The Problem with .NET Generics

One of the most awaited features of Microsoft .NET 2.0 is generics. Generics promise to increase type safety, improve performance, reduce code duplication and eliminate unnessecary casts. The most obvious application of generics in the framework class library are the generic collections in the new System.Collections.Generic namespace. Much has been written about those, but they are not the topic of this article.

Patch pre-empts Problem in Windows Update

Microsoft has issued a warning that the newest version of its software for managing customer relations will not work with the company's next Windows update. Also, Microsoft will finalize the code for Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) sometime today, release it via Microsoft Download Center and MSDN on the Web tomorrow, and then ship it to customers via Windows Update beginning August 25, though Automatic Update users will get it immediately on a staggered basis.

DVD-copying trailblazer shuts its doors

DVD copying software maker 321 Studios has closed its doors, driven out of business by a succession of court decisions that said its most popular product was illegal to distribute. Several courts subsequently ruled that even if consumers might have a theoretical right to make their own personal DVD copies, 321 Studios could not sell tools that would help them break through that copy protection.

Novell’s SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 9 Announced

Novell today introduced SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 9, with significant performance, scalability, manageability and security enhancements designed to handle corporate workgroup and data center requirements with ease. With this release, Novell offers the first enterprise-class Linux server built on the new Linux 2.6 kernel. Novell ZENworks Linux Management further strengthens this offering by adding the change and configuration solution for the enterprise.