Fujitsu Unveils 300GB Laptop Drive
Fujitsu continues to push the limits of moble storage, announcing Monday 250GB and 300GB 2.5-inch laptop hard drives that utilize perpendicular magnetic recording technology. The Serial ATA drives spin at 4200RPM and have low power consumption, while improving shock tolerance.
The MHX2300BT series represents Fujitsu's second generation drives with perpendicular recording, and promises near-silent operation. "Our commitment to R&D has not only spurred the development of the industry's first 2.5-inch 300GB capacity perpendicular hard disk drive, but it will allow Fujitsu to continue to achieve these aggressive milestones in advance of the rest of the industry," remarked Fujitsu vice president Joel Hagberg. Both drives are slated to ship in the first quarter of 2007.
Exchange Server 2007 Goes Gold
Microsoft on Thursday released to manufacturing Exchange Server 2007, a product developers say they "bet the company on." According to Exchange team lead Terry Myerson, Microsoft has 120,000 mailboxes running on Exchange 2007, with 200 partners utilizing the software for another 55,000. Acting as a unified messaging server, Exchange 2007 handles e-mail, calendaring, faxes and even voicemail.
"In addition to taking the time to ensure this software was rock solid for you, we've invested more time in documentation and deployment guidance than we have for any other release previously," Myerson said. A lot of work on Exchange 2007 has been focused on administrative tools. The new release has been componentized and administrators can choose to install only the pieces they need. Exchange will also be able to automatically detect and configure end-user systems.
BitTorrent Buys uTorrent Application
BitTorrent, the company behind the file sharing protocol of the same name, has used some of the $25 million it recently received from investors to purchase the popular uTorrent application. uTorrent is one of the top BitTorrent download programs for Windows.
Although BitTorrent has long offered its own application for the protocol, others such as Azureus and uTorrent have been the primary innovators in the space, building up large user communities in the process. uTorrent will ostensibly be merged with the official BitTorrent client.
Adobe Releases Reader Version 8
Adobe on Tuesday released version 8 of its free Reader product for PDF files, which most notably adds collaboration features through a new "Start Meeting" button. Adobe has also redesigned Reader's interface and added a loupe for zooming in on specific areas of a document.
Other features in Reader 8 include integration with Adobe LiveCycle Policy Server and the new Adobe Online Services Document Center, which enables users to digitally sign PDF files. Adobe has even built in a basic RSS reader into version 8, along with new review and markup tools. The full version of Adobe Acrobat 8 went on sale in November. Adobe Reader 8 is available for download for Windows XP and Vista, with a separate version for Windows 2000.
Microsoft Previews its Flash Alternative
As expected, Microsoft on Monday released a Community Technology Preview of WPF/E, the company's so-called "Flash killer." But perhaps more important than the implication for Flash is Microsoft's contention that the difference between Windows and the Web is disappearing.
Specifically, WPF/E is a subset of the Windows Presentation Foundation that utilizes cross-browser Web technologies and is designed to run on multiple operating systems and even mobile devices. Like Flash, WPF/E works as a browser plug-in and can display vector-based graphics, animation and video.
Microsoft Introduces Expression Studio
Microsoft's new development suite for designers became a reality Monday, with the final release of Expression Web, one of Expression Studio's four components. The other three -- Blend, Design and Media -- will follow in Q2 2007.
First officially announced at PDC 2005, Expression was built to usher in a new generation of applications both in Windows and on the Web. With the impending launch of Windows Vista, Microsoft wants to make sure developers have the tools to create the user experiences it hopes will draw customers to the new operating system.
ICANN Says No to .travel Typo Search
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has rejected a request by the operator of the .travel top-level domain name to redirect all mis-typed and non-existent Web addresses to a search service, much like VeriSign's controversial "Site Finder."
Tralliance, which was appointed by ICANN -- the non-profit group that governs the Internet DNS system -- to managed .travel registrations, wanted to direct users to a page that contained travel-related search results for the term they had typed in, along with offering to register the name if they were eligible. The .travel domains are restricted to companies in the travel industry.
Critical Adobe PDF Flaw Affects IE
Adobe on Thursday acknowledged in a security advisory that critical security vulnerabilities have been found in its Acrobat and Adobe Reader programs. The issue affects versions 7.0.0 through 7.0.8, and the company says it is working on a fix.
Acrobat and Reader 8.0, which will be available soon, are not impacted by the issue. According to Adobe, the problem lies in an ActiveX control used by Internet Explorer. Other browsers are not affected, although Adobe recommends manually removing the AcroPDF.dll plug-in file as a workaround until an update is available for download.
MS Anti-Piracy Tool Gets More Friendly
Microsoft has rolled out an update to its Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications component, which pops up a notice on the desktop informing users that their operating system is not legitimate. The revision introduces a wizard to improve the installation and validation experience.
WGA is a controversial part of Microsoft's new approach to battle counterfeiting and illegal copying of Windows. The first piece of this initiative, WGA Validation, was launched in July 2005. Microsoft later expanded the program with WGA Notifications.
Google Closes Down 'Answers' Service
Later this week, Google will stop accepting new questions on its Answers service, one of many search-related products the company has rolled out over the years. Google says that part of being an innovator means "reconsidering our goals."
Google Answers provided a way for users to pose questions and set a price for how much the answer would be worth to them. Others from around the world could then answer the question, and receive payment, with Google taking 50 cents as a listing fee.
Apple Plugs 18 Security Holes in Tiger
Apple on Tuesday released its seventh security update this year for Mac OS X, correcting 22 vulnerabilities in total - 18 of which affect the company's latest 10.4.8 version of Tiger. Among the list of fixes is a buffer overflow in the Airport drivers, and four updates to the system's Security Framework.
Other patches in the 2006-007 update include a fix to Finder and the HTML engine built into Mac OS X. Apple additionally corrected a problem with Windows file sharing, which enabled an attacker to make an unlimited number of connections and could lead to memory exhaustion. Mac OS X users can download the security update via the operating system's Software Update feature.
Google Launches Web Book Reader
Firing a shot over Adobe's bow, Google on Wednesday launched a Web-based application for reading books digitized by the company's Book Search project. Like Google Maps and Gmail, the interactive tool works directly in a Web browser and supports zooming as well as a fullscreen mode.
Books that are available through the search can still be downloaded in PDF format, but Google's online utility replaces the need for the bulky Adobe Reader. Users can switch to a two-page view that appears like a physical book, or read one page per screen like a standard Web page. Scrolling through the book is instant using the mouse.
Alcatel Sues Microsoft Over Patents
The relationship between Microsoft and Alcatel, who partnered on IPTV last year, has apparently turned sour. The French manufacturer has filed two lawsuits against Microsoft, alleging infringement of 7 patents related to digital video and network communication.
The lawsuits were filed with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas on Friday, and are asking the court to bar Microsoft from further infringement as well as award cash damages. The complaints do not specify which products are infringing on Alcatel's patents, but do name the technologies.
SnapStream Adds DVD Burning for TV
SnapStream has released a new version of its Beyond TV personal video recorder software, enabling users to easily create DVDs of their television show recordings through a burning plug-in. Version 4.5 is a free update for customers, but the plug-in will cost either $29.99 or $39.99 USD.
Beyond TV, which competes with Windows Media Center on the PC, utilizes a computer's TV tuner card to schedule recordings, pause and rewind live TV, skip commercials and utilize a detailed program guide. Unlike TiVo, which offers a set-top box rather than software-only, SnapStream charges no subscription fees.
Microsoft Office Live Launches in US
As expected, Microsoft on Wednesday officially removed the "beta" tag from Office Live after nine months of testing and launched the service in the Unites States. Beta versions will debut in Japan, France, the U.K. and Germany on November 21.
According to Microsoft, nearly 160,000 businesses tested out the service's various features, and through that feedback it has made several changes for the final release. The company has also inked deals with Toshiba and Sony to provide links to Office Live on the manufacturers' desktop and notebook computers. Three levels of service will be available, ranging from free to $39.95 USD per month.
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