Microsoft Research Ships Wi-Fi Tool
Engineers at Microsoft Research have released a new software tool that enables a computer to connect to multiple Wi-Fi networks simultaneously. With VirtualWiFi, a single wireless card can appear multiple virtual WLAN cards. A user can then configure each to link to a different access point, computer or other device.
The application, which is a prototype project, could also be useful for network diagnostics and expanding the capacity of ad-hoc wireless networks. The 1.0 release of the software does not yet support WEP and has been designed to work with Windows XP. Download VirtualWiFi 1.0 from FileForum.
Macromedia Opens Incubation 'Labs'
Macromedia on Monday opened the doors to a new incubation site that hosts unfinished technology and early software releases. The goal of Macromedia Labs is to involve developers in the creation of new products, enabling them to provide feedback that can shape the company's future moves.
Specifically, Macromedia Labs will offer documentation, code samples and technical articles, along with community services such as forums and wikis. Podcasts from Macromedia engineers will further connect the company with its developer base and a special area called the "Showcase Gallery" will serve as a testing ground for those developers to trial their work.
First .NET Framework 2.0 RC Available
The second version of the .NET Framework took a step closer to completion Friday, as Microsoft made available the first release candidate. The .NET Framework 2.0 serves at the underpinnings for next-generation Windows applications and will be integrated into Windows Vista, due late next year.
According to Microsoft, the RC "improves scalability and performance of applications with improved caching, application deployment and updating with ClickOnce, support for the broadest array of browsers and devices with ASP.NET 2.0 controls and services." Download the 2.0 Release Candidate from FileForum.
Gates: Blu-ray DRM is 'Anti-Consumer'
As part of a speaking tour at universities across the United States, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates sat down with Princeton's newspaper to discuss the road ahead. When asked why Microsoft chose to support HD DVD over Sony's Blu-ray format, Gates replied that Blu-ray's copyright protection scheme is "anti-consumer."
"The inconvenience is that the [movie] studios got too much protection at the expense consumers and it won't work well on PCs," Gates said. "It's not the physical format that we have the issue with, it's that the protection scheme on Blu-ray is very anti-consumer." Gates also questioned how much next-gen DVD formats will even matter, saying content will soon be streamed directly or stored on a hard disk.
Microsoft Ships Second Vista CTP
As expected, Microsoft has shipped the October Community Technology Preview of Windows Vista, embarking on what the company hopes will be monthly test releases of the operating system. Build 5231 first surfaced last week and brings changes to Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player and Vista's networking.
Internet Explorer 7 has received a minor facelift, with its tabs moved below the address bar to match the interface style used by the likes of Firefox and Opera. Microsoft has additionally added a "Favorites Center" for managing links and a "QuickTabs" overview of all open Web sites.
Bill Gates: I Want My DTV
Microsoft chairman Bill Gates joined fellow industry leaders Friday including Dell, Intel and Cisco in asking Congress to speed up the transition to digital television and open up the radio spectrum currently used by TV for wireless broadband services.
In a letter to United States lawmakers, the High Tech DTV Coalition said that freeing the spectrum would give more opportunity for technology companies to roll out services in rural and poor areas. Certain parts of the spectrum would be provided to first-responders, while the rest is auctioned off.
Software Bug Stalls Prius Hybrid Cars
Toyota plans to notify buyers of its Prius hybrid that the car could potentially stall out while driving due to a software bug in the Electronic Control Module (ECM). The problem affects approximately 75,000 cars, although only 33 official complaints have been lodged thus far.
Due to the bug, the Prius' gasoline engine could stall out while driving between 35 and 65 miles per hour. However, the car's electric engine would take over, enabling a driver to safely reach the side of the road. Upon stopping, the gasoline engine would properly restart, Toyota says.
Sony Updates PSP Firmware to 2.5
Sony has once again issued a major software update to its PlayStation Portable handheld entertainment console, which adds support for downloading and playing copy-protected content on the PSP. Version 2.5 also builds upon the Web browser feature that debuted in 2.0 with support for saving text size and online forms.
PSP software version 2.5 can be downloaded using the console's built-in update feature, or using a PC with Sony's MemoryStick Duo. The update is only for customers who own PSP system model number PSP-1001 sold in North America. It's not clear when a European update will ship.
HP Recalls 135,000 Notebook Batteries
Following 16 reports of battery packs for its laptops overheating and melting, Hewlett-Packard on Friday announced a recall of 135,000 batteries used by certain HP and Compaq branded notebooks. The affected packs were sold from March 2004 through May 2005 at retail stores and online.
The recall includes batteries that contain a barcode label starting with GC, IA, L0 or L1. Customers may contact HP customer support directly to request a free replacement, or visit the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Web site for more information.
MTV Acquires iFilm for $49 Million
Viacom subsidiary MTV Networks has agreed to purchase iFilm, a site that hosts video content from users, amateur filmmakers and some larger movie studios. The deal, valued at $49 million, will keep iFilm CEO Blair Harrison in place and the company will remain in Hollywood.
iFilm joins the growing number of online efforts by MTV. The company recently purchased youth community Neopets and launched MTV Uber, a 24-hour Web based music channel. "This move is at the heart of MTV Networks multi-platform strategy and meshes with our tradition of cultivating independent and creative brands," said Judy McGrath, MTV Networks CEO.
Google Hires Lead Gaim Developer
Cross-Site Scripting Worm Hits MySpace
With the advent of social networking sites, becoming more popular is as easy as crafting a few lines of JavaScript code, it seems.
One clever MySpace user looking to expand his buddy list recently figured out how to force others to become his friend, and ended up creating the first self-propagating cross-site scripting (XSS) worm. In less than 24 hours, "Samy" had amassed over 1 million friends on the popular online community.
'Google Purchases' Makes Appearance
Adding further credence to rumors that Google is planning to launch its own PayPal-like online payments service, industry watchers this week uncovered a new page on the search giant's site called "Google Purchases." In addition, Google updated its robots.txt file to tell Web crawlers to exclude the directories /gwt and /purchases.
In June, speculation abound that Google was on the cusp of launching a service called Google Wallet. On April 13, Google registered a new entity in California called Google Payment Corp, further fueling the rumor mill.
OpenOffice.org 2.0 Delayed Slightly
OpenOffice.org developers will miss the planned version 2.0 release Thursday, which was to coincide with the fifth anniversary of the open source productivity suite, due to a last-minute bug. Instead, a third release candidate will be made available for final testing.
The bug stemmed from a problem in saving graphical elements in the OpenDocument format that OpenOffice.org uses. OpenDocument is an XML-based royalty free document standard proposed by OASIS, which was recently selected by the state of Massachusetts for government use.
Photos: Apple's New iPod and iMac
As usual, Apple wowed the crowd at an event unveiling the revamped iPod with video support and a slimmer iMac complete with media center features. The video iPod sports a sleek design similar to the iPod Nano, but comes in 30GB and 60GB sizes. Click on the image for a slideshow of the new iPod and iMac.
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