Computer Tips -Tech Info

Category: Software

  • KDE 3.5 released

    The 3.5 release of the KDE (linux) desktop environment has come today. Among other things, konqueror is now the second browser to pass the ACID2, CSS rendering test (ahead of Internet Explorer and Firefox). Konqueror also sports a new adblock feature. There are new applications in the kde-edu cluster of apps as well. This is expected to be the last major release before the KDE 4 series (which should be a fairly big change.) Service releases will be released as necessary for 3.5

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  • More on the MediaMax DRM software

    The OTHER Sony-BMG DRM (Digital Rights Management) software is in the news again today. freedom-to-tinker which did great research into the security flaws that the UNINSTALL process for both XCP and MediaMax had is back to give more disturbing news. What’s interesting here is that even declining the EULA for the software is no protection against having the MediaMax system service install and run….

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  • The eternal beta…

    Slashdot has a story from the Wall Street Journal online about why beta’s last so long. Google News’ beta, Microsoft’s Antispyware beta are both mentioned. This has become a new way of marketing software it seems, beta has gone from being considered pre-release/buggy software to… oooo new shiny software. However, with the beta is the disclaimer of liabilities of polished release software. If something goes wrong, “oh it’s just in beta anyway…”

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  • Making backups simpler

    Linux.com is running an article on easy automated backups with a new program called sbackup. Sbackup is a product of Google’s summer of code and is a GUI to pick and choose what to backup and when to routinely back it up. Apparently the project was also sponsored by Ubuntu. (I’d expect integration into their distro’s admin tools if not already then.)

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  • Xubuntu for older systems

    I can’t recall trying Ubuntu (maybe a livecd), but I’ve heard quite a bit about various variations on it lately. I’ve seen articles on business desktop use, certification by IBM (?) for running one of their applications and other various positive articles. I’m going to have to give it a try soon. Anyway, with all that this article caught my attention.

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  • OpenDocument format (ODF) versus Microsoft’s opening of MS XML

    There are a couple articles out today (last few days) on the growing conflict between the ODF (Open Document Format) Microsoft’s XML. For starters, the ODF came about as a response/alternative to closed formats such as Microsoft’s. The concept is that it is in the public interest for information to be stored in formats that are open and accessible to anyone. Last week Microsoft fired a volley with a modification to the license for their MS Open XML. They hope the file format will become an international standard. The format is to be used for the next version of Microsoft Office.

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  • Server sales numbers linux/windows

    On the back of new server sales numbers, cooltechzone has been declaring the demise of linux. I remember looking at the stats and numbers when they came out and didn’t see anything terribly surprising. (Windows server sales outpace Unix server sales), Unix server sales are not equal to linux server sales and have been declining for years, Windows AND linux server sales have been growing. Newsforge has an article on the numbers and get’s into the details.

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  • Old hardware has new legs with linux

    This isn’t actually news in the “new” sense, but to many people this is newsworthy. From slashdot… aselabs is running a bit on DSL linux on an older laptop (Pentium 266MMX with 64 MB RAM). Most people would agree that is old/slow hardware by current standards and this is something that can be useful still with linux as the base operating system (fluxbox as the Window manager – I think that’s what dsl uses?)

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  • Microsoft’s unpatched security bugs

    George Ou at ZDnet is mystified (as many of us are) at why Microsoft can’t patch ALL their security vulnerabilities. Most of the unpatched vulnerabilities are considered minor (as was the 6 month old bug that in the last week was discovered could be exploited for more than a Denial of Service…) His point is, if small companies (even open source groups) can patch ALL security bugs big and small, then why can’t Microsoft with it’s legions of coders?

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