Yesterday, Novell released a pre-release of its much-anticipated SUSE Enterprise Linux Desktop 10, actually the 3rd release candidate. This release contains all the much-touted stuff such as Xgl and its fancy effects, Beagle integration, and more. Read on for some first impressions.

"It's been known that the Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) phones home for quite some time now. For most of us, we've come to live with Microsoft's decision to relegate the software to only contacting the company's servers once every few weeks . Of course, the software is only in beta right now, so what might happen once it goes into production? Will it phone home even less? Ed Bott has an idea. Bott has reason to believe that Microsoft might have a special treat in store for those that do not want any part of the WGA. Citing Dave Farber as his source, Bott thinks that the WGA could become mandatory for Windows users. Those that don't want to install the software must suffer the consequences - install it in 30 days or Windows will stop working, period."

"There are a couple of Linux howtos floating on the Internet that deal with this very subject. As a matter of fact, those guides are what inspired me to write this one. In the spirit of keeping it simple, let me recommend the Mandrake or as it's currently known Mandriva Linux distro. This guide has been written with this distro in mind."

A preview edition of SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10, the desktop Novell's been working on for the last two years, is now available for download. Reviews are also available, as well as a demo. Get it from Novell's download page.

Marvell Technology Group and Intel Corporation have signed an agreement for Intel to sell its communications and application processor business to Marvell for a purchase price of USD 600 million plus the assumption by Marvell of certain liabilities. Intel's communications and application processor business develops and sells processors for handheld devices including smartphones and PDAs.

"There are obviously a lot of questions on people's minds. So I post again today trying to answer some of them. To those who think I am not a real person but rather a name in front of PR machinery – that's just not true. I am flesh and blood – with a job, a team, and a passion for what we have been pursuing in WinFS. And even a life outside of Microsoft Building 35 with a wife, kids and other interests. Certainly seems like I might have been too careful in wording last week – was not my intention to offend bloggers everywhere, really."

The European Commission is ready to impose a fine of 2m Euros ($2.5m; £1.4m) a day on Microsoft. The Commission is expected to rule that Microsoft has failed to fully implement its 2004 antitrust decision. Under the ruling, Microsoft had to supply rivals with information about its Windows operating system.

The recently released Google Web Toolkit is a comprehensive set of APIs and tools that lets you create dynamic Web applications almost entirely in Java code. However, GWT is something of an all-or-nothing approach, targeted at a relatively small niche in Web application development market. This article shows you what GWT can do and will help you decide if its the best tool to use for your web development.

Alex Graveley introduced the Gimmie user interface and panel for GNOME a few days ago. In it, Alex is grouping the most used parts of a modern UI, e.g. Documents, Applications, People, and Computer (network connections go under it too). For info, videos, and shots check here.

CNN made a top 10 list of people who do not matter anymore in the tech industry. Among them, Steve Ballmer, Linus Torvalds, Jonathan Schwartz, Rob Malda from Slashdot, and Ken Kutaragi (responsible for the Playstation). This list is actually a by-product from their top 50 list of people who do matter; which containts, among others, Steve Jobs.

"Nathan Myhrvold, formerly Microsoft's chief technology officer, retired six years ago from the software giant with a fortune that, it's safe to say, runs well into nine figures. But instead of taking early retirement as a chance to relax, travel, and maybe dash off a unified field theory or two, Myhrvold has founded a firm that has produced almost as much rage, terror, and ominous speculation as Microsoft once did."

IBM Rational Team API is a unified, client-side Java API for ClearCase, ClearQuest, and Requisite Pro. In order to use this Eclipse based API, customers must have installed Version 7.0.0 of Rational ClearQuest client, ClearCase Web server, or RequistePro client.

Microsoft .NET Compact Framework version 2.0 SP1 release has been completed and is in the process of being released. This service pack was driven customer feedback including improvements in stability, adds new debugging features, extended platform support, and new developer functionality.

Paul Thurrot, Microsoft Apple Microsoft supporter, reviews the new Vista build: "Little more than a month after issuing a bug-laden Windows Vista Beta 2, Microsoft has shipped its first post-Beta 2 interim build of the next Windows and it makes up a lot of lost ground. Indeed, it's hard not to view this build and not believe that Microsoft is absolutely back on track." Another reviewer also states that performance has increased since the previous build.