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Kick the Microsoft habit in 12 steps Do you know

Kick the Microsoft habit in 12 steps
Do you know you want to beat your Microsoft addiction but don't know where to start? Well, there is a new book with all the answers: "Just say no to Microsoft: How to ditch Microsoft . . .

HP Hurd flying high in 2005
It's certainly nicer than fighting your way up traffic-clogged U.S. Highway 101 every morning. Part of Hewlett-Packard CEO Mark Hurd's 2005 compensation package included the use . . .

Novell Launches Linux Product, Services Bundle for SMB
Novell announced it will bundle support and training offerings with its market leading SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, making it easier than ever for small and medium-sized businesses to now leverage the power of Linux. The offering includes the Linux software, an online training module and technical support.

New Management Dashboard for Compiere's Open Source ERP & CRM Application Announced (TechWeb)
TechWeb - Dashboard provides at-a-glance view of key performance indicators for more effective business strategy implementation and corporate objective tracking.

Mozilla Releases Firefox Update -- On Purpose This Time (TechWeb)
TechWeb - Release of open-source browser Ver. 1.5.0.1, with minor security and stability enhancements, is official this week after inadvertent upgrades confused users last week.

Novell Shows Off Linux Desktop 10 (PC World)
PC World - Software lets users play videos and MP3s and offers easier access to digital images.

Hmmm, Someone Seems to Be Borrowing My Identity
So a couple of weeks ago, I was perusing recent activity on my American Express card and discovered a charge of $29.99 from a site called AmericanSingles.com. Which was a surprise--if someone was signing up for dating services using my...

Blogger Gains Following With Iraq Reports (AP)

AP - He didn't have to go, it wasn't his job and nobody paid him to do it. But Michael Yon says he went to Iraq because he wanted to see for himself what was happening in the war zone.

Target Selects Microsoft Technologies for Its 1,400 Retail Stores Throughout

Target Selects Microsoft Technologies for Its 1,400 Retail Stores Throughout the U.S.
Microsoft Corp. today announced that Target Corp., the nation's second-largest discount general merchandise retailer, will adopt Microsoft(R) .NET Framework- based technologies within its 1,400 stores in 47 U.S. states. Target will migrate its systems within each store to the Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0, Windows Server(TM) 2003 and Microsoft SQL Server(TM) 2005, core technologies that deliver on the Microsoft Smarter Retailing strategy for connecting people, information, systems and devices.

Yahoo Pushes Blogs for Businesses (PC World)
PC World - Many small companies don't see the need for blogs, Internet giant finds.

Adobe Patches Photoshop, Illustrator Flaws (PC Magazine)
PC Magazine - The Web design and print publishing software maker pushes out an "important" security update to cover code execution flaws in the Adobe Creative Suite 2 product.

SOA Web Services Vendor Intersperse Releases Manager 5.0
Intersperse Manager 5.0 supports WebLogic Application Platform Suite, WebLogic Server, WebLogic Portal and WebLogic Integration. With this release Intersperse Manager also supports WebLogic Server 9.0 while going beyond the BEA WebLogic platform environment by supporting IBM WebSphere, Tomcat/JBoss and Microsoft .NET environments.

'Not too late for corporate leadership' in China, Google told (AFP)

AFP - A New York-based rights group told Internet company Google it is "not too late for corporate leadership," criticizing the search engine for self-censorship in China.

Submit your questions for Windows' chief Want to know why

Submit your questions for Windows' chief
Want to know why you should buy Vista, the next version of Windows? Here's your opportunity to go straight to the source: Jim Allchin, the man behind Vista's development. On . . .

Top Ten Coolest iPod Accessories
If you've got disposable cash to spend on improving your iPod investment but you're not sure which accessories will give you the most enjoyment, wonder no more. Here is a list of the ten best products to enhance your IPod experience.

Samsung + Vodafone + Qualcomm = 3.5G HSDPA Cellphone for Europe
Samsung will supply Vodafone with new mobile phones that use Qualcomm chips and take advantage of HSDPA, a next-step technology developed for use over networks based on WCDMA, the world's most popular third-generation (3G) mobile standard.

RIM Wins Patent Case in the U.K.
BlackBerry maker still faces an ongoing lawsuit in the U.S.

Softwired Releases JMS-based Instant Messaging Application 'iBusU' as Open Source Code
Softwired has announced the release of its Java [JMS] based Instant Messaging chat program called iBusU under the open source Apache License, Version 2.0. iBusU takes advantage of the JMS classes enabling real time chat between two and many users. iBusU and 'uBusMe'. iBusU is Softwired's contribution to Instant Messaging [IM], an application written in Java [JMS] that delivers non-restrictive, secure and compliant enterprise instant messaging.

Linux/Unix more flawed than Windows, CERT says
The U.S. Government has reported that fewer vulnerabilities were found in Windows than in Linux/Unix operating systems in 2005. Linux/Unix-based operating systems--a set that includes . . .

Winter woes
Salesforce.com customers complained of an intermittent outage Monday that lasted for several hours, leaving some customers miffed at these latest developments that they attribute . . .

Open Source Mozilla Thunderbird 1.5 E-Mail Client Now Available
Mozilla Corp. today announced the launch of Thunderbird 1.5, the latest version of its full-featured email client, available now as a free download at www.getthunderbird.com. Thunderbird has attracted more than 18 million downloads since its launch in December 2004. 'With a host of new and improved features, Thunderbird 1.5 provides users with a robust, free email alternative,' said Christopher Beard, vice president of products at Mozilla Corp. 'Thunderbird enhances the overall email experience, adding anti-phishing capabilities to help keep people safer, while also integrating and simplifying access to new technologies, such as RSS (Really Simple Syndication).'

Mozilla Issues Fixes for Firefox Security Holes
Mozilla has released a security update that patches eight vulnerabilities in its Firefox browser. The company gave the flaws severity ratings ranging from "low" to "critical." The critical flaw could allow attackers to instruct a system to perform certain tasks on start-up without the user's permission, effectively allowing control of the system.

The OO Database Advantage
Here's a question: If you write your application's code in an OO language - such as C#, VB.NET, or managed C++ - why not write database query and update code in the same language? It would certainly make life simpler, wouldn't it? At the very least, you'd only have to hold one language in your head - not your programming language and SQL.

E-Trade VP Talks Open-Source (PC Magazine) PC Magazine - Q&A:

E-Trade VP Talks Open-Source (PC Magazine)
PC Magazine - Q&A: E-Trade's Vice President of Architecture Lee Thompson explains how the company has leveraged open source to save millions of dollars annually.

Is Deal Between Google and AOL Disastrous?
The new 'alliance' between Google and AOL is moving forward, to the apparent chagrin of suitor Microsoft, but the early analysis of the deal shows a concern by at least one major AOL investor over what the deal portends. Is this a disaster?

VoIP Struggles Toward Prime Time

With the departure of FCC chairman Michael Powell, it looks like telecom
regulation reform isn't going to happen this year. What a surprise wink wink.
But regulation snafus are only one barrier in the minefield that Internet telephony
providers must cross in order to bring the technology to the masses. It's not
going to happen overnight, but VoIP is coming. So who will cash in? Will it be
cable companies, wireless providers or VoIP-focused specialty players like
Vonage? Will consumers save money in the end? And are local telephone
companies doomed as voice communications slowly but surely turn to the
Internet?

World of film reviews changed by Internet (Reuters)
Reuters - Once upon a time, you checked your local newspaper's film critic for advice about what to see on any given weekend. Or maybe you read the New York Times, Entertainment Weekly or the New Yorker, or checked out TV critics with national clout such as Roger Ebert or Gene Shalit.

December Vista preview coming soon After skipping a November release,

December Vista preview coming soon
After skipping a November release, Microsoft is expected early next week to deliver an updated test version of Windows Vista. Enthusiast site Bink.nu said to expect the Community . . .

Novell Delivers Comprehensive Bundled Linux Solution for Mid-sized Enterprises
Novell has announced it will bundle support and training offerings with its market leading SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, making it easier than ever for small and medium-sized businesses to now leverage the power of Linux. With this new offering, Novell solution provider partners, the company?s primary channel to the mid-market, can now deliver a comprehensive Linux solution, including 24x7 support and online assistance, to their customers.

AT&T Slashes Intro Rate for DSL Service
Firing what could become the opening salvo in a price war for high-speed Internet access, AT&T has launched an online-only offer that provides high-speed home Web access for US$12.99 per month. The price is available only to first-time broadband users who are also telephone subscribers.

AT&T Slashes Intro Rate for DSL Service
Firing what could become the opening salvo in a price war for high-speed Internet access, AT&T has launched an online-only offer that provides high-speed home Web access for US$12.99 per month. The price is available only to first-time broadband users who are also telephone subscribers.

Parasoft Extends European Presence by Opening Netherlands Office
Parasoft Corporation, provider of automated error prevention solutions, has announced the opening of business operations in the Netherlands to support the growing European market demand for improved software reliability, security, and performance.

EPIC Petition Catches FCC's Attention
The agency will consider the watchdog's call for harsher security standards for carriers.

AMD Hack Points to Widespread Web Forum Flaws, Attacks (PC Magazine)
PC Magazine - Hackers are targeting unpatched holes in open-source software that runs bulletin boards and online forums, according to Internet analysts.

Mozilla Updates Firefox To Address Security, Stability (NewsFactor)
NewsFactor - Mozilla this week delivered an update to its Firefox browser to address several software vulnerabilities and improve the product's overall stability.

Open Source Gaining Ground in Federal IT Sector, Say Experts
More than ever before, information managers are under intense pressure to standardize their environments for the sharing of information - and to do so in ways that beef-up data security. That was the consensus of top IT experts who recently gathered for an industry summit webcast, 'The Case for Linux in the Federal IT Sector,' conducted by Larstan Business Reports.

CMP Media Acquires MediaLive International's Technology Media Group
CMP Media today announced that it has acquired MediaLive International's Technology Media Group, including a premier portfolio of events, conferences and publications. This acquisition, the sixth in the past five months, further expands CMP Media's brand portfolio and its ability to provide access, insight and actionable programs that more closely connect technology sellers to buyers.

Microsoft Commits to New Versions of Office for Mac 'Microsoft

Microsoft Commits to New Versions of Office for Mac
'Microsoft has a history of successful collaboration with Apple, and this agreement underscores our commitment to the Mac platform,' said Tom Gibbons, vice president of the Consumer Productivity eXperiences Business at Microsoft. 'We've had many years of success with Office for Mac, and this formal commitment confirms that we're in the Mac business for the long haul.' 'Microsoft's Mac BU continues to be a great Mac developer, bringing innovative and compatible versions of Microsoft Office to Mac customers,' said Philip Schiller, senior vice president of worldwide product marketing at Apple. 'The Mac platform has never been stronger, and we're pleased that Microsoft is committed to delivering great Mac products for many years to come.'

Podcast makes Briton an unlikely Internet icon (Reuters) Reuters -

Podcast makes Briton an unlikely Internet icon (Reuters)
Reuters - Unemployed British radio producer Karl Pilkington has become an unlikely superstar by using the new medium of podcasting for his bizarre statement about eating an animal's private parts.

Amazon.com sales miss Street target
Amazon.com Inc. said net profit fell in its crucial holiday quarter as shipping and technology costs rose while revenue was shy of Wall Street expectations.

Microsoft's Live Labs Launches: Think Tank/Incubator for the "Web 2.0" Era
Last week, Microsoft marshaled its vast resources and influence to launch a full-blown think tank and incubator for the disruptive and increasingly pervasive technologies and products of the Web 2.0 age: it's called Live Labs. Dion Hinchcliffe was fortunate to be in invited attendance at Microsoft's terrific Search Champs conference last week and had a front row seat to listen to Dr. Gary Flake as he explained the innovative vision for this new and extensive research organization.

Macworld on the Intel iMac
Good first look at the new Intel-based iMac over at our sister site Macworld. Bottom line: Macworld's tests don't back up Apple's claim of the Core Duo iMac delivering a 2X performance improvement over G5-based iMacs. (That's not exactly a...

Computer 'worm' virus slated to strike Friday (AFP) AFP -

Computer 'worm' virus slated to strike Friday (AFP)

AFP - Computer users were being urged to kill a malicious "old school" software worm poised to destroy their files.

Google buy of radio ad firm gets antitrust nod (Reuters)

Reuters - Web search company Google Inc. has received U.S. antitrust clearance to acquire the privately held radio advertising firm dMarc Broadcasting Inc., U.S. authorities said on Wednesday.

DataDirect ODBC Chosen to Enhance Business Analytics
Select Comfort will embed DataDirect Connect for ODBC within the company?s new data warehouse to serve as a foundation for migrating data housed on heterogeneous platforms into a single database suite. DataDirect?s ODBC components will also enable Select Comfort to extend the value of its customer and financial data, as Select Comfort begins build-out of sophisticated applications allowing advanced metrics reporting and analytics on ROI and effectiveness of its programs.

Service Taxonomy and Service Ontologies Deliver Success to Enterprise SOA
A lot has been written on the approach to service-oriented architecture (SOA) migration. Although they are referred to by many names, there is the strategic approach, which is of high quality and so is also costly and initially less responsive because of the analysis involved up front. Then there is the organic growth approach, in which services are developed on an as-needed basis within the context of projects, which is responsive, but leads to redundancy and the lack of vision leads to unmanageability later. Finally, there is the hybrid approach, which attempts to take the best of both of these worlds. It is so very important that the business analysis is not cast aside when developing the SOA through this hybrid approach to migration.

Torvalds Says No to GPL 3 for Linux (NewsFactor)
NewsFactor - Linus Torvalds, the developer of the Linux kernel, has publicly stated his opposition to the digital-rights management (DRM) provisions that have been proposed for the new version of the GNU General Public License (GPL). The GPL is used by many open-source software developers.

The Week in Microsoft: Redmond Reports Record-High Quarter – $11.84BN
Kevin Turner, chief operating officer at Microsoft, and the company's CFO Chris Liddell were able on Thursday to announce revenue of $11.84 billion for the quarter ended December 31, 2005, a 9% increase over the same period of the prior year, marking the highest quarterly revenue in the company's history.

AFP Suit Against Google Tests Concept of "Fair Use"

What constitutes fair use of copyrighted content on the Internet? These boundaries may be shaped by a lawsuit filed recently against Google by the French news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP). In the most highly publicized suit of its kind, AFP is arguing that Google wrongfully aggregated photos and story excerpts from its news sites in order to populate Google News. Now, the general mode of thinking about content on the Web has always gone something like this: "If the content is out there, and it ain't locked down (i.e., password protected), then you can link to it, aggregate it, and organize it however you want." In other words, to quote a popular open-source mantra, information wants to be free.

IT Employees Recapturing Power of 1990s
IT employees are starting to gain back some of the clout they had during the 1990s, as hiring in the technology field has accelerated during the last six quarters. "A key component of the technology economy is IT employment, and it's going through a major transition," said Joel Dibble, a spokesman for Robert Half Technology.

Adobe Patches Photoshop, Illustrator Flaws (PC Magazine) PC Magazine -

Adobe Patches Photoshop, Illustrator Flaws (PC Magazine)
PC Magazine - The Web design and print publishing software maker pushes out an "important" security update to cover code execution flaws in the Adobe Creative Suite 2 product.

RadioShack Becomes Single Largest Distribution Outlet for Cingular Wireless
'We've been diligently planning for months to effectively and efficiently manage the addition of Cingular to our wireless family,' said David Edmondson, RadioShack's president and chief executive officer, as he today announced the immediate availability of Cingular Wireless products and services in more than 5,000 RadioShack stores across the United States.

DataDirect ODBC Chosen to Enhance Business Analytics
Select Comfort will embed DataDirect Connect for ODBC within the company?s new data warehouse to serve as a foundation for migrating data housed on heterogeneous platforms into a single database suite. DataDirect?s ODBC components will also enable Select Comfort to extend the value of its customer and financial data, as Select Comfort begins build-out of sophisticated applications allowing advanced metrics reporting and analytics on ROI and effectiveness of its programs.

More Than Half of Americans Now File Taxes Online

It's tax time again, and those of you who are filling out paper forms and licking stamps are in the minority for the first time ever. When all returns are in, the IRS expects to have surpassed the 50 percent mark for electronic returns, reports CNET. Why the rush to the Net? Why the promise of quicker returns, of course. And here's something I didn't know: The IRS actually requires CPAs to file returns electronically these days. One possible roadblock to mass adoption, however, is that the IRS doesn't let people file taxes directly through its Web site, but instead offers its "Free File" program that lets taxpayers file electronically through tax preparation software and service providers with whom the IRS has partnerships.

WebSphere and SOA: Service Component Architecture
In the world of IT and computer software development, Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) has been the architectural find of the 21st century that promises to solve most of the problems that has plagued software development efforts over the previous few decades. The IT industry now considers SOA as the Holy Grail to solve the inherent problems of inflexible, high maintenance software applications.

MSN Search Provided DOJ with "Absolutely No Personal Data"
57 bloggers/online experts gathered in Redmond yesterday at the 'MSN Search Champs' event were invited to discuss with senior MSN management the recent news and concerns around the data MSN Search, Yahoo and AOL provided to the US government. The precise nature of the information hadn't been disclosed...until now. It turns out that it was nothing more than an innocuous two-column list of search terms and frequency.

OnStar Moves Technology Platform To SOA
OnStar, a provider of vehicle GPS systems, is moving its technology platform from Web services to service-oriented architecture (SOA). The company has plans to move between seven and eight application platforms, such as Emergency Services, Vehicle Services, Business Objects and Billing to SOA.

Torvalds Says No to GPL 3 for Linux (NewsFactor)
NewsFactor - Linus Torvalds, the developer of the Linux kernel, has publicly stated his opposition to the digital-rights management (DRM) provisions that have been proposed for the new version of the GNU General Public License (GPL). The GPL is used by many open-source software developers.

Mozilla Updates Firefox To Address Security, Stability (NewsFactor)
NewsFactor - Mozilla this week delivered an update to its Firefox browser to address several software vulnerabilities and improve the product's overall stability.

Buy an iPod From a Vending Machine Fun story over

Buy an iPod From a Vending Machine
Fun story over at our sister site PlaylistMag.com on a company that makes vending machines that dispense iPods, PSPs, and other tech gadgets. The specific machine mentioned at the top of the story is about a mile from here; I'll...