Beta Testing of Desktop OS Exam 70-271 Nov. 3

<font size="3">Beta Testing of Desktop OS Exam 70-271 Nov. 3</font>

New exam for MCDST gets beta tested from Nov. 3 through Nov. 10.

Just announced weeks ago, Exam 70-271: Supporting Users and Troubleshooting a Windows XP Operating System, is expected to be beta tested from November 3 to November 10; Exam 70-272, Supporting Users and Troubleshooting Desktop Applications on a Windows XP Operating System, will be beta tested from November 14 to November 20. Both exams are listed online on the VUE registration site.

Exam 70-271, numbered 71-271 while in beta, is aimed at those who offer on-site, phone, or remote support to users of Microsoft's Windows XP Home and Professional Editions. According to the exam objective guide, candidates should also have working knowledge of workgroup computing or Active Directory domains. The exam is one of two core offerings that must be...

SQL Server on a non MS platform? Never!

<font size="3">SQL Server on a non MS platform? Never!</font>

The analyst community has long been saying that it’s only a matter of time before Microsoft starts porting its applications, especially its server-based business applications, to Linux. But one Microsoft notable, in the form of Gordon Mangione, corporate vice president, SQL Server Team, made a strong and clear statement that SQL Server would never be ported to other environments, when he addressed developers last week at the Microsoft Professional Developers Conference (PDC) in Los Angeles.

He was preaching the beauty of web services and how in the forthcoming Yukon version of SQL server, which is currently in beta, a stored procedure in an SQL database can be exposed as a web service, when he said: “Now, some of you are probably scratching your head and going, 'Why would I want to do that?' You know, a question I get asked a lot is, 'Gee, Gord,...

Processing at the Speed of Light

<font size="3">Processing at the Speed of Light </font>

Thanks to Tripwire45 for this article.

HERZLIYA, Israel -- An Israeli startup has developed a processor that uses optics instead of silicon, enabling it to compute at the speed of light, the company said.

Lenslet said its processor will enable new capabilities in homeland security and military, multimedia and communications applications.
"Optical processing is a strategic competitive advantage for nations and companies," said Avner Halperin, vice president for business development at Lenslet. "Processing at the speed of light, you can have safer airports, autonomous military systems, high-definition multimedia broadcast systems and advanced next-generation communications systems."

An optical processor is a digital signal processor (DSP) with an optical accelerator attached to it that enables it to perform functions at very high speeds. "It is an...

MiMail worm uses ZIP files to rampage across corporations

<font size="3">MiMail worm uses ZIP files to rampage across corporations</font>

A NEW variant of the MiMail worm family, version C, is proliferating across the world, according to security firm iDefense. MiMail.C has a DDoS component to attack DarkProfits domains and there's likely to be increased activity on Port 80, according to Ken Dunham a security officer at the firm.

He says it's dangerous for corporation, many of which allow people to transfer ZIP files to each other using email. That means, he says, that MiMail.C "has the upper hand when infiltrating networks configured to allow ZIP attachments".

Anti-viral programs should be tweaked to check compressved archives, he warns. But some AV progs might experience difficulties scanning such archives. There is a free removal tool. The EXE file can be found at Bit Defender, Dunham said.

Download:...

Rural Broadband

Rural broadband

Rural areas which are missing out on broadband via BT lines need help to create their own networks, say experts.

Getting broadband to rural areas can be a long journey But people have to be shown why high-speed internet access can make a difference to them, argued community leaders at a major industry conference in London on Wednesday.

Rest Of Story: BBC News Site

EDIT: Forgot to mention that this article was discovered by Kelton

THE TIMES, THEY AREN'T A-CHANGIN' - PLEASE READ !!!

The times, they aren't a-changin'

As you may know, our illustrious WebMaster SimonV is currently sunning himself in far-off climes, with scarcely a thought for us here in our various sub-zero locations.

Unfortunately, in his haste to depart, SimonV forgot to leave us the key to the CertForums cuckoo clock, so you may have noticed that our time is still currently displaying British Summertime

So please don't panic, you are not an hour late/early !

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause over the next week, but assure you it will be resolved as soon as possible.


The CertForums Team.

Novell surrounds Microsoft Exchange

Novell surrounds Microsoft Exchange

Novell this week announced support for Microsoft Exchange 2003 via its Ximian Connector for Microsoft Exchange. This will allow Linux and Sun Solaris clients the same rights, privileges and controls when attached to Exchange as a Windows email client.

This means that Linux desktop users can manage their e-mail, calendars, group schedules, address books, public folders and tasks in Exchange. Ximian is the company that Novell bought in August which has worked on the Gnome desktop GUI for Linux and this underlined a strategic switch to Linux for Novell.

Rest of Story : The Register

Achieving secure unwired bliss

<font size="3">Achieving secure unwired bliss </font>

Thanks to Tripwire45 for this article. Winn Schwartau writes an artilce on converting your mobile phone into a perfectly good cellular modem that connects to the Internet at a fixed speed of 230.4K bit/sec. For free!

Full Story: nwfusion.com

Yahoo! sets decoy email traps for spammers

<font size="3">Yahoo! sets decoy email traps for spammers</font>


Yahoo! has rolled out email enhancements and tools that enable users to set up hundreds of disposable decoy addresses, which if compromised by spammers and swamped by junk mail, can be deleted without affecting the primary account.

In much the same way that good old-fashioned pop3 accounts have long allowed users to set up practically unlimited email addresses, the Yahoo! AddressGuard system lets users set up secondary email addresses that are managed from the primary mail account.

"If at any time that address is sold or harvested by spammers, the email user can delete the address without affecting their primary email address," Yahoo! said.

The premium email services will only be available to subscribers of the firm's Mail Plus package which sports a $29.99 per year price tag.

Full Story:...

Microsoft is all business with IM

<font size="3">Microsoft is all business with IM</font>

Microsoft is set to begin its most aggressive effort yet to sell instant-messaging services to corporations--and it's pulling out its old playbook to gain traction.

When the company on Tuesday launches Office System, its updated suite of business applications, customers will find hooks to instant messaging (IM) features that are built into e-mail, word processing, spreadsheet and presentation programs. The idea is to let employees see at a glance from any corporate document up-to-the-minute contact information about each other, a feature known as "presence" in IM parlance. For example, an Outlook e-mail message might note that the author is currently offline and available only at their cell phone number.

The catch: To take advantage of these features, customers need not only to upgrade to Office System....