CompTIA Updating Server+

<font size="3">CompTIA Updating Server+</font>

The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) announced today that it will be updating its Server+ title. According to CompTIA, the new version of the exam will launch sometime in the fourth quarter of 2004.

Objectives for the new exam are scheduled to be released within the next month on CompTIA's Web site. This is the first upgrade of the exam since its launch three years ago. The planned upgrade will not effect those already holding Server+, as the certification does not need to be renewed.

News Source: certcities.com

Microsoft teases users with 64-bit XP trial

<font size="3">Microsoft teases users with 64-bit XP trial </font>

Microsoft continues to redefine the notion of a software striptease with the 64-bit version of Windows XP, kicking off yet another early access program for the OS.

Rabid 64-bit computing fans can now pick up a trial version of Windows XP 64-bit Edition via CD or download off this Microsoft site. The pre-release software is good for 360 days and gives customers with an AMD64-based PC or laptop a chance to test the OS. The bra has come off, but you'll have to wait to see the pasties hit the floor.

Microsoft promised Windows XP 64-bit Edition for both AMD's Opteron and Athlon64 chips many moons ago. The software, however, has repeatedly been pushed back - surely a sore spot with AMD. Microsoft has been gracious enough to put out a beta version of the OS for developers - tuck your $1 bill in here, please - and has promised an AMD-ready version of Windows Server 2003....

Broadband through the sewers

<font size="3">Broadband through the sewers</font>

Thousands of Scottish homes could soon get high-speed internet access through the sewerage system. Scottish Water has launched a pilot scheme in Rosyth and believes leasing sewage pipes to broadband providers could drive down internet costs. It also avoids the problem of digging up streets to lay wires and could bring access to remote parts of Scotland.

Scottish Water said the first stretches of cables would be installed by the end of this week. Commercial director Chris Banks said it is a project that has been in the pipeline for some time. "Our partner Fibrelink is financing the network, the fibre that actually goes down the sewers, we are simply renting out the sewers to them," he said.

Full Story: news.bbc.co.uk

Mydoom author sorry for his sins...

<font size="3">Mydoom author sorry for his sins...</font>

A variant of the virus has a cryptic message in which the author appears to apologize for creating the infection. The MyDoom variant that joined the original virus in wreaking havoc on the Internet last week contains a cryptic message in which the author appears to apologize for the malicious code, security experts say.

The creator of what anti-virus experts say is the fastest spreading virus ever on the Internet signed MyDoom and MyDoom.B with "andy," and left the following message in the latter version: "I'm just doing my job, nothing personal, sorry."

Full Story: informationweek.com

The Mouse with the Blue Led and Fan!

<font size="3">The Mouse with the Blue Led and Fan!</font>

Ever had that feeling when you have been on the computer for a while and then all of a sudden your hand gets sweaty? We all have had that feeling one or more times before, and then you had to take your hand off of the mouse?

Manufacturers are constantly looking for new and unique ways to attract PC users in the growing modding community. Some products are so unique and bizarre that they boggle the mind and only tend to increase your curiosity. One such product is this new Optical Fan Mouse from Xoxide. Yes, that's right, a fan mouse. The purpose of the fan is obviously not to cool down the internal parts, but to cool YOU down.

News Souce: extrememhz.com

Microsoft responds to MyDoom Virus

<font size="3">Microsoft responds to MyDoom Virus</font>
Microsoft Consumer Virus Alert:

Why We Are Issuing This Alert

W32/Mydoom@MM spreads through e-mail. This worm can disguise the sender's address, a tactic known as spoofing, and may generate e-mails that appear to have been sent by Microsoft. Many of the addresses Mydoom uses are valid addresses that are being spoofed for malicious purposes.

Treat all e-mail attachments with caution, particularly .zip files in the case of this virus, even if they appear to be from a trusted source. Learn what to do about virus infections.

View: MyDoom Virus Information

New Wireless Standard to Carry Cable TV Signal

<font size="3">New Wireless Standard to Carry Cable TV Signal</font>

A new wireless technology with enough bandwidth to carry cable television signals from a wall-mounted outlet to a TV anywhere in the home could be on the market as early as next year, an industry group said Tuesday. The Multiband OFDM Alliance, led by Texas Instruments Inc, the world's top maker of microchips for cell phones, said it would publish standards for the technology in May. The group said it expected products with the technology, known as Ultra Wideband, to ship in 2005. Ultra Wideband operates at a lower power than the wireless local area network standard known as WiFi, but is capable of handling much larger amounts of data, including streaming video.

Full Story: reuters.com

UK IT jobs market picks up

<font size="3">UK IT jobs market picks up </font>

The IT recruitment market showed spotty signs of growth between October and December last year, with the number of advertised permanent and contract techie jobs showing modest increases.

The latest statistics from CWJobs' Quarterly IT Skills Index found that permanent IT vacancies rose by an average of 4 per cent between October and December 2003, while IT contract jobs increased by just one per cent.

The improvement bucks the seasonal trend which usually sees December being one of the slowest IT recruitment months of the year, according to the Internet job site.

The study predicts that the increases, although small, will mark a turning point for beleaguered IT pros, as they indicate that firms are again confident enough to recruit staff for what they expect will be a busier new year.

The numbers of advertised contract vacancies have consistently increased over the last 12...

Forums OPEN

Forums now OPEN

The host transfer has been successful and the forums are now open. You may find that some of the features such as the Resource links ans stats do not work fully. I will not be working on these until the .co.uk domain has been transfered over. You may also find broken links to some images, please do not raise threads on this as I will be working on them over the next few hours.

You comments on speed of the new host would be grateful.

Microsoft sues MikeRoweSoft

<font size="3">Microsoft sues MikeRoweSoft</font>

Seventeen year-old Mike Rowe thought it would funny to add soft to the end of name and register the domain, Microsoft, however, is not amused. It has demanded that he give up his domain name. In November, Rowe received a letter from Microsoft's Canadian lawyers informing him he was committing copyright infringement.

"I didn't think they would get all their high-priced lawyers to come after me," Rowe said.

He wrote back asking to be compensated for giving up his name. Microsoft's lawyers offered him $10 in U.S. funds. Then he asked for $10,000. On Thursday, he received a 25-page letter accusing him of trying to force Microsoft into giving him a large settlement.

"I never even thought of getting anything out of them," he said, adding that he only asked for the $10,000 because he was "sort of mad at them for only offering 10 bucks."

Microsoft company spokesman Jim Desler said...