Ludovic Hirlimann wrote it to tell us, "The mozilla team did it again! Mozilla 1.3a is available for downloads (check your prefered mirror for download.) New features and bugs are described here." It appears that Mozilla Mail's junk filtering has improved. In other news Netscape 7.01 was also recently released.

Blue Eyed OS, one of the premiere open source BeOS replacements, released their first downloads yesterday, a beta version of their kernel_server. It can be downloaded from the Blue Eyed OS website. They've also added a new screenshot as well as an interviews section to their homepage.

"For the second time in a week, Microsoft acknowledged that its initial estimation of a software flaw underrated the true threat posed by the vulnerability. The Redmond, Wash., giant said Thursday it plans to change the severity of a vulnerability in software common to Internet Explorer and other Windows applications from "important" to "critical." The move was prompted by an in-depth analysis written by the security researchers who found the flaw." Read the rest at ZDNet.

"The KDE Project today announced the release of KOffice 1.2.1. KOffice 1.2.1 is a stability and enhancement release, with the principal improvements over KOffice 1.2, released last September, occurring in the spreadsheet program (KSpread)" Read more at KDE.org.

Ladislav Bodnar writes "Libranet GNU/Linux, a commercial Linux distribution based on Debian, has been given increasingly positive coverage in Linux media. Its recipe for success is simple - it attempts to remedy some of the often cited shortcomings of Debian proper, by providing a simple installer, user-friendly system configuration tools and up-to-date selection of software packages. Combine that with a friendly user community and you have a winner. Let us investigate what Libranet is about and why you should give it a serious thought when choosing your Linux distribution." Read the rest of the review at Distrowatch.

Mike T-F-K writes "Xandros is obviously an intriguing desktop solution for corporate users--their target audience. With "out of the box" NT-domain login compatibility and the bundled CrossOver packages providing MS Office/Internet Explorer functionality, switching over to the more affordable Linux desktop now seems feasible for any company running a Microsoft shop."

"IBM has released the Web Services Tool Kit for Mobile Devices. Its a free set of tools that provide run-time environments that allow development of applications that use Web Services on small mobile devices. This tool kit's Java Web service run-time environment is supported on PoctketPC, Palm, and BlackBerry." More at the IBM Website

"Builders of the Mono open-source development project released an update on Tuesday that will let programmers write Microsoft .Net applications for Linux and Unix operating systems." Read more at ZDNet.

"Installing a new program, or the OS itself, proves cumbersome for some users. Creating a home network or developing individualized settings can be confusing or frustrating." Read the full story at osOpinion.com.

IBM refused reports that it was phasing out its OS/2 operating system, saying the company is merely changing the manner in which it distributes its software. OS/2 will still be available through IBM's licenseing program, and the IBM spokesman said the company plans to support the OS/2 OS "indefinitely". Read the report at ExtremeTech.

And the winner for yesterday's Beatware competition is... Paul Go! The lucky winner will receive an ESD version of e-Picture PRO, normally priced at $129.

"I wasn't a believer in Linux at Microsoft -- I couldn't be a believer at Microsoft. But Linux is clearly the biggest competitive challenge that Microsoft has ever faced. It's unlike anything before -- there's not a company behind it. It's very elusive, in a way. I don't think Linux is going to be successful as a desktop replacement. But Linux is going to surround new appliances and new segments, and really affect Microsoft through prevention of Microsoft from moving into new segments effectively." Read the interview at ComputerWorld.

Developments in the *BSD area, such as the OpenSSH project, have greatly benefited Linux. By the same token, Linux companies have funded a lot of work on software like GCC and Wine that is also used on *BSD systems. Read the editorial at OSOpinion.

"Xandros has defined the goal clearly: their product is for all of us. It's no longer necessary to be a computer enthusiast or a geek in order to run Linux; Xandros has designed it so that anyone can install it and be immediately productive. That was the vision. Let's set out and discover how far Xandros has gone in making the Linux desktop a reality." The review by DistroWatch