First SaveNapster Now StopNapster
A new site, created by an independent band from Oakland, CA, aims to shut down Napster rather than save it. StopNapster.com is quite an interesting find, giving readers tips on sending MP3 files with stop napster propaganda inserted into them, Napster bombs, and several other methods to prevent Napster from functioning correctly. Brought to you by "The Tabloids," StopNapster claims no affiliation with the major record labels, but represents the smaller fish in the big sea that is the record industry. Even the band leaders wife admitted she did not expect to have a major effect on the system, and that the methods mentioned do not adversly affect the users computer. Visit StopNapster.com for more information.
A Thinking Man's PC
Or is it the other way around? Reuters is reporting that scientists at the acclaimed Massachusetts Institute of Technology have created an electronic circuit that can mimic human brain activity, bringing computers one step closer to a thinking PC. Structured like the human brain network, the circuit features artificial neurons that communicate across synapses, and can in turn interpret both digital and analog signals. Read today's issue of Nature for more informatin about the processes involved.
Dot.Station - Intel's New Baby
Intel today birthed its first Web appliance, known as Dot.Station, which will provide users with access to the Internet and e-mail, as well as a calendar and post-it note style message system. It also comes equipped with a built-in phone as part of the single unit design with just an external keyboard with a touchpad-style mouse. Chipzilla expects to sell the units to ISPs, which will then in turn offer them to consumers as part of a total package. Visit Intel for more information.
Microsoft NGWS - The Next Step
Microsoft today will unveil the plans and backbone of its next project "Next Generation Windows Services." This new XML-based platform will provide users with Web-based access to almost everything you find on a normal computer. Third-party and Microsoft written applets will interface with the platform via programmable components. Stay tuned as executives outline Microsoft's new "software-as-a-strategy" idea at its Forum 2000 event. Visit Microsoft for more information. BetaNews will have a full story on the services for you soon.
Microsoft Windows Tiger?
The Register has an interesting article concerning what we all thought was the last of the Windows 9x kernel in Windows Me. According to the report on the London-based site, developers on the Redmond campus may secretly be working on a new project, codenamed Tiger, which would be another addition to the Windows 9x family. The speculation is based on bug logs created during the Windows Me development that have reportedly been dumped into the new project, although no confirmation has been made yet. Speculation on the mysterious project includes the possibility of it being a Windows Me service pack or it being a non-desktop OS for MSN Internet devices. For more information read the article at The Register.
Curious About Mac OS X?
Ars Technica has written an interesting FAQ with regards to Mac OS X, which is set to be complete next year. The OS features an entirely revamped GUI and window presentation style amongst other things. This FAQ will put you in "the know" about the system, and help you decide for yourself how good the system will or will not be. Four other articles have featured Mac OS X at Ars Technica, and you can read the FAQ here.
Microsoft Goes to Washington
Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson fast-tracked the anti-trust case appeals of Microsoft, shooting them straight to the Supreme Court rather than drag them through appeals court forever. He also granted the corporations wishes to stay the final ruling until the Supreme Court issues its final judgement, which buys them time and avoids the need to draft breakup proposals and conform to strict business practice rules. Keep checking back as the case hits the Supremem Court...eventually.
Windows 2000 on the Alpha Platform
UPDATE - Wininformant has posted new information with regards to Windows 2000 and Alpha support. Visit Wininformant to read the article. Paul Thurrott is reporting that sources at Compaq have informed him that Windows 2000 on the 64-bit Alpha platform is right around the corner. CEO Michael Capellas has worked closely with the Redmond giant to ensure support for Alpha, and reports "It's a done deal." Paul promises more information on the exciting news Thursday, and you can check out Wininformant for more details.
E-mail and Internet In the Sky
First underwater, and now above the land, Reuters is reporting that soon consumers will be able to access the Internet and e-mail from airplanes, as they fly across the nation or across the globe. In-Flight is reportedly partnering with satellite communications giant Globalstar Telecommunications and wireless technology provider Qualcomm to provide access to the services by next year. In addition to Internet and e-mail, the service will incorporate paging and voice communications via the Internet. The network will feature multiple video channels to tailor content to the flight, and of course, advertisers will get a spot in the services.
MP3.com Subscription Service Details
MP3.com has announced the details of its new subscription service for netizens around the world to listen to popular music over the Internet. Both the content and the pricing will be controlled by the artist and the label according to reports on the net. The label and artist will provide a list of the songs subscribers will be able to access and set the price, and MP3.com hosts the lists and provides technical support, for which the company receives 50 percent of the revenue, the other going to the label and artist. The Internet music company also announced the availability of the MSP developer kit, which allows programmers to create platforms for listening to music from MP3.com on a range of devices such as telephones and automobiles. Visit MP3.com for more information.
Dell Unveils Home Stereo MP3 Player
Dell announced today that it will be teaming with S3 to create the Dell Digital Audio Receiver, which will allow users to access digital music from computers around the home that are networked to the receiver via the phone jack or ethernet ports. It will be available to consumers in August of this year the company said today at the PC Expo in New York. It will retail for $249 unless it is bundled with a Dimension PC, one of Dell's consumer lines, in which case it will retail for $149. Visit Dell for more information.
Windows Whistler to Support Privacy Standard
Windows Whistler, which is set to be the next version of Windows to be released sometime next year, will now support the P3P Privacy standard says Microsoft. The Platform for Privacy Preferences, developed by the World Wide Web Consortium, includes software for webmasters to generate XML-based privacy policies amongst other things. Many experts have criticized the P3P standard for not being preventative enough. For more information visit the World Wide Web Consortium.
Creating Windows Media Player 7 Skins
The Microsoft Developers Network posted a detailed article describing the steps to creating your own Windows Media Player 7 skins. Armed with screen shots of creative tools and details on even the most miniscule feature, the article is all you need to know to make custom skins for Microsoft's latest Media Player. Skinning is just one of the features new to Media Player. For more information visit Microsoft, or read the article on MSDN.
Stardock's DesktopX - Cairo Revisited
Stardock has been working on a new project, dubbed DesktopX, reportedly based on the features in a long-gone Microsoft project known as Cairo. Cairo was set to be the child of Windows NT in the early nineties, built as an object-based file system to be the hub of networked objects. This eventually faded into a technology rather than an entire operating system, and Stardock is set to revive some of the features as a layer that sits on top of Explorer and uses Windows. The Register wrote an in-depth article about it yesterday, and you can read the white papers from Stardock for more information.
Missing Hard Drives Resurface
Reported missing on the 1st of June, two hard drives disappeared from the Los Alamos National Laboratory and were initially thought to be "lost or destroyed" by the wildfire that caused the building to be evacuated. These two hard drives were found by the FBI yesterday...behind a copier in an area that had been searched days before. the FBI is currently examining the drives to find out if they were tampered with and if the information was duplicated. The drives were in a secured vault in the lab, and contained nuclear secrets that researchers had been working on at the facility. It remains to be seen how the FBI will explain what happened, and who, if anyone, took the drives and what they did with them. Keep checking back as the story unfolds. Vist The Register for a detailed article describing the situation and the contents of the drives.
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