developers to make use of the same tools they currently utilize.

Palm is expected to release an ARM-based handheld running Palm OS 5 this fall. Sony will also integrate the next release, which improves multimedia support, into its upcoming CLIE line of handhelds.

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