Nov

Newsletter

Issue 16

Vista update coupon programme

Last month was the 25th Anniversary of the Personal Computer. Launched in 1981, the IBM 5150 sold for £1900 ($3500) in today's money. It boasted 16Kb of memory and a 4.77 Mhz 8088 Processor. Despite the price it was an instant hit with businesses all over the world.

25 years on what would the same money buy you now? Keeping with the IBM theme $3500 will buy you a top of the range workstation. Normally used for high end CAD and graphics work the IBM Intellistation M Pro boasts a spec that would make many servers blush. The computer has a 3.8 Ghz Pentium 4 HT processor, 2Gb RAM and an advanced 3D graphics card with 640Mb RAM.

On a more realistic note the average desktop business computer is around £600 and will run hundreds of times faster than the original IBM 5150. It will be interesting to see what the next 25 years of the personal computer will bring us.

By Grant Peck

Microsoft will be offering consumers and small businesses that purchase new PCs after October 26 free or discounted upgrades to Windows Vista and the forthcoming Microsoft Office 2007.

Both software applications are slated for general availability next January.

"These programs ensure people will have a great experience with their Windows XP-based PCs today, and an even better one when Windows Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office release become available," said Mike Sievert, corporate vice president of Windows Client Marketing.

PCs that qualify for the Windows Vista Express Upgrade programme are identified by the Windows Vista Capable logo. Users may be charged an upgrade fee depending on the version of the operating system that comes bundled with their new system.

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Security industry leaders partner

Mozilla lifts lid off Firefox 2.0

Webroot Software, Inc., the leading provider of anti-spyware software for consumers, and Sophos, the world leader in protecting businesses against viruses, spyware and spam, today announced a technology partnership that will bring to market a new standard of protection against the most dangerous Internet security threats. Through the partnership, Webroot will license Sophos's anti-virus technology for use in select Webroot consumer and enterprise products.

The new Webroot solutions will integrate Sophos's advanced anti-virus research and technology into Webroot's award-winning anti-spyware software, Spy Sweeper, to provide consumers and enterprises with superior protection against both spyware and viruses in one tightly integrated and easy-to-use solution. These new products from Webroot will be available later this year.

"Last month alone there were more than 4,000 new pieces of malware discovered, all aiming to attack unprotected PCs. For the first time, home users can benefit from the powerful industrial-strength virus protection that has been defending businesses and governments for 20 years," said Steve Munford, CEO of Sophos. "Customers win because Sophos and Webroot are both dedicated to cutting-edge research and innovative security. Additionally, this alliance is an important part of Sophos's strategy to boost awareness of our best-of-breed expertise against Internet borne threats."

One of the first providers of anti-spyware technologies, Webroot's award-winning lineup of Spy Sweeper products has been protecting consumers, enterprises and small businesses from the most damaging and sophisticated forms of spyware since 2003. Sophos has also garnered international recognition for its award winning virus detection and removal in independent laboratory tests conducted by respected bodies such as the ICSA, Virus Bulletin and West Coast Labs. Customers can now enjoy unparalleled protection leveraging the global network of researchers at SophosLabs™ and spyware research at Webroot using its acclaimed Phileas technology.

"There is no doubt that spyware and viruses are the two most dangerous types of Internet security threats facing PC users today," said David Moll, CEO of Webroot Software. "In the past year, we have witnessed a disturbing increase in not only the prevalence and maliciousness of spyware but also the blending of these threats with varying payloads. By integrating Sophos's highly-advanced and proven anti-virus technology into our Spy Sweeper product, we will protect users from these threats with a single, intuitive solution."

The Mozilla Corporation has officially launched its new Firefox 2.0 web browser.

The final-version release of the popular open source browser touts built-in phishing protection and spell-checking for online forms, as well as an option to restore forms and pages after an application crash.

Firefox's RSS handling has also been updated, allowing users to decide whether to send feeds to an RSS reader or use Firefox's Live Bookmarks feature, which shows the latest headlines from a site rather than a specific title.

"The improvements Mozilla has made to the ease of use, performance, and security in Firefox 2 reflect our ongoing, singular focus on meeting the needs of web users all over the world,” said Mozilla chief executive Mitchell Baker.

Originally slated for release in Mid-August, Firefox 2.0 had been delayed to allow for bug fixes. The browser entered its release candidate phase in September and October.

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Mio GPS smart phone exposed

Microsoft opens up anti-spam standard

Mio will next week preview the A701, its first GPS-enabled Windows Mobile-based smart phone.

According to basic specifications, the device is based on a 520MHz Intel XScale PXA270 processor backed by 192MB of memory, of which we reckon at least 64MB will be ROM. The phone runs Windows Mobile 5, aka 'Magneto'.

The stylish candybar handset is equipped with a 2.7in, 240 x 320 display. It's also fitted with a 1.3 megapixel camera. There's no keyboard - the device presents a virtual, on-screen pad. Its radio supports tri-band GSM with GPRS. Bluetooth 1.2 connectivity is on board too. There's a SD/MMC slot on the side for memory expansion.

The GPS receiver is integrated within the body of the device, so there's no flip up antenna or receiver stub. There's a slight bulge on one corner, but nothing to snag on the lining of your pocket, we'd say. The A701 uses the SirfStar III chipset.

Mio is pitching the A701 as a phone with PDA functionality, rather than the other way round. While it's not the first smart phone with integrated GPS, it's the first we've seen that uses a conventional handset form-factor. It's certainly better looking than the iPaq hw6500 series, and even the inadvertently leaked upcoming hw6700 series.

Two weeks ago, the Bluetooth Qualification Programme website posted details of Mitac's A201 device. Mitac manufactures Mio's product, and from what little spec information included in the A201 certification data, it could well be the foundation for the Mio A701. The A201 is also believed to form the basis for an upcoming Medion-branded device, the MDPNA 1500.

There's no word yet on availability or pricing.

Microsoft has released its Sender ID Framework specification under the company's Open Specification Promise.

This allows software developers and service providers to used the technology without having to pay a license fee to Microsoft.

Sender ID in the past has drawn fire from open source developers because the previous Microsoft license didn't allow the technology to be deployed in combination with open source software.

There have been lingering questions from some members of the development community about the licensing terms from Microsoft and how those terms may affect their ability to implement Sender ID," said Brian Arbogast, corporate vice president of the Windows Live Platform Development Group.

"By putting Sender ID under the Open Specification Promise, our goal is to put those questions to rest and advance interoperable efforts for online safety worldwide."

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