Trend Micro Solicits Feedback on Virus Encyclopedia Beta
Trend Micro wants to borrow the eyes of beta testers to evaluate its new Virus Encyclopedia. The beta version of the encyclopedia includes new search criteria as well as the option for a printer-friendly format. Users who take the time to fill out the survey will receive a free one-year license to PC-cillin 2005 when it is released.
Participants are asked to compare the usability of the new beta Web site with the existing Virus Encyclopedia. Each section of the survey is accompanied by screenshots to make comparing the strengths and weaknesses of the two sites more convenient.
Sun Hints at a PowerPC Solaris Port
A blog entry from Sun's second in command, Jonathan Schwartz, is indicating that a demo of Solaris capable of running on IBM's PowerPC architecture is on its way. When asked for comment a Sun spokesperson told BetaNews, "We don't have anything more to say about it at this point beyond what is in Jonathan's blog." More detailed information on Solaris 10 is available from BetaNews.
Eset Antivirus Beats Leading Vendors to the Punch
Although Windows XP Service Pack 2 has been released to manufacturing, some of the world's leading antivirus vendors including Symantec and McAfee are still in the process of assuring compatibility. As these ISVs continue to perfect their code, a little known vendor called Eset has already beaten them to the punch.
In fact, Microsoft itself is a four year customer of Eset and the software giant has just signed on for an additional two years of service. Microsoft places so much confidence in Eset's Nod32 antivirus product that it uses the software in its release labs.
Apple Releases Motion, Production Suite
Apple has delivered Production Suite, a real-time set of production tools composed of Final Cut Pro HD, Motion and DVD Studio Pro. Retail versions of Final Cut Pro HD and DVD Studio Pro 3 may have already hit the store shelves, but Apple needed to put off releasing Production Studio until Motion was ready.
Motion was announced at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) 2004 Electronic Media Show convention and is the newest member to Apple's family of award-winning graphics design applications.
Microsoft Unleashes Digital Image Suite 10
Microsoft has announced the availability of Digital Image Suite 10 which is a combination of Microsoft Digital Image Library 10 and Microsoft Digital Image Pro 10. The software giant positions the suite as an easy-to-use solution for organizing, editing, sharing and safekeeping digital photos.
Features that have been added since the 9.0 release include color-correction tools, panoramic stitching in two dimensions, one-click fixes, as well as new options to organize and share images.
Macromedia Prepares ColdFusion Upgrade
Macromedia is currently alpha testing an upgrade to its ColdFusion MX 6.1 product code-named "Blackstone." Based upon consumer feedback, Macromedia focused on improving three areas: data entry, printing and reporting. A public beta of Blackstone will be available this fall with a final release on tap for early 2005. ColdFusion MX is a product family designed to develop and deploy Web applications and services.
Microsoft Starts Up XP Starter Edition
As reported by BetaNews in July, Microsoft has expanded its initiative to provide a low-cost distribution of Windows in Asia. Although the program was originally directed exclusively toward social welfare programs in Thailand and Indonesia, it will now be expanded to Malaysia. The software will be available in all three countries by October.
CNET News.com is also reporting rumors that Brazil, Jordan and Russia have also been targeted for expansion.
AIM Beta Gets Rich with Features
In response to last month's discovery of a buffer overflow vulnerability in its instant messaging client, America Online is steering users to a new beta version of AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) to address the problem.
The AIM 5.9 beta release offers up a number of enhancements; however, there is one catch: if users want to experience AIM at its fullest they must pay up.
Yahoo! Toolbar Gains Adware Detection
Yahoo! has extended its toolbar browser plugin to confront one of the leading menaces on the Web: adware. Yahoo!'s updated Anti-Spy software provides users with detailed information on identified categories of spyware that may be found on their computers, the option to review potentially harmful software prior to removal, and as a new addition, adware detection.
Yahoo! Anti-Spy has been available since May, but since then updated features have only been available to a limited beta test audience. A wider public release is expected sometime this week, and the service will continue to be free of cost. Yahoo! Toolbar is the only toolbar that offers these privacy enhancing capabilities.
MSN Unveils Web Messenger
Microsoft's MSN business unit is welcoming testers to a limited beta for a new product called MSN Web Messenger. Like America Online's AIM Express, MSN Web Messenger brings real-time communications to the browser without the need to install client software. A limited public beta is available at the MSN web site.
AOL Developing New Registration Process
America Online is testing a new user interface for the AOL registration process called "Prelude." Prelude has been distributed to several thousands of testers, but according to AOL, is not an indication that there is any new client software on its way. Despite disassociating Prelude from any major development efforts, AOL does have some tricks up its sleeve. Fanfare, a next-generation alternative to the classic AOL client software for broadband members, is currently undergoing development.
Windows XP SP2 Still on Track
Windows enthusiast site Neowin.net has posted what it claims to be the release schedule for Windows XP Service Pack 2. According to sources, the service pack will be released to manufacturing August 4, with a release to the web the following day. A general public release is due August 25.
Despite Neowin's specificity, credible rumors have emerged that the service pack is once again delayed – making the exact release dates anyone's guess.
Doom 3 Leaks Out
Multiple sources have confirmed that retail versions of Doom 3, the latest incarnation of id Software's Doom saga, have leaked to the Web. However, software pirates who download Doom 3 may be in for a surprise when the game fails to install on their system, as the hardware requirements are substantial.
Microsoft Merges Internet and Desktop Search
During its annual analyst meeting Microsoft Microsoft vice president Yusuf Mehdie demoed a new search engine that seeks out information beyond the Web and onto the hard drive. Mehdie showed off a prototype of the technology that was integrated into the MSN Toolbar add-on for Internet Explorer.
Microsoft's public disclosure of this new technology comes just days after Microsoft's MSN business unit launched a beta of its Newsbot, a cooperative venture with longtime partner MSNBC that scours through over 4,800 news sources. MSN is also in the process of developing its own algorithmic search engine to replace one licensed from Inktomi.
Microsoft Outlines Plans for Interconnect Beta
As the world's largest software vendor Microsoft is keenly attuned to the market and acutely aware of cultural differences. In Japan, business men and women share their contact information by exchanging business cards and prefer that form of interpersonal communication over mechanistic contact management software. Microsoft's response is Microsoft Office Interconnect, an electronic business card management system made exclusively for the Japanese market.
Office Interconnect, currently in beta, allows users to create and send unique business cards secured by digital signatures. Users have the option to track their name card as it makes its way throughout their contact list with an e-mail-based peer-to-peer mechanism. This same mechanism can be used to notify contacts when personal information such a job title changes.
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