Thom Holwerda Archive

Windows testers will get a new beta version of Windows Vista, dubbed the December Community Technology Preview beta build, just before next week's holidays, according to tester scuttlebutt. New to the December release, testers say, will be a number of features and user-interface tweaks. a new defrag module; tight integration of Windows Defender (formerly known as Windows AntiSpyware); and a functional parental-controls filter are all rumored to be in the December Vista build.

The AROS-Max team has released version 0.4.8 of their AROS-based live-CD. Their website is hopelessly outdated, so don't count on that to give you any information. A direct link to the download can be found here, and oGALAXYo has put up some screenshots of this new release (1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8).

Google, Microsoft and Sun Microsystems, along with researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, are helping to set up a software research laboratory. The three companies are providing $ 7.5 million in funding over five years, which combined with other industry funding covers 80 percent of investment in the lab. The other 20 percent will come from government institutions such as the National Science Foundation. The Reliable, Adaptive and Distributed Systems Lab, or RAD Lab, will primarily concentrate on developing technology to assist small groups or individuals in creating, testing, and publishing Internet services.

Google has apparently won the battle to retain AOL's affections, edging out a bid from Microsoft. But the cost is high, and establishes several precedents for the Mountain View company that might have been unthinkable a couple of years ago. While AOL's parent Time Warner has yet to make a public statement, published reports claim that Google has paid $1 billion to take a 5 per cent stake in the media giant. AOL's sales team gets access to the Google Network, and Google will also give Time Warner's media properties preferential treatment.

"SUSE Linux 10.1 Alpha4 is ready for testing. New significant changes in 10.1 Alpha4 since 10.1 Alpha3: further integration of NetworkManager (note: NetworkManager is on by default on NLD/SUSE Linux and off on SLES); Updates to all parts of the system, especially new bash version (3.1), new Linux kernel (2.6.15 rc5), KDE 3.5 final, GNOME 2.12.2, and X.Org 6.9 rc3." Mirrors are here for the three supported architectures (x86, x86-64, and PPC).

"In conclusion, let me say that Martin's book is not an easy read, but then few things worth doing are easy to do. You will be challenged by Martin's book, unless you are a wizard like Martin. But after you have toiled through the intellectually taxing tasks of examining, weighing, lifting, turning and tweaking the multitudinous creatures that inhabit the Debian forest, you will come out with a far, far greater appreciation for the beauty of the Debian System."

"The year 2005 has been chock full of Power Architecture news - from Apple's departure from the Power Architecture family to the up and coming Cell Broadband Engine processor; from Blade.org to Power.org; and from being named fastest growing semiconductor supplier of 2005 to being named 2005 Top Fab, find out why Power Architecture technology is having the best year ever."

"I am not a cynic by nature, but years of experience in the IT world have compelled me to make sure that everything passes the smell test. As a result, I can often tell beforehand whether I am hearing marketspeak or the real deal. For instance, 5 minutes after I figured out what Larry Ellison's network computer was, I knew it would never be successful. And so did Larry Ellison, given that Oracle never actually built any of them. So with that in mind, let's revisit the top 10 overhyped, overmarketed, overbsed (if there is such a word) computer industry events of 2005."

DarwinPorts 1.2 has been released. "The DarwinPorts Project's main goal is to provide an easy way to install various open-source software products on the Darwin OS family (OpenDarwin, Mac OS X and Darwin). There are currently about 3038 completed and usable ports, with more being added on a regular basis."

The Open Source Development Labs has voiced cautious optimism that its latest initiative could finally herald a mass-market for Linux on the desktop. OSDL is pushing ahead with Project Portland, to develop a common set of core technical requirements for Linux and open source software on the desktop, following a meeting of 47 companies and organizations it hosted earlier this month. Portland has identified a core set of areas, spanning the interface, plug-and-play, drivers and the kernel, that OSDL members will flesh out.

"Unlike a lot of people, I get very excited when a new beta of Ubuntu/Kubuntu is released. It's amazing how Ubuntu has taken the Linux community by storm over the past couple of years. Finally, Linux is stepping up to be a real contender on the desktop." Here is a first look at Ubuntu, and here at Kubuntu.

Microsoft has decided which icon it will use for RSS feeds in Internet Explorer 7. Now, I hear you say, so what? Well, the funny thing is, Microsoft teamed up with the Mozilla team on this one. They decided that it's in the user's best interest that both browsers use the same icon for RSS. And so it happened that Microsoft chose Firefox's icon.

It's been a long, strange trip for the personal computer over 30 years. Ars takes a look back at the comings and goings of players in the PC market, from Altair to Zeta OS, to see how we got where we are today. "When you step back and look at the big picture, the overall dominance of the PC becomes clear. However, this was not always the case, and in fact it wasn't until 1986 that the PC platform first surpassed 50% market share. This was more than a decade after the first personal computer was sold."

Microsoft on Wednesday clinched Common Criteria security certification from the US government's National Information Assurance Partnership for six versions of its flagship Windows OS. At the Security Summit East here, Microsoft announced that all the products earned the EAL 4 + (Evaluation Assurance Level), which is the highest level granted to a commercial product.