FreeBSD 4.6.2 is released. Download from here, release notes and changes done here.

BareFeats has a benchmark, testing the SDRAM-based dual G4 at 1Ghz with the new DDR PC2100 ones. The new PowerMacs are the same or slower than their previous models, the test reveals. The Mac community got a bit dissapointed (judging from the forums). The author says that the slowdown is because the two processors share a 1GB/s pipe to Apple's custom AGP/Memory controller. While the shared bandwidth is a factor, it is not the reason that makes the new Macs slower. Having a better look at the specs, show that the author have forgot a very important detail:

This GCC release is based on the GCC 3.1 sourcebase, and thus has all the changes in the GCC 3.1 series. In addition, GCC 3.2 has a number of C++ ABI fixes which make its C++ compiler generate binary code which is incompatible with the C++ compilers found in earlier GCC releases, including GCC 3.1 and GCC 3.1.1.

Mark Hachman at Extreme Tech saw our report on Microsoft removing the commonly-used free web fonts from its download site and called Microsoft for comment. Microsoft denies that the move was aimed at any particular Free Software users, despite the fact that it happened on Linux World's opening day. They claim that the free fonts were being "abused." Poor, poor fonts. They just couldn't protect themselves. See more at Extreme Tech

Xandros announced today the release date for its first-generation Linux desktop product, Xandros Desktop 1.0. The product, due to be released on September 30, 2002 and available for purchase within three weeks after that date, is built upon Linux kernel 2.4.19, XFree86 4.2, Debian 3.0, Corel LINUX 3.0, and enhanced KDE. It features the Xandros Install Express, Xandros File Manager, and extensive configuration panels and wizards. Xandros Desktop 1.0 also includes Xandros Networks - an application that enables users to obtain feature enhancements, bug fixes, and the latest Xandros news via a single mouse click. Read the rest of the press release here. Our two previous interviews with Xandros VP Michael Bego, filled with more information, can be found here and here.

The media's ability to turn a cute idea into a raging hype feedback loop has crossed with the post Sept 11th paranoia factor yet again as an FBI field office in Pittsburgh warns businesses of the pernicious new pastime of "Warchalking." See this Computerworld story. Warchalking is the latest non-trend to sweep the internet, and it involves scrawling information about close-by wireless networks on the streets in chalk. Despite the fact that nobody is actually doing it, just about every media outlet in the world has reported on it.

In a move that could have repurcussions in the alternative OS world, Microsoft has pulled the free web fonts (Verdana, Courier New, Tahoma, Trebuchet MS etc.) that were downloadable from its site for some time. This is significant since several Linux distributions provide automatic installers for these fonts to improve the default fonts. Also, these fonts are essential for a bettet web browsing. Hopefully, distributors will now spend some money to design a good standard set of free fonts of their own.

Plenty of Linux news today due to LinuxWorld Expo being in full swing today. According to a ZDNet News article, UnitedLinux, the project uniting the Linux distributions from Caldera, Conectiva, SuSE Linux and Turbolinux, will be rolling out a two-stage beta program, first a private beta for partners, and then an open beta for the Linux-using public. These releases are scheduled for late August and September, respectively.

"The new DELL desktops appear to be a slick interpretation of Microsoft's new licensing terms and a way to navigate customer demand for PCs without an OS installed. The Microsoft licensing terms, which were put in place on Aug. 1, specify that PC makers must ship PCs with an operating system. The new policy exists to prevent piracy and to better track OS shipments. With the n-Series, Dell will include a copy of a free operating system--FreeDOS--inside the cardboard box. However, the OS will not be pre-installed." FreeDOS is included just to give the ability to actually use the PC in case the user have no other OSes handy to install at a given time. Read the report at News.com.

"Red Hat Inc. is looking to expand its general retail Linux and enterprise server software offerings and so will release a formal desktop Linux product geared toward the corporate market early next year. Mark De Visser, a vice president at the Raleigh, N.C., open-source technology provider, told eWEEK Tuesday that Red Hat is "working on a special desktop product offering for the corporate market. There is now a place, as well as demand, for this." Hence the greatly improved - from the simple user's point of view- Limbo beta. Red Hat is after the corporate desktops, eWeek and News.com report.

Apple Computer on Tuesday unveiled souped-up Power Macs, in the first major upgrade to the professional system in about a year and half. The low-end model retains the 133Mhz bus, while on the mid- and high-end models it's cranked up to 167Mhz; the high-end model boasts 2MB of L3 cache. The creaking ATA-66 IDE controller is retained, but all models also have an additional ATA-100 bus. The Apple store lists the 2x867Mhz model (256MB RAM/60GB HD/DVD-CDRW) at $1,699; the 2x1Ghz model 256/80/Superdrive) at $2,499 - and both available for delivery right away. Read the reports at C|Net News.com and TheRegister. You can check the new Macs here or order them.

The IE problem has been around for at least five years and could allow an attacker to intercept credit card and/or personl data when a user is making a purchase. Konqueror also had the same problem, but Waldo Bastian fixed the problem 95 minutes after it was reported. You can get the fixed Konqueror version from the KDE CVS, or if you wait for KDE 3.03 next week. Read about the IE flaw at ZDNews.

Exactly a whole year passed since we re-launched OSNews last August. This was our first story in the newly redesigned site back then. The old site is also available for browsing, while this was the first version of our redesign. Although OSNews is live since 1997, the site was not updated for many months, until we took over. Immediately after the redesign last August, we were serving around 700 pages per day, but today, we average around 51,000 web pages per day, and it seems that the only way is up! Today, OSNews is among the (pretty) big tech news sites on the web, but we could not have made it without you. So, a big thank you from the OSNews crew to all of you!

QNXZone reports that the eQip Project has recently gone open source and it is available via anonymous CVS. The eQip project supports several models of the HP/Compaq iPaq PDA, and rumour has it that the Sharp Zaurus has been running QNX on the test bench. Plenty of screenshots here.