Microsoft Sues Windows Counterfeiters
Microsoft is continuing its campaign to clamp down on unscrupulous system builders and resellers that violate license agreements and distribute counterfeit copies of Windows. In its latest action, Microsoft has filed eight lawsuits in seven states after uncovering the alleged malfeasance through a test purchase program.
The lawsuits were filed against in the states of California, Florida, Texas, New Jersey, Alabama, Maryland and Rhode Island. Since 1997, Microsoft has routinely purchased software, software components and systems from resellers and OEMs.
VMWare Upgrade Brings 64-Bit Support
VMware has put the finishing touches on the fifth generation of its desktop virtualization software. VMware Workstation 5 includes new features that bring improved collaboration and networking, better performance and surer security, along with enhanced cloning capabilities and Microsoft Virtual PC compatibility.
VMware's Workstation software provides application developers with a library of virtual machines for x86 operating systems including Windows, Linux, Novell NetWare and Sun's Solaris. In concept, developers can spend more time developing and less time configuring by virtualizing and rapidly provisioning required environments.
IBM, NetApp Join Forces to Battle EMC
In a move that may shake up the storage industry, IBM and Network Appliance have established a strategic relationship to capture market share away from EMC. Under the agreement, Big Blue will sell NetApp's attached storage and information lifecycle management solutions and NetApp will make IBM its preferred supplier of tape products and use IBM's Tivoli Storage Manager.
EMC may be the overall market leader, but according to IDC, Network Appliance is the incumbent in the NAS market. IDC forecasts that the NAS segment alone will be valued at $3 billion USD by 2008. By partnering with IBM, NetApp will have access to more international markets than it would through its OEM resellers.
AOL Debuts Internet Phone Service
America Online customers in 40 select cities have "Got VoIP!" Thursday, as AOL began to roll out the beginnings of what will become a nationwide voice over IP phone service called AOL Internet Phone Service.
AOL Internet Phone Service melds together reduced cost local and long distance calls and standard calling features with AOL's repertoire of voice, e-mail and instant messaging services at no additional charge. AOL also vows to offer customers a "warm blanket of customer care" to soften the migration away from incumbent providers.
IBM Supercomputer to Aid Crash Tests
Volvo has chosen IBM to help it meet its self-imposed mission to make the world's safest automobiles. An IBM supercomputer will power crash test simulations and day-to-day production tasks that will be used to fine tune vehicle designs through Volvo's "design-for-safety" engineering approach.
The system is composed of more than 150 IBM eServer 325s equipped with AMD Opteron processors. IBM technicians have combined the new hardware with Volvo's existing eServer xSeries 335 and eServer pSeries 655 HPC (High Performance Computing) platform to produce one of the world's fastest Linux clusters when compared across the Top500.org rankings.
Glitch Offers Peek at Windows Update 6
Windows Update version 6 is not yet out, but Microsoft inadvertently flashed a sneak peek when a Knowledge Base (KB) support article intended for testers participating in the beta program was discovered on a public server. The article included the Window Update v6 downloadable bits.
A Microsoft spokesperson told BetaNews that WU v6 was still private and an error had been made. "The update on the KB article was part of the Windows Update v6 beta program and intended for beta testers. As you know, the WU v6 beta program began March 22nd to encourage testing and solicit feedback in preparation for the final release later in 2005."
TiVo to Insert New Ads into Recordings
TiVo and Comcast are jointly developing an advertising system that inserts up-to-date commercials into previously recorded programming. The announcement follows news that TiVo has begun testing new advertising format that will appear as users fast forward through commercials on its digital video recorder service.
According to reports, the venture was announced by Comcast Chief Executive Brian Roberts at the cable industry's annual trade show on Monday. Roberts revealed that the system will replace commercials recorded in days or weeks past with newer, more relevant ads.
Sun Downsizes Utility Computing Plans
Sun Microsystems has curbed its ambitions for its N1 grid utility computing initiative and reversed course in its intentions to support heterogeneous computing platforms, instead focusing first on its own hardware.
The primary N1 vision was a network-centric philosophy that views the network as a resource that make computing more flexible, adaptive and easily connected; managing the datacenter as if it were a single system using virtualization and data automation; managing policy; as well as provide load balancing and other autonomic technologies.
MS Connects Film Studios, Broadcasters
Microsoft has extended its Connected Services Framework to bridge the disconnect between film studios and broadcasters. The framework offers a Web services-based system to build a shared services infrastructure for digital asset management and content distribution using a service-oriented architecture (SOA).
Microsoft says that the value proposition for broadcast and film industries are that the server-based software will streamline the creation, management and delivery of digital content.
Google to Archive Personal Video Clips
Google will begin accepting personal video clip submissions to be included in search results, Google co-founder Larry Page said Monday at a cable industry convention in San Francisco. The clips will become part of Google Video, which indexes the closed captioning text of television programming.
Google began beta testing the prototype video search engine in January, which content from PBS, Fox News, CSPAN and local ABC and NBC affiliates in San Francisco.
Microsoft Accepts Most EU Demands
Monday, Microsoft sent a letter to European Union regulators accepting most of the Commission's demands to satisfy antitrust concerns, but asked for further dialog some matters regarding the licensing of its source code. Microsoft has accepted 20 out of the EU's 26 demands and says that it will work as quickly as possible to settle the remaining six.
Microsoft must comply with a 497 million euro judgment made against it nearly one year ago after the European Commission found that it had abused its position in the market to stifle competition. The penalty determined by the EU was for Microsoft to remove Windows Media Player from Windows XP, to allow competitors access to server source code and to provide better interoperability between platforms.
Linux Growth Hits Windows Roadblock
Windows is standing ground despite the growing popularity of Linux among small and medium sized businesses. The key findings in an independent study published by Yankee Group are that Linux is more likely to be run parallel with Windows rather than displace its installed base.
Although, the open source Windows alternative is gaining momentum.
IBM Storage Head Talks Virtualization
Last week, IBM revealed that it had passed over 1,000 customers of its storage virtualization software and spun the achievement to defiantly taunt storage market leader EMC for not yet releasing a virtualization product.
IBM boasts that storage virtualization is the "game changer" that will turn the storage market on its head by lowering costs, simplifying storage management into a "single pool" of information and dissolving the complexities of heterogeneous storage management.
McAfee Prepares New Antivirus Engine
McAfee is preparing to test a new antivirus scanning engine. The 5000 series engine is the core mal-ware detection and repair component for much of McAfee's security software product line up. The beta schedule begins with Beta 1 in early April and concludes with a release to the Web in September.
Some promised changes include elevated protection against current, new and future threats; faster scanning without sacrificing detection rates; and "drop-in" compatibility with existing McAfee software. McAfee also intends to improve the engine's automatic identification and removal capabilities. Information on joining the test can be found on the McAfee beta Web site.
Microsoft Refutes Vulnerability of Patch
Microsoft has acknowledged that a small number of users who installed a security patch issued in January have experienced technical problems that may degrade system performance or cause unexpected behavior. Despite published reports, however, those who applied the patch are not subject to attacks stemming from the vulnerability.
The patch, KB891711 update corrects an issue with Windows cursor and icon format handling that could lead to remote code execution. KB891711 is a critical update.
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