Interview: Alex Halderman Upsets Copy Protection
Alex Halderman, a Princeton graduate student, was threatened with a lawsuit on Thursday after he published a paper detailing a way to bypass copyright protection software.
Halderman prevented SunnComm's MediaMax CD-3 software from loading a driver necessary to protect content when a CD plays by simply holding down the "Shift" key on his keyboard. This simple act blocked Windows from loading the driver automatically.
Windows Small Business Server 2003 Hits Shelves
Microsoft is eying small business, with the hopes that they are willing to "do more with less." Small Business Server 2003, the newest member to join the Windows Server 2003 family of products, earned its shrink wrap on Thursday and officially hit the market.
Small businesses can choose between Standard or Premium editions of the title's 4th generation, depending on the needs of their IT infrastructure.
Ballmer Touts New Security Initiatives
At Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference in New Orleans on Thursday, CEO Steve Ballmer lauded the company's efforts to protect its customers and lock down Windows. Through its "Protect Your PC" campaign, Microsoft will begin improving patch distribution, institute global education programs and develop new safety technologies.
Ballmer announced that Microsoft was endeavoring to improve the patch experience throughout its product lines. As previously reported by BetaNews, Windows Installer (MSI) 3.0 and Software Update Services 2.0 will work in tandem to reduce complexity, lower the need for system reboots by 30 percent, introduce rollback capabilities, and include new processes for patch distribution and manageability.
Microsoft Alters IE Due to Patent Ruling
As Microsoft's legal woes continue, the company is making changes to Internet Explorer and Windows in an attempt to sidestep the $521 million Eolas patent ruling issued by a federal court in August.
Even while Redmond is appealing the court's decision, Web developers have until early next year before Microsoft modifies the way Internet Explorer handles ActiveX controls embedded in Web pages.
Yahoo! Joins Business IM Race
Yahoo! has officially leaped into the emerging market for secured, real-time communication solutions. Its new software, dubbed Yahoo! Business Messenger, sustained months of beta testing prior to being quietly unveiled last week.
Yahoo! works WebEx Communications virtual conferencing software as well as VeriSign security attributes into its client, bolstering its competitiveness and overall appeal against its chief rivals Microsoft and AOL.
New Napster Set for Beta Launch
Napster will make its comeback official on October 9 at a star-studded gala in New York City. After reaching its apex with nearly 60 million active users, Napster was reigned in by widely publicized legal turmoil and subsequent court rulings.
The music sharing software found a home with Roxio last year, for a price of $9 million. Roxio plans to re-launch Napster as a legit music subscription service that will appease the recording industry, and perhaps turn a profit.
OpenOffice 1.1 Takes Aim at Microsoft Office
The final bits of OpenOffice 1.1 are now available for download. OpenOffice, the core of Sun's StarOffice 7.0 offshoot, is a free and open source alternative to Microsoft Office. The suite comes complete with a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation software and other components, while continuing its tradition of utilizing an XML-based file format.
Several enhancements as well as new features have made it into 1.1, but other concepts missed the cut and are destined for the next milestone: OpenOffice 2.0.
XP Media Center Edition Refreshed for Holidays
Microsoft is placing its bet that the PC is transitioning to a digital entertainment hub with mainstream appeal - no longer simply a toy for the geek.
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004 refreshes its namesake, which was released from Redmond's secretive eHome division in October 2002, adding new features and a flood of on-demand Web services.
Adobe Introduces Creative Suite Package
Adobe Systems on Monday revealed that it is lassoing together a collection of its most popular software products into a single design environment hailed as the Adobe Creative Suite. The Creative Suite retails in Standard and Premium editions that couple design tools with Adobe's new Version Cue file management system, and features the portable document format (PDF) to facilitate workflow.
Adobe product literature catalogs full-version upgrades of Photoshop CS, Illustrator CS, InDesign CS, GoLive CS, Acrobat 6.0 Professional and Version Cue. The standard release strips out GoLive CS and Acrobat 6.0 Professional from the suite, resulting in a less pricey alternative geared toward print design and layout.
Dell Expands into Consumer Electronics
Dell on Thursday confirmed that it intends to let loose an assortment of PC-centric consumer electronic products in time for the holiday season.
Like Gateway and HP before it, Dell is leveraging its position as a leading OEM to branch out into alternative streams of revenue stemming from the convergence of home electronics and PCs, and the perceived marketing might behind its brand name.
IBM's Lotus Notes/Domino Hits 6.5
IBM's Lotus division has upgraded its Notes/Domino workplace to version 6.5 less then a year after 6.0, in stark contrast to the 3 years it took v6 to hit the shelves. The software is the first in a series of upgrades timed to hit the market at 12-18 month intervals to fit IBM's commitment to a new accelerated release schedule.
The main objective of version 6.5 is to enable office workers to improve productivity by utilizing a single window that integrates many common and dispersed program features such as e-mail, messaging, an updated spam filter, presence awareness and an integrated calendar.
AOL Time Warner Board Strips 'AOL' from Name
At a board of directors meeting in New York Thursday, AOL Time Warner officers elected to drop "AOL" from the conglomerate's name. The company will become Time Warner Inc., returning to its former New York Stock Exchange symbol "TWX." The transition is expected to be complete within the next few weeks.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dick Parsons said: "We believe that our new name better reflects the portfolio of our valuable businesses and ends any confusion between our corporate name and the America Online brand name for our investors, partners and the public."
Yahoo! Messenger Upgrade Cuts Off Outsiders
A mandatory upgrade to Yahoo! Messenger may leave some users in the dark. Yahoo! is upping the ante against unauthorized use of its network as a preventative measure to ward off spam and lock down its servers.
As of September 24, Yahoo! is collectively retiring support for legacy versions of its IM client on all operating systems. The end result is an ounce of prevention against spammers. But customers who access the service via popular, yet unsanctioned, clients such as Trillian and Gaim will likely find themselves disconnected.
Microsoft to Test 'Voice Command' for PDAs, Phones
Just days after announcing a partnership with Motorola to develop Windows CE based smart phones, an e-mail sent to beta testers reveals an inkling of detail about where Microsoft intends to enhance its partners' products.
The e-mail invitation, sent to Redmond testers on Wednesday, introduces a new product for PDAs and phones dubbed Voice Command.
OneNote Ships with Toshiba Portables
Microsoft's OneNote digital note taking application will find its way onto all new Toshiba laptops and Tablet PCs sold worldwide.
While the differences between portables and paper are distinctly obvious, OneNote is designed to be a versatile solution that captures the spirit of each medium - the motif of a writing notepad coupled with the advantages technology has to offer.
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