Rumors have been around for some time about Google launching Google OS, an Operating System to compete with Microsoft Windows. Well…. now the rumors are circulating around the Google PC (with Google OS). The Latimes.com is reporting that Google has been meeting with people from Wal-Mart (and others) to distribute a cheap pc. This would be a Google PC running something other than Windows – Google OS….
Tag: OS
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Version 2 of the WMF exploit vs Windows 98 SE
Ok, I wasn’t quite satisfied with the results of the tests against the first version of the WMF (Windows Metafile) zero day exploit that’s now up to 4 or 5 days or so… Windows 98 is listed as being vulnerable, but there are no patches or workarounds currently available for Windows 98 users. I was mostly curious to see if current exploits could wreck a Windows 98 system. The answer at this point is not that I can see.
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Linksys changing WRT54G wireless router
Linux devices has a story on the Linksys WRT54G wireless routers. The WRT54G has been known for quite a while to be running linux and a community has sprouted up with customized software to add many neat features to the access points. However, Linksys is moving to VxWorks as the operating system for the routers in a move that will cut memory and flash sizes installed. (VxWorks is more of an embedded OS and many other network hardware makers have made the move.)
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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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How effective is the MediaMax copy protection?
One of the sub-stories in all the Sony DRM mess of the last month with the XCP copy protection was that it was really an ineffective way of preventing copying of music anyway. In other words, you could press shift while inserting the cd to avoid the installer, then other programs could access the cd/allow copying without the software installed, other OS’s could access the disc and rip the tracks. In other words it wasn’t very useful toward it’s objective of preventing copying…
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Keyloggers a growing problem
It’s interesting some years ago when viruses on Windows machines were SOOOO plentiful it seemed like that’s all I spent my time cleaning up, I thought… “you know, most viruses are prankster-ish programs. They rearrange icons, maybe cause Windows to crash, or send random files out to others, but they could be MUCH worse.” Since then, we’ve seen viruses used as delivery tools for mail relays (so that spammers can have more “safe havens”, we’ve seen viruses bring in spyware, both of the last two for “fun and profit”. I don’t know that we’ve really seen the WORST that a virus could be designed to do. However, I’m afraid we’re getting there.
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Ultimate Christmas gift for the tech that has everything (else), a satellite?
The story about the linux satellite that can be yours for a mere $10 million dollars caught my eye as I was skimming news this afternoon. Apparently a company called SpaceDev has launched the product called “SpaceDev Modular Microsat Busâ„¢”, which is a 220 pound satellite based on plug-n-play standard interfaces (ethernet, usb). It includes realtime linux as the OS, CORBA based object oriented control of subsystems and internet remote control.
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Linux network worm…
There is a linux network worm (virus) in the wild, which I’ve mentioned already in an earlier post. I did want to take a few moments to highlight this and dispell a few myths. (This is the first linux virus I recall seeing over at SARC in the last couple years….) Myth #1) linux doesn’t get viruses…. bull, this current worm is proof. Myth #2) if linux had bigger market share there would be tons of linux viruses – Maybe, but remember that much of the internet’s backbone runs on linux (all the machines at my providers webhosting company and indeed MANY others)
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Microsoft to bundle anti-spyware with vista
Well it shouldn’t come as a big surprise, but Microsoft is expected to bundle their anti-spyware product (which will be renamed windows defender) with Vista when the next version of the OS ships. It’s probably not a big surprise given the headaches that people have with spyware and the potential for a subscription update service. For most people this will probably be the only anti-spyware application they have.