Applications

Microsoft is making it clear that Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP -- a more than 220-MB software update dubbed "XP plus" and "mini-Longhorn" by some industry watchers -- will have a sizeable effect on other applications as it seeks to shut out security weaknesses in enterprise systems. Microsoft...

TECHNOLOGY SPECIAL REPORT

Preparing for Enterprise RFID

The evolution of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags into a viable enterprise enabler is almost complete. The pressure put on suppliers by such companies as Wal-Mart and Tescos will, through commercial inertia and economies of scale, ensure the price of individual tags and associated readers ...

Microsoft has made available a beta version of its forthcoming Windows XP Service Pack 2, due in full form in the middle of this year. The beta is currently available to testers who will get a glimpse of the major security upgrade that many liken to an entirely new operating system. The new Service ...

As operating system migration has become more of an issue, particularly for Microsoft administrators, the company has responded by releasing a beta version of Virtual Server 2004, which promises to pave a gentle migration path to Windows Server 2003 while working with older Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 ...

INDUSTRY ANALYSIS

Microsoft Code Leak Invokes Issues Beyond Security

The recent disclosure of a security hole revealed through the leak of Microsoft Windows 2000 and NT source code is raising several issues that the software giant will have to face as a result of the breach. Analysts are indicating the leak could have a profound effect not only on the security of Mic...

What started out for Microsoft as a bad day with the reported theft and Internet posting of source code for some of its Windows operating systems turned worse as the technology giant once again saw the security of its software tested with the emergence of a dangerous Internet Explorer exploit. Secur...

Leading intellectual property lawyers are suggesting that a U.S. District Court ruling earlier this week, which stated the word "windows" is generic and cannot be trademarked, is incorrect and probably will be overturned on appeal. U.S. District Judge John Coughenour, in the ruling released this wee...

Many an intergalactic sci-fi flick has showcased the "instant translator" -- the clever box that makes earthling speech intelligible to alpha-centaurians, and vice versa. Now something similar is helping Australian organizations bring legacy applications and enterprise knowledge up to date. Perhaps ...

At an executive gathering Wednesday, Sun Microsystems previewed the Solaris 10 operating system, the upcoming version of the company's award-winning OS for systems based on UltraSPARC and x86 microprocessors. The company, which will make early-access versions of the software available for download t...

PalmSource has released two operating system updates -- one major and one minor. PalmSource's Cobalt is an almost entirely new OS aimed at giving enterprise users more flexibility, while Garnet is a collection of minor updates to an earlier version of the popular Palm operating system. Cobalt OS fea...

Privately held Norwegian technology company Opera Software, maker of the increasingly popular Opera Web browser that serves as an alternative to Microsoft's Internet Explorer, has announced its intentions to offer an initial public offering next month. The company, which also reported fourth-quarter...

Microsoft is poised to offer a lower-priced, scaled-down version of its Windows XP and Office XP software to compete more effectively in Thailand -- and similar developing markets -- against the threat of open-source software. The Redmond, Washington-based company is hoping that by lowering prices a...

The new offering by Sun Microsystems -- StarOffice 7 for the Solaris x86 desktop platform -- might be embraced by some corporate users as a way to provide leverage in future negotiations with Microsoft, computer industry analysts said. The move also could pave the way for Sun's planned Java-based de...

Diverging from its usual dedication to Intel-based machines, Microsoft has made public a beta version of Windows XP for use on 64-bit computers running the AMD Athlon 64 and Opteron processors. Microsoft said its Windows XP 64-Bit Edition is designed for technical workstation users who require large...

While Apple may have lost the operating system battle to Microsoft, it has become a major player in the digital music market, thanks to the company's successful iPod player and iTunes online music store. However, Microsoft has managed to make its Windows Media Audio (WMA) music format the standard o...

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