Windows Server 2003 'R2' Hits Beta 2
Microsoft has issued a second beta of Windows Server 2003 "R2" to testers on its BetaPlace Web site a week after sending out invitations to participate in the program. The beta broadens Microsoft's population of testers significantly as the product approaches maturation.
Windows Server 2003 R2 is an interim release of Windows Server that is rooted in Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1. R2 delivers many enhancements and several new components that Microsoft says customers have asked for since the operating system was released in April of 2003.
Google to Track Users' Search Histories
Google is making it easier to recall previous Web searches -- a task that may be likened to finding a needle in a haystack -- by keeping a daily record of its members' activities.
Users that log into their Google account, obtained by signing up fresh or using a Gmail account, can access My Search History to jog their memory about a particular Web site that may have been buried beneath a heap of search results.
Symantec Joins Anti-Spyware Push
With a public beta release, Symantec is joining a score of companies offering protection against the growing threat of spyware. Norton Internet Security 2005 AntiSpyware Edition leverages Symantec's battle-hardened antivirus scanning engine, automatic updates and real-time background scans to stop spyware at the point of entry.
Symantec says its detection capabilities differentiate Norton Internet Security from competitors. Anti-spyware tools have become a big business for the software industry, as users wise up to the applications invading their systems and privacy.
Microsoft Bulks Up Rights Management
Microsoft is hardening its virtual wall against prying eyes. The first service pack for Microsoft's enterprise Windows Rights Management Services (RMS) has been released nearly a year and a half after the product first hit the market.
SP1 addresses the inability of the initial release to incorporate server application into its "lockbox," complies with government data regulations, applies rights management policies to dynamic groups, strengthens authentication, and broadens records management capabilities.
New Microsoft Dev Platform Goes 'Live'
Microsoft made available "Go-live" versions of its upcoming integrated-development and data management platform on Monday. New preview releases of Visual Studio 2005 Beta 2, Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 Beta 2 and the SQL Server 2005 April Community Technology Preview (CTP) have been shipped to customers.
Customers are encouraged to obtain a special End User License Agreement (EULA) that authorizes applications developed using the software to be installed in production environments.
New Supercomputer to Track Climate Change
IBM has announced that the University of Colorado, in cooperation with the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), has acquired a Blue Gene supercomputer to simulate the ocean, predict the weather and analyze other complex climate phenomena that may affect climate change and cause ripple effects in the global economy.
Now that intergovernmental panels have charged the scientific community with the colossal task of examining the origin behind the accelerating pace of climate change -- whether it be the Earth's organic rhythms, the fingerprint of mankind or both -- scientists are increasingly turning to the most cutting-edge technology.
Geocities Developers Turn to Web Mail
The same Web entrepreneurs that developed the original portal software behind Geocities chat and bulletin board systems are on a mission to turn Web mail on its head. Goowy Mail, which is currently in beta, uses Flash-based software to produce a rich Internet application that functions like a desktop e-mail client.
Goowy Mail reproduces the majority of a desktop e-mail application's functionality with features like keyboard shortcuts, right-clicking, animations, alerts, sounds, and spell checker. In addition to its core feature set, Goowy has POP3 support, advanced mail and contact management and the ability to multitask - meaning e-mail is sent and received in the background while the user performs other tasks.
AOL Testing Mobile Browsing, Search
On the heels of Google adding local capabilities to its mobile search, AOL has begun beta testing its own mobile service that offers full Internet search queries, information on local interests and shopping destinations.
AOL Mobile Search is specially formatted to fit the consolidated screen space of browser-enabled cell phones. Users simply add the Mobile Search URL into their phone and they can begin to browse full Web sites.
AOL Opens Up IM Network to Partners
America Online announced on Thursday the AOL Enterprise Federation Partner (EFP) program, which builds on the company's instant messaging services by providing partners with certified access to its IM network. In turn, partners will develop real-time communications solutions for enterprise customers that employ AOL technology.
In the lead up to the announcement, AOL added four partners to its roster that will provide enterprise customers with secure client access to AIM's stable of proprietary messaging services. These messaging services include AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), ICQ, Netscape and Apple iChat; with an amassed at-work user base of over 14 million Screen Names.
Microsoft Targets Brazil for Low Cost XP
Microsoft is lobbying government officials in Brazil to consider an entry level version of Windows for a government-subsidized social welfare program known as PC Conectado. The PC Conectado program will distribute up to 1 million low-cost computers in an attempt to bridge the digital divide among Brazilians.
Microsoft has already provided the operating system -- dubbed Windows XP Starter Edition -- to the governments of Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand to participate in programs that benefit underserved populations. But it is also widely perceived that the software is an attempt to abate software piracy and forestall the advance of open source alternatives in emerging markets.
Virgin President Zack Zalon on Digital Music
INTERVIEW Since the "dark days" of the late 1990's, the music industry has wrestled with illegal peer-to-peer file sharing, often seeming to be diametrically opposed to the very idea of digital music that lacked rigid restrictions.
Over time, technology improved and new legal alternatives began to spring up and are today continuing to gain popularity. As record labels warm up to the idea of legitimate online music stores, questions about what pricing models are most appropriate for customers and what constitutes fair use remain unanswered.
Windows XP SP2 Grace Period Expires
The April 12, 2005 deadline passed Tuesday and Microsoft has followed through with its pledge to revoke the grace period that provided enterprise customers the option to postpone the adoption of Windows XP Service Pack 2. The update, which fortifies Windows with a variety of new security enhancements, will now be pushed to customers and has become a requirement to receive future upgrades.
In response to a chorus of widespread customer feedback insisting that SP2 could prove disruptive to mission critical applications, Microsoft made several support tools available that temporarily blocked the delivery of SP2 via Automatic Updates and forestalled Windows Update installations.
Testers Sought for D&D Online Alpha
The fantasy world of Dungeons & Dragons is about to be brought to life online. Turbine, Inc. has begun accepting applications for an alpha test of its multiplayer online role-playing game based upon Wizards of the Coast's Dungeons & Dragons.
During the game, players can peruse the frontier city of Stormreach and explore outlying lands of the continent of Xen’drik. Gamers will be accepted on an incremental basis, with more being added as testing processes.
Microsoft Fixes Critical Security Holes
Microsoft has delivered its monthly set of security bulletins that address vulnerabilities in its products. Out of a total of eight updates, five -- involving Windows, MSN Messenger, Microsoft Word and Exchange -- were deemed critical.
The remaining three patches were issued for Windows and classified as "important," Microsoft's second most severe designation.
Beta Invites Sent for Windows Server R2
Microsoft has delivered a round of invitations for testers to participate in a wider second beta of Windows Server 2003 "R2," which is an interim release of Windows Server due out in October 2005. A smaller private beta began in December 2004, providing an early glimpse at what new features to expect in R2.
Windows Server 2003 R2 is built on top of the recently delivered Windows Server 2003 SP1 platform and adds components that Microsoft customers have requested.
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