Microsoft Updates Vista Assessment Tool
Those still considering whether to make the jump to Windows Vista will have additional help with today's 2.0 release of Microsoft's Vista Hardware Assessment Tool. The application takes inventory of a computer system and makes recommendations if upgrades are required.
Version 2.0 of the Assessment Tool is primarily designed for businesses with a large number of systems networked together. It automatically connects to each PC and acquires the necessary information through Microsoft's WMI protocol, and can handle up to 25,000 systems per domain. The tool also prepares reports displaying how many systems are Vista-ready, and assesses compatibility with Office 2007 as well. The download, when it goes live, will be available here.
80GB PS3 Less Backward Compatible
The chip in Sony's initial PS3 versions that enables backward compatibility with older PlayStation games, called the "Emotion Engine," will be eliminated from the structure of new 80GB units, which go on sale in August. Sony warns that this means the 80GB PS3 will offer less compatibility.
Similar to Microsoft's Xbox 360, and Sony's own PAL-formatted systems in Europe, backward compatibility will likely be achieved through a periodic system update. The 60GB PS3 model continues to include the chip in order for users to play their PS One and PlayStation 2 games.
Dell Introduces New Computer Lineup
Dell on Tuesday added a completely new lineup to both its desktop and notebook offerings, which is aimed at small businesses with between 1 and 25 employees. Called Vostro, the systems include software designed for easing IT management tasks.
Listening to customer feedback about bloatware, Vostro systems won't include any trial software. Dell will also provide a dedicated sales and support team to work with small businesses. Vostro laptops start at $449 USD and are priced up to $799 USD for the high-end 17-inch model. The Vostro 200 desktop comes in mini-tower and slim tower form factors and starts at $319 USD.
Microsoft Finalizes Malware Portal
Microsoft on Tuesday took the wraps off what it calls version 1 of its new Malware Protection Center Portal. The site offers a malware encyclopedia for investigating threats, downloads of Microsoft's latest antivirus and anti-spyware signatures, listings of the top threats and other tools.
In addition, Microsoft has begun publishing a Security Intelligence Report that provides an in-depth look at software vulnerabilities. The effort to create the site comes as part of Microsoft's initiative to make its security division more open and public-facing. In addition, the company is encouraging customers to upload samples of files they think are infected, which could aid in protecting others. Feedback on the site can be sent to Microsoft here.
'Highly Critical' Flaw in Firefox 2.0
Security firm Secunia has issued an advisory regarding a newly discovered "highly critical" security flaw in Firefox 2.0 and later, which involves a special URI handler. Although the problem was initially attributed to Internet Explorer by researcher Thor Larholm, Firefox is the culprit.
According to Secunia, "Firefox registers the "firefoxurl://" URI handler and allows invoking Firefox with arbitrary command line arguments." This means that a malicious site visited in Internet Explorer could pass parameters using that URI handler that would be run automatically in Firefox, without any sort of validation. The firm suggests not visiting untrusted sites until the problem is resolved.
EarthLink Launches 'Freestanding' DSL
Consumers who wish to subscribe to DSL Internet service without paying for telephone service have a new option, at least in certain areas. EarthLink's Freestanding DSL runs $14.95 for 1.5Mbps of bandwidth and $19.95 for 3.0Mbps. These prices jump to $39.95 and $44.95, respectively, after 6 months. A 12-month contract is required.
Although phone companies such as Verizon has been offering what they call "naked DSL" service for some time, resellers such as EarthLink had to secure new deals with owners of the phone networks. Earthlink's Freestanding DSL will be offered in Verizon territory, which includes parts of California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Washington state, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, D.C., West Virginia and Wisconsin.
WVA Phone Outage Hits Hospitals, 911 Centers
A massive telephone service outage is affecting thousands in West Virginia, after FiberNet had a network failure that affected both its primary and backup systems. The problem began at 5:30am and continues to persist five hours later. Hospitals, fire departments, businesses and homes are affected.
According to individuals in the area, West Virginia's capital of Charleston is affected including the city's main hospital, along with Wirt, Wood, Mingo and Mercer counties. 911 call centers in Brooke and Hancock counties are also having problems. "Although no estimated time to repair is available at this point, FiberNet is working diligently to resolve this problem just as quickly as possible," the company said in a statement on its Web site.
TiVo Offers Direct Movie Downloads
TiVo on Tuesday bolstered its movie and television show download offering with Amazon by adding the ability to order programs directly from the set-top box. Previously, customers had to use their computer to make the purchase on Amazon, which would begin the download process.
Amazon Unbox, as the service is called, offers both purchases and rentals with prices starting at $3.99 USD. The company also offers a selection of 99-cent movie rentals on the weekends. Even with the on-TiVo ordering, however, the video will not be instantly viewable as it still needs to download. Apple is expected to add similar purchasing functionality through iTUnes to its Apple TV device sometime in the future.
iPhone Owners, Check Your Bill
Owners of Apple's iPhone are beginning to receive their first monthly bill from AT&T since the new purchase and are discovering a number of mistakes on the wireless carrier's part. Most notably, AT&T is not removing prior data plans, charging users $20 for the iPhone data, as well as up to $50 for their previous package.
Although Apple pulled off what many characterized as the biggest product launch of the decade without a hitch, things have not gone so smoothly on AT&T's side. Limited stock, activation delays and now double billing surely won't help reassure those who have switched, or are looking to switch, to the carrier. BetaNews calls to AT&T customer service went unanswered, as the company only has support staff working 7am to 9pm during the week and no one to help at all on Sunday.
Last.fm Signs Deal with Sony BMG
The reasoning behind Web radio service Last.fm's refusal to take part in the webcasters' "day of silence" protest of exorbitant royalty fees that take effect this month became clear Monday, as the company announced a licensing deal with Sony BMG.
Under the deal, Last.fm listeners will have access to Sony's entire music catalog; financial terms were not disclosed. The label said the service's recommendation and tracking features are what enticed them to the bargaining table. Last.fm, which is now owned by CBS and based in London, says its music library is now the largest of any Web radio provider, including rival Pandora.
Microsoft to Sponsor Free Zune Concerts
Microsoft said Monday that it is sponsoring a series of free concerts over the next month to help promote its Zune music player. Called Zune Live at the BBQ, the tour features several hip-hop acts and starts in Los Angeles on July 12. Other dates are currently planned for Chicago on July 22, and New York City on August 4. Viral invitations will be sent to fans.
Confirmed artists include Common, Mos Def, Bilal, Collie Budz, E-40, and Cham, among others. Microsoft said additional acts were still being confirmed and it planned to have a few surprise acts. "It's a way to show our appreciation to the hip-hop community for its support of the Zune brand and to bring the music to life for fans," Zune marketing chief Chris Stephenson said.
Real Adds Lyrics to Rhapsody
Following in the footsteps of Yahoo, RealNetworks on Monday added searchable lyrics to Rhapsody Online, the Web-based version of the company's subscription music service. Customers can view legal lyrics and listen to songs for free on demand.
The addition was possible thanks to an agreement with LyricFind, which has forged deals with major music labels to license song lyrics. Real also says it has indexed its new lyrics database so search engines can pick it up and drive more traffic to Rhapsody; lyric searches are incredibly popular on the Web. Yahoo launched the first legal lyrics site in late April through a partnership with Gracenote, which has licensed the content like LyricFind.
Intel Takes Minority Stake in VMware
Showing just how hot the virtualization market has become, Intel has taken a minority stake in VMware, now owned by enterprise storage company EMC. Intel is investing $218.5 million for 2.5 percent of all outstanding VMware common stock, and will gain control of one board seat. EMC paid $635 million for VMware in late 2003.
VMware, which is facing increased competition from Microsoft and newcomer Parallels, stands to gain a great deal from Intel's investment. The company will now have closer ties to the hardware its software virtualizes, although it must be careful not to cross any antitrust boundaries and US government approval will be required. For Intel, the deal is also a windfall: it is paying $23 per share, and VMware is preparing to go public for at least that much.
Live Earth Breaks Streaming Records
Microsoft's MSN division said over the weekend that its online simulcast of Live Earth had broken all previous records for online events with over 10 million streams served, surpassing the previous record held by AOL's Live 8 coverage in 2005.
That number is expected to increase as viewers come back and watch highlights of the concerts over the next several weeks on MSN's Live Earth Web site. Videos of the performances from about 100 artists will be included along with interviews, photos, and community features on the site, remaining available for "several weeks," MSN said.
Beta Test Symantec's 2008 Products
Symantec is looking for beta testers for two of its newest products, Norton Internet Security 2008 and Norton AntiVirus 2008. Both are slated to ship later this year, but the company has opened up the beta process to iron out the bugs before its final release. One of the major new features included in both applications is SONAR, which stands for Symantec Online Network for Advanced Response.
SONAR adds behavior-based protection to Symantec's applications in order to detect emerging spyware and viruses even before they are included in traditional signature-based definition files. The new versions of the company's software should also provide performance enhancements and make installation over a home network easier. Those interested in trying out the products can visit the Symantec Beta Web site.
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