Hotmail complaints keep flowing in

Hotmail complaints keep flowing in

Over 50 people have contacted ZDNet UK in the last two months to complain of problems accessing Microsoft's Hotmail service. Some complainants say they have been unable to access the Hotmail log-in page, while others say they can't get as far as their own inbox.Although these complaints represent only a fraction of the total Hotmail user base in the UK, they indicate that Microsoft's flagship Web email service may still be suffering from problems that first emerged earlier this year.

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Desktop Linux for small business

Desktop Linux for small business

As desktop Linux becomes ever more professional, and with Microsoft still a year away from shipping its new Vista version of Windows, could now be the time to go open-source on the desktop? Of course, circumstances will vary from company to company, but if you're ready to make the move, there's a good crop of Linux distributions ready to accommodate your needs. We set ourselves the task of installing and configuring various desktop and notebook systems with five of the leading Linux distributions: Mandriva Linux 2006, Novell Linux Desktop 9, Red Hat Desktop 4, SUSE Linux 10 and Ubuntu Linux 5.10. We then attempted to implement some basic business tools for each distro: connect an email client to Microsoft's Exchange server; print on a networked printer; and set up instant messaging.

To find out which distro came out on top, click Here

CIO Jury: $100 laptop will boost Linux

CIO Jury: $100 laptop will boost Linux

Thanks to Rostros22 for suggesting this article. -Trip

The $100 laptop could mark a major breakthrough for the Linux operating system, according to leading CIOs. The hand-cranked laptop could be in the hands of schoolchildren in poorer countries by late 2006. The goal of the One Laptop Per Child project is to ship the devices in quantities of more than one million per order, for schoolchildren to keep. The group has already turned down an offer from Apple to provide the Mac OS X operating system for the systems because they want to use open source software instead - probably Linux.

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VMware Workstation 5.5 Unofficially Released

VMware Workstation 5.5 Unofficially Released

One of the most expected virtualization release, Workstation 5.5 (build 18463) brings in a lot of new features and improvements. This announcement is made before the VMware official one (which should go public on 11/29/05). -OS News

It's finally out.

One of the most expected virtualization release, Workstation 5.5 (build 18463) brings in a lot of new features and improvements:

* Full support for 64-bit guest operating systems and improved support for 64-bit host operating systems enable users to work in a broader range of environments

* Experimental support for two-way Virtual Symmetric Multiprocessing (Virtual SMP) enables multiprocessor virtual machines

* VMware Player gives you greater flexibility in distributing virtual machines

* Improved support for 32-bit host and guest operating systems

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Windows Vista: Got Hardware Advice?

Windows Vista: Got Hardware Advice?

With Windows Vista just around the corner, customers may be looking at new hardware to run the next generation OS. We want to know: Are you getting a lot of questions from customers about what kinds of PCs, monitors and such they should buy so they'll be in position for Windows Vista upgrades? What do you tell them in advance of concrete guidance from Microsoft? Has Microsoft's broad guidance been enough for you? Let me know your thoughts on this issue and you may be quoted in an upcoming Redmond Channel Partner article. Share your comments by using the form below or e-mail me directly at [email protected]. Thanks!

- Scott Bekker, Editor in Chief, Redmond Channel Partner magazine

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Sony sued over controversial CDs

Sony sued over controversial CDs

Sony BMG's woes in the US over its much-criticised anti-piracy CD software have deepened.

It is facing two separate lawsuits in Texas and California.

The Texan lawsuit accuses Sony of installing spyware and is seeking damages of up to $100,000 in damages for each violation.

Full Story Here

Just Deserts if you ask me - Fergal

New version of Sober worm pretends to be an email from FBI or CIA

New version of Sober worm pretends to be an email from FBI or CIA

Internet users are being warned of an in-the-wild worm which is pretending to be an email from an FBI or CIA investigator.

In the last four hours, the worm has accounted for over 35% of all viruses reported to Sophos, making it currently the most prevalent virus spreading across the world. The FBI is so concerned about the messages that it has issued a warning on its website.

The new version of the Sober worm arrives as an email attachment, with the following message body:

Dear Sir/Madam,

We have logged your IP-address on more than 30 illegal Websites.

Important: Please answer our questions! The list of questions are attached.

Yours faithfully,
Steven Allison
Federal Bureau of Investigation-FBI-
935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW , Room 3220
Washington , DC 20535
Phone: (202) 324-30000

(Sometimes the emails claim to come from the same investigator, but at the CIA.)...

Extremely critical Windows flaw code appears

Extremely critical Windows flaw code appears

A UK security researcher has released exploit code for a bug in Internet Explorer that could allow a remote attacker to take over Windows systems - even Windows XP with Service Pack 2 installed, according to security experts. The proof-of-concept code was developed by ComputerTerrorism, and takes advantage of an unpatched Explorer bug previously thought to be relatively harmless. "Contrary to popular belief, the aforementioned security issue is susceptible to remote, arbitrary code execution, yielding full system access with the privileges of the underlying user," ComputerTerrorism said in an advisory.

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CompTIA’s Security+ Passes 20,000 Mark

CompTIA’s Security+ Passes 20,000 Mark

CompTIA recently announced that more than 20,000 people had passed its Security+ credential by late October, about a year after the certification achieved the 10,000-certificants milestone. Growth in Security+, which covers topics like communication security, infrastructure security, cryptography, access control and authentication, shows no signs of slowing down, either, said Neill Hopkins, vice president of skills development at CompTIA. Hopkins cited a Bureau of Labor Statistics prediction that information security occupations would be among the top five ‘hottest’ jobs in IT over the next several years—with 10 percent growth projected by 2012—as an indicator that Security+ would continue to be in demand. “We anticipate that organizations will continue to focus more resources on combating IT security threats through education, training, certification and investment in security products and solutions,” Hopkins...

World of Warcraft Blamed in Youth's Death

World of Warcraft Blamed in Youth's Death

In the latest saga over online gaming addiction in China, the parents of a 13-year-old Tianjin boy are suing the makers of World of Warcraft, blaming the game for the death of their son, according to the Chinese news agency Xinhua. The parents filed a suit against Blizzard Entertainment on Wednesday, saying their son jumped to his death while reenacting a scene from the game, the report said. The parents are backed by the anti-Internet addiction advocate Zhang Chunliang. Mr. Chunliang has spoken to 63 parents whose children have allegedly suffered from online gaming addiction and plans to file a class-action suit, according to the report. Blizzard executives weren’t available to comment to RedHerring.com about the lawsuit.

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