New Office locks down documents

<font size="3">New Office locks down documents </font>

As digital media publishers scramble to devise a foolproof method of copy protection, Microsoft is ready to push digital rights management into a whole new arena--your desktop.
Office 2003, the upcoming update of the company's market-dominating productivity package, for the first time will include tools for restricting access to documents created with the software. Office workers can specify who can read or alter a spreadsheet, block it from copying or printing, and set an expiration date.

The technology is one of the first major steps in Microsoft's plan to popularize Windows Rights Management Services, a wide-ranging plan to make restricted access to information a standard part of business processes.

Analysts say it represents a badly needed new avenue for boosting sales of Microsoft's server software and an opportunity to lock out competitors,...

BT takes axe to business broadband prices

<font size="3">BT takes axe to business broadband prices </font>
With over half the UK's companies yet to embrace broadband, lower prices could tempt them on board

BT has cut the prices of its business broadband packages, in the hope of taking advantage of increased awareness of the benefits of a high-speed Internet connection.

From this week, BT Openworld's business ADSL services will cost up to £20 per month less than before -- a saving of £240 over a year.

Openworld's Business 500PLUS product, which provides a 512Kbps connection, now costs £65 per month, down from £79.99. Its Business 1000PLUS -- a 1Mbps service -- has dropped from £119.99 to £100 per month, while the 2Mbps Business 2000PLUS costs £130 per month, from £149.99.

These reductions will apply to existing customers, as well as new users.

We're cutting the cost of our broadband services to boost broadband take-up across the SME...

CD-Rs deliver degrading experience

<font size="3">CD-Rs deliver degrading experience</font>

Keeping data CDs in the dark for two years isn't a good idea. According to the Dutch magazine PC Active some CD-Rs degrade in months, even at room temperature without sunlight.

PC Active tested data disks from 30 manufacturers that were recorded 20 months ago. Several data CDs developed serious errors, or became virtually unreadable.

Source: www.theregister.co.uk

Microsoft Messenger upgrade boots unlicensed clients out

<font size="3">Microsoft Messenger upgrade boots unlicensed clients out</font>
So what about Trillian and Gaim?

A SIDE EFFECT of Microsoft's determined push to get people to upgrade its new version of Messenger is that from October 15th "unlicensed clients" will get the heave-ho.
We say it's a side effect. But we wonder if it's a dose of "you probably weren't expecting this" software licence stuff.

The Great Vole said that it's going to dump support for ancient forms of IM it's made and the reason it's giving is its Rustworthy Computing initiative.

According to W2K News, MSN Messenger 6.1 will beta test real soon now.

But, as the site points out, Microsoft is telling people that from October 15th it wants, needs, no demands a licence for third party messenging clients to connect to .NET. So where does that leave said clients? Queuing up to pay the Vole the modern equivalent of doubloons and...

Freeserve defiant after Dixons chooses AOL

<font size="3">Freeserve defiant after Dixons chooses AOL</font>
Dixons is to end a five-year-old promotional deal with Freeserve, as ISPs battle for new subscribers

Electrical retailer Dixons Group said on Monday it had abandoned its long-standing distribution agreement with Freeserve in favour of a deal with AOL, confirming weeks of speculation.

The move ends five years of history between Dixons and Freeserve and could have a substantial impact upon the UK's biggest Internet service provider's ability to acquire new customers.

Karen Thomson, chief executive of AOL UK, said in a statement: "We have already established an excellent working relationship with the Dixons team and believe that this agreement represents great value for AOL in terms of subscriber growth and brand awareness."

However, Freeserve said the agreement, under which Dixons promotes Freeserve's dial-up Internet service to...

Lindows turns to business market

<font size="3">Lindows Turns to Business Market </font>
Lindows turns to business market

Lindows.com has launched a cheap Linux PC targeted at schools, government agencies and businesses

Lindows.com, best known for its consumer-oriented version of the Linux operating system, launched on Thursday a low-cost computer for retail sites, government agencies, corporations and schools.

The $169 (£107) BusinessStation system can be turned on and configured by a centrally located administrator using Lindows' MyProfile service. That service, which starts at $10 per machine annually, lets administrators customise each machine for specific tasks.

The BusinessStation is similar to the WebStation, a computer that does away with the hard drive and floppy drive. Lindows launched the $169 WebStation in July. Earlier this month, the company released the full-featured KooBox desktop computer with a flat-panel...

Blaster arrest expected today

<font size="3">FBI close in on Blaster suspect</font>

The FBI are poised to arrest an unnamed 18 year-old today in connection with the release of a variant of
the notorious Blaster worm.

The teen has already been questioned by investigators and put under surveillance, The Seattle Times, citing two U.S. Justice Department sources, reports. He is expected to be arrested later today and charged with releasing a variant of the original Blaster worm.

The 18 year-old suspect was reportedly seen by a witness testing his virus, which was based on Blaster-A, the ur-worm

More details of the investigation are expected to emerge today from the FBI and US attorney's office in Seattle, the agencies leading the investigation.

Investigators believe a separate, as yet unidentified, individual created the original Blaster worm.

The Blaster-B variant of the worm was released on August 13, two days after the original...

Three More MCSE-Windows 2003 Exams Debut This Week

<font size="3">Three More MCSE-Windows 2003 Exams Debut This Week </font>
Two more exams for the Core Exams: Networking Systems portion of Windows 2003 credential, as well as an upgrade exam, go live Thursday.

• 70-293, Planning and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure
• 70-294, Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Active Directory Infrastructure
• 70-296, Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Environment for an MCSE Certified on Windows 2000

Exams 70-293 and 70-294 comprise two exams that MCSE on Windows 2003 candidates must complete for the Core Exams: Networking Systems portion of the track. (Two more exams, 70-290 and 70-291, are the others; they were released August 14.) Both exams are aimed at measuring the skills of MCSEs whose job roles include the functional design of networks.

Exam 70-296 makes up one...

It's the future of Windows ... Today!

<font size="3">It's the future of Windows ... Today!
</font>
Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows is dedicated to providing all of the information you need to evaluate Microsoft's upcoming Windows platform technologies. These exciting products include Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), Windows XP Media Center Edition V2 ("Harmony"), Windows XP Tablet PC Edition Version 2, and Windows Server 2003 SP1, among others. All are due by the end of 2003.

But as we get further out, future Windows versions promise to be even more exciting. The next major Windows release, code-named Longhorn, is due in 2005 and will include Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing (Palladium) architectural changes, as well as a new 3D video-driven user interface, new low-level APIs, integrated anti-virus features, and a SQL Server-based file system called Windows Future Storage (WinFS); Longhorn will also be accompanied by a new Windows Server...

Netgear flaw triggers 'accidental' DoS attack

<font size="3">Netgear flaw triggers 'accidental' DoS attack </font>
A flaw in some Netgear router models is responsible for causing huge denial of service attacks - by accident

Network hardware maker Netgear has warned its customers that a flaw in some of its router products that could set off an "accidental" denial of service (DoS) attack.

The problem occurs because of a flawed implementation of the Network Time Protocol (NTP), which is a method commonly used by network devices to contact special "time" servers that pass on the correct time and date. This information is important for routers because they generate a variety of time-sensitive logs.

The flawed routers work fine until the moment one of their periodic requests for the correct time goes unanswered. If for whatever reason the "time" server is unavailable, the flawed router will continue sending requests until it is answered.

full...