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LONG [News Digest] Linux News Digest for the 24hrs preceding 21-06-07

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Mark Kent

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Jun 21, 2007, 1:43:53 PM6/21/07

In today's digest, we have:
* [Linux] Mandriva's CEO Confirms That Microsoft Won't Get Its Way
* [Linux] Microsoft Discriminates Against 'Non-taxable' Linux
Distributions
* [Linux] Red Hat Joins the Alliance... the SCOPE Alliance
* [Rival] More Linux Libel from the DiDio Shill (Microsoft's Yankee
Group/Sockpuppet)
* [Rival] Microsoft Repeats the "Letters from Dead People" Tactic
* [Linux] Novell Supports Not Only Document Monoculture, But Also
Microsoft's Web Hijack
* [Linux] Video Shows the Innovative Future of KDE, LF Reveals
Future Plans
* [Linux] Ubuntu Linux Adopts Upstart for Faster and Better Booting
* [OSS] National Botanic Garden is on OpenOffice.org, Firefox,
and Thunderbird
* [Rival] Microsoft Still Refuses to Reveal How Badly Screwed Their
Customers Got
* [Linux] NVidia Has Dual-head Front End for Linux, ATI Open Source
Drivers Reviewed
* [Linux] KDE Gets Enterprise-ready Personal Information Manager
* [OSS] Open Source Tool Wins NetworkWorld Honours, Other Emerging
OSS Projects Reviewed
* [Rival] Microsoft Yet Again Ignores Standards and Goes Its Own Way
* [Rival] Blast-from-the-past Examples of Microsoft Shilling (Also
Against Novell)
* [Rival] Microsoft Admits Antitrust Guilt, 'Fix' Won't Come Soon
Though
* [Linux] Linux Device Stack Solves Interoperability Issues (Including
VoIP and IM)
* [OSS] Microsoft Continues Pretending It Likes Open Source
* [OSS] Increasing Accpetance of Free Open Source Software, Myths
Busted
* [Linux] Yet Another Linux Distribution Approaches Carrier Grade
Linux Compliance
* [Rival] Microsoft Killed Mac Application, Then Provided Deliberately
Poor Linux Support
* [Rival] Microsoft Fails to Fight Spreading Malware/Zombie Infection
* [Rival] Microsoft Regrets, Retracts, and Regrets Draconian EULA Again
* [Linux] Review of a Beautiful Low-end Linux PC
* [Linux] Linux Vendor Extends Support to Intel's New Network Processor
* [Linux] iPhone Gets Linux-ish Apps, IDC Pleases Its Primary Paymaster
* [Linux] Trolltech Acquires Company for Its Linux Tech
* Google to Expand with a $0.6 Billion Datacentre, Presentation
Tech Acquisition
* [Rival] Windows Vista 'Stable' Version Delayed Again?
* [Rival] Samsung Suffers from 'Organic' Windows Vista Hype, Stocks
Still Suffer
* [Linux] More Videos Demonstrate Cutting-edge KDE 4
* [OSS] IBM Brings Open Standards to Web 2.0
* [OSS] Open Source Becomes Desirable in Australia
* [OSS] UML Technology Donated to Open Source Community Under LGPL
Licence
* [Linux] Motorola Chooses Linux and Does the Anti-Tivoization Gig
* [Linux] Analyst: Intel Could Weaken Microsoft with Linux and
Open Source
* [OSS] Cisco CEO Acknowledges Importance of Open Source and Open
Content
* [OSS] Commercial Open Source Companies Boast Offerings and Use
Linux at the Core
* [Linux] Why Microsoft is So Scared of Linux (and Google)
* [Rival] Help! There is Some NSA in My PC (Windows)
* [Rival] Microsoft's Viral Avertising Resumed for XBox, XBox Still
a Mess
* [Rival] Serious Flaw Found in Windows Live ID
* [Linux] Some Killer Linux Applications Reviewed
* [Linux] Making OpenOffice Run Quickly in Ubuntu, Comparison of
Ubuntu Flavours
* [Linux] Max Spevack Talks About Fedora's Future

This is a digest of the previous 24 hours (GMT day) of [News] postings
in comp.os.linux.advocacy. If you have any comments, suggestions or
remarks, please reply to this message and I will take account of all
that I can. The digest is created from my leafnode news spool, which is
pre-filtered, so some posters' articles might not appear.

Try the faq at: http://www.faqs.org/faqs/linux/advocacy/faq-and-primer/
for more information about cola.

Just like other public, unmoderated discussion fora, cola has
its share of disruptive posters. This blog has been created by
a concerned cola netizen to assist newcomers in identifying them:
http://colatrolls.blogspot.com/

In order to find the last week's digests, try:
http://groups.google.co.uk/groups/search?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&num=10&q=group%3Acomp.os.linux.advocacy+insubject%3Alinux+insubject%3Anews+insubject%3Adigest+author%3Amark.kent%40demon.co.uk&as_drrb=q&as_qdr=w&safe=off&qt_s=Search

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message-ID: <1802828.o...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Linux] Mandriva's CEO Confirms That Microsoft Won't Get Its Way
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 01:01:42 +0100

Previously it was just a blog on the site, but here's the official word...

Mandriva won't pay Microsoft "protection money"

,----[ Quote ]
| It's not surprising that people were speculating about
| Mandriva being the next on Microsoft's list given its
| financial position but CEO, Francois Bancilhon has ruled
| it out.
`----

http://www.businessreviewonline.com/os/archives/2007/06/mandriva_wont_p.html

We will not go to Canossa

http://corp.mandriva.com/webteam/2007/06/19/we-will-not-go-to-canossa/

Yesterday:

Mandriva and Microsoft

,----[ Quote ]
| So in conclusion from my ramblings, Mandriva would have nothing to gain while
| everything to loose by signing such an agreement.
|
| By reading the speculations about this so far, it all seems like 99% FUD to
| me while the only valid reasoning behind the speculations being the fact that
| a few other vendors has already done so..
`----

http://club.mandriva.com/xwiki/bin/view/dvalin/MandrivaAndMicrosoft

------------------------------

Message-ID: <2046404.E...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Linux] Microsoft Discriminates Against 'Non-taxable' Linux Distributions
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 01:02:51 +0100

Here is one of the latest clues...

First Fruit of Novell's (Known) Microsoft Patent Licence?

,----[ Quote ]
| So, will we be able to see these Virtual Machine Drivers for Windows on Xen
| available to other distributions and the overall community without veiled
| patent threats? Or, is it virtualisation and interoperability only for those
| willing to pay a patent tax? Early reports indicated that the MS drivers will
| be under a proprietary licence.
`----

http://boycottnovell.com/2007/06/19/first-fruit-of-novells-known-microsoft-patent-license/

In other words, Microsoft will play with you as long as you pay them money.
Bad, bad Novell.

[ ... Which undermines the whole ethos of open-source and the FSF - Ed. ]

Live from the Mass. Technology Leadership Council Open Source Summit

,----[ Quote ]
| The most timely exchanges, not surprisingly, involved the
| questions, comments and answers focusing on the string of
| agreements with Novell, and more recently with other distro
| vendors (most recently Linspire), in the context of the
| "235 patent" Fortune article. Not surprisingly, Microsoft
| and Novell painted their arrangement as being "for the
| benefit of their customers," and as beneficial to the
| growth of Linux. Novell's Justin Steinman, Novell's
| long-suffering corporate spokesman for the Microsoft
| deal, pointed to the huge growth of it's Linux business
| since the deal was inked, but whether this is incremental
| Linux market growth or simply sales that have shifted from
| other distro vendors is, of course, a different question.
| I felt constrained to point out that for 20 years Unix, and
| then Linux customers, hadn't felt the need to be protected
| by such agreements. It's curious why customers should now
| suddenly need assurance.
`----

http://www.consortiuminfo.org/standardsblog/article.php?story=20070619065710401

------------------------------

Message-ID: <3428513.d...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Linux] Red Hat Joins the Alliance... the SCOPE Alliance
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 01:03:37 +0100

Red Hat Joins the SCOPE Alliance With Global Leaders to Optimise Linux for
Telecommunications

,----[ Quote ]
| The SCOPE Alliance, formed in January 2006 by Alcatel, Ericsson, Motorola,
| NEC, Nokia and Siemens, was founded to drive the adoption of open source
| software and commodity hardware in carrier-grade environments as an
| alternative to proprietary Unix platforms.
`----

http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/070619/20070619005169.html?.v=1

------------------------------

Message-ID: <2650525.O...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Rival] More Linux Libel from the DiDio Shill (Microsoft's Yankee Group/Sockpuppet)
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 01:16:06 +0100

Laura [DiDio] and Me

,----[ Quote ]
| Ah yes, the rules of corporate behaviour. And how we all admire them.
| Obviously, the journalist doesn't realise that Shuttleworth was talking about
| free as in speech, not free as in beer. In fact, he used the word freedom,
| not free. But it whizzed right over her head. That is so basic, I will opine,
| with my feet up on the desk, that she hasn't a clue what FOSS is about and
| did not a minute's research on what freedom means in this quotation.
`----

http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20070619092336304

Not so long ago, other mouthpieces from the Yankee Group attacked Linux as
well. The joys of corporate media.

Laura Didio

,----[ Quote ]
| An example of her opinion on how Open Source Software is handled shows
| in this remark (quoted from a phone interview from her home in
| Massachusetts): "The thing about Linux is, you can talk about a free,
| open operating system all you want, but you can't take that idea of free
| and open and put it into a capitalist system and maintain it as though
| it is some kind of hippie commune or ashram, because if you can do it
| like that, at that point I'm like, 'Pass the hookah please!'" [1]
|
| Even recently, after admitting that an SCO victory in their case against
| IBM seemed like an extreme longshot, Didio said, "There is a larger
| issue, though: Even if the SCO case gets dismissed entirely, it does
| not remove the copyright cloud hanging over Linux and open source." [2]
|
| [...]
|
| Unsurprisingly, Linux advocates have in response heavily criticised
| DiDio. Typical criticisms are a lack of formal Computer Science
| qualifications and promoting studies funded by Microsoft; frequently
| this has resulted in questioning of her integrity and her being
| characterised as "a Microsoft shill".
`----

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Didio

------------------------------

Message-ID: <8279284.U...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Rival] Microsoft Repeats the "Letters from Dead People" Tactic
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 01:28:07 +0100

Microsoft puppets spamming ANSI

,----[ Quote ]
| An impressive list of spam comments asking for supporting OOXML and
| backward compatibility, claiming also that "Open XML in no way
| contradicts any other international document standard". No really?
`----

http://www.noooxml.org/forum/t-11857/microsoft-puppets-spamming-ansi

This is utterly disgusting. It's not the first time they do such things (see
below). In fact, antitrust exhibits showed executives talking about grassroot
tactics.

,----[ Quote ]
| In 2001, the Los Angeles Times accused Microsoft of astroturfing
| when hundreds of similar letters were sent to newspapers voicing
| disagreement with the United States Department of Justice and its
| antitrust suit against Microsoft. The letters, prepared by Americans
| for Technology Leadership, had in some cases been mailed from
| deceased citizens or nonexistent addresses.
`----

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astroturfing

Packing The Court At The ISO?

,----[ Quote ]
| ...P member countries ('participating member' countries) sending
| representatives, and I am interested to note the majority of
| their representatives are, as individuals, also Microsoft employees.
|
| [...]
|
| How can they not see that OOXML (ECMA 376) is unwanted by anyone outside of
| Microsoft? How about it Brian Jones? Are you really so desperate that you
| have to resort to that?
`----

http://lnxwalt.wordpress.com/2007/03/23/packing-the-court-at-the-iso/

Watch how they started an astroturfing compaign (pseudo grassroots) in the UK.

Microsoft calls on UK public to raise the Office standard

,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft is calling on the Great British public to join its campaign
| to get the XML Office format adopted as an international standard.
|
| [...]
|
| It is not clear if the UK is an opponent. However, a representative
| of fellow member the Bureau of Indian Standards recently reportedly
| complained to the IndiaTime.com over Microsoft's decision to dump
| 6,000 pages of documentation on them.
`----

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/04/04/microsoft_office_standards_petition/

Later on, Microsoft created Web sites in support of OOXML. They can't get
supporters, so they fake it.

------------------------------

Message-ID: <14429731....@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Linux] Novell Supports Not Only Document Monoculture, But Also Microsoft's Web Hijack
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 01:38:11 +0100

'Moonlight' makes progress on Silverlight for Linux

,----[ Quote ]
| According to Miguel De Icaza, Mono project leader and Novell
| open-source president, Mono engineers have been working 14-hour
| days to create an implementation of Silverlight on Linux using
| Mono, an open-source implementation of Microsoft's .Net software.
`----

http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9731410-7.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=NewsBlog

This is patented technology. Microsoft will be pleased to see that Novell
supports its Web hijack attempts.

[ Mr de Icaza has always had an ambiguous relationship with open-source
and Microsoft. Ed. ]

,----[ Quote ]
| "I have no confidence in Microsoft's Open XML specification to deliver a
| vibrant, competitive and healthy market of multiple implementations. I don't
| believe that the specifications are good enough, nor that Microsoft will hold
| itself to the specification when it does not suit the company to do so,"
| Shuttleworth said.
`----

http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/software/soa/Ubuntu-Red-Hat-reject-Microsoft-patent-deal/0,130061733,339278741,00.htm

Silverlight is about The Microsoft Web.

,----[ Quote ]
| Sorry, but I have to say something very rude. You clearly don't know
| what you're talking about. That is Microsoft PR talking. Can you say
| "credibility loss".
|
| Silverlight is about The Microsoft Web
|
| Silverlight is not about the World Wide Web. It's about The Microsoft
| Web. It's about getting fools to rally around Microsoft. After all of
| this time and experience with Microsoft, anybody with half a brain
| will be smart enough to avoid doing that. The last thing you want to
| be is dependent on Microsoft and set yourself up to be a DIRECT
| competitor with "Microsoft Cloud Services" down the road. Dumb.
| Foolish. Stupid. Smart investors won't invest one dime in your
| company and might even short your stock.
|
| Remember, it's Microsoft's cloud. Microsoft is not investing in
| huge datacentres all around the world for no reason. And, Microsoft
| will do whatever it takes, including operating that new online
| services business at a huge loss, to starve off any smaller
| competitor that foolishly chose to develop on the Silverlight
| platform. Microsoft sold $44 BILLION and cleared $18 BILLION
| profit last year. How many billions did you make last year?
`----

http://talkback.zdnet.com/5208-11406-0.html?forumID=1&threadID=33334&messageID=613757

Microsoft's Silverlight Promises to Disrupt Linux Web Users

,----[ Quote ]
| Just as it seemed that Linux users (especially 64-bit users) would
| finally be able to enjoy streaming content with a minimum of
| hassle, Microsoft's new Silverlight software promises to throw a
| wrench in the works. Because of sites like Google Video and
| Youtube, Flash video has become a common means of streaming
| multimedia over the Internet.
`----

http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry1418.html

Microsoft's 'Everywhere' excludes Linux

,----[ Quote ]
| This browser add-on enables rendering of WPF content, but
| "Everywhere" doesn't include Linux.
`----

http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/7794/53/

ECIS Accuses Microsoft of Plotting HTML Hijack

,----[ Quote ]
| An industry coalition that has represented competitors of Microsoft
| in European markets before the European Commission stepped up its
| public relations offensive this morning, this time accusing
| Microsoft of scheming to upset HTML's place in the fabric of
| the Internet with XAML, an XML-based layout lexicon forn
| etwork applications.
`----

http://www.betanews.com/article/ECIS_Accuses_Microsoft_of_Plotting_HTML_Hijack/1169824569

Software rivals say Microsoft's Vista illegal in Europe (at CNNMoney.com)

,----[ Excerpt ]
| Software manufacturers, citing 2004 European Commission finding,
| contend the operating system violates server laws in Europe.
|
| [...]
|
| "Vista is the first step of Microsoft's strategy to extend its market
| dominance to the Internet," the ECIS statement said.
|
| It said Microsoft's XAML markup language was "positioned to replace HTML,"
| the industry standard for publishing documents on the Internet.
|
| Microsoft's own language would be dependent on Windows, and discriminatory
| against rival systems such as Linux, the group says.
|
| They said a so-called "open XML" platform file format, known as OOXML, is
| designed to run seamlessly only on the Microsoft Office platform.
`----

http://money.cnn.com/2007/01/26/news/international/bc.vista.microsoft.eu.reut/index.htm?source=yahoo_quote

,----[ Quote ]
| From: Bill Gates
| Sent: Saturday, December 05, 1998 9:44 AM
| To: Bob Muglia (Exchange); Jon DeVaan; Steven Sinofsky
| Cc: Paul Mariz
| Subject: Office rendering
|
| One thing we have got to change is our strategy -- allowing Office
| documents to be rendered very well by OTHER PEOPLES BROWSERS is one of the
| most destructive things we could do to the company.
|
| We have to stop putting any effort into this and make sure that Office
| documents very well depends on PROPRIETARY IE capabilities.
|
| Anything else is suicide for our platform. This is a case where Office has
| to to destroy Windows.
`----

http://www.iowaconsumercase.org/011607/2000/PX02991.pdf

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1485655.t...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Linux] Video Shows the Innovative Future of KDE, LF Reveals Future Plans
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 04:40:15 +0100

Screencast: Dolphin’s Nepomuk integration

,----[ Quote ]
| The video shows how Nepomuk works inside of KDE 4’s Dolphin: rating,
| commenting and tagging are shown with short examples.
`----

http://liquidat.wordpress.com/2007/06/19/screencast-dolphins-nepomuk-integration/

Linux Foundation charts Linux's future

,----[ Quote ]
| In a statement, Jim Zemlin, executive director of The Linux Foundation,
| said, "We are extremely pleased with the results so far of our Linux
| Foundation Collaboration Summit. We have seen a tremendous response for the
| Summit based on all the right people being in one place to drive meaningful
| change and improvement in the Linux platform. The Linux Foundation was
| thrilled to see kernel developers, end users, ISVs, distribution and system
| vendors truly listening to each other and working together to advance the
| platform. When we work together, the community is unstoppable."
`----

http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS9613626182.html

More about Nepomuk-KDE: Soprano and KDE integration

,----[ Quote ]
| As the central meta data storage Soprano will be accessible to all
| applications through the KDE application framework
|
| The storage itself will be filled in different ways. First, there is
| KMetaData: It provides easy to use functions for system developers to
| create and read meta data in storage. Think of applications where meta
| data are an essential part of the programme: Digikam and Amarok are
| typical examples.
`----

http://liquidat.wordpress.com/2007/06/19/more-about-nepomuk-kde-soprano-and-kde-integration/

Semantic Desktop and KDE 4 - State and Plans of Nepomuk-KDE

,----[ Quote ]
| Nepomuk-KDE is the basis for the semantic technologies we will see in
| KDE 4. Sebastian Trüg, the main developer behind Nepomuk-KDE, provided
| me with some up2date information about the current state and future
| plans.
`----

http://liquidat.wordpress.com/2007/05/31/semantic-desktop-and-kde-4-state-and-plans-of-nepomuk-kde/

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1504268.7...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Linux] Ubuntu Linux Adopts Upstart for Faster and Better Booting
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 04:17:29 +0100

Here are a couple of videos whowing Linux and Windows booting, side by side:

Dueling Boot [Ubuntu Linux and Windows XP]

,----[ Quote ]
| In celebration of my recent migration from XP to Ubuntu I have set up a
| duel between the two.
`----

http://ni9e.com/dueling_boot.html

Here's the plan for future releases:

[Ubuntu Linux] Gutsy Feature Plan

,----[ Quote ]
| Ubuntu 7.10 will ship with Upstart 0.5, which will provide flexible and
| reliable service supervision. We expect to harness this for suitable
| core services, and some boot process tasks, as appropriate
`----

https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-devel-announce/2007-June/000304.html

A new article on Upstart:

Introducing Upstart

,----[ Quote ]
| Since the days of early Unix, systems have always had different methods of
| starting up, shutting down, and managing jobs. Throughout the development of
| Linux distributions, many saw the usage of System V init, the most common
| starting system, to be suitable. Distributions have a system that one way or
| another is compatible with this System V initialisation.
`----

http://fosswire.com/2007/06/19/introducing-upstart/

------------------------------

Message-ID: <4876890.m...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [OSS] National Botanic Garden is on OpenOffice.org, Firefox, and Thunderbird
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 04:23:04 +0100

Portrait: Dr. Alain Empain helps grow open source

,----[ Quote ]
| That lesson has made it easy for OpenOffice.org to become the de-facto
| desktop standard at the National Botanic Garden, as are Firefox
| and Thunderbird.
`----

http://community.linux.com/article.pl?sid=07/06/11/1736221&from=rss

His story was covered by another site before. It comes to show how Open Source
is taking over under everyone's noses. Linux migration is the next step.

It turns out that OpenOffice.org is being sold by yet another company now...

http://www.openoffice2007.com/1495index.html
http://www.openoffice2007.com/1495buynow.html

------------------------------

Message-ID: <4558767.0...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Rival] Microsoft Still Refuses to Reveal How Badly Screwed Their Customers Got
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 04:35:17 +0100

Microsoft dodge Xbox 360 failure rate quiz

,----[ Quote ]
| The ECC has been involved with a please explain to Microsoft about
| perceived failure rates of Xbox 360 hardware. In a recent interview
| VP of Gaming and Xbox products group, Todd Holmdahl dances around
| the questions.
`----

http://www.itwire.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12999&Itemid=1063

How are they allowed to just keep it secret? No wonder the EU got involved.
This isn't monopoly abuse. It's just abuse.

Anecdotal: Microsoft low on Xbox 360 coffins

,----[ Quote ]
| For the most part, we've given up on reporting every single time
| one of our colleagues in the gaming press has an Xbox 360 die on
| them. Frankly, we'd be writing a piece every couple weeks. A
| brilliant recent example was the Weekly Geek Show's Xbox 360,
| which we covered, died again in late May. Exactly one month
| and six days after being "repaired." But, like Peter Moore
| asked of all of us, we shouldn't focus on the failure rate
| of Xbox 360s, but on the service in repairing them. And so,
| we have the story of Officer Craig Ravitch of the New York
| Police Department.
`----

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/06/anecdotal-microsoft-low-on-xbox-360-coffins/
http://tinyurl.com/28qx3b

European commission investigates XBOX 360 failures

,----[ Quote ]
| It seems that Microsoft can't catch a break these days what with
| Vista still failing miserably and apparently so are XBOX 360's.
|
| [...]
|
| There are upwards of 1,000 complaints from the Netherlands alone
| which is going up every day. The commissioner not only wants
| answers from Microsoft Europe but from other markets as well
| and a bulleted list of all issues and problems known in
| those markets.
`----

http://gamer.blorge.com/2007/06/01/european-commission-investigates-xbox-360-failures/

Gamers Say Microsoft Understates Xbox Problems

,----[ Quote ]
| An insider from Electronic Arts, Inc. is saying that the failure rate
| of Microsoft's Xbox 360 gaming console is actually ten times higher than
| what Microsoft spokespeople have admitted.
|
| Game Daily BIZ, a gaming industry publication, reported that the
| anonymous source tallied that of the 300 consoles EA has received,
| 30-50 percent of them have failed.
`----

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/08/xbox_gamers02.html

Microsoft admits scratch problem with Xbox 360

,----[ Quote ]
| There hasn't been much discussion on the fact that the problem exists
| by consumers, but untill now Microsoft has always somewhat denied the
| problem and never proposed a solution.
|
| The Dutch television show Kassa, which deals with customer complaints,
| has been nagging Microsoft about this problem for several weeks, they
| did tests with Xbox360 setups and filmed (and proofed) that the Xbox360
| is indeed responsible for scratching game discs, when not moved, placed
| on a stable table and under the best possible conditions.
|
| [...]
|
|
| The television show also reported that while this issue is now an issue
| in the Netherlands (it is also widely covered in regular news), it
| could become a global problem for Microsoft in the future. Therefore
| I would recommend anyone who is facing the same problem to contact
| their local Microsoft office and point them to this article.
`----

http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/Microsoft-admits-scratch-problem-with-Xbox-360.html

Gears of War disc errors - why the hell is no one covering this?

,----[ Quote ]
| So, we're all just 'unlucky' Mark? Thanks for that. I'm happy for you
| and your console, but what about us? Where are we supposed to turn to
| for help and support? Microsoft wasn't very helpful (ref #102-379-2964)
| any of the times I've called them (I think it's up to three now for the
| same issue - perhaps I'll call again today and check on an update).
|
| All I know is that if I see that dreaded error message again on my new
| 360 I am going to go absolutely ballistic!!!
`----

http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=7626298&publicUserId=5551391

What is the real failure rate of the Xbox 360?

,----[ Quote ]
| We asked Game, one of the largest console retailers in the UK.
| "That's not information we're able to give out. It's commercially
| sensitive," it said. As for Microsoft, in the early days after the
| console's 2005 launch it claimed that failure rates were no higher
| than an industry average of between 3% and 5%. That now seems
| wildly optimistic.
|
| Last month, its vice-president of entertainment, Peter Moore,
| refused to answer the question, telling the Mercury News: "I
| can't comment on failure rates." According to Moore, if someone
| has a faulty console they should worry about the customer service.
`----

http://technology.guardian.co.uk/weekly/story/0,,2091221,00.html

360 failure rates at 61%?

,----[ Quote ]
| Over at XBox 360 Gamer they have refused to buy Microsoft's claimed
| 4-5% failure rates and instead opted to create their own poll which
| yielded shocking results. At the time of writing there have been
| 3780 submissions and 2355 comments resulting in claimed failure
| rates of 61%.
|
| There is no avoiding the fact that there is likely to be a negative
| skew to the poll, angry gamers are more likely to vent than satisfied
| gamers. That said 61% is a huge number and even if its half that 30%
| is a far cry from the 4-5% Microsoft would like us to believe.
`----

http://www.quicksavejunkie.com/2007/05/23/360-failure-rates-at-61/

Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against MS For Bricked 360s

,----[ Quote ]
| According to Gamespot, the suit seeks a minimum of $10 million in
| damages, depending on how MS decides to defend itself.
`----

http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/law/class-action-lawsuit-filed-against-ms-for-bricked-360s-220250.php

Numerous Reports, November 30 Xbox 360 Update Is Bricking Consoles

,----[ Quote ]
| Some consoles are being bricked by Thursday's dashboard update.
| Issues range from freezing, red ring of death and VGA adapterm
| alfunction. Microsoft isn't acknowledging the issue and billing
| $140 for repairs.
`----

http://digg.com/gaming_news/Numerous_Reports_November_30_Xbox_360_Update_Is_Bricking_Consoles

Update brick your 360? Speak up

,----[ Quote ]
| Since yesterday's update, there are numerous reports about 360s
| being bricked. Some people suspect that this is being done by
| Microsoft intentionally to stop modders and hackers. Xbox Scene
| thinks it has more to do with certain combinations of hardware
| and firmware.
`----

http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2006/11/01/update-brick-your-360-speak-up/

Autoupdate killed my 360!

,----[ Quote ]
| I was fine yesterday gaming with the VGA cable but after getting
| the autoupdate today, I get a black screen. Does Microsoft test
| these things? My connection to the TV didn't change yet its
| screwed. Thanks for nothing Microsoft.
`----

http://forum.teamxbox.com/showthread.php?t=489979

Loot: Redmond, We Have a Problem, Or, What's Wrong With the Xbox 360

,----[ Quote ]
| At this point, Former becomes impassioned. That's not fair, he says;
| we always saw this as a long-term venture. To which we reply that we
| were talking about the original Xbox, and while other divisions of
| the company throw off more profits in a single quarter than the
| entire $5 billion or so lost in the home and entertainment division
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
| to date, the fact remains that, as we take-our-word-for-it predicted,
| the Xbox group has been spectacularly unprofitable for Microsoft.
| Hence, our heretofore unpublished Vietnam analogy. The rest of the
| night is a blur, but we digress.
|
| [...]
|
| The worst case scenario for Microsoft, then, is one in which the Xbox
| 360's bid for the mass market is blocked by the Wii for the next two to
| three years, at which point the aging and underpowered Wii gives way
| to a cheaper-than-it-is-now PS3 with a selection of AAA titles that's
| far wider than what the PS3 has at the moment; new installments of
| Playstation's own popular and casual-leaning games; and a slew of
| new franchises from Sony's much-larger studio operation.
`----

http://ncroal.talk.newsweek.com/default.asp?item=533168

XBox 360: Bill Still Doesn't Get It

,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft Knows Their Strategy is Broken - Finally
|
| And how do I know this? Read these quotes from a recent Bloomberg
| interview posted on spong.com 06/08/2007:
|
| Microsoft has indicated that it plans to make a stronger play for the
| casual market in order to expand its demographic.
`----

http://biz.yahoo.com/seekingalpha/070611/37919_id.html?.v=1

Rumour: Is Microsoft cheating their [Xbox 360] sales?

,----[ Quote ]
| All in all, there are some sobering thoughts with very broad implications
| for any company if that were true. That being said, would you buy
| from Microsoft, or any other company for that matter, if they were
| cheating their sales?
`----

http://xbox360.qj.net/Rumor-Is-Microsoft-cheating-their-sales-/pg/49/aid/89595

Software Notebook: Microsoft's cash pile isn't what it used to be

,----[ Quote ]
| But Microsoft has taken a series of steps to reduce its cash
| balance. Specifically, by Microsoft's count, the company has
| paid out nearly $100 billion through dividends and repurchasing
| its own stock in the past five years.
`----

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/309852_software02.html

------------------------------

Message-ID: <3900605.J...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Linux] NVidia Has Dual-head Front End for Linux, ATI Open Source Drivers Reviewed
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 04:02:28 +0100

GUI to configure dual monitors (Nvidia)

,----[ Quote ]
| This tool has helped me and a few co-workers to get up and running
| with dual-monitors on Ubuntu 7.04 (Fiesty).
`----

http://useopensource.blogspot.com/2007/06/gui-to-configure-dual-monitors-nvidia.html

The Open-Source ATI R500 Driver

,----[ Quote ]
| While the Avivo driver is only a week old for the public, this open-source
| driver comes after months of work and there is still a long road ahead before
| this driver reaches a comparable level of support to the Radeon R200/300/400
| and Nouveau open-source drivers.
`----

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=753&num=1

Ubuntu to get better dualview support

,----[ Quote ]
| The coding apparently becomes much more difficult when jumping beyond
| two screens, but hopefully someday they will.
`----

http://techtoppicks.com/archive/ubuntu-to-get-better-dualview-support/

------------------------------

Message-ID: <2204970.j...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Linux] KDE Gets Enterprise-ready Personal Information Manager
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 04:24:17 +0100

The Road to KDE 4: KDE PIM Libraries and Related Technologies

,----[ Quote ]
| KDE has a number of sub-projects that have blossomed into enormous
| projects of their own. A number of them, such as KOffice, or KDE-Edu
| get a lot of press in the open source world, while the KDE PIM project
| has been quietly gaining corporate acceptance as a suitable enterprise
| suite.
`----

http://dot.kde.org/1182269390/

KDE PIM Annual Meeting Pushes Advanced Design, Enterprise Stability

,----[ Quote ]
| KDE PIM is the Linux client for the Kolab groupware solution, and
| as such has many enterprise users who are supported by the
| companies making up the Kolab Konsortium. Due to their stability
| requirements, most commercial Kolab users are still using the
| KDE 3.3 codebase. A new enterprise branch of the KDE 3.5 PIM
| module is being created which will be used as an ultra-stable
| base for Kolab users, and so that Kolab-derived improvements
| can return to the KDE 3.5 branch.
`----

http://dot.kde.org/1170027049/

------------------------------

Message-ID: <2071220.l...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [OSS] Open Source Tool Wins NetworkWorld Honours, Other Emerging OSS Projects Reviewed
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 04:10:21 +0100

Open source management-tool alternatives hit the mark

,----[ Quote ]
| Zenoss Core wins test of open source tools with a great GUI, accurate
| discovery and excellent monitoring
`----

http://www.networkworld.com/reviews/2007/061807-open-source-management-test.html

Open Source Projects: 12 On the Way Up

,----[ Quote ]
| It's pretty wild, but there are still some people out there who firmly
| believe that open source is little more than a passing fad. The following
| list not only proves this wrong (again), it also details open source
| applications that are “up and coming” through the ranks of popularity,
| earning the respect of their peers and growing toward a broad user base.
`----

http://itmanagement.earthweb.com/osrc/article.php/3684146

Those lists are becoming a bit tedious, but at least they get some coverage in
non-Linux Web sites.

------------------------------

Message-ID: <2380802.U...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Rival] Microsoft Yet Again Ignores Standards and Goes Its Own Way
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 05:03:26 +0100

Microsoft needs REST

,----[ Quote ]
| Yaron Goland defended his Microsoft colleague, Dare Objasanjo, as a poor
| sitting duck. He justifies the decision to scrap APP as tactical and not
| strategic. He states: “We considered this option but the changes needed to
| make APP work for our scenarios were so fundamental that it wasn’t clear if
| the resulting protocol would still be APP… I also have to admit that I was
| deathly afraid of the political implications of Microsoft messing around with
| APP.” According to Goland, “we couldn’t figure out how to use APP without
| putting an unacceptable implementation and performance burden on both our
| customers and ourselves.”
|
| The implications for this APP vs. Web3S debate can potentially be enormous.
| Just as we are on the brink of creating simple architectures that are
| interoperable using simple standards, the industry risks splitting into
| separate, incompatible camps again. It is probably no coincidence that we
| have Microsoft on one side and Google, IBM and Sun on the other. This will be
| a fundamental problem for enterprise customers if Microsoft extends this
| strategy into any REST architectures that it introduces into the enterprise.
| Any enterprise systems that expose their data using APP, which is likely in
| the near future, will be incompatible with any Microsoft system that expose
| their data with Web3S.
`----

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Newton/?p=14

We still need to rely on those who do not abuse standards.

The power to fight Microsoft is IBM

,----[ Quote ]
| Just because IBM is not pounding the table, or betting its entire future
| on Linux, does not mean it’s not the key to open source’s future. Without
| IBM’s support and contributions, I don’t think Linux would be in such
| good shape.
`----

http://blogs.zdnet.com/open-source/?p=1136

Just like the Halloween memos say, Microsoft will continue to ignore
or 'extend' standards to repel the competition. They still do it. They haven't
changed a bit.

Halloween Memo I Confirmed and Microsoft's History on Standards

,----[ Quote ]
| By the way, if you are by any chance trying to figure out Microsoft's policy
| toward standards, particularly in the context of ODF-EOXML, that same
| Microsoft page is revelatory, Microsoft's answer to what the memo meant when
| it said that Microsoft could extend standard protocols so as to deny
| Linux "entry into the market":
|
| Q: The first document talked about extending standard protocols as a way
| to "deny OSS projects entry into the market." What does this mean?
|
| A: To better serve customers, Microsoft needs to innovate above standard
| protocols. By innovating above the base protocol, we are able to deliver
| advanced functionality to users. An example of this is adding
| transactional support for DTC over HTTP. This would be a value-add and
| would in no way break the standard or undermine the concept of standards,
| of which Microsoft is a significant supporter. Yet it would allow us to
| solve a class of problems in value chain integration for our Web-based
| customers that are not solved by any public standard today. Microsoft
| recognizes that customers are not served by implementations that are
| different without adding value; we therefore support standards as the
| foundation on which further innovation can be based.
`----

http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20070127202224445

Liberty Alliance, Microsoft discuss identity protocols

,----[ Quote ]
| "We have finally put down the boxing gloves and are trying to figure
| out how to solve our customers' problems," said Roger Sullivan, the
| newly elected president of the Liberty Alliance and vice president
| of Oracle's identity management section.
|
| The Liberty Alliance, whose participants include HP, Sun and IBM,
| backs the ID-Web Services Framework (ID-WSF), a set of protocols
| for Web services. Microsoft supports another set, WS-Star.
`---- ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

http://www.linuxworld.com/news/2007/011007-liberty-alliance-microsoft-discuss-identity.html?fsrc=rss-linux-news

,----[ Quote ]
| [Microsoft:] ...we should take the lead in establishing a common
| approach to UI and to interoperability (of which OLE is only a part). Our
| efforts to date are focussed too much on our own apps, and only incidentally
| on the rest of the industry. We want to own these standards, so we should
| not participate in standards groups. Rather, we should call 'to me' to the
| industry and set a standard that works now and is for everyone's
| benefit. We are large enough that this can work.
`----

http://www.os2site.com/sw/info/comes/px09509.zip

Diverse technology usage could cause chaos?

,----[ Quote ]
| Adoption of open source software platforms like Linux is on the rise
| despite the government's refusal to officially endorse the technology
| as other emerging markets have done. However, the government wants to
| make clear in its national E-governance policy that "no compulsory
| open source" does not mean "no unified document standards."
`----

http://www.moneycontrol.com/india/news/business/diverse-technology-usage-could-cause-chaos/285854
http://tinyurl.com/yo88va

FLOSS Weekly 14: Jeremy Allison of Samba

,----[ Quote ]
| 'In the section of the interview from around 33m30s to 39m00 Jeremy
| Allison reports how he was told that the Microsoft team implementing
| SMB2 were ordered to "f**k with Samba".'
`----

http://www.twit.tv/floww14

Researcher: PatchGuard hotfix stitches up benefit to Microsoft

,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft has come under fire for quietly releasing a fix to
| its controversial PatchGuard kernel protection software in
| order to improve the performance of its Virtual Server 2005
| product.
|
| ...But it has also broken some legitimate software programmes,
| leading to complaints from software vendors including Symantec
| and McAfee.
`----

http://news.yahoo.com/s/infoworld/20070120/tc_infoworld/85291

Vista to give HD Photo format more exposure

,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft is looking to supplant the ubiquitous JPEG with an image format
| of its own--and it's hoping the debut of Windows Vista will help do the
| job.
`----

http://news.com.com/Vista+to+give+HD+Photo+format+more+exposure/2100-1045_3-6153730.html

'Microsoft broke anti-trust agreement,' prosecutors claim

,----[ Quote ]
| It's claimed Microsoft's engineers used at least 500 undocumented APIs
| to ensure Microsoft's applications worked better with Windows than
| those of competitors.
`----

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/18/microsoft_breached_antitrust/

Microsoft used undocumented Windows APIs - Iowa testimony

,----[ Quote ]
| 'All I can say is holy API batman...I'm not kidding...we are talking
| about literally 500-800 APIs here, no joke,' he wrote.
|
| Alepin had earlier claimed that Microsoft ran special demonstration
| programmes whose sole purpose was to crash rival products and alleged
| that the company had subverted developers who used Microsoft's
| version of Java 'thinking they were developing multi-platform
| applications, but were actually developing Windows-specific
| applications'.
`----

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/101947/microsoft-used-undocumented-windows-apis-iowa-testimony.html

http://groups.google.com/group/comp.os.linux.advocacy/msg/cc1ad063dcc0400d

,----[ Quote ]
| Wow, this is absolutely devastating! As near as I can tell, the poor
| guy at Microsoft has been trying to support open standards against
| management. He doesn't say much about the history, i.e. the fact that
| Microsoft didn't do anything with IE until they were recently forced to
| by Firefox competition. The feedback is amazing. Example:
|
| Quote:
| -------------
| So if you believe that the reason for IE's lack of standards support is
| something other than malice of forethought to strangle other browsers,
| you are wrong. If you have followed the anti-trust trial you would have
| seen the actual evidence for these decisions. Microsoft is an
| anti-competitive company run by unethical shitheads.
|
| This won't change until the workforce is slashed and the entire company
| culture changes. Steve Ballmer is the king of the shitheads, so when he
| goes things might get better. But until then, expect MS to only do the
| absolute minimum to defuse the worst criticism. Remember my words:
| unethical shitheads.
| -------------
| End quote
|
| Erik cited this same guy's blog a few days ago to support the notion
| that Microsoft is dedicated to standards compliance and is doing the
| reasonable thing (I think that's why he cited it). The way this story
| has developed, it shows exactly the opposite, and is very revealing
| about sentiments out there in the developer world.
`----

Jury Hears Microsoft Competition Suit

,----[ Quote ]
| A judge on Friday told jurors they must accept as fact that a
| federal court found in 1999 that Microsoft holds a monopoly over
| computer operating systems and that it restricted computer
| manufacturers' ability to use competing systems.
|
| [...]
|
| She said she'll show that the company used its monopoly power
| to exclude competition and control prices and that it conspired with
| other companies to restrain trade, maintaining what she called a
| chokehold on software competitors and computer manufacturers.
|
| "It isn't illegal to be successful," Conlin said in opening
| remarks. "We applaud that. ... But you can't freeze out competitors
| and punish and retaliate against people who cooperate with
| competitors. Microsoft did all that and more."
|
| Conlin warned jurors that she would say some unflattering things
| about Microsoft and its billionaire founder Bill Gates, who
| serves as company chairman.
|
| [...]
|
| Conlin's first 3 1/2 hours of opening arguments delved deeply into
| computer industry history and how Microsoft fought off competitors
| attempting to design rival software.
`----

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/061201/microsoft_trial.html?.v=1

The Formats of Excel 2007

,----[ Quote ]
| The "Excel Macro-Enabled Workbook" option saves as an "xlsxm"
| extension. It is OOXML plus proprietary Microsoft extensions.
| These extensions, in the form of binary blob called
| vbaProject.bin, represent the source code of the macros. This
| part of the format is not described in the OOXML specification.
`----

http://www.robweir.com/blog/2007/01/formats-of-excel-2007.html

ECIS Accuses Microsoft of Plotting HTML Hijack

http://www.betanews.com/article/ECIS_Accuses_Microsoft_of_Plotting_HTML_Hijack/1169824569

Software rivals say Microsoft's Vista illegal in Europe (at CNNMoney.com)

http://money.cnn.com/2007/01/26/news/international/bc.vista.microsoft.eu.reut/index.htm?source=yahoo_quote

Windows Vista Product Guide: Free to Download, $149 to Read

http://itsvista.com/2006/12/windows-vista-product-guide-free-to-download-149-to-read/

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1727430.p...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Rival] Blast-from-the-past Examples of Microsoft Shilling (Also Against Novell)
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 05:45:51 +0100

Just found some new ones that are worth sharing.

This one was mentioned before...

http://www.inlumineconsulting.com:8080/website/msft.shilling.html

,----[ Quote ]
| * Paid for ads purportedly from a think-tank, although at least one
| signer of the ad defended it. You might want to take a closer look at
| what the
| web has to offer on this issue.
| * Paid for Gartner "research" and DH Brown "research". Also paid for
| IDC "research".
| * Planned to plant fake op-ed pieces in local newspapers. See also this
| C|Net article.
| * Fake "grass root" letter writing campaign. See also this article. This
| time, the astroturf is directed to Attorneys General of the US states
| suing Microsoft for anti-trust violations.
| * Planted shills in a Compuserve forum
| * Planted shills in ZDNet TalkBack forum and MSNBC forum shills
| * Planted shills in an AOL forum
| * Stuffed an on-line ballot box
| * Stuffed another on-line ballot box
| * Fund a think-tank to produce a favourable whitepaper.
| * Astroturfed a Register reporter
| * Secretly funded a Grass roots Network of "Citizens".
| * Analysis of Microsoft lobbying and astroturfing
| * Posted fake user testimonials. See also this commentary.
`----

Here are a few others that COLA didn't include before:

The Barkto Incident

,----[ Quote ]
| Not long after the Barkto affair, a similar incident occurred on another
| forum on CompuServe. In the LANMAG forum (short for LAN Magazine), a man
| named Bill Diamond showed up one day and began offering to one and all
| his views on varioius networking solutions. Bill's views just happened
| to be highly critical of those from IBM (especially OS/2), and from
| Novell, whose turf MS is trying to crash with their NT and NTAS
| products. But he was very lavish in praise for those from Microsoft.
| More than a couple of the forum regulars noticed this slant to his posts
| and asked him directly if he were a Microsoft employee. No, he said: he
| was an independent consultant. If you're guessing that he wasn't being
| entirely honest, you're right: he was a Microsoft employee.
`----

http://lists.essential.org/1998/am-info/msg01529.html

I think I saw this one in the Comes vs Iowa case or some other article.

More here:

http://web.archive.org/web/20040222192500/http://w3.hethmon.com/os2isp/1999/Aug/Msgs/l2w15889.html

------------------------------

Message-ID: <4489868.e...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Rival] Microsoft Admits Antitrust Guilt, 'Fix' Won't Come Soon Though
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 06:16:06 +0100

Microsoft to address Google search complaint in Vista SP1

,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft is promising to deliver a number of the required changes as
| part of Service Pack 1 of Windows Vista. A beta of that service pack,
| according to the status report, will be out before the end of this year.
`----

http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=524

Be aware that they knew about it a long time ago, but they got greedy and
decided to cheat (see links at bottom). They are afraid of Google because it
now enters the enterprise. Microsoft knows it. The company even said to Google
that it was stealing food out of their mouths. See:

Google's back-up plan: the enterprise

,----[ Quote ]
| Asked at a press conference Tuesday if Google is thinking about an
| alternative business plan for 5 to 10 years out, Chairman and CEO
| Eric Schmidt didn't miss a beat: "We are, and that's why we have
| Google Enterprise," he said.
`----

http://www.linuxworld.com.au/index.php?id=1761895540&rid=-50

Google offers security blacklists to all

,----[ Quote ]
| Google Monday released to outside developers the same security API currently
used by its own Google Desktop and Mozilla's Firefox for warding off phishing
and malware-dropping Web sites.
`----

http://www.linuxworld.com.au/index.php?id=1470331998&rid=-50

Again, it's free. Revenue streams and paradigms are changing while Microsoft
fails to evolve.

Google Vista concerns no surprise to Microsoft

,----[ Quote ]
| However, a person familiar with the matter said that Microsoft
| was made aware of Google's concerns about its desktop search via a
| telephone call from the Justice Department in early December,
| shortly after the commercial launch of Vista in late November.
`----

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/microsoft-knew-googles-desktop-search-issues/story.aspx?guid=%7B9B0D43AB%2D8227%2D40E6%2DA300%2D1CAECF5C2C86%7D&siteid=yhoof

Microsoft May Be Forced to Alter Vista

,----[ Quote ]
| Antitrust officials may demand that Microsoft Corp. change its
| Windows Vista operating system to address a complaint by Google
| that the programme's design hurts competing software. Vista makes
| it impractical to turn off Microsoft's self-serving search index.
| Government officials are studying whether Microsoft violated the
| 2001 consent decree.
`----

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/business/stories.nsf/0/0EE60406E44ED34C862572F8000CD63B?OpenDocument

sta Limits Choices, Google Alleges

,----[ Quote ]
| Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said yesterday that
| officials from several states may decide by early next week whether
| they will ask the judge to force Microsoft to revise Windows Vista,
| the latest version of the company's operating system. "We've reached
| a critical juncture in our decision-making process," he said in an
| interview. "If Microsoft is misusing its market dominance with
| Vista to constrain competition or consumer choice, we will seek
| appropriate action from the court."
`----

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/11/AR2007061102177.html?hpid=sec-tech

Antitrust: Google's statement on Windows Vista

,----[ Quote ]
| "Microsoft's current approach with Vista desktop search violates the
| consent decree and and limits consumer choice. The search boxes built
| throughout Vista are hard-wired to Microsoft's own desktop search
| product, with no way for users to choose an alternate provider from
| these visible search access points. Likewise, Vista makes it
| impractical to turn off Microsoft's search index."
`----

http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/Microsoft/archives/116476.asp

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1784029.x...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Linux] Linux Device Stack Solves Interoperability Issues (Including VoIP and IM)
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 06:19:29 +0100

Linux phone stack gains unified messaging

,----[ Quote ]
| Linux device software stack vendor Trolltech has acquired Fonav, a vendor of
| unified messaging software. Trolltech plans to use Fonav's "unified live
| inbox" application software to enhance its Qtopia stacks for mobile phones
| and VoIP phones, it said.
`----

http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS4166268553.html

The story (and the protocols) behind instant messengers

,----[ Quote ]
| The year 2000 marked a new milestone: an open protocol. There were several
| unique characteristics about this particular protocol. Unlike the other
| protocols, Jabber was free software. It also had the idea of de-centeralising
| the servers by allowing anyone to host their own server. Additionally, Jabber
| let its users connect to almost any protocol via transports, so users could
| use a Jabber client to chat with users using AIM. Finally, Jabber didn’t
| offer an official Jabber client, opening the field for numerous new instant
| messengers. These all combined to make Jabber a viable alternative to the Big
| Four’s protocols.
`----

http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/articles/instant_messengers

------------------------------

Message-ID: <14086439....@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [OSS] Microsoft Continues Pretending It Likes Open Source
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 07:25:42 +0100

[...As long as you pay them some 'tax']

Microsoft Should Tout Interoperability Successes
Paul Thurrott
http://www.windowsitpro.com/Windows/Article/ArticleID/96345/96345.html#03345241883838867681

*LOL*

These headlines are worrisome.

Microsoft Creates "Open Source Community Lead" Position

http://www.infoq.com/news/2007/06/Microsoft-Open-Source-Lead#4541225025865805660

Don't forget where they came from:

Ten Tech Blunders: Whoops, We Stepped in It!

,----[ Quote ]
| In a horrible case of foot-in-mouth that revealed deep fear behind
| a thin mask of disdain, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer compared Linux
| to cancer. Ouch!
`----

http://itmanagement.earthweb.com/entdev/article.php/11070_3679516_1

Microsoft says open-source software is un-American. Has the company completely
lost its mind?

,----[ Quote ]
| Once upon a time, Microsoft executives confined
| their criticism of Linux and free software to old-fashioned FUD
| -- fear, uncertainty and doubt. Linux wasn't good enough for
| enterprise-class systems, they declared. You couldn't get
| quality support, and it was too hard and clunky for average users.
|
| Fair enough. But now, judging by comments made Wednesday by
| Microsoft's operating systems chief Jim Allchin (and reported
| by Bloomberg News), it turns out that free and open-source
| software is something far worse than anyone could possibly have
| imagined. It is nothing less than a threat to the American
| way of life! "
`----

http://archive.salon.com/tech/log/2001/02/15/unamerican/index.html

------------------------------

Message-ID: <3351292.H...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [OSS] Increasing Accpetance of Free Open Source Software, Myths Busted
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 07:29:33 +0100

Actuate Survey Unveils Growing Momentum and Broad Adoption of Open Source
Business Intelligence

,----[ Quote ]
| Among responses in financial services, 49.0% are already using Open
| Source software and 29.8% are already using Open Source BI.
`----

http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070619005398&newsLang=en#5285930061234096147
http://tinyurl.com/32v4ao

Web Content 2007: 7 Open Source Myths: Busted!

,----[ Quote ]
| Open source licences allow for free redistribution of the software
| including the source code and depending on the specific licence,
| can allow the user to derive works from that software. Companies
| may choose to open source their software to slash distribution costs,
| and instead profit from support licences and/or selling a
| “professional” or “enterprise” version of the software.
`----

http://www.cmswire.com/cms/open-source-cms/web-content-2007-7-open-source-myths-busted-001391.php#8454534891915636916

PloneGov wins a prestigious open source project award in Paris

,----[ Quote ]
| We are proud to announce that the new Plone e-government initiative won
| the biggest French award for open source projects on Jun13 during a
| ceremony held in the town hall of the city of Paris.
`----

http://www.zeapartners.org/articles/lutece2007

Greenplum Expands Relationships with Unica, Kinetic Networks and Sun
Microsystems...

,----[ Quote ]
| Greenplum, the leading provider of open-source database software for
| business intelligence, today announced expanded alliances with Unica,
| Kinetic Networks and Sun Microsystems to deliver the first turnkey
| data warehouse appliance from a tier-1 systems vendor to include
| integrated web analytics capabilities.
`----

http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070619005470&newsLang=en#04444898579412904243
http://tinyurl.com/2ral86

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1245600.E...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Linux] Yet Another Linux Distribution Approaches Carrier Grade Linux Compliance
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 07:32:44 +0100

NEP's Linux distro nears CGL 4.0

,----[ Quote ]
| The first network equipment provider (NEP) to roll its own Carrier
| Grade Linux (CGL) distribution has launched a new version.
| Performance Technologies, Inc. (PTI) says NexusWare version 12
| adds support for PowerPC processor architectures, along with
| features aimed at CGL 4.0 readiness.
`----

http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS2164884955.html

Open Source Development Labs' Carrier Grade Linux Working Group Joins the
Mountain View Alliance

,----[ Summary ]
| OSDL participation brings off-the-shelf platform OS to open
| specification telecommunications consortium
`----

http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/8630/545/

Linux Standard Base plans cross-format package API

,----[ Quote ]
| For independent software vendors (ISV), one of the major problems
| in supporting GNU/Linux is the variety of package management
| systems. However, if the Free Standards Group has its way, the
| next version of the Linux Standard Base (LSB) will solve that
| problem by providing an application programming interface (API)
| that acts as a bridge between the major package systems and
| software installers. Ian Murdock, CTO of the Free Standards
| Group, says the solution could be included in the most widely
| used distributions by early 2008.
`----

http://enterprise.linux.com/article.pl?sid=07/01/10/2045258&from=rss

------------------------------

Message-ID: <4876890.p...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Rival] Microsoft Killed Mac Application, Then Provided Deliberately Poor Linux Support
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 07:41:00 +0100

Linux On Virtual PC

,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft has not improved on Virtual PC, since aquiring Connectix, and
| worst of all they killed another great application on the Mac platform.
`----

http://www.webkeydesign.com/178/linux-on-virtual-pc/

They still try to discriminate against Linux distros that do not pay 'Microsoft
tax'. Photsynth is another example where Microsoft killed a Linux application
and completely eliminated Linux support.

First Fruit of Novell’s (Known) Microsoft Patent Licence?

http://boycottnovell.com/2007/06/19/first-fruit-of-novells-known-microsoft-patent-license/

Photosynth for Linux?

,----[ Quote ]
| This is the demonstration video of Photo Tourism which was later
| transformed into Microsoft Photosynth (Wikipedia). Now, you'll find
| it difficult to disagree with me when I say this is a great product.
| It just has that "cool factor".
|
| However, the Photosynth website says at the system requirements: Only
| Windows XP SP2 and Windows Vista RC1 or later are supported at this
| time. However, the video I showed above clearly shows it running on
| Linux (take a look at the titlebar of the web browser or the "add
| annotation dialog"). This could mean two things:
|
| 1. Microsoft deliberately decided not to support Linux
| 2. Microsoft may still want to make this available for Linux
`----

http://xubuntublog.wordpress.com/2007/03/02/photosynth-for-linux/SysInternals

A developer confirmed that it's (1). They are just unethical.

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1509944.2...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Rival] Microsoft Fails to Fight Spreading Malware/Zombie Infection
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 07:44:37 +0100

MPack It Up [Trojan]

,----[ Quote ]
| We asked Microsoft to advise customers about the MPack Trojan, which is
| loose on the Web and spreading. Here it is.
|
| First, recap: Trend Micro reported that the Trojan had infected as many
| as 10,000 Websites, as of yesterday. Local PC infection can occur from
| merely visiting one of the affected Websites.
|
| However, the infection is spreading.
|
| "The majority of these [infection] reports centre on Websites being
| hosted on servers in Italy but there are indications that Websites in
| Germany, Brazil and Japan may also be impacted," a Microsoft
| spokesperson explained in an e-mail responding to a Microsoft
| Watch request.
|
| Microsoft is conducing is own investigation and, when
| completed, the company "will take the appropriate action to
| address this issue."
`----

http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/security/mpack_it_up.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535

IOW, it's all about secrecy while the world gets filled with more zombies
(never mind the poor Windows users whose PC gets hijacked when visiting a site
with IE).

Microsoft is the world's biggest cause of zombie remailers

,----[ Quote ]
| In China, it would take about one and one-half years wages (for the
| average Chinese) to buy a legitimate copy of Windows Vista. If you
| could find it here.
|
| Microsoft is the biggest cause of zombie remailers in the world,
| because they make noises, but do not do anything to address the
| real digital inequities in the world.
`----

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=38202

Botnet 'pandemic' threatens to strangle the net

,----[ Quote ]
| Cerf estimated that between 100 million and 150 million of the
| 600 million PCs on the internet are under the control of hackers,
| the BBC reports.
`----

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/26/botnet_threat/

------------------------------

Message-ID: <2334253.h...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Rival] Microsoft Regrets, Retracts, and Regrets Draconian EULA Again
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 07:48:14 +0100

Microsoft flip-flops on Vista virtualisation

,----[ Quote ]
| Software like Parallels Desktop for the Mac or Microsoft's own Virtual
| PC for Windows allow multiple operating systems to run simultaneously.
| When it announced licensing rules for Vista last year, Microsoft said
| that only Vista Business and Vista Ultimate could run as guest
| operating systems. The company said virtualisation presents inherent
| security risks and that it hoped by limiting which versions of the OS
| could act as virtual machines, only sophisticated users and businesses
| would employ the tactic.
`----

http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-6191787.html

Greedy liars. They said there was a security issue (they considered dropping
virtualisation altogether, yet what difference would /editions/ make?).
Everyone knew it was an anti-competitive strategy.

[ The rapidity with which Microsoft's tactics are changing serves to
illustrate better than any number of sales channel estimates just how
badly Vista is doing in the marketplace. Ed. ]

Unusable EULA's

,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft's instant messenger app had a surprisingly readable EULA,
| but was a snooze-inducing 12 pages and 6,343 words long.
`----

http://www.usabilityblog.com/blog/archives/2007/03/unusable_eulas.php

MSN AdCenter - Impossible to read TOS

,----[ Quote ]
| As you can see from the screenshot above (click it to enlarge), the
| MSN AdCenter TOS is enclosed in a small box, approximately 1-inch
| wide by about 1/2-inch tall! Maybe it's because I was using Firefox
| and not Microsoft's Internet Explorer, but I still find it comical to
| the point of absurdity. I still signed up, but I wonder what Microsoft
| is hiding in that tiny box?
`----

http://grownupgeek.blogspot.com/2007/01/msn-adcenter-impossible-to-read-tos.html

Windows Vista's new spin on licensing

,----[ Quote ]
| As with corporate software licences, the primary end goal here seems
| to be to maximise revenues for Microsoft, but MS's moves have the
| unfortunate secondary effect of eroding the consumer's fair-use rights
| --or at least the very useful illusion of fair-use rights--in the
| process.
`----

http://techreport.com/etc/2007q1/vista-licensing/index.x?pg=1reve

Vista Home Editions Won't Run On Mac, Linux Virtual Machines

,----[ Quote ]
| That means Linux aficionados or users of Apple Macs will not legally
| be able to use software from vendors such as Parallels or EMC's VMWare
| to create so-called virtual machines on their desktops to run Vista
| alongside their favourite OS. Windows users wanting to run Vista in a
| virtual machine environment for security or productivity purposes
| also will need either the Business or Ultimate Edition.
`----

http://www.channelweb.com/sections/allnews/article.jhtml?articleId=197003013&cid=ChannelWebNews
http://tinyurl.com/39xozq

Exchange 2007 facing integration issues with other Microsoft software

,----[ Quote ]
| In a nutshell, Exchange 2007 can't run on Microsoft's most
| current virtualisation software...
|
| [...]
|
| In any case, users are already reacting, especially in regards to
| virtualisation, which has become a hot bed of networking activity, as well
| as, a major area of competition for Microsoft with VMWare and open source
| Xen on Linux platforms
`----

http://www.linuxworld.com/news/2007/011107-exchange-vista-integration.html?fsrc=rss-linux-news

Vista's legal fine print raises red flags

,----[ Quote ]
| For greater certainty, the terms and conditions remove any doubt about who
| is in control by providing that "this agreement only gives you some rights
| to use the software. Microsoft reserves all other rights."
|
| [...]
|
| When Microsoft introduced Windows 95 more than a decade ago, it adopted the
| Rolling Stones "Start Me Up" as its theme song. As millions of consumers
| contemplate the company's latest upgrade, the legal and technological
| restrictions may leave them singing "You Can't Always Get What You Want."
`----

http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/175801

MSN AdCenter - Impossible to read TOS

http://grownupgeek.blogspot.com/2007/01/msn-adcenter-impossible-to-read-tos.html

A sneaky change in Windows licensing terms

,----[ Quote ]
| With a retail version of Windows XP, there are no restrictions on the
| number of times you can transfer the software from one computer to another
| in your household or office. That's about to change for the worse in
| Vista, with only one lifetime transfer allowed. It makes the outrageous
| price difference between retail and OEM copies even more difficult
| to justify.
`----

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=156

At a glance 2: GPL, CDDL and BSD -vs- EULA

,----[ Quote ]
| (EULA) ...if you spend some time reading it, you will understand that
| besides what the picture below shows, they (publishers) do not take any
| responsibility if something goes wrong while using their products and
| still care to charge us for their product and to ensure that it is the
| best. On top of that you will find some more "amazing" arguments that
| you never even knew and by clicking <accept>, well at least morally,
| agree to oblige)
`----

http://linux.wordpress.com/2006/10/04/at-a-glance-2-gpl-cddl-and-bsd-vs-eula/

Microsoft patent hints at pay-as-you-go OS

,----[ Quote ]
| A Microsoft patent application from June 2005, published only today,
| titled "System and method for delivery of a modular operating system"
| may signal a fundamental change for what an operating systems stands
| for and how it is sold.
`----

http://www.istartedsomething.com.nyud.net:8080/20061215/pay-as-you-go-os-patent/

Vista Starter ready for developing nations

,----[ Quote ]
| According to Wickstrand, the Windows XP Starter Edition was
| marketed primarily to consumers in Southeast Asia, Russia and
| India, with particular focus on families with school-age children
| and those who had purchased their first computer.
`----

http://news.com.com/2100-1016_3-6153667.html?part=rss&tag=2547-1_3-0-20&subj=news

Microsoft is bad for business

,----[ Quote ]
| I recently read an article regarding the copy protection methods of
| Microsoft's next Operating system, Vista. And my jaw literally dropped to
| the floor.
|
| Microsoft is, in essence, a control freak.
|
| [...]
|
| Microsoft is bad for business because they take this level of
| annoyance to the highest level in Windows Vista.
|
| [...]
|
| Microsoft, hear what your customers are saying. You're doing a lot of
| things wrong lately. You're making the wrong choices in your business
| decisions. Other available operating systems are staking a claim at
| your dominance of the market. What will you do next?
`----

http://techstuff.goboardz.com/forum_topic.asp?ID=1102

Vista's EULA Product Activation Worries

,----[ Quote ]
| Mark Rasch looks at the licence agreement for Windows Vista and how its
| product activation component, which can disable operation of the computer,
| may be like walking on thin ice.
|
| [...]
|
| "Does the Microsoft EULA adequately tell you what will happen if you
| don't activate the product or if you can't establish that it is
| genuine? Well, not exactly. It does tell you that some parts of the
| product won't work - but it also ambiguously says that the product
| itself won't work. Moreover, it allows Microsoft, through fine print
| in a generally unread and non negotiable agreement, to create an
| opportunity for economic extortion."
`----

http://www.securityfocus.com/columnists/423

TechnoFile: Incomprehensible gobbledygook and you

,----[ Quote ]
| Another fun tidbit: ?The software is licensed, not sold. This
| agreement only gives you some rights to use the software.
| Microsoft reserves all other rights.? So you don't own your
| operating system, Microsoft is just lending it to you.
|
| [...]
|
| Compare these terms with Ubuntu, the Linux distribution I use:
| "You may modify your copy or copies of the Programme or any portion of
| it, thus forming a work based on the Programme, and copy and distribute
| such modifications or work." I'm free to copy and change it as I please,
| and then to give those changes to other people. I sincerely doubt
| Microsoft will be issuing those terms anytime soon.
`----

http://www.mcgilldaily.com/view.php?aid=5712

Tough new rules on Vista "OEM"

,----[ Quote
| This marks the death of the popular once-off 'I'll take one hard drive
| and an OEM copy of Windows with that, thanks' flavour of
| OS-sundae.
|
| Microsoft has also tightened up the specific rules around what
| hardware an OEM copy of Windows can be sold with.
|
| Straight from the horse's mouth -- "spokesperson" at Microsoft
| Australia:
|
| "OEM versions of Windows Vista must be distributed to end-user
| with a fully assembled computer system and must be pre-installed."
|
| Dang!
|
| To make the matter even more complex, Microsoft says that even with a
| "transfer to a new PC as many times as you like" retail edition, you will
| only be allowed to transfer your licence for Vista to someone else once.
`----

http://apcmag.com/node/4347

Vista licensing also limits benchmarking

,----[ Quote ]
| License transfers aren't the only thing the End User License Agreement
| (EULA) for Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Vista OS limits. The license
| also puts restrictions on how benchmarks of certain components of
| the OS can be published, another issue that is raising eyebrows as
| Microsoft still has not clarified how changes will specifically
| affect users.
|
| According to the Vista EULA, because the OS contains "one or more
| components" of the .Net Framework 3.0, users can conduct internal
| benchmarking of those components, but can't disclose the results
| of those benchmarks -- or measurements to compare rival products
| -- unless they comply with conditions found at a Microsoft Web
| site.
`----

http://www.itworld.com/Comp/2218/061101vistalicense/index.html

Vista EULA stirs up a storm

,----[ Quote ]
| Is Microsoft trying to stop people from copying their icons?
| The same icons that were stolen from the likes of varying
| icon sets under Linux? Are they trying to keep the layout
| or organisation of their screens protected as an IP right?
| I think that was done away with in the 90s when Apple sued
| Microsoft over Windows and the judge said basically that
| some things just can't be copyrighted. Is Microsoft worried
| that the Linux community might try to copy their structure
| and implement it into various distibutions of Linux?
`----

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=35184

Vista EULA restricts display to one person

,----[ Quote ]
| Paragraph 3C of the EULA states that while the software
| is running, you can use but not share its icons, images,
| sounds and media.
|
| If Microsoft means to word the EULA this way, that implies
| you can't use projectors or linked video monitors if there's
| more than one human being present.
|
| It also implies that you can't take a screen shot of the
| Vista desktop.
`----

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=35108

Vista "upgrade" drops compliance checking, requires old OS to install

,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft's quest to closely control the way Windows Vista can be used
| on PCs has taken a turn for the worse as new information indicates
| that the company is breaking tradition when it comes to Windows
| Vista upgrades.
|
| [...]
|
| A 'per device' obsession
|
| Microsoft has been adamant in recent years that Windows is licensed
| per device and not per person. One practical ramification of this
| viewpoint is that the company typically does not allow users to
| install one copy of Windows across multiple machines, even if
| only one machine is in use at a time.
`----

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070128-8717.html

Boycott The Windows Vista Release

http://www.nigelj.com/blog/2007/01/windows-vista-release/

Acer: Vista Home Basic is a lemon

,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft is effectively smuggling through a price hike for Windows
| Vista - by making the entry-level version so poor that no-one will
| want to use it. So says Jim Wong, senior veep at Acer, the world's
| number four PC maker, who told UK hack Jon Honeyball: "The new
| [Vista] experience you hear of, if you get Basic, you won't feel
| it at all. There's no [Aero] graphics, no Media Center, no
| remote control."
`----

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/10/27/acer_slams_vista_home_basic/

Vista Home Basic's half-baked bits

,----[ Quote ]
| More suspicious, of course, is that that Home Basic can't run the
| Aero Glass UI, even if the PC is suitably equipped with WDDM-supported
| graphics (this includes some integrated graphics chipsets, such as
| Intel's 945G/GM Express and Core 2 Duo 965 Express) and backed by
| enough RAM.
|
| [...]
|
| Yet three of Home Basic's components -- Backup, Mobility Centre and
| Meeting Space -- are present in an oddly stripped-down form which we
| expect will lead to confusion among people running different versions
| of Vista.
|
| [...]
|
| Another quirk of the cut-down Home Basic build is the Mobility Centre,
| which is intended to aggregate all notebook-centric features into a
| single control strip. Home Basic lists its version of the Mobility
| Centre as being 'limited', which doesn't say much.
`----

http://www.apcmag.com/4900/vista_home_basics_half_baked_bits

Microsoft Screws Students With Academic Licensing Package

,----[ Quote ]
| Now, to be honest, I am quite impressed with the options for Office
| 2007. What I'm focusing on, is the fact that Microsoft plan to
| distribute Vista "Home Premium" as Academic software instead of
| Vista "Ultimate" edition. Why is this? It's because even though
| it's an "Upgrade" version, it doesn't facilitate upgrades from the
| previous Academic release!
|
| Conspiracy? I think so!
`----

http://www.nigelj.com/blog/2007/01/microsoft-screws-students-with-academic-licensing-package/
http://tinyurl.com/yxy7jo

Do Microsoft's EULAs have any real legal basis?

,----[ Quote ]
| "Microsoft has no special exemption from the sale of goods act." Well,
| no, probably not - but it might still be selling you "services"
| instead of "goods". But the real point to remember is that it doesn't
| matter a jot what the "logical" position is, it is what the courts
| decide that matters.
|
| As far as I know, no one has tested Microsoft's EULAs in a UK court
| and, until someone does, Microsoft will just go on assuming that they
| work. And I don't fancy the risk of taking on Microsoft's expensive
| lawyers in court myself...
`----

http://www.regdeveloper.co.uk/2007/04/25/microsoft_eula/

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1246889.W...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Linux] Review of a Beautiful Low-end Linux PC
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 07:53:33 +0100

The Zonbox: Small, quiet, solid state Linux computing

,----[ Quote ]
| Zonbox is also very environmentally friendly. In their words: With
| Zonbu, green doesn’t have to make you blue! With its efficient ultra
| low power design, Zonbu delivers the power of a traditional desktop
| computer but uses just a fraction of the energy.
`----

http://www.arsgeek.com/?p=1949

Gizmodo get their hands on Zonbu's remote-storage Linux PC

,----[ Quote ]
| Gizmodo have been playing with a halfway solution, Zonbu's $99
| Linux PC, which runs open-source software on a fanless 1.2MHz
| platform but utilises Amazon's S3 storage servers to save your files.
`----

http://www.slashgear.com/gizmodo-get-their-hands-on-zonbus-remote-storage-linux-pc-235408.php

Zonbu to Roll Out $99 Linux-Based Computer This Summer

,----[ Quote ]
| There's a cheap computer on the way that undercuts them all, the $99
| Zonbu, due this summer in a silent-running form factor that's about
| the size of a paperback book.
`----

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/cheap-pc/zonbu-to-roll-out-99-linux+based-computer-this-summer-258177.php

------------------------------

Message-ID: <4174488.L...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Linux] Linux Vendor Extends Support to Intel's New Network Processor
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 07:54:29 +0100

Embedded Linux vendor touts network processor support

,----[ Quote ]
| Weeks away from the full release of version 5.0 of its flagship embedded
| Linux distribution, MontaVista is touting support for an Intel hardware
| reference design aimed at multi-service residential gateway equipment.
| MontaVista Linux Professional Edition 5.0 (Pro 5.0), expected to go
| gold this month, will support Intel's IXP435 platform, the Linux
| vendor said.
`----

http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS7979924236.html

------------------------------

Message-ID: <2111539.M...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Linux] iPhone Gets Linux-ish Apps, IDC Pleases Its Primary Paymaster
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 12:44:46 +0100

WebShell

,----[ Quote ]
| WebShell is a web-based shell for the Apple iPhone.
|
| It is written in Python and is very easy to set up on Linux, Mac OS X,
| FreeBSD, Solaris, and any Unix that runs python2.3.
`----

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mressl/webshell/

Has IDC got the wrong number for iPhone?

,----[ Quote ]
| IDC has poured cold water on Apple's iPhone just days after a previous survey
| led M:Metrics to talk up the new entry to the cellphone stakes. But are the
| new numbers sound?
|
| [...]
|
| The most obvious difference is in the sample size. M:Metrics had
| 11,060 respondents, IDC just 456. The sample space was also different,
| with M:Metrics apparently sampling from mobile phone subscribers, while
| IDC looked at online mobile phone shoppers.
`----

http://www.itwire.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13036&Itemid=1054

This shows just how they tweak things by selecting a different (and small)
dataset. Microsoft did this with a professor in order to discredit GPLv3
recently. Only about 11% of the respondents were taken into account.

IDC does a lot of business with Microsoft, including some of those
TCO 'studies', AFAIK.

IDC pronounces Linux unimportant to European economy

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=34542

NY Times bans Microsoft analysts from Microsoft stories

,----[ Quote ]
| Part of the problem stems from the reticence of companies such as
| IDC and Gartner to reveal their clients. That should make everyone
| nervous, but it doesn't. So called objective technology publications
| keep publishing material bought by vendors without telling you this.
`----

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/12/15/nytimes_ms_ban/

------------------------------

Message-ID: <3066609.A...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Linux] Trolltech Acquires Company for Its Linux Tech
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 12:47:44 +0100

Trolltech Buys Fonav for Linux-based Unified Comms

,----[ Quote ]
| The so-called Unified Communications Platform could be used in cell
| phones and VoIP devices, Trolltech said. As such, Norway-based Trolltech
| said it would create new revenue for service providers, including
| broadband and VoIP operators, wire-line operators and web portals.
`----

http://www.computerwire.com/industries/research/?pid=FB198E62%2D8226%2D44F7%2D9A7A%2DDA0D83009F90#39533067823248624705
http://tinyurl.com/3eyaom

Trolltech CTO Benoit Schillings Offers a Mobile Linux Solution

,----[ Quote ]
| "With Nokia and Palm's recent announcements in support of Linux, we
| see a lot more promise around the growing shipments of Linux-based
| devices in the marketplace," said CTO Benoit Schillings.
`----

http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/57479.html

Trolltech Greenphone developer's SDK

,----[ Quote ]
| So, to begin, what is the Greenphone? Its an Xscale processor (specifically
| a Marvell PXA 270) with 64MB or Ram and 128MB of flash, and a Broadcom
| BCM2121 GSM baseband processor for phone communications. It supports USB
| via a mini usb port, as well as bluetooth. On the whole it struck me as
| fairly comparable to something between a Palm Treo 650 and 700, minus
| the keyboard. Not surprisingly its also sized in terms of processor
| speed and memory to support a Linux-based software stack rather nicely,
| which in this case was founded on a 2.4.19 kernel (more on that later).
`----

http://www.redhatmagazine.com/2007/03/08/review-trolltech-greenphone-developers-sdk/

Trolltech Qtopia Greenphone and SDK Review

,----[ Quote ]
| After having spent a fair bit of time with the Greenphone, it became
| clear to me that the goal of this device was to build and extend the
| Qtopia mobile platform community and provide a means for developing
| software for such a platform. Trolltech is attempting to "ride on
| the shoulders" of such a community, hoping that their new platform
| will take off.
`----

http://www.linuxlookup.com/review/trolltech_qtopia_greenphone_and_sdk_review

Open Linux developer phone opens up more

,----[ Quote ]
| Trolltech has loosened key licensing restrictions on its
| user-modifiable Linux-based mobile phone for open source software
| developers. Users of the Greenphone will no longer be restricted to
| running Qtopia software on the device, nor to using the device only
| in its supplied hardware/software configuration.
`----

http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS4872069549.html

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1298019.7...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Google to Expand with a $0.6 Billion Datacentre, Presentation Tech Acquisition
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 12:52:31 +0100

Google to build $600 million data centre in Iowa

,----[ Quote ]
| Separately, Google told a news conference in Paris that the Mountain
| View, California-based company aims to cut or offset all of its
| greenhouse emissions by the end of the year.
`----

http://yahoo.reuters.com/news/articlehybrid.aspx?storyID=urn:newsml:reuters.com:20070619:MTFH83848_2007-06-19_20-49-42_N19166064&type=comktNews&rpc=44
http://tinyurl.com/3dumcq

Launched an initiative for green automobiles as well. They seem to be departing
from technology to an extent, just like Microsoft.

Google acquires Zenter, online slideshow tool

,----[ Quote ]
| Zenter first unveiled its service in mid-March and has since stayed
| fairly quiet. The service lets users import Microsoft PowerPoint
| presentations, as well as grab bits of content from all over the
| Web for making presentations that can be viewed and shared in the Web
| browser.
|
| [...]
|
| While Google hasn't announced a timeline of when we can expect to
| see the official presentation application, as of last week, users
| of Google's Gmail service have been able to open attached PowerPoint
| files inside their message windows without having the software
| installed.
`----

http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9731701-7.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

This sort of technology can lead to some broken chairs. Web-based presentations
are nothing new, but Google can make these popular.

------------------------------

Message-ID: <2459376.X...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Rival] Windows Vista 'Stable' Version Delayed Again?
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 12:55:40 +0100

Beta of Vista SP1 coming this year

,----[ Quote ]
| There's no word in the filing on when the final version of SP1 will arrive,
| so I'm guessing that means 2008.
`----

http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9731819-7.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

Maybe they should also start delivering security patches as betas, just to
avoid breaking some things as they already do almost once a month.

So Where is Microsoft Vista SP1?

,----[ Quote ]
| "It is too early to talk about SP1's delivery, including whether it
| will be released at the same time as Windows Server code name Longhorn,"
| a Microsoft spokesperson told eWEEK. The statement contradicts Muglia's
| earlier statement. When pressed, the spokesperson would only further
| say that there was "no firm date range for SP1."
`----

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2123811,00.asp

Microsoft Nixes 'Big Bang' Service Pack For Windows Vista

,----[ Quote ]
| A senior Microsoft official said the company doesn't plan to issue a major
| service pack for Windows Vista because the operating system is "high
| quality right out of the gate."
`----

http://www.informationweek.com/windows/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=1RY1IWG1BQ2HCQSNDLRCKH0CJUNN2JVN?articleID=198701442
http://tinyurl.com/2o3rcx

Microsoft admits Vista screwed - report

,----[ Quote ]
| Vista SP1 is code named "Fiji", presumably after a pretty looking
| island which is paralysed by coups.
|
| In a statement regarding the service pack Microsoft admits that
| Vista has "high impact" problems.
`----

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37125

,----[ Quote ]
| "Up to 60% of the code in the new consumer version of Microsoft new Vista
| operating system is set to be rewritten as the Company 'scrambles' to fix
| internal problems a Microsoft insider has confirmed to SHN... Microsoft has
| also admitted that it has major problems in it's Windows division and has
| has immediately initiated a total restructure of the division..."
`----

http://www.smarthouse.com.au/Computing/Platforms?Article=/Computing/Platforms/R7G5G6U4

MS Insider: The Office Crew Isn't Smart Enough to Supplant Real Windows
Developers

,----[ Quote ]
| "With Alchin retiring, MarkL and MarkZ, two of the most talented
| architects in MS already having left, the picture gets really
| ugly for the Windows division," my friend claimed, and the BV's
| core team members, Ian McDonald, Jack Mayo, Todd Wanke, Clyde
| Rodriguez and others are starting to connect the dots.
|
| [...]
|
| He concluded ominously. "A trainwreck of biblical proportions looms.
| Pick a good seat on the sidelines, trainwrecks this large take
| awhile to complete. Vista may be the last MS OS for some time to
| come, especially if Cutler decides to play hardball."
`----

http://www.emailbattles.com/2006/09/11/ms-insider-the-office-crew-isnt-smart-enough-to-supplant-real-windows-developers/
http://tinyurl.com/35eqrt

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1626686.9...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Rival] Samsung Suffers from 'Organic' Windows Vista Hype, Stocks Still Suffer
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 13:03:05 +0100

Samsung's Chip Business: What Happened?

,----[ Quote ]
| Slower-than-expected sales of PCs using the Microsoft Windows Vista operating
| system have also added to the oversupply problem, particularly as few
| manufacturers—that includes Samsung—are willing to cut back on
| output. "Samsung is no different from its competitors in selling chips below
| manufacturing costs..."
`----

http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/jun2007/gb20070615_566044.htm?campaign_id=yhoo

Once again, only Microsoft thrives in large margins, leaving mere 'peanuts' to
others. And nevertheless:

Home Depot to buyback stock

,----[ Quote ]
| Home Depot's buyback, if completed, would rank as the fifth-largest
| share repurchase by a U.S. company, according to research firm
| Dealogic. Microsoft Corp. established a $30 billion stock
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
| repurchase plan in 2004, Dealogic said.
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
`----

http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/070619/homedepot_supply.html?.v=9

No wonder the stock does not sink anymore. Microsoft is its own biggest and
most loyal investor. It believes in /its own/ long-term success.

,----[ Quote ]
| At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Richard, at a
| breakfast meeting, did his duty again. He said the Intel Inside
| programme and other marketing promotions Intel has used over the
| years have killed profitability for PC makers.
`----

http://news.com.com/2061-13053_3-6148717.html?part=rss&tag=2547-1_3-0-20&subj=news
http://tinyurl.com/yf475k

Memory chipmakers brace for tough quarter

,----[ Quote ]
| Industry headed for loss; DRAM suppliers overshot Vista demand: analyst
|
| Personal computer sales cannot take off fast enough for the makers
| of computer-memory chips known as DRAM, an industry on pace to suffer
| one of its worst business quarters this decade.
`----

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/dram-chipmakers-suffer-worst-quarter/story.aspx?guid=%7BB15928E6-7034-4FAB-86C0-45CBA08AAD68%7D
http://tinyurl.com/2vhe99

Microsoft Partner Points to Soft Vista Demand

,----[ Quote ]
| Overall, it's difficult to say how well Vista is doing. Yes, Microsoft
| has sold more than 20 million Vista licences. But how many customers
| actually requested the operating system? And how many more would send
| it back to Redmond, if only they knew how? Based on all the negative
| Vista buzz, Apple is actually suggesting that the Vista party is over
| before it starts.
|
| In reality, PC vendors are selling boatloads of Vista systems to
| consumers. But perhaps not as many as expected. How else can you
| explain Dell's decision to re-introduce Windows XP on some systems while
| at the same time launching consumer PCs with Ubuntu Linux preinstalled.
`----

http://techiqmag.com/2007/05/10/microsoft-partner-points-to-soft-vista-demand/

Microsoft counts on Vista to recharge stagnant stock

,----[ Quote ]
| There was a time in the 1990s when shares of Microsoft stock seemed to
| double every couple of years. 1996: college for the kids. 1998: a place
| on Whidbey. 1999: early retirement.
|
| Times have changed.
`----

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2003437957_vista19.html

Commentary: Microsoft needs more than just buybacks to lift its shares

,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft shares, which have been dormant for the last few years,
| have been looking up over the last couple months. The Dow industrials
| component has gained about 20% since hitting a 4-year low of $21.46 o
| June 13.
|
| To help move things along, Microsoft not only launched a $40 billion
| stock repurchase programme that lasts through 2011, the company also said
| its previously announced 4-year, $30 billion stock buyback programme was
| completed in just 2 years.
`----

http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Story/Story.aspx?guid=%7B685EFB89%2D5791%2D4E8B%2DAD6A%2D9688F5B6012A%7D&source=blq%2Fyhoo&dist=yhoo&siteid=yhoo

------------------------------

Message-ID: <2276487.u...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Linux] More Videos Demonstrate Cutting-edge KDE 4
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 13:07:08 +0100

KDE 4 news: Plasma icons, Solid information and taskbar mockups

,----[ Quote ]
| KDE 4 gains more and more speed these days, and it is hard to keep on track
| with all news and changes: Plasma introduced interactive icons, Solid now
| takes over the media, and the first taskbar mockups have been revealed
`----

http://liquidat.wordpress.com/2007/06/20/kde-4-news-plasma-icons-solid-information-and-taskbar-mockups/
http://tinyurl.com/2l4gcj

Phase/animator

,----[ Quote ]
| Phase manages the registration and lifespan of various graphical effects,
| including animations and transitions.
`----

http://aseigo.blogspot.com/2007/06/phaseanimator.html

Watch that, Apple and Microsoft. Innovation comes from free desktops.

http://www.gridter.com/articles/software_cycle.html

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1559033.a...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [OSS] IBM Brings Open Standards to Web 2.0
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 13:09:57 +0100

IBM Initiative to Move Web 2.0 to Centre Stage

,----[ Quote ]
| IBM is making today's consumer-based technologies relevant to businesses by
| building offerings based on open standards and developing products that
| provide a highly-productive and integrated entry into Web 2.0-based team
| collaboration and social computing.
`----

http://biz.yahoo.com/iw/070619/0268554.html

Microsoft has announced similar things with SharePoint, but it's all
proprietary and nasty, as one would expect from a master of lockin.

Yesterday:

Microsoft needs REST

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Newton/?p=14

------------------------------

Message-ID: <4264488.l...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [OSS] Open Source Becomes Desirable in Australia
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 13:13:29 +0100

Open source developer wins e-commerce tender for Nth Queensland tourism

,----[ Quote ]
| Astralian-owned open source developer, Squiz, won the contract to build the
| Web site for Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) which covers Cairns,
| Port Douglas, the Daintree and Cape Tribulation as well as Cape York
| Peninsula and Mission Beach.
`----

http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1854381535#5245984415154031962

Also from the Aussie press today:

Open source's hottest 10 apps

,----[ Quote ]
| Possibly the greatest repository of open source software today is
| SourceForge, where like-minded altruistic developers can freely collaborate
| on projects, across countries, languages and timezones. For the general
| populace, there’s a wealth of useful applications to be found meeting most
| any business, personal or entertainment need.
`----

http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/13030/53/

Linux FlyBuys into financial transactions

,----[ Quote ]
| Linux may be an operating system synonymous with a flightless
| bird, but Loyalty Pacific, the company behind popular retail
| loyalty and rewards programme FlyBuys, has announced it will
| jet its infrastructure to open source software.
`----

http://www.linuxworld.com.au/index.php/id;668053298;fp;2;fpid;1

NSW education strengthens ID management

,----[ Quote ]
| The NSW Department of Education and Training (DET) has rolled out
| a department-wide ID management system to increase the speed and
| transparency of its user authentication system portals.
|
| [...]
|
| DET conducted a pilot run of the Linux-based management system
| before implementing it over the 2005 Summer leave.
`----

http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id%3b47582405%3bfp%3b4%3bfpid%3b1968336438

Aussie CIOs get clearer vista on open source

,----[ Quote ]
| Wotif.com's Paul Young told ZDNet Australia that he decided to
| base the company's infrastructure on Red Hat Linux five years
| ago and since that time, his developers have contributed codeb
| ack into the open source community.
`----

http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/software/soa/Aussie_CIOs_get_clearer_vista_on_open_source/0,130061733,339273490,00.htm
http://tinyurl.com/3cdltq

School turns to open source to cut cost, foster student thinking

,----[ Quote ]
| The school's workstations operate on the Mandriva 2006 Operating System,
| and run free and open source software options including: Open Office
| for office applications; Mozilla Firefox for Web browsing; GIMP for
| image editing; and Evolution mail for sending and receiving e-mail.
|
| At the core of the network is a simple HP ProLiant ML 110 server
| running Mandrake 10.1, NIS and NFS, and that connects to the Internet
| via a 1.5Mbps broadband connection.
`----

http://www.linuxworld.com.au/index.php/id;1708539119;fp;2;fpid;1

Sydney school tames twofold IT shop

,----[ Quote ]
| SCEGGS has about 830 students, 100 staff, 500 desktops, 200
| laptops, 13 servers, and an IT team of eight.
|
| The school's mail is delivered with the Postfix MTA on Linux and
| gets distributed to GroupWise.
|
| "We have moved the Linux servers to a clustered file system with
| OCFS2 which is supported natively in SUSE 10 and the data is stored
| in an Apple raid array with 1.8TB of storage,' Ralph said.
|
| Also in use are a number of MySQL-based applications for learning
| management systems. The school is now moving off one open source
| application, AUC, which it has used since 1999, to Moodle, a modern
| learning and content management system.
`----

http://www.linuxworld.com.au/index.php?id=905401168&rid=-50

Australia To Trial OLPC

,----[ Quote ]
| In a surprise announcement, the government of the Northern Territory
| has announced that they are testing the OLPC (One Laptop Per Child)
| machines with a view to launching trials in remote communities.
|
| The OLPC has been designed for children in the developing world, in
| regions that struggle for basic infrastructure like clean running
| water, and electricity. So it may come as a surprise to some that
| an Australian state government has put up a hand to trial the new
| laptops.
`----

http://www.localfoss.org/Australia_To_Trial_OLPC

Linux on BOM's radar

,----[ Quote ]
| The Linux R&D platform will support research in a number of BOM
| divisions including the Bureau of Meteorology Research Centre,
| National Meteorological and Oceanographic Centre, Space Based
| Observations Section and data management group.
`----

http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,21037555%5E15319%5E%5Enbv%5E,00.html?from=public_rss
http://tinyurl.com/v4o7z

DET considers Linux on the desktop

,----[ Quote ]
| The NSW Department of Education and Training (DET) may increase
| the penetration of Linux on its 165,000 desktop fleet because
| open source is "clearly an industry trend".
`----

http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/software/soa/Video_DET_considers_Linux_on_the_desktop/0,130061733,339272567,00.htm?feed=rss

NSW steers clear of Vista

,----[ Quote ]
| NSW government chief information officer Paul Edgecumbe said that the
| state's CIO executive council, which comprises technology bosses from
| many of NSW's largest computer and communications users, were not
| backing a move to Vista.
`----

http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,21024831%5E15306,00.html

Linux powers nation's largest satellite network

,----[ Quote ]
| Some 75 towns across New South Wales have started accessing the
| Internet through Linux-based satellite routers in what is said to be
| largest network of its type in Australia spanning upwards of 800,000s
| quare kilometres.
`----

http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;55499617;fp;4;fpid;18

Office, Vista "too expensive" for SMEs

,----[ Quote ]
| According to the Sydney Morning Herald, David Hanrahan, of IT solutions
| and services provider Dimension Data said SMEs are staying away in
| droves because Office is a lot more expensive and facing competition
| from free open software.
`---- ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=35999

Vista: Costs limit Education Dept deployment

,----[ Quote ]
| After more than eight months of beta testing Microsoft Windows
| Vista, licensing and implementation costs have stymied mass
| adoption at the NSW Department of Education and Training (DET).
|
| [...]
|
| DET has one of the largest IT infrastructures in the country with
| 1.3 million users spread across 2,500 locations. Its desktop fleet
| consists of 250,000 devices of which 160,000 are personal computers.M
| acs make up 15 percent to 20 percent of the total, and are more
| common in primary schools.
`----

http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/software/soa/Vista_Costs_limit_Education_Dept_deployment/0,130061733,339272347,00.htm

Office 2007 may be Microsoft's Titanic: former Government IT boss

,----[ Quote ]
| Bill Gates has been talking up Office 2007 ahead of its business launch
| on November 30. However, the recently departed deputy CIO of one of
| Australia's biggest government Microsoft sites believes introducing
| the new version of Microsoft Office may be the company's biggest
| ever disaster.
`----

http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/7234/53/

Feds assess open source

,----[ Quote ]
| Federal government use of open-source software will be examined to assess
| how many agencies have adopted Linux and other systems.
`----

http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,20553874%5E15441%5E%5Enbv%5E15306-15319,00.html

Talking Linux in Sydney

,----[ Quote ]
| There are three major Linux conferences held annually, one each in the
| US, Canada and Australia.
|
| That alone should provide an indication of the extent to which
| Australians have been, and are, involved in the free and open
| source software community.
`----

http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/8527/1090/

------------------------------

Message-ID: <2357380.I...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [OSS] UML Technology Donated to Open Source Community Under LGPL Licence
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 13:16:41 +0100

Aonix Contributes Ameos UML Technology to Open Source

,----[ Quote ]
| Under the terms of the Ameos open source agreement, a “clean” open source
| version of Ameos, called OpenAmeos, has been created to ensure that anyone
| installing a new version of Ameos will be able to use it freely without
| encumbrances of any other source contributions. This version is freely
| downloadable at http://www.openameos.org. In addition, any company or
| academic institution who wants to distribute OpenAmeos source code is
| required to also make their changes to the source code freely available to
| others in order to ensure the continuing open evolution of Ameos.
`----

http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070619005829&newsLang=en#9902263101926336768
http://tinyurl.com/2jw6js

Lots more pieces are in place to create some very powerful and complex projects
very quickly. Just look at PHP-Nuke.

------------------------------

Message-ID: <7177163.W...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Linux] Motorola Chooses Linux and Does the Anti-Tivoisation Gig
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 13:19:08 +0100

Motorola Unlocks IPTV Set-Tops

,----[ Quote ]
| Motorola is opening up access to the software in its VIP 1200
| Internet-protocol-TV set-top boxes with an application-development platform
| based on the Linux operating environment.
`----

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6452974.html?industryid=47194

Hats off to Motorola. They are in the LF and they move towards a lot of Linux
everywhere.

,----[ Quote ]
| "Linux will take a significant--I'm not allowed to say 'dominant'--market
| share of mobile phone operating systems," she predicted. Motorola expects
| 60% of its phones will use a version of embedded Linux "in a short
| time," Wyatt said.
`----

http://news.yahoo.com/s/cmp/20070617/tc_cmp/199904892

Motorola touts Linux support for 32-way ATCA blade

,----[ Quote ]
| Some of the first widely available 64-bit chips were based on Alpha,
| and Alpha was the second architecture (after x86) to support Linux,
| back in the mid-90s. Linux founder Linus Torvalds wrote the
| port himself, paving the way for ports to many other
| architectures, which quickly followed.
`----

http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS8399120644.html

Review: Motorola's Linux Powered ROKR Z6

,----[ Quote ]
| Motorola's MOTOROKR Z6 has an awful lot going for it. It has a capable
| music player, takes good photos, and offers new voice technology that
| we've
| never seen from a major manufacturer. It is, to be sure, an eminently
| enjoyable slider phone. I would have liked for its internal antenna to
| have
| performed a bit more strongly and I'm not real fond of the d-pad's nail
| file like surface, but apart from those few things, I really have enjoyed
| the past few weeks I've had with the Z6.
|
| I'm very pleased to be able to give the Motorola ROKR Z6 a "Highly
| Recommended" rating.
`----

http://www.mobileburn.com/review.jsp?Page=1&Id=3379

Motorola finally launches U.S. Linux phone

,----[ Quote ]
| Linux/Java has topped CEO Ed Zander's list of things to look for
| from Motorola as it attempts a financial turnaround. At a New
| York press conference this morning, Zander introduced Linux-based"
| Rokr" and "Razr2" models, along with new top-level executives.
`----

http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS8879219087.html

Moto ROKR e6 Linux-Based Smartphone Gets Screen Time

,----[ Quote ]
| It's exiciting that Moto's not using Windows Mobile for its smartphones
| but making its own Linux-based OS. Samsung is rumoured to be doing the
| same thing, but hasn't had the speed Moto's enjoying. While we'd like
| to see anyone make an alternative to WinMo, the jury's still out on if
| Linux is the answer.
`----

http://crunchgear.com/2007/05/02/moto-rokr-e6-linux-based-smartphone-gets-screen-time/

Mot ships 800,000th Linux-based IP-STB

,----[ Quote ]
| Motorola said its millionth IP-STB to ship was a VIP1510 model
| (pictured above), which runs Linux on a MIPS-based processor
| with hardware MPEG-2 acceleration. The company also offers
| 17xx-series IP-STBs with both MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 acceleration,
| and a VIP1200 model, said to support standard- and high-definition
| (SD/HD) video, surround sound, and interactive applications such
| as multi-cast and VoD (video-on-demand).
`----

http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS5096707139.html

Hands On With The First iDen Linux Phone

,----[ Quote ]
| Nextel's iDen network isn't dead, Motorola says. To prove that they're
| still innovating in iDen phones, they showed a surprise new handset
| today at CTIA: the i876, the first iDen phone based on Motorola's
| new Linux/Java platform.
`----

http://www.gearlog.com/2007/03/hands_on_with_the_first_iden_l.php

The Motorola LAZR?

,----[ Quote ]
| Features of the chromed-out clamshell are said to include a half gig
| of internal storage with no expansion slot, Linux (a trend we'll see
| more and more in Moto's new models), some manner of text-to-speech
| system for emails and SMSes, and a frickin' two inch external display.
`----

http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/24/the-motorola-lazr/

Motorola E690 PDA phone with Linux on board

,----[ Quote ]
| It seems that they are returning to the penguin with their next
| offering, the E690 PDA phone. Naturally, it rocks quite the slim
| profile (what else would you expect given the relative popularity
| of the Q and the RAZR); in fact, its styling is eerily reminiscent
| of the SLVR L7, less the numpad.
`----

http://www.htlounge.net/articles/1813/1/Motorola-E690-PDA-phone-with-Linux-on-board-

Motorola Initiates Industry-wide Project to Create Open Source High
Availability Operating Environment Based on Service Availability Forum
Standards

,----[ Quote ]
| Motorola, Inc. today announced it is initiating a new open source
| project to develop a complete high availability operating
| environment based on Service Availability Forum(TM) (SA Forum)
| standards.
|
| ... Combined with ATCA based hardware and a Carrier Grade Linux operating
| system, OpenSAF provides a key high-availability component to complete a
| full carrier grade commercial-off-the-shelf solution.
`----

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070228/cgw014.html?.v=88

Motorola touts new Linux/Java phone platform

,----[ Quote ]
| Motorola is showcasing its Linux and "kJava" based music phone for
| U.S. and European markets, at the 3GSM World Congress this week
| in Barcelona. The MotoRIZR Z6 is said to be based on a "new Linux
| operating system that incorporates kJava."
`----

http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS5483295736.html

Motorola Announces New 10Gbps AdvancedTCA Communications Servers

,----[ Quote ]
| Centellis 4000 will include support for Wind River® Platform for
| Network Equipment, Linux Edition and MontaVista Linux Carrier
| Grade Edition, offering customers choice as well as demonstrating
| the flexibility of its open systems. The Centellis 4000 platform
| and associated 10G Blades are designed for Communications
| Platforms Trade Alliance (CP-TA) compliance.
`----

http://www.linuxelectrons.com/News/Hardware/Motorola_Announces_New_10Gbps_AdvancedTCA_Communications_Servers
http://tinyurl.com/2jg6o5

64 million smart phones shipped

,----[ Quote ]
| Linux devices represented over 90 per cent of the 1.5 million phones
| Motorola shipped in Q4, while three quarters of both RIM and Palm's
| shipments were in North America.
`----

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37571

FEATURE: Mobile Linux: Why it will become the dominant mobile OS

,----[ Quote ]
| I see the mobile Linux wave out in the ocean and am sounding the
| alarm--the mobile Linux tide is rising. Be prepared.
`----

http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/feature-mobile-linux-why-it-will-become-the-dominant-mobile-os/2007-01-03

Linux expected to be leading Smartphone OS market by 2010

,----[ Quote ]
| I just came across this research by Diffusion Group, which found
| that Linux is set to become the leading Smartphone OS by 2010.
`----

http://irfanhabib.wordpress.com/2006/12/10/linux-to-take-over-smartphone-os-market-by-2010/

Shifting Gears at Motorola

,----[ Quote ]
| To address a steep drop in profits, CEO Ed Zander is cutting jobs and
| betting on an open-source software platform for smarter phones
`----

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jan2007/tc20070119_186156.htm

Motorola makes Linux breakthrough with RIZR Z6

,----[ Quote ]
| Motorola's first Linux handset for the US market, the RIZR Z6, is
| also likely to be the first in the industry to run an "open"
| operating system - Linux, Symbian OS or Windows on a single-
| rather than dual-processor architecture.
|
| This shows that Linux is making significant improvements in its
| suitability to be an operating system for mobile devices, and
| could give Motorola a significant headstart in the battle to
| create low power, low cost smartphones.
|
| [...]
|
| The RIZR Z6, demonstrated at the CES show and expected to ship by
| mid year, is said to be based on Freescale's i.MX31 system-on-chip,
| one of the first to use the ARM11 core. Motorola will also add a
| new, faster Linux user interface, called JUIX (pronounced "juice").
|
| As Linux becomes more mainstream in cellphones, many players are
| seeking to address its user interface shortcomings, notably Nokia,
| which has become a Linux convert of late, and Access, the Japanese
| browser maker that acquired Palmsource and is adapting the
| well-liked Palm UI for mobile Linux.
`----

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/19/motorola_linux_phone/

Review: Motorola ROKR E2 Music Phone

,----[ Quote ]
| Conclusion
|
| I am really happy with the Motorola ROKR E2. I like its funky looks
| and I certainly love the new UI. I am glad that Motorola is finally
| shaping up and realising all the shortcomings of its previous aging UI.
`----

http://www.mobileburn.com/review.jsp?Page=1&Id=2983

Motorola Begins Bringing Linux To Market

,----[ Quote ]
| Motorola today announced two upgraded devices it hopes will bring
| Linux into the hands of mainstream users - even in the US.
`----

http://www.phonescoop.com/news/item.php?n=2021

Motorola A910 Linux Phone Gets FCC Approval

,----[ Quote ]
| The phone runs a special Linux-Java operating system and
| boasts WiFi connectivity over UMA. The A910 is equipped
| with a 1.3 megapixel camera and Lumi-LED Flash technology.
`----

http://www.mobilewhack.com/reviews/motorola_a910_linux_phone_gets_fcc_approval.html
http://tinyurl.com/y5whve

Can Linux save Mot's mobile phone biz?

,----[ Quote ]
| According to a report at the Chicago-area Daily Herald, Motorola
| CEO Ed Zander blamed poor earnings on lower unit volumes and
| greater-than-expected global price competition, particularly
| in India, Africa, and South Asia.
`----

http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS2046550275.html

Motorola Replaces Bitfone with Red Bend Client for FOTA

,----[ Quote ]
| The Waltham, Massachusetts-based developer of FOTA technology has
| unveiled a global contract to provide Motorola with its vCurrent
| Mobile client for bundling onto "select Motorola mobile devices --
| including a number of handsets based on Motorola's Linux-Java
| software platform" in order for firmware updates to be sent to
| them by the manufacturer itself and by its mobile operator customers.
`----

http://www.computerwire.com/industries/research/?pid=E79369E9-8F32-4026-86D7-5C45885A798D

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1319320.i...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Linux] Analyst: Intel Could Weaken Microsoft with Linux and Open Source
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 13:25:15 +0100

Five Ways Intel Will Weaken Microsoft

,----[ Quote ]
| 1. More Windows Server competition: Already, we’ve seen the Intel-Red Hat
| alliance make Red Hat Linux a wildly popular operating system for Intel
| server grids. Red Hat’s momentum, The VAR Guy believes, prompted Microsoft to
| align with Novell.
|
| 2. More server application competition: Centric CRM will, undoubtedly,
| increasingly compete with Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Oracle/Siebel,
| Salesforce.com and other CRM software providers.
|
| 3. More desktop competition: Intel is one of the loudest promoters of Ubuntu
| Linux — the fast-growing open source desktop operating system. In fact, Intel
| and Dell among the top sponsors of the upcoming UbuntuLIVE conference in
| July.
|
| 4. More mobile device competition: Intel also is working with Ubuntu on a
| mobile/embedded version of Linux for Internet devices and smart phones.
| Preliminary code should ship this fall, with Intel-based mobile devices
| running Ubuntu arriving in early 2008.
|
| 5. Less Intimidation By Microsoft: In the 1990s, Microsoft’s overwhelming
| power intimidated PC suppliers and hardware companies. These days, decisions
| by Dell and Intel to aggressively support open source gives smaller hardware
| companies the confidence they need to break away from Microsoft whenever
| appropriate.
`----

http://techiqmag.com/2007/06/19/five-ways-intel-will-weaken-microsoft/

------------------------------

Message-ID: <2484982.C...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [OSS] Cisco CEO Acknowledges Importance of Open Source and Open Content
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 13:39:15 +0100

Chambers: We're Not Plumbers Anymore

,----[ Quote ]
| In response to a question about Cisco's views on open source posed
| by internetnews.com Chambers responded, "I think that open source or
| open content is the future. You want to be able to create your own
| content and we want to do that empowerment."
`----

http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3684241#49977821313266324796

Cisco bought a couple of social media companies recently, but will this be
enough to defeat Linux routers that are open? What about open content?

Citizen journalism innovation using open source methodology

,----[ Quote ]
| “What I like about HULIQ.com is the possibility to use the open
| source methodology to tap on the unlimited resource of public
| journalism,” continues Helge.
`----

http://www.huliq.com/blog/admin/06/19/2007/citizen-journalism-innovation-using-open-source-methodology#810088711395918233

Tough time ahead for big media and proprietary software. They'll get aggressive
and try to evolve. They already try, but they fail to keep the same revenue
streams. Control is being decentralised.

Partner Progam: Vyatta Partner Programme To Accelerate Adoption Of Open-Source
Networking

,----[ Quote ]
| "Developing our Vyatta Ready partner programme is an important step in
| the rapid growth of our global partner ecosystem, which we believe
| will make our Linux-based networking solution a standard fixture
| in growing networks and data centres around the world," said Keith
| Hartley, vice president of alliances at Vyatta.
`----

http://www.itreselleronline.com/content/news/article.asp?docid=ffc059ac-bca4-4d4a-bc27-de0e3b34a69c&atc~c=771+s=773+r=001+l=a&VNETCOOKIE=NO

Open source and secret sauce

,----[ Quote ]
| Open source router outperforming Cisco device in test revives the
| "commodity" vs. "special purpose" debate
|
| [...]
|
| Marketing trumped technology, however. Competitors would say "you don't
| want to trust your network to a PC" -- even though it really wasn't a PC.
| And FUD prevailed. Today we can expect to hear the same comments made in
| reference to open source. Will they work this time?
`----

http://www.networkworld.com/columnists/2007/041107tolly.html?fsrc=rss-ibm

Comcast invests in Vyatta, open source router maker

,----[ Quote ]
| The company has raised a total of $18.5 million so far. The
| investment indicates that cable carriers are getting serious
| about chasing the small and medium sized businesses, and
| competing with the telephone companies in more than just
| consumer markets.
`----

http://gigaom.com/2007/04/01/vyatta-comcast/

Free Linux router distro gains sophisticated QoS

,----[ Quoye ]
| A small, Linux router distribution for x86 has added QoS
| (quality-of-service) management features claimed capable of
| classifying packets regardless of port. The 1.0.beta4 release
| of Zeroshell now includes QoS software from the open source
| "L7-filter" project, along with a QoS management interface.
|
| Zeroshell is available as a live CD or bootable CompactFlash
| (512MB) image. It includes a Web-based user interface, and
| supports many advanced features; see our earlier coverage
| for specifics.
`----

http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS9446520379.html

Vyatta Delivers Twice the Performance of Cisco at Half the Price

,----[ Quote ]
| Vyatta today announced the release of independent third-party testing
| results from The Tolly Group that measured the throughput and
| performance of the open-source, x86-based Vyatta router and
| firewall appliance versus the proprietary Cisco 2821 ISR.
|
| "This report shatters the myth that proprietary hardware products
| are a better choice than standard x86-based systems for network
| infrastructure," said Dave Roberts, VP of strategy and marketing
| at Vyatta. "For the majority of routing applications, open-source
| software and x86-based hardware can easily address the performance
| requirements and at significantly lower price points."
`----

http://www.topix.net/content/prweb/2794294903426800112404643709233288209670

Will an open source router replace your Cisco router?

,----[ Quote ]
| By using VMware, I was able to get this new router up in less than 30
| minutes--as promised by the evaluation guide. In fact, half of that time
| came from downloading the file. In addition, I ended up reading some of the
| guide to learn the default login and the basics of the user interface.
|
| In my opinion, Vyatta shows a lot of promise. While I'm not recommending
| throwing out Cisco routers in favour of Vyatta just yet, spending 30 minutes
| to familiarise yourself with what it can do is a smart idea.
`----

http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-1035_11-6163569.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=tr
http://tinyurl.com/37zkvp

Open source router on par with Cisco, users say

,----[ Quote ]
| "I'd say that any PC we could put [Vyatta OFR] on today is going to be
| way faster than Cisco. I would not be doing backbone routing with this,
| but I would not hesitate to say this will compete against Cisco
| either," Newnam said. "Well, as long as we're not switching half of
| the U.S. of course."
`----

http://searchopensource.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid39_gci1218088,00.html

University dumps Cisco VOIP for open-source Asterisk

,----[ Quote ]
| SHSU is in the process of moving its 6,000 students, faculty and staff off
| of Cisco CallManager IP PBXs and a legacy Nortel Meridian PBX over to Linux
| servers running Asterisk...
`----

http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1646405846;fp;4;fpid;78268965

Dumping Cisco for open-source

,----[ Quote ]
| Open-source networking trend is limited so far, but it
| could grow fast
|
| The open-source movement, which has long made inroads
| into corporations via Linux and other enterprise-level
| software, now has a potentially bigger target in its
| cross hairs: the PBXs and network routers from companies
| such as Cisco Systems Inc. that form the basis of
| networking infrastructure.
`----

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9004223
http://tinyurl.com/t8cfw

------------------------------

Message-ID: <2598645.m...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [OSS] Commercial Open Source Companies Boast Offerings and Use Linux at the Core
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 13:43:16 +0100

Lumen Software's New PostgreSQL LAPP Stack Offers Commercial Alternative to
MySQL LAMP Solutions

,----[ Quote ]
| Lumen Software, a leading provider of commercial open source
| Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and portal solutions, today announced
| its decision to employ the PostgreSQL-supported LAPP
| (Linux-Apache-PostgreSQL-PHP) stack for its open source development
| platform Lumenation.
`----

http://www.crm2day.com/news/crm/122662.php

Liked embedded Linux companies, they try to charge money for what's readily
available, for free. This can be hard.

Zen and the Art of Systems Management

,----[ Quote ]
| Zenoss' Linux-based Core 2.0 is indicative of this trend. Through
| "ZenPacks," it offers integration with conventional enterprise systems,
`----

http://www.networkcomputing.com/channels/netsysmanagement/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=199905203

------------------------------

Message-ID: <2989548.x...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Linux] Why Microsoft is So Scared of Linux (and Google)
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 14:05:45 +0100

Why Is Microsoft Threatening Linux?

,----[ Quote ]
| Do It Yourself if You Want It Done Right Dept.: Microsoft has decided to
| take up the hobby of saber-rattling by threatening the open-source
| community itself rather than using proxies or stooges. It now cites
| its ownership of over 200 patents that Linux folks are supposedly
| stealing. When I first heard about this, I figured that the company
| was sick of watching SCO get nowhere with its lawsuits. Microsoft is
| believed to be behind the financing of the SCO threats against Linux.
|
| [...]
|
| I have visited many parts of the world over the years where the locals
| moaned about having to pirate a product because nobody would sell it
| to them legitimately. And I have always believed that in some
| particularly underserved areas around the world, such as Southeast
| Asia, software piracy is tolerated to keep Linux from gaining a
| foothold. It never ends.
`----

http://news.yahoo.com/s/zd/20070619/tc_zd/209860

Rebuttal to those who think that Microsoft can be part of Linux:

What?!?!? Linux now NEEDS Microsoft?!?!?

,----[ Quote ]
| Well, that zany SJVN is at it again. For the past two weeks, he's started to
| make noises like he has a clue, but then today posts something that instantly
| erases all credibility he was beginning to build up. Specifically, in the
| story linked from my title he's now saying that it makes good business sense
| for Linux and Microsoft to unite forces.
|
| [...]
|
| But, Microsoft still shows up lobbying the government to rig the game against
| all other players!
|
| But, Microsoft still has its "Get the Facts" ads up.
|
| But, Microsoft still has anti-competition agreements with all of the major
| OEMs. Even Dell, who is treading the line.
|
| But, Microsoft asstroturfers are still thriving on message boards across the
| web.
|
| [...]
|
| But Microsoft is still devoted to crushing Linux. I don't hate Microsoft. I
| just love freedom. Microsoft hates freedom. So we are enemies. When Microsoft
| quits trying to eradicate Linux (indeed, when eradicating Linux drops down a
| few notches on their schedule, even) then I'll consider they might be
| possible friends. Until then, or until soon after Hell opens an ice cream
| store, every Linux company that becomes Microsoft's partner is just a
| well-paid traitor against Linux. End of story.
`----

http://penguinpetes.com/b2evo/index.php?title=what_linux_now_needs_microsoft&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

Gears of War

,----[ Quote ]
| The new Google product that could augur the death of Microsoft.
`----

http://www.slate.com/id/2168419/nav/tap3/rss

------------------------------

Message-ID: <4264337.Z...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Rival] Help! There is Some NSA in My PC (Windows)
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 14:18:02 +0100

What is the NSA doing for Microsoft’s Windows Vista?

,----[ Quote ]
| The NSA does in fact seek access to other people’s computers as part of their
| investigative work. It would, in fact, be in the best interest of the NSA if
| computers in general were easy to access remotely and covertly by the NSA. If
| the NSA has legal grounds for searching someone’s computer (and they
| regularly do), then they still have technical hurdles to overcome. These must
| be pain for them. I am sure they have whole teams of people working on
| technologies to overcome these technical hurdles.
`----

http://www.bluej.org/mrt/?p=28

"Trusted" Computing

,----[ Quote ]
| Do you imagine that any US Linux distributor would say no to the
| US government if they were requested (politely, of course) to add
| a back-door to the binary Linux images shipped as part of their
| products ? Who amongst us actually uses the source code so helpfully
| given to us on the extra CDs to compile our own version ? With
| Windows of course there are already so many back-doors known and
| unknown that the US government might not have even bothered to
| ask Microsoft, they may have just found their own, ready to
| exploit at will. What about Intel or AMD and the microcode on
| the processor itself ?
`----

http://tuxdeluxe.org/node/164

'---[ Quote ]
| In relation to the issue of sharing technical API and protocol
| information used throughout Microsoft products, which the
| states were seeking, Allchin alleged that releasing this
| information would increase the security risk to consumers.
|
| "It is no exaggeration to say that the national security is
| also implicated by the efforts of hackers to break into
| computing networks. Computers, including many running Windows
| operating systems, are used throughout the United States
| Department of Defence and by the armed forces of the United
| States in Afghanistan and elsewhere."
`----

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Allchin

Who do You Trust with Your Computing?

,----[ Quote ]
| Helios was speaking out against trusted computing (TC) and Digital
| Rights Management (DRM) that is humming softly at the hardware and
| software level inside YOUR computer right now. That's right! Chances
| are, it's already made it on a chip on your and my motherboards...but
| it's there. Soon, if what can happen does happen...we'll all be so
| very unhappy at being told how we can and can't operate our PCs.
|
| Some of you may be asking, "what the heck are you talking about?
| They can't tell me how I can use my computer inside my own home".
| Unfortunately, that statement is false. DRM chips are already on a
| majority of motherboards and even built into some processors (viiv
| anyone?). All it takes is a flip of the switch and you'll do what
| Microsoft or any other company that wants to manage your rights
| for you tells you to do whether you like it or not. That is, ofc
| ourse, unless you use Linux :) Linux has always been about
| choice...we choose to compute in ways WE want to...not ways
| that are defined for us.
`----

http://linux-blog.org/index.php?/archives/176-Who-do-You-Trust-with-Your-Computing.html

------------------------------

Message-ID: <22748767....@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Rival] Microsoft's Viral Avertising Resumed for XBox, XBox Still a Mess
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 15:02:09 +0100

Halo 3 viral marketing begins, countdowns and flyers galore

,----[ Quote ]
| reports that the campaign officially began this past weekend, with the
| distribution of flyers in New York City and London, bearing the apparent logo
| of the campaign, and the message "We are not alone." At the moment, it's
| unknown who's behind the campaign, although the absence of the
| term "Alternate Reality Game" might indicate that it's not 42 Entertainment,
| the viral veterans behind Halo 2's ilovebees campaign.
`----

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/18/halo-3-viral-marketing-begins-countdowns-and-flyers-galore/

The lowest form of advertising still appeals to Microsoft.

This one is hilarious...

http://loot-ninja.com/2007/06/19/microsoft-says-theres-no-defects-in-the-xbox-360/

[MS:] “The vast majority of people are really excited about their [XBox 360]
product....”

Vast majority? Really? Just search Live/MSN/Microsoft for "sh*t" to find that
XBox fills half of the entire page.

http://search.microsoft.com/results.aspx?mkt=en-US&form=MSHOME&setlang=en-US&q=shit&x=11&y=9

Never seen anything like this... 5 out of 10 results point to XBox.com. I'm
sure that shills they send to forums try to 'correct' this.

------------------------------

Message-ID: <3215641.e...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Rival] Serious Flaw Found in Windows Live ID
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 15:03:39 +0100

Microsoft Flaw Opened Door to Scammers, Analysts Say

,----[ Quote ]
| It's unclear how long the flaw may have existed or how many accounts
| with deceptive instant-messenger IDs could have been created. Duindam
| said a fake ID he created was still active on Tuesday morning.
`----

http://www.cio.com/article/120100/Microsoft_Flaw_Opened_Door_to_Scammers_Analysts_Say

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1209381.o...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Linux] Some Killer Linux Applications Reviewed
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 15:07:25 +0100

New LinuxCOE helps admins customise distros

,----[ Quote ]
| LinuxCOE is used both by HP and other companies, whose names Lamparter didn't
| disclose. He says customers of LinuxCOE appreciate HP's distribution-agnostic
| approach, which helps avoid vendor lock-in. Internally, HP's Managed Services
| devision uses LinuxCOE for managing their customer's Linux environments.
`----

http://www.linux.com/article.pl?sid=07/06/11/1652224

32-bits, CLAM, and TAPESTREA

,----[ Quote ]
| JAD contains more than 70 applications for audio and video composition
| and production, most of which are at their most recent release versions,
| so come join me in a look at some less typical sound & music software
| running on one of the best of the new breed of multimedia-optimised
| Linux distributions.
`----

http://www.linuxjournal.com/node/1000239

Qtpfsgui - The Open Source HDR Solution

,----[ Quote ]
| This was Sunday morning when I wrote an email to Guiseppe Rota - who
| was writing and is still maintaining Qtpfsgui - asking him what I did
| wrong. When I was checking my email Sunday afternoon his answer was
| already in my mailbox. He suggested reading two threads about the
| topic on the Flickr Qtpfsgui discussion forum about this phenomena
| here and here. Could I have such a support for a commercial software?
`----

http://www.photonovice.net/2007/06/11/qtpfsgui-the-open-source-hdr-solution/

Decent reviews with screenshots.

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1876357.2...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Linux] Making OpenOffice Run Quickly in Ubuntu, Comparison of Ubuntu Flavours
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 15:13:07 +0100

How to make OpenOffice run faster in Ubuntu

,----[ Quote ]
| Some simple steps make OpenOffice snappier.
`----

http://www.zolved.com/synapse/view_content/28209/How_to_make_OpenOffice_run_faster_in_Ubuntu

Just because the trolls like to complain about load time. Or make 'benchmarks'
that are based on a flawed comparison (QuickStarter omitted in one case)...

Full-length review: Ubuntu, Xubuntu and Ubuntu Studio 7.04, and dyne:bolic
2.4.2

,----[ Quote ]
| Well, the promised uber-review is finally here. With the release of
| Ubuntu 7.04 (aka "Feisty Fawn"), a new fork of Ubuntu, named "Ubuntu
| Studio", was released, to go along with Kubuntu ("LinuKs for KHumans",
| released with 5.04), Edubuntu ("Linux for Young Humans", 5.10), and
| Xubuntu ("Linux for Gamers and Humans with Old Hardware", 6.06 LTS).
`----

http://distrogue.blogspot.com/2007/06/full-length-review-ubuntu-xubuntu-and.html

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1617851.0...@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsg...@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Linux] Max Spevack Talks About Fedora's Future
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 15:15:49 +0100

Interview with Fedora's Max Spevack

,----[ Quote ]
| There's a few things that I see happening in the next nine or 12 months. All
| of the change that we have put in the last six months into the Fedora is
| going to need a little time to let the dust settle on it. As people start to
| use some of these tools more frequently, there's going to be complaints, and
| we're going to make them better.
|
| I think there is a lot of potential in the live CD arena. One of the things
| we have got working for Fedora 7 is the live USB key, where you can put the
| whole distro on a USB key and boot it up.
`----

http://opendotdotdot.blogspot.com/2007/06/interview-with-fedoras-max-spevack.html

An interview with Fedora leader Max Spevack

,----[ Quote ]
| One of the things that we want to do with Fedora 8 is get the release
| cycle back on a predictable track. A 6 month cycle, beginning on June 1st,
| puts the release date smack in the middle of Christmas. Furthermore, the
| Thanksgiving holiday in the United States is something that needs to be
| planned around. In short, we were worried that a 6 month cycle for Fedora
| 8 would very quickly slip out to 7 or 8 months simply due to the holidays
| that come at the end of the year.
|
| So we're looking to shorten the cycle up, with a Fedora 8 GA tentatively
| scheduled for October 31st.
`----

http://lwn.net/SubscriberLink/237700/f18ea8cb3b2c9745/

Proposed Fedora 8 Release Schedule

http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Releases/8/Schedule

------------------------------

End of Cola Digest

--
| Mark Kent -- mark at ellandroad dot demon dot co dot uk |
| News Digester |

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