Rumours surround Google browser

Rumours surround Google browser

The net is buzzing with rumours that Google is working on a web browser.

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Thanks to noelg24 for informing about this story.

VMware creates PC software condom

VMware creates PC software condom

Not satisfied with its prominent position on servers and workstations, VMware has charged the desktop with a new software package that creates "containers" of applications that can be centrally managed by an administrator.

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BT proposes changes to ADSL pricing structure

UBC pricing proposals - who are they good for?

UBC pricing, or Usage Based Pricing is meant to complement the Capacity Based Pricing (CBC) that has allowed some ISPs to start to offer 1Mbps services at 0.5Mbps service pricing. It is expected that the standard based pricing BT use for the BT Central products that link every IPStream based ISP to the BT Wholesale network will be withdrawn a few months after the introduction of UBC pricing.

UBC pricing apparently will work by BT Wholesale billing an ISP based on the 95% percentile of the peak bandwidth usage. So if a 34Mbps BT Central has a calculated peak of 26Mbps during a monthly billing period, BT will charge for 26Mbps of bandwidth. This means that an ISPs bill will vary from month to month, and things like the release of a service pack or security patch by Microsoft could push the cost to the ISP up vastly.


Full story: ADSL...

Be careful what you say on the net

Be careful what you say on the net

Online publishing is not outside the law, argues technology commentator Bill Thompson, and nor should it be.

The debate about who is responsible for material published on the internet took an interesting turn this week when the Sunday Herald newspaper paid former Nato secretary-general George Robertson undisclosed damages after admitting it had libelled him on its website.

Back in February 2003 the newspaper was running an online discussion forum about the 1996 Dunblane school shootings, when Thomas Hamilton shot dead a teacher and 16 children in a primary school.


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Thanks to Fergal1982 for highlighting this story

Intel sees big changes to the net

Intel sees big changes to the net

The internet must be changed to help it cope with what the future holds for it, according to chip maker Intel.


The US company's chief technology officer, Pat Gelsinger, says new uses and millions more users could stretch the net to breaking point.

In a keynote speech at an Intel conference, he said building a new network on top of the old would end many of the problems plaguing the net.

The overlay would avoid virus attacks and cope with traffic surges, he said.

Novel net

"We're running up on some architectural limitations," the Intel official told delegates. The basic technologies underlying the internet were developed more than 30 years ago and, said Mr Gelsinger, were never meant to cope with the number of users and amount of data traffic seen on the net today.


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BBC offers Games via broadband

BBC offers Games via broadband

The BBC will this week begin its first widespread use of live broadband internet broadcasting, for coverage of the Olympic Games.
Home internet users will have access to more than 1,200 hours of live coverage from the Games, with five broadband streams broadcasting exclusive events as well as normal TV programming.

Full Story: http://www.computing.co.uk/news/1157266

Mozilla to pay bounty on bugs

Mozilla to pay bounty on bugs

Users who identify and report serious security vulnerabilities involving Mozilla are to be rewarded for finding bugs in the open source Web browser software.
The Mozilla Security Bug Bounty Program, launched yesterday, promises a reward of $500 to anyone who finds a "critical" security bug in Mozilla. What constitutes critical will be judged by the Mozilla Foundation staff. Linux software developer Linspire and Mark entrepreneur Shuttleworth have issued seed funding to support the initiative, to be supplemented by donations from Mozilla supporters. The first $5,000 in community contributions will be matched dollar-for-dollar by Shuttleworth.

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Sysadmins need love too. No, really

Sysadmins need love too. No, really

It's that time of year again when we are all invited to appreciate that most unlauded of colleagues: the humble sysadmin.

Yes indeed, they may play air guitar to Rush, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Pink Floyd and Megadeth, but 30 July is the day when all that is temporarily forgiven to allow a heartfelt celebration of all things sysadminesque.

Full details on how you too can love your sysadmin are available on www.sysadminday.com. Here's how they put it: "A special day, once a year, to acknowledge the worthiness and appreciation of the person occupying the role, especially as it is often this person who really keeps the wheels of your company turning."

Source: www.theregister.co.uk

Microsoft makes up for 64-bit delays with OS upgrade plan

Microsoft makes up for 64-bit delays with OS upgrade plan

In a bid to placate AMD, Intel and its own customers, Microsoft has voiced plans to let users upgrade from the current Windows Server 2003 to a 64-bit version of the operating system at no charge.
Customers that purchase a new server running on either AMD's Opteron chip or Intel's new 64-bit Xeon processors are eligible for this deal, according to a report from CNET. Microsoft earlier this week irked world+dog by delaying a 64-bit version of its server operating system yet again, saying the software will not arrive until the first half of 2005. Many in the industry had once expected the OS to ship by the end of 2003.

Rest of Story: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/07/30/ms_windows_upgrade_plan/

Windows XP Service Pack 2: Install With Care

Windows XP Service Pack 2: Install With Care

The real surprise with Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 isn't potential compatibility issues, but the mayhem that can occur when SP2 is downloaded onto a system.

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