Zinzala is an SDK by Jean-Louis Villecroze (BeOS users will remember JLV from his Squirrel interpreter while QNX users probably are already using his apps) designed to take full advantage of modern computers and operating systems, such as QNX. It offers: Object oriented framework (in C++) , multi-threaded, network-ready application, easy inter-application messaging, multi-threaded, message passing, Photon based GUI kit (fully scriptable).

Big advancements for the hobby OS, SkyOS. There is now a new screenshot of SkyOS playing DVD Movies in an media-player. The latest version of SkyOS also features a WinAMP-like mp3 player (only the ES371 sound card supported).

Microsoft on Thursday will launch the most ambitious version yet of its Windows server operating system, as the company looks to push aside Unix servers and mainframes in the enterprise. In the meantime, server makers will be among the Microsoft backers on Thursday, plugging new customer wins and services for companies that are considering a move to Windows Server 2003.

"I want to make it clear that DRM is perfectly ok with Linux!" Read Linus Torvalds' statement regarding DRM on Linux, over at PCLinuxOnline.

A large number of features are planned to be included in the forthcoming Select 3 release of RiscOS. Read it all here.

"So, what do I think of Windows 2003 Server? Well, I feel that Microsoft has hit a home run. During my corporation’s evaluation of Windows 2003 Server, we have found that the benefits are extremely enticing. We will not be suggesting this to all of our customers for a few months, but we will start to roll it out immediately." Read the review at ActiveWin.

GCC 3.2.3 is a bug fix release only; there are no new features that were not present in 3.2.2. Changelog.

An NEC server with 32 of Intel's Itanium 2 6M processors and running the Windows Server 2003 takes the top spot in a widely watched performance measurement by displacing a Unix server. NEC is top of the heap right now, but HP has aggressive plans for Itanium. It will release 64-processor Superdome systems initially, then through a technology code-named Hondo that plugs two Itanium processors into a single socket, will sell 128-processor Itanium systems. HP supports three operating systems on its Itanium systems today--Windows, Linux and HP-UX Unix--and will add support for OpenVMS next year.

Microsoft may be pulling out all the stops for its 64-bit database Thursday, but if you ask Oracle, this is a non-event. In a series of interviews with CRN Tuesday, one executive after another repeated that the company plans no direct response to Microsoft's 64-bit SQL challenge. Microsoft has positioned that database as proof that SQL Server is ready for the enterprise.

Microsoft says that the release of Windows Server 2003 and a 64-bit SQL Server proves it can compete with Unix vendors in datacentre computing. But analysts say that the products will appeal mainly to NT4 users looking to move to newer versions. Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer today launches software that the company says builds on three years experience with its first datacentre product, Windows Server 2000.

Since the introduction of the UFS2 filesystem (to the general public) in FreeBSD 5.0, there have been many questions from BSD users asking what does it actually mean for them. Recently when browsing the freebsd-current mailing list, I stumbled across a micro-FAQ about UFS2, which might be of interest to OSNews readers.

Very few IT-companies get as much fanatic anticipation from their customers as Apple does. Lots of words have been written about that, including cheers, rants and advice as to what Apple should do next to make the Macintosh experience even nicer for its fans. Whether it's about product pricing, quality or all in all product range, Apple polarizes its users and those who wish they were. It would be foolish for me to take the same approach as anybody else and give Apple some piece of advice. So that's actually what I'm going to do now.

Apple and AMD have been working together of late, a senior AMD official admitted at the launch of the chip maker's 64-bit Opteron processor this week. Also, The Register is hosting an article about Piles, a feature to reportedly be found on 10.3 Pather: They were developed by Gitta Salomon and her colleagues at Apple's Advanced Technology Human Interface Group and announced to the world at the CHI conference in May 1992.

More than 60 partners participate in early Development Program helping to propel Windows Embedded to No. 1 industry position, Microsoft said. Also, Windows Server 2003 by the numbers: One of the biggest product launches in Microsoft History.