Microsoft has been looking at a possible acquisition of the Yahoo online portal and search engine, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. Citing unnamed sources, the paper claims that a faction within Microsoft is lobbying to have the company purchase a stake in the search provider, but that such plans are "on hold".

Linux.com takes a look at Dropline GNOME 2.14, and concludes: "I have to admit that dropline GNOME satisfies a very basic itch. I get to keep using Slackware, a distribution I have come to rely on to provide a fast, stable, and full-featured Linux, and I get a cutting-edge GNOME desktop. This allows me to see where GNOME is heading, and since it's still Slackware, I can easily add all the programs I want by downloading and compiling the source. Dropline GNOME is not Ubuntu, but then Slackware is not Ubuntu. It's not the easiest distribution to install or configure, but it just works."

A few days ago we reported on heat issues with Apple's MacBook Pro. As SomethingAwful.com has found out, the issue is related to Apple making errors in applying the thermal paste on various locations in the MacBook Pro. SomethingAwful also gives a DIY fixing guide. Apple, however, was not amused, and sent out a cease and desist letter to SomethingAwful, asking them to remove the link to the MacBook Pro's service manual. Apple is also addressing battery issues.

El Reg has one of the first reviews of Ageia PyshX accelerator chip. The four-page review concludes: "The limited number of titles and their disappointing use of the PhysX PPU means that, currently, there's no reason to spend the GBP 200+ to acquire a PhysX card. The current effects in the supported games aren't worth the price and potential performance drop. Cell Factor and awesome Unreal Engine 3.0 games, where art thou? Without them, the PhysX hardware is merely a curiosity. But one to watch."

"The words coming out of Microsoft are quite bullish, but the numbers aren't, at least according to Wall Street. The problem is those words won't match reality mainly because MS does not grasp the situation it is in. The problem, credibility, the solution, Google."

"We have just released Java SE 6.0 Release 1 Developer Preview 1 and it is currently only available for Intel-based Macintosh computers. We will be releasing a DP in the near future for PPC also. We just wanted to get 1.6 out as fast as possible."

Xandros Corporation has announced the availability of Xandros Server, the company's inaugural release of a high-end server distribution based on Debian GNU/Linux: "Xandros becomes the first Linux platform to provide a 'Debian Enterprise' end-to-end desktop and server platform."

"FreeBSD 6.1-RC2 is available for download. This is the last RC before the release. Please test it to make sure that there have been no regressions since the last RC, and to make sure that it there are no new problems with installation. Other than a few cosmetic tweaks, there will be no more changes."

Mozilla Firefox 1.5.0.3 has been released. This update fixes a publicly disclosed denial of service weakness. All users are encouraged to upgrade to this version. The bugfixes previously planned for Firefox 1.5.0.3 were shifted to 1.5.0.4, and a quick update was released shortly after the recent 1.5.0.2 release to address the publicly reported issue.

SoftwareInReview reviews OpenBSD 3.9. "The improved package tools make OpenBSD much easier to install, upgrade, and maintain. For those who need to install several programs on top of the base system, the new package tool functions are priceless."

Developers of the popular Debian Linux distribution are ramping up coding efforts as they plan to release the next version of their operating system in December this year. The schedule was today outlined in an e-mail to the Debian community from developer Andreas Barth, a member of the team which coordinates the process by which Debian is formally handed over to the public. "We expect to release Etch as planned in the beginning of December 2006," Barth wrote.

CNet compares Acer's TravelMate 8200 to apple's MacBook Pro, and concludes the Acer wins; but only by a small margin. "The Acer pulled ahead with ample features and superior performance and battery life, then sealed the deal with its lower sticker price. If you're looking for the most connectivity and fastest performance for your dollar, the TravelMate 8200 is the laptop to buy. The MacBook Pro's strengths clearly lie in aesthetics, from its lightweight, eye-pleasing design to its graphics-friendly display to its elegant operating system. And Apple's superior software package could be said to offset the price differential between the MacBook Pro and the TravelMate 8200."

Microsoft has shelved plans to include built-in support for RSA Security's tokens in Windows Vista, even though the company has been testing out the authentication technology for almost two years. In February 2004, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates said that Windows would be able to support easy integration with RSA's popular SecurID tokens. That meant businesses would find it far easier to deploy a two-factor authentication system for logging on to networks and applications. However, almost two years after the SecurID beta-testing program kicked off, RSA's chief executive, Art Coviello, disclosed that Windows Vista will not natively support the technology.

"The Swing UI toolkit makes it possible, though not always easy, to update user interfaces dynamically in response to events or user actions. This article reviews some of the common ways you can build UIs that update dynamically, a few pitfalls you might encounter along the way, and some principles to help you decide when this is the right approach for the job."