Hollywood, Microsoft Align on New Windows

Windows 123 Comments
For the first time, the Windows operating system will wall off some audio and video processes almost completely from users and outside programmers, in hopes of making them harder for hackers to reach. The company is establishing digital security checks that could even shut off a computer's connections to some monitors or televisions if antipiracy procedures that stop high-quality video copying aren't in place.
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Vim’s Newest Features

Office 62 Comments
Vim, or vi improved, is an open source text editor for multiple platforms. This article gives an overview of vim's latest improvements over vi. New features include multiple windows, syntax highlighting, multiple levels of undo, and color themes. All of these improvements are made possible by the use of vim plugins.
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Microsoft Makes WinFS Beta 1 Bits Available

Windows 13 Comments
The WinFS rumors were true: Microsoft has posted for download by its Microsoft Developer Network subscribers a first beta of its next-generation WinFS file system. While many developers were not expecting Microsoft to release a Beta 1 build of the technology until late 2006, Microsoft officials said on Monday that getting early bits to testers before Windows Vista shipped was actually the plan of record since last year. Update: Channel9 has a video of WinFS (WMV).
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GridShell Extends the TCSH and BASH Syntaxes

  Submitted by anonymous General Development 4 Comments
GridShell is designed to incorporate grid concepts into command shell environments. In this article, the author describes the motivation for GridShell and provides a high-level description of the extensions to the language interface the tool provides. GridShell extends the TCSH and BASH syntaxes. Users familiar with both will be able to write scripts that include these grid shell language extensions, and orchestrate and coordinate the execution of programs across the grid.
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Apple Updates Safari

  Submitted by rft183 Apple 35 Comments
Apple updates Safari to 2.01, the site says improved website support. You can download this update via Software Update. My Take: I downloaded the update. Due to server load haven't been able to test the image of doom, will be a shame if that problem is still there.
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Hacking the Linux 2.6 Kernel

  Submitted by Martin McGreal Linux 21 Comments
IBM's Developerworks website has published an outstanding free tutorial (free reg. req.) introducing hackers to the Linux source. "This tutorial is written for Linux or UNIX programmers whose skills and experience are at a beginning to intermediate level. You should have a general familiarity with using a UNIX command-line shell and a working knowledge of the C language."
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Microsoft Readying WinFS Beta Bits?

Windows 40 Comments
When Microsoft announced a year ago that it had decided to rip the next-generation Windows File System from Longhorn, many company watchers wrote off the feature as little more than vaporware. But it seems Microsoft didn't simply shelve WinFS. According to sources close to the company, Microsoft just last week put the finishing touches on the first beta release of WinFS. And the company is moving ahead with plans to back-port the WinFS technology to Windows XP.
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Partition Logic 0.57 Released

  Submitted by Andy McLaughlin OS News 11 Comments
Partition Logic is a graphical, easy-to-use partitioning and hard disk management tool for PCs, based on the alternative Visopsys OS. It can create, delete, reorder and move partitions, and modify their attributes, as well as doing things like copying entire hard disks. It boots from a single floppy or CD image. Version 0.57 (freshmeat announcement) has a number of tweaks and some important bug fixes. A change log is here, and downloads are here.
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Microsoft’s Leaner Approach to Vista Security

Windows 22 Comments
Secure Startup is primarily designed to prevent laptop thieves and other unauthorized users with physical access to a computer from getting access to the data on the system. Secure Startup uses a chip called the Trusted Platform Module, or TPM, which offers protected storage of encryption keys, passwords and digital certificates. Vista uses this capability to verify that a PC has not been tampered with when it starts up and to protect data through encryption.
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Review: QEMU 0.7.1

  Submitted by Flavio Villanustre OS News 15 Comments
Here is a review of QEMU, a "generic and open source processor emulator which achieves a good emulation speed by using dynamic translation": "In sum, if you have emulation or virtualization needs, before you think of any commercial products, give QEMU a try. While it may not be as feature rich as some commercial alternatives, it’s stable, fast and free. And the convenience of having the source code available is a real plus."
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