Microsoft Windows Update CD released to beta Testers

<font size="3">Microsoft Windows Update CD released to beta Testers </font>

Neowin has learned of a new beta released by Microsoft to its Windows Update Beta testers. The beta involves downloading an ISO of Microsoft's new "Windows Security Update CD". The CD, at 300 meg, contains most of Microsofts recent security patchs for Windows 2000 / XP users, although it is uncertain as to whether this CD is useful for Win 9x users. Specific to XP the CD has on it Service Pack 1 (a), Direct X 9, and Windows Media Player 9.

Microsoft have also included a useful tool on the CD called Windows Security advisor. In some ways, its sort of a trimmed down version of Microsoft Base Line Security Advisor (aimed more at Admins, find it here). The program essentially turns on automatic updating which for joe average this is undoubtedly a good thing, and also enables the firewall built into Windows XP. Again, undoubtedly a good...

An Open Source Effort to rival Windows

<font size="3">An Open Source Effort to rival Windows
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The government, electronics manufacturers and software makers launched a forum Friday to promote the development of a new operating system for next-generation networked appliances and other smart devices.

The forum is part of a trilateral initiative among the governments of Japan, China and South Korea to create, in cooperation with the private sector, an OS to rival Microsoft Corp.'s Windows.

The domestic forum is made up of 16 Japanese companies, including Hitachi Ltd., NTT Data Corp. and Tokio Marine &amp; Fire Insurance Co. and is supported by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

A similar forum has already been set up in South Korea, with China to follow suit soon.

The goal of the forums is to develop a new system based on open source software (OSS), which is compatible with numerous platforms because its source code can...

Windows XP OS Exam Beta Testing This Week

<font size="3">Windows XP OS Exam Beta Testing This Week </font>
Exam 70-271 also to continue beta testing to Nov. 20.

Microsoft began beta testing Exam 70-272, Supporting Users and Troubleshooting Desktop Applications on a Windows XP Operating System, this week; beta testing will continue until November 20. As well, Microsoft has also extended beta testing of Exam 70-271, Supporting Users and Troubleshooting a Windows XP Operating System, until November 20. Both exams are listed online on the VUE registration site.

Exam 70-272, numbered 71-272 while under beta, is the second of two exams that are prescribed exams for the new Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician. It's primarily aimed at those who troubleshoot problems with the operating system (70-271 differs in that it's aimed at those who support and troubleshoot desktop applications).

New Source:...

MS Releases Virtual PC 2004 to Manufacturing

<font size="3">MS Releases Virtual PC 2004 to Manufacturing</font>

Microsoft Corp. today announced the release to manufacturing (RTM) of Microsoft® Virtual PC 2004, a desktop virtual machine solution to help technical professionals migrate legacy applications to Windows® XP. Scheduled to be available by the end of 2003, Microsoft Virtual PC offers customers a cost-effective safety net to ease their migration to Microsoft Windows XP Professional and a tool to help accelerate the development, testing, deployment and support of PC applications. Microsoft Virtual PC 2004 allows enterprise customers to run multiple operating systems on one PC, so employees can run critical legacy applications on an interim basis while information technology (IT) professionals proceed with the migration to Windows XP Professional.

"Our enterprise customers have told us that virtual machine technologies are crucial for their...

Next-Generation Hard Drives

<font size="3">Next-Generation Hard Drives</font>

It's a hard-drive industry mantra: Each succeeding generation must be faster and fit more data into less space. But while performance gains have been modest recently, areal density (gigabytes per square inch) continues to grow. The result: roomy desktop drives, tiny portable hard drives that hold truly useful amounts of data, and other new products such as easy-to-install network-attached drives for homes and small businesses. And you can expect to see new functions and greater capacities in 2004.

A couple of years ago, adding an external drive meant choosing between easily portable low-capacity models and bulky high-capacity units. But that has gradually changed as hard-drive makers squeeze additional storage into ever-shrinking forms. Consider the smaller-than-a-floppy Archos 20GB ARCDisk ($250; no other capacity currently available). Based on Hitachi's...

Attempted attack on Linux kernel foiled

<font size="3">Attempted attack on Linux kernel foiled</font>

An unknown intruder attempted to insert a Trojan horse program into the code of the next version of the Linux kernel, stored at a publicly accessible database. Security features of the source-code repository, known as BitKeeper, detected the illicit change within 24 hours, and the public database was shut down, a key developer said Thursday. The public database was used only to provide the latest beta, or test version, of the Linux kernel to users of the Concurrent Versions System (CVS), a program designed to manage source code.

The changes, which would have introduced a security flaw to the kernel, never became a part of the Linux code and, thus, were never a threat, said Larry McVoy, founder of software company BitMover and primary architect of the source code database BitKeeper. "This never got close to the development tree," he said. "BitKeeper is...

Exchange 2003 Exam Goes Live Next Week

<font size="3">Exchange 2003 Exam Goes Live Next Week </font>
New exam for Exchange specialist titles debuts November 10.

According to the recently updated exam objective guide on the Microsoft Learning Web site, Microsoft expects to release Exam 70-284, Implementing and Managing Exchange Server 2003 on Monday, November 10. The exam is an elective option for the MCSA and MCSE on both Windows 2000 and Windows 2003 tracks. It's also a prescribed exam for the Exchange specializations for the MCSA and MCSE.

Exam 70-284 was only recently beta tested (see "Exchange 2003 Exam Beta Tested This Week" in the News archive), and follows quickly on the heels of the release of Microsoft Exchange 2003 and the Microsoft Office System in mid-October.

Exam 70-284 is aimed at IT professionals who have about a year's experience working in an Exchange messaging environment; Microsoft recommends this exam to...

Veritas drills into disk with new NetBackup

<font size="3">Veritas drills into disk with new NetBackup</font>

Veritas is getting down and dirty with data management, rolling out a new version of NetBackup and a host of complementary products that can scan deep into a customer's data stockpiles.

The centerpiece of Veritas' latest product dump is NetBackup 5.0. The most immediate gain customers will see over the 4.5 product is a 50 percent reduction in backup times and better restore speeds. Customers can now preform a synthetic backup that combines smaller, incremental data changes into the full backup without taking any systems down.

In addition, Veritas has added a desktop and laptop option for the NetBackup product. Admins can set a user's PC or notebook to perform automatic backups of data on the hard drive, or let users perform these backups manually on their own.

"There is tons of data out there such as a new presentation or business model...

Microsoft to offer bounty on hackers

<font size="3">Microsoft to offer bounty on hackers</font>

Microsoft will announce on Wednesday that it will offer two $250,000 bounties for information that leads to the arrest of the people who released the MSBlast worm and the SoBig virus, CNET News.com has learned.

The two programs attacked computers that run Microsoft's Windows operating system, causing havoc among companies and home users in August and September. The reward, confirmed by sources in both the security industry and in law enforcement, will be announced in a joint press conference with the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service and Interpol that's scheduled for 10 a.m. EST Wednesday.

The rewards are the first time a company has offered money for information about the identity of the cybercriminals. "It's a new approach," said Chris Wysopal, a security researcher from digital security company @stake, who hadn't known about the bounties and was...

70-297 Active Directory Exam Released

<font size="3">70-297 Active Directory Exam Released</font>

Microsoft makes available core exam for MCSE on Windows 2003 track.

Microsoft released Exam 70-297, Designing a Windows Server 2003 Active Directory and Network Infrastructure, on Monday, Oct. 20. (As we went live with this story, the exam guide hadn't been updated on the Microsoft Learning site.) The exam is one of many core exams that candidates must pass in order to obtain the MCSE on Windows 2003. Specifically, Exam 70-297 is one of two core options for the Core: Design portion of the track. (Exam 70-298, Designing Security for a Windows Server 2003 Network, is the other; it's slated for release later this year.)

Exam 70-297 is aimed at candidates who have in-depth experience designing and implementing Active Directory in a medium- to enterprise-sized network, including logical and physical design elements...