EU Microsoft Appeal Set for September
The European Court of First Instance has set a date of September 17 to rule on Microsoft's appeal of a 2004 antitrust verdict that forced it to pay over $600 million in fines and make changes to its Windows operating systems. Microsoft has maintained it did nothing anti-competitive.
As the Court of First Instance is the EU's second highest court, its ruling can be appealed by both sides to the European Court of Justice, but the long-awaited decision is being closely watched. Microsoft's spat with the EU has continued, and the company was fined another 280.5 million euros for not complying with the original order, a decision the company also plans to appeal.
Nokia Looks to Spur Mobile App Development
Nokia said Monday that it would sponsor a competition for development of mobile applications using its Open C plug-in for S60-capable smartphones. The winner will receive $20,000 in cash, as well as distribution and marketing support. UK wireless carrier Orange is also participating in the contest, offering the winner a spot in its application store that subscribers access to download applications to their phones.
The Finnish cell phone maker recently introduced the plug-in in order to make it easier for developers to produce applications for the S60, or Series 60, platform. Nokia and Symbian hope that offering an easier way of developing applications will grow the number of programs available to Symbian users. Winners would be selected at the Symbian Smartphone Show in October.
Microsoft Finishes Windows Home Server
Microsoft on Monday announced that Windows Home Server has been released to manufacturing, with systems using the new operating system expected to go on sale this fall. Home Server, code-named "Quattro," is designed for easily linking together multiple computers in a home network and sharing media.
Hewlett-Packard will be the first OEM partner to ship Home Server systems, with Fujitsu-Siemens, Gateway, Iomega, Lacie and Medion also on board. The OS likely won't be available to buy on its own, but a 120-day evaluation version will be posted for download. Microsoft is also encouraging developers to build Windows Home Server add-ins, and has launched a contest to further that effort.
Apple to Fix iPhone Charging Glitch
A little over two weeks after the launch of its iPhone, a number of minor issues have begun to crop up among early adopters. However, the most prevalent problem appears to be the device not fully charging when plugged in. According to Apple, this is merely an interface glitch that will be resolved shortly.
Apple said it is preparing the first software upgrade for the iPhone -- something typical mobile phone owners rarely see, even with known bugs -- although did not specify when it would be released. The comments were made to WirelessInfo.com, which has been tracking the charging bug. Apple explained that the phone is actually charged fully, but the interface is not reflecting it.
Google: Viacom's Built to Sue
Google's CEO Eric Schmidt took a swipe at Viacom Friday, saying the company was "built from lawsuits" and pointed to its litigious history. Schmidt's comments were made to reporters at a hotel bar at the annual Allen & Co. meeting of media moguls.
Viacom is currently suing Google subsidiary YouTube for $1 billion, claiming "massive copyright infringement." Both sides have failed to reach an agreement.
Macs Affected by Office Flaws, Too
Microsoft on Thursday updated a security bulletin issued Tuesday to include the Mac version of its ubiquitous Office suite. Three Excel vulnerabilities that affect Windows also pose a risk to Office 2004 for Mac, and the company has issued a downloadable patch.
The flaws on Mac have an aggregate security rating of "Important" and involve one calculation error and two memory corruption problems that could lead to a malicious file executing arbitrary code. Users can download Office 2004 for Mac 11.3.6 to plug the security holes. Microsoft notes that version 11.3.5 must be installed first.
Apple Buys Open Source Printing Software
In a move that should help the company improve the printing capabilities in Mac OS X Leopard, due this October, Apple has acquired the source code to the UNIX printing software CUPS in addition to hiring the program's author. CUPS will continue to be available under its existing GPL2/LGPL2 license.
An acronym for Common Unix Printing System, CUPS enables computers to function as print servers by accepting print jobs from networked computers. CUPS has been used in Mac OS X -- which is built upon a UNIX core -- since 10.2 Jaguar after Apple abandoned plans to build its own printing software.
SQL Server 2008 to be Released Months After Launch
Microsoft is taking a new approach to product launches it seems, announcing it would release SQL Server 2008 to manufacturing in the second quarter of 2008, months after the product is supposed to officially "launch" alongside Windows Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008 on February 27.
Microsoft announced the seemingly innovative strategy of not finishing a product until after its launch at its Worldwide Partner Conference in Denver this week. Customers who are being told to prepare to capitalize on the new tools coming in February may be surprised to find out Microsoft itself won't be prepared. However, the company has always left an opened ended 2008 date for the release of the new SQL Server, code-named "Katmai."
Intel Joins '$100 Laptop' Project
Despite previous bad blood between Intel and the One Laptop Per Child program, which opted to include AMD processors in the low-cost computer for developing nations, the leading chip manufacturer will join the non-profit's board of directors and help fund the initiative.
After OLPC selected AMD, Intel began building its own low-cost laptop for schoolchildren, which it called Classmate PC. The competition has led to problems, as some countries have opted for the Classmate rather than OLPC's so-called "$100 laptop," which currently costs $175. Although OLPC will continue to use AMD chips for the near future, Intel will likely find its place in the $100 laptop further down the road.
Adobe Patches Flash Vulnerabilities
Adobe this week fixed critical vulnerabilities within its Flash Player that could allow an attacker to take control of an affected system. According to a company advisory, all current versions of Flash 9, 8 and 7 are affected by the problem, which relates to not validating certain input.
As a result, Adobe has released new versions of Flash for all platforms. 9.0.47.0 is the newest release for Windows and Mac, while 9.0.48.0 is available for Linux. 8.0.35.0 has also been released for Flash 8 users, in addition to a patch for users who cannot upgrade from Flash 7. More information and upgrade instructions are available from Adobe's Web site.
HD DVD Says Outselling Blu-ray in Europe
The European arm of the HD DVD Promotion Group announced Thursday that it has 74 percent of the high-definition market for standalone players in Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Switzerland, outselling rival Blu-ray players by a 3-to-1 margin. But the figures do not include Sony PS3 sales.
Toshiba cut prices of its HD DVD players in both Europe and the United States last month, and the company says it has seen a boost in sales following the move. Standalone Blu-ray players remain more expensive, which is likely the primary reason behind the sales disparity. However, the sales numbers, which were commissioned from market research group GfK and haven't been made public, do not take into account Blu-ray's primary sales driver, the PlayStation 3.
Nokia Puts Skype on N800 Tablet
Nokia said Wednesday that it would add Skype capabilities to its N800 Internet Tablet. Users would be able to make phone calls from the device as long as they are connected to a Wi-Fi network. Although this signals an important first step in bringing the VoIP to more mobile devices, it still falls short of total mobility using the product.
"Our users are no longer just using Skype on their computer desktops," Skype mobile business development chief Eric Lagier said. "With the growth of mobile devices and Wi-Fi, consumers expect to be connected wherever they are, at the office, at home or on the move," Those interested in the product can download it from the Skype Web site.
Windows Live OneCare 2.0 in Beta
Microsoft has released a beta version of Windows Live OneCare 2.0, its anti-malware and maintenance software. The update adds support for monitoring the status of other PCs on a network, as well as a new firewall that adjusts its settings automatically depending on the security of the network.
OneCare 2.0 can also perform PC maintenance tasks, including clearing a jammed print job and listing what applications are causing a system to be slow to boot up. 64-bit compatibility is new in version 2.0 as well. Windows Live OneCare is offered as a subscription service for a yearly rate of $49.95 USD, which covers up to three PCs in a home.
Microsoft Announces Game Lineup, Halo 3 Xbox
At the diminutive E3 in Santa Monica Tuesday, Microsoft unveiled a special edition Xbox design for Halo 3 that will debut alongside the long-awaited third installment, along with announcing a slew of upcoming games. Microsoft says the Xbox 360 is responsible for more game sales than Sony's PS3 and Nintendo's Wii combined.
On the Xbox side, Microsoft showcased "Call of Duty 4," "Assassin's Creed," "Rock Band" - EA's competitor to the popular Guitar Hero series, "Mass Effect" and "BioShock." Over 30 new titles were also announced under the Games for Windows brand, including "Age of Empires: III" and "Gears of War."
Xbox 360 Elite Coming to Europe Aug 24
Microsoft announced at its E3 press conference late Tuesday that the Xbox 360 Elite will be coming to Europe on August 24. The souped up game console features a 120GB hard drive and HDMI connector for high-definition televisions. Pricing was not announced, however.
Both European and Canadian customers will be able to partake in all Xbox Live offerings, the company added, including its new Disney movie downloads. Microsoft also said it had no plans to drop the price of the Xbox 360 in response to a $100 price cut for Sony's PlayStation 3. The Xbox 360 Elite is still cheaper than Sony's 80GB console, but does lack some features such as a Blu-ray drive.
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