David Adams Archive

At NewMobileComputing, we've posted a hands-on review of the Sharp SL-C750 Linux-based handheld computer. It's a mini-laptop form factor, with a screen that folds back so it can be held like a PDA.

If this really works, this is the coolest hobby OS I've seen it a while. IntyOS is an operating system for the old Intellivision gaming console. There are Intellivision emulators available if you'd like to try it out, but it's acutally possible to run this on the original console if you have a (now out of production) "Intellicart" unit. Of course, there are few applications for it (clock, CPU load, "IntyAmp"), so its chances of unseating Windows on the corporate desktop are slim.

Apple has published details of new Panther features on their web site. Read more for the highlights:

The specs for the G5 machines that were accidentally posted at the Apple store a few days ago were correct. Steve Jobs just announced G5 Powermacs at the WWDC conference. He's calling it the "world's fastest personal computer." They just finished doing a demo in which a Dual 2 GHz G5 vastly outperforms a High-end Dual Xeon. Read more for preliminary specs. Prices will be $2000-3000. Oh, and the Panther OSX update was announced, but we already knew about that.

Forrester's Rob Enderle opines that, for all its advantages, the open source OS just isn't ready to power the systems on Starfleet Vessels. Just kidding. What he really says is that however much the geeks love Linux for the freedom it gives them, the customizability isn't always a boon to the average users and the managers who just want things to work with as little tinkering as possible. And the untested intellectual property issues surrounding the GPL and the open source development methods are a potential quagmire. He says large companies need to consider these issues, religious fanatacism aside. Do you agree? Update by ELQ: Counterpoint at NewsFactor.

Some people have noticed that on OSNews feature articles, in addition to the normally-formatted green links on the page, there are also double-underlined black-green links, that link to offers from sponsors, like free .NET tutorials or a whitepaper on Intel Centrino. If you haven't seen these, it's probably due to the fact that it only works on IE for Windows. If you're using Linux, Mac, Mozilla, or another browser/platform you may never see it. Those who have seen it: don't worry. There's no strange spyware installed on your machine. "Read more" for more details.

Over at our sister site, NewMobileComputing today: Microsoft's inclusion of Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) in an XP patch, small motherboards for mobile devices, Biofuel cells that could replace batteries, and an exciting announcement from Apple: the iPad! Visit NewMobileComputing for more details.

Microsoft Windows 2000 servers are vulnerable to a WebDAV security exploit. There's information and a patch available at Microsoft's web site.

NewMobileComputing is reporting that a new version of The Linux-Mobile-Guide, a manual covering laptop and PDA related Linux features, is now available.

A thought-provoking ZDNet editorial talks about Intel's plans to bring the BIOS into the 21st century by making it more sophisticated and operating system-like. That will bring some welcome benefits to the PC world, but there are lurking dangers. The real birth of the PC platform was not IBM's invention of the PC or the release of the IBM PC Technical Reference Manual, but what rather Compaq's clean room rewrite of the PC BIOS. While IBM maintained proprietary control over the BIOS, it still had a stranglehold over the platform. Now, Intel wants to push through a new BIOS, and it's unlilkey that anyone will be able to pull off the clean room stunt again. Intel will own the PC platform going forward, even more than it already does.

As reported in New Mobile Computing, it seems that Microsoft's buyout of Connectix is already bearing fruit, as the Visual Studio.Net 2003 developer tools will include Virtual PocketPC, a PocketPC envoronment that should make developing and testing PocketPC software on a Windows desktop easier.

We are pleased the announce the birth of a new addition to the family: New Mobile Computing, a daily news site dedicated to examining the leading edge of technology that you carry around with you. If there are OSNews readers who are interested in this topic, pay us a visit. We need lots of help with news submissions, commentary, and giving the mobile computing forums a jump-start. We are also looking for volunteer editors. If you'd like to help, pay the site a visit, or email the NMC staff.

The Personal Computer Memory Card International Association is working on a replacement for its PC Card/Cardbus form factor. In addition to being smaller, faster, and cheaper, the PCMCIA is working with other standards bodies to assure that the new format is compatible with USB 2.0 and PCI Express serial input/output technologies. The new standard is primarily for laptops, but this article in PC World mentions that it is also being intended for desktop use.

The Tribune of India has an overview of the various operating systems vying for prominence in the mobile phone sphere: Symbian, Microsoft, Palm, Linux. The article mentions that Samsung, a Microsoft and Palm licensee, has joined the Symbian alliance.