3Com's Beta Test Services has sent word about an exclusive beta test for BetaNews visitors. Details regarding the test are very sketchy due to the specific applicants the company is looking for. This is an excellent opportunity for people interested in consumer level products. This product is designed for families and will be the center of
attention in any household. This will be a long term beta test. Applicants must be willing to continue testing for the next year, however the test will not be labor intensive. Read on to see if you meet the qualifications and for information on how to apply.

Qualified applicants should have the following:

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Lucent Technologies has taken the wraps off an integrated Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 chipset that moves data between PCs and peripherals up to 40 times faster than the current crop of USB 1.1 specification chipsets. Announcing the speed throughput at the Intel Developer Forum Conference in San Jose late Monday, Lucent said that the USS-2000 host controller chipset can support a wide variety of higher-bandwidth peripheral devices.

These include high-resolution printers and scanners, digital video cameras, and DSL (digital subscriber line) and cable modems, using a much faster data transfer without compromising the performance of other peripheral devices plugged into the main USB of a PC.

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Red Hat, Inc. and Amiga have joined forces to give the Linux community access to Amiga's new software development kit. Using the SDK, Amiga claims developers can quickly and easily develop games, multimedia applications, and Java-based software for the Linux platform. The SDK will retail for $99 USD, and can be used to "to port your favorite development tools or applications to the new Amiga." For more information on the SDK, including licensing information, visit Amiga's Web site.

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Microsoft Corp. has announced it will acquire eLabor.com's Enterprise Project, joining the resource management functions with MS Project's Web-based application. According to eWeek, "eLabor.com will continue to sell and support Enterprise Project until it is bundled with Microsoft Project 2001. Customers who purchase it now will receive a free migration tool and upgrade to the Microsoft version." Microsoft Project 2001 allows businesses to plan and track projects, and communicate and collaborate across an organization. Project 2001 is due early next year.

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Microsoft has sent word to applicants that Beta 2 of DirectX 8.0 will be released shortly and chance for participation will soon close. Version 8.0 was expected for release this summer and inclusion in Windows Me, however delays have been extending the test and final release date alike. DirectX 8.0 will feature a new graphical input device control panel in DirectInput along with a multitude of other enhancements to its rendering capabilities. Along with the Beta 2 announcement, Microsoft today released an interim build of version 8.0, Build 0145, however details are unknown. For more information on DirectX 8.0 and final release dates, keep checking BetaNews.

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Christophe Thibault, known for his work on K-Jöfol, has released a very simple Web browser dubbed K-Meleon, which uses the much anticipated Gecko rendering engine also found in the upcoming Netscape 6. What's different about K-Meleon however, is that it has the look and feel of Internet Explorer. "I have always liked the new Gecko engine, however the clunky and bloated XUL interface of Mozilla has turned me (and other Windows users) away from the browser," Christophe told BetaNews, "so I decided to write my own on a bored and cloudy day." Taking a break from coding Winamp 3, Christophe spent Sunday writing K-Meleon with great success. The browser has a much familiar and quick IE interface, along with the speed of the advanced Gecko engine.

K-Meleon takes many features from Microsoft's top browser, including Favorites and an almost identical toolbar. Weighing in at 2.85 MB for a full install, K-Meleon however does not mimic it's size. In early beta stage the browser is not perfect, with much left to be added, including context menus, HTTPS, history, cookies saving, and MIME type handling. Although, Christophe has released the full source to the browser, allowing developers to extend his initial work.

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Newtella Inc., a Saratoga based startup, today announced that it has begun operations to develop and promote software for sharing MP3 files using the Gnutella protocol. The company is hoping to lure users away from Napster by providing a simple interface to the protocol, developed by Nullsoft, Inc. earlier this year. Since AOL canned Gnutella, many independent developers have released clones, however none have been truely stable and simple enough for the novice computer user that Napster relies upon.

A beta of the software will be available for download within the next three weeks and will be open source, according to the company. The Gnutella protocol has come under fire as of late for security holes and inherent problems with the system, including bandwidth clogs. Nullsoft co-founder, Justin Frankel, has even proposed changes to the protocol in his finger updates, but futher work has been halted by parent company AOL. Do you think Gnutella will flourish or fall?
For more information, visit the Newtella Web site.

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Reports are coming in from the Philippines that charges against the 'Love Bug' creator, Onel de Guzman, have been dropped due to lack of evidence and because his crime did not specifically fall under 'computer hacking'. A new law against computer crime was passed after the release of the VBS worm, but cannot be applied to Guzman's case. The 'Love Bug' caused an estimated $8.7 billion dollars in damage worldwide after flooding e-mail systems for days. All of the time and effort spent in finding virus creators means nothing if they cannot be prosecuted. Now the question is whether we will begin to see programmers in other countries without laws against computer crime create similar malicious e-mail worms and viruses. What do you think?

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ATI has once again delayed the release of Windows 2000 drivers for their RAGE PRO, RAGE LT PRO, and RAGE XL graphics boards. In a recent e-mail to customers, ATI wrote "we are experiencing difficulties with some of the key elements of
the code that must be resolved before the driver and multimedia application are released to the public. While we strongly intended to have a driver placed on the website within the July deadline, we also realize that the driver must be sound and stable before we post it." The release date has been pushed back into an "October time frame" according to the company. Thanks to John Vittone for the tip. For more information, read the ATI Windows 2000 FAQ.

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Nokia today issued a press release stating the company will provide the source to the new WAP Browser 2.0, compliant with WAP 1.2 specification. The browser includes support for WML 1.2, WML Script, and supports Push functionality. By giving customers the actual source, it will be possible to modify the graphical design and add new functionality to the browser. Specifically a wireless carrier may now brand its phones with a certain look and feel. "To speed up the overall success of the industry, developing wireless Internet or WAP software should be easy and cost-effective," said Pertti Lounamaa, Nokia vice president, in today's press release. For more information on the browser and the WAP 1.2 standard in general, visit Nokia on the Web or read the press release.

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Funcom sends word that it is looking for beta testers for the upcoming game, Anarchy Online. According to Funcom, "Anarchy Online is the first science fiction game to capture the massive role-playing scene, which is presently dominated by titles such as Everquest, Asheron's Call and Ultima Online. Anarchy Online will be the next MMORPG in line with launch plans at the end of 2000." The test will occur in four phases, with more testers added as the beta progresses, so those who apply now may be accepted later. For more information, visit the Anarchy Online Web site or fill out the beta test application directly.

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After reports surfaced yesterday claiming the software giant is working on porting applications to Linux, Microsoft sent word to BetaNews denying the rumors, specifically touching on Office. "No, Microsoft does not have plans to offer a Linux version of Office," wrote a Microsoft spokesperson. Similar rumors also appeared earlier this year, after Microsoft requested Linux developers on their job site.

Microsoft added, "Based on the extensive research that we do across many types of productivity application users, we're hearing that today Linux does not offer customers the necessary infrastructure for a productivity suite like Office and we do not feel the level of operating system services is mature enough that we could offer a release of Office that would meet customer expectations. However, we are always continuing to evaluate the marketplace and base our development on the needs that customers express."

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Debian GNU/Linux version 2.2, aka Potato, has been deemed stable and released for public consumption. Version 2.2 brings to the table a new (and much needed) installation system, simplified X configurator, new Linux Kernel, 1200 new packages, and over 800 package updates. Debian 2.2 also features new networking management tools and better international support. Those interested may download the release from FTP

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Microsoft today announced the release of its newest personal finance suite, Money 2001 Deluxe. Microsoft worked closely with American Express to add new features and support in this latest version. Microsoft PressPass has posted a detailed interview with both companies, outlining new features and advantages of version 2001. Those interested in evaluating the new software may download a trial version from Microsoft. For more information, read the press release or visit MoneyCentral.

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Canadian pop band Barenaked Ladies has taken a new approach to stop Internet users from pirating their music - leaking the new single, "Pinch Me," themselves. Although the tact may seem confusing at first, listeners to the downloaded song will find the catchy tune interrupted by the band advertising their new album, Maroon, and making annoying sounds. The group even mentions the leak was intended to "try to get our song on Napster." At one point, band member Tyler Stewart remarks, "You can never trust a Canadian." Maroon will hit retail stores on September 12.

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