Download Windows Home Server RC1
As we detailed earlier this week, Windows Home Server -- Microsoft's latest iteration of Windows designed for linking together multiple computers in a home network and sharing media -- has reached Release Candidate 1 status. A 30-day trial download is now available.
Essentially, WHS is a retooled Windows Server 2003, with new services including one that pools multiple hard drive spaces together as an easier-to-manage partition, and browser-based management software whose ambitious goal is to be easy enough to be understood by the same guy who loses his remote under the couch every week. A final release is expected soon, with public availability set for "later this year."
Cox Joins Comcast in Bumping Cable Speeds
Cox Communications has begun rolling out faster versions of its cable Internet service to compete with increased speeds from Comcast and Verizon's FiOS, as well as a cheaper plan to fend off low-cost DSL. Cox customers will now see up to 15Mbps download speeds.
The higher throughput is due to the addition of PowerBoost technology, as well as Cox utilizing its "local hybrid fiber network," the company said. Preferred plan customers will see 9Mbps speeds, while the Premier plan tops out at 15Mbps. A new "Economy" plan offers 768kbps downstream speeds and 256kbps upstream, which is on par with many DSL offerings. Cox did not disclose pricing, as it will vary depending on the market.
Apple Plugs Windows Safari Security Holes
Just days after its beta release of Safari 3 for Windows became a zero-day nightmare with a number of exploitable vulnerabilities, Apple has rushed out version 3.01 to fix three security flaws. The problems only affect Windows, not the Mac OS X release.
The 3.01 update patches a bug that could lead to Safari running arbitrary commands via CMD.EXE, a denial of service crash due to memory corruption, and a flaw that could lead to a cross-site scripting attack. Windows XP and Vista users can download Safari 3.01 from FileForum.
Satellite TV Companies Sign Net Deal
Clearwire said Thursday that it had penned deals with both DirecTV and EchoStar, the parent of DISH Network, to allow them to offer the company's high-speed internet services as part of their packages in any current or future market Clearwire serves. The company uses WiMAX-like technology to provide wireless access to towns in 11 states, with towns in three others to be added shortly.
Through the deal, each of the satellite providers can offer Clearwire's service to its customers, while Clearwire can bundle DISH or DirecTV service with its own plans. Plans on both sides will be offered later this year. The company is also rumored to be in discussions with Sprint over its WiMAX offering, to launch later this year and nationwide in 2008.
Sprint Looking for Funding for WiMAX
With shareholder concern mounting over the cost of building out its fourth generation WiMAX network, Sprint is reportedly looking for other options to fund the project, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. One option would be a joint venture with high speed provider Clearwire, while the other would be to look for funding from its cable company partners.
The cost of construction would set the wireless provider back some $3 billion next year, however some of its largest investors have called the strategy questionable. Both options reduce the final cost, and may help to quell those fears. For example, under the Clearwire plan, the unit would be spun off. If Sprint's cable partners join in, they could benefit by being able to offer broadband services from the network.
AOL Opens Up Xdrive
AOL said it is opening up the APIs for its free Xdrive service to allow developers to incorporate the service into their applications. Consumers are given 5GB of space to upload any type of content they wish, with an option to upgrade to a 50GB account for $9.95 per month. AOL says that the API allows use of Xdrive in both web and desktop applications.
"Rich media management and online storage increases engagement. Giving consumers the ability to share their media assets help Website owners build awareness and increase their audience," said David Liu, Senior Vice President of AOL Portals. The API is available from the AOL Developer Network, Liu said.
Sony in Talks with Church of England
Hoping to smooth things over with the Church of England, Sony Computer Entertainment said Wednesday that it was in talks with the church over its use of the cathedral in its PlayStation 3 title Resistance: Fall of Man. Church officials find the scene offensive where the main character enters the building and then proceeds to shoot at enemies, and has demanded both an apology and monetary compensation.
Sony declined to give specifics of the talks, calling the situation "complex." However, it added that the church was not necessarily meant to be the Church of England although the building in the game is quite similar to the historic structure. Calls for action first arose last week after the Bishop of Manchester, the Right Reverend Nigel McCulloch called the scene "beyond belief and highly irresponsible."
Sprint Scoops up Another Affiliate
Sprint said Wednesday it had reached an agreement with Northern PCS of Minnesota to acquire the company for $312.5 million in a continuing effort to appease regional affiliates that objected to its merger with Nextel in 2005. The company serves about 167,000 customers across Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Iowa, and the deal is expected to close in the third quarter of this year.
The Northern PCS deal follows similar deals with various other providers. Sprint paid $3.4 billion for its largest affiliate Alamosa Holdings, as well $1.3 billion for UbiquiTel, a combined $2 billion for US Unwired, IWO Holdings, Enterprise PCS and Gulf Coast Wireless, and $6.5 billion for Nextel partner Nextel Partners, which served rural areas with Nextel's "push-to-talk" technology.
Test CA Internet Security Suite 2008
CA is seeking beta testers for the 2008 version of its Internet Security Suite Plus, its all-in-one application for protecting against viruses, phishing attacks, spyware, spam and other Web borne threats. The software bundles together CA's other products, including eTrust and the popular PestPatrol program (now known as CA Personal Firewall and CA Anti-Spyware, respectively).
New features in CA Internet Security Suite Plus 2008 are data backup and transfer, better anti-phishing capabilities, integrated parental controls, and easier installation. Testers will communicate directly with the development team to help refine the final product. Those interested can find more information and the short application survey on CA's beta program Web site.
Apple Says 'No ZFS' in Leopard
Apple executives at WWDC said that Mac OS X Leopard will not use Sun's ZFS 128-bit file system, contrary to reports that surfaced last week. Apparently, somebody forgot to tell Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz, who told a conference that Apple would announce the switch Monday.
Instead, Leopard will continue to use HFS+, the file system currently found in Mac OS X Tiger. The news is disappointing to many Apple enthusiasts who were looking forward to the improvements ZFS would have brought, including checksums to protect data integrity, disk snapshots for backups, and virtually unlimited storage space.
China Blocks Flickr Over Tiananmen Pics
Yahoo said Tuesday that it had reason to suspect that China was blocking its Flickr photo-sharing site. The move came after pictures of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre were posted to the site, which drew the ire of the Chinese government. While Flickr apparently loads, the image links are non functional and the company has confirmed it is not experiencing any technical difficulties.
Discussion of the Tiananmen massacre Square is forbidden in the country, and state media, the Internet, and books have been scrubbed of any references to the event. Yahoo did not specifically say whether the pictures were uploaded by a Chinese resident or by someone outside the country.
DivX Seeking Beta Testers
Video codec company DivX is seeking individuals to help beta test some "secret stuff" the company is concocting in its labs. Although it's not saying what software (or hardware) products it plans to test, DivX has built a streaming media set-top box code-named GejBox, after DivX's creator.
"We want to include a few avid DivX fanatics to help us make sure we’re building the best technology we can come up with," Gej wrote on the DivX Labs site. Applicants must have a home network with modern computer and an existing library of DivX media. Interested users must fill out a survey to apply.
Microsoft Hires Noted Linux Engineer
Microsoft quietly hired a former senior Linux engineer last week who will be tasked with running the company's joint research lab with partner Novell. Tom Hanrahan was formerly director of engineering with the Linux Foundation and also a former senior program manager at IBM's Linux Technology Center.
According to a statement from Microsoft, Hanrahan's work will primilarly center around "interoperable virtualization" between SUSE Linux Server and Windows. However, the lab will also would work on Office Open XML and ODF interoperability, WS-Management interoperability, and directory federation. Hanrahan will report to Sam Ramji, the head of Platform Technology Strategy at Microsoft.
Yahoo: We Support Freedom of Speech
Yahoo criticized the Chinese government on Monday, saying it shouldn't curtail its citizens' rights to free speech. The statement came just one day after the mother of jailed Chinese journalist Shi Tao announced she sued the company in U.S. District Court. Yahoo, along with its Chinese partner Alibaba, has been accused of leaking the information that led to Shi's arrest.
Human rights groups have criticized companies such as Yahoo, Microsoft and Google, which have all been accused of either kowtowing to questionable Internet restrictions or providing governments with information that have led to arrests and imprisonment. However, the companies have defended their actions, saying they must follow Chinese law or it would put employees at risk of legal action.
Dell to Sell Laptops at Sam's Club
Following an announcement last month that it will sell specially-made desktops in select Wal-Mart locations, Dell announced Friday that it will sell notebook PCs in 500 stores of Wal-Mart subsidiary Sam's Club. The PCs feature Windows Vista Home Premium, including 2GB of memory, and sport AMD's Turion dual-core processors. Sales are to begin next week, the company says.
Unlike the Wal-Mart deal, the notebooks sold will be the same as what is sold on its website, the Inspiron model number 1501. Although Dell spokespeople did not immediately have retail prices available, the systems are currently selling for $549 on the Dell Web site after a $100 instant rebate.
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