Microsoft To Enter Hosting Business: "TM84 writes 'InformationWeek reports on Microsoft's latest revenue plan. Within one year the company plans to offer hosting implementations of Sharepoint as well as CRM and ERP applications.' From the article: 'One thing is certain: Microsoft is exploring myriad ways to deploy and charge for software, ranging from subscription models a la MSN to easier ways for companies to buy incremental products not in their current Enterprise Agreements. Some industry observers liken the hosting move to the 'turn on a dime' shift that Microsoft executed years back when it discovered the Internet. When asked which other products and services Microsoft would host, another Microsoft insider said, 'Everything. Hosted Office. Everything hosted.'' "

VS 2005, SQL Server 2005, .NET Framework 2.0 Released: "Microsoft on Thursday released to manufacturing its Visual Studio 2005 and SQL Server 2005 products, previously known by the code names Whidbey and Yukon respectively. Officials at the company called the RTM of the technology a significant milestone on the road to the launch of Visual Studio 2005, SQL Server 2005 and BizTalk Server 2006. The .NET Framework 2.0 has also been released. All will be available via MSDN today."

Optus to offer uncapped ADSL2+ speed: "Optus has begun preparation for its DSLAM rollout by launching a new information website containing information on ADSL2+ broadband and cheaper phone pricing, dubbed 'OptusDirect'."

Flash-based SATA drive: Doesn't come cheap, though US storage specialist Adtron will next month ship a 3.5in Serial ATA drive based on Flash memory rather than magnetic media, the company said yesterday.…

Google Gives Peek at Classified Ad Service (AP): "AP - Google Inc. has unintentionally provided a sneak peek at what appears to be a looming expansion into classified advertising — a free service that might antagonize some of the Internet search engine's biggest customers, including online auctioneer eBay Inc."

Office12 includes Business Intelligence: "Don't say bundled Microsoft is adding business intelligence software in the next version of its Office software - Office 12 - due in the second half of next year.…"

Mmm, tasty.

MySQL 5.0 Now Available for Production Use: "chicagoan writes 'MySQL AB today announced the general availability of MySQL 5.0, the most significant product upgrade in the company's ten-year history. The major new version delivers advanced SQL standard-compliant features such as stored procedures, triggers, views & new pluggable storage engines. Over 30 enterprise platform and tool vendors have also expressed enthusiastic support for the new release of the world's most popular open source database.'"

Company makes claims on XML patents: "Thanks Jugalator. Charlotte, N.C.-based Scientigop owns two patents (No. 5,842,213 and No. 6,393,426) covering the transfer of 'data in neutral forms.' These patents, one of which was applied for in 1997, are infringed upon by the data-formatting standard XML, Scientigo executives assert.

Scientigo intends to 'monetize' this intellectual property, Scientigo CEO Doyal Bryant said this week.

Rather than seek royalties itself, Scientigo has forged a tentative agreement with an intellectual-property licensing firm that will handle contracts with third parties, Bryant said. A final agreement could be announced early next week, he said.

'We're not interested in having us against the world. We're just looking for ways to leverage an asset; we have pretty concrete proof that makes us feel comfortable saying it is an asset,' Bryant said.special reportScientigo's claims are the latest to crop up in an industry that is sharply divided over the role of patents."

Evidence of the patent system in full swing. Thank you America.

Cyborg Cells Sense Humidity: "Gadgetizer writes 'Mark Peplow over at Nature.com published this story on 'Cellborg Technology' yesterday: 'Living bacteria have been incorporated into an electronic circuit to produce a sensitive humidity gauge. The device unites microbe and machine, taking advantage of the properties of both to make for a supersensitive sensor. 'As far as we know, this is the first report of using microorganisms to make an electronic device,' says Ravi Saraf, a chemist from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, who developed the 'cellborg' with his student Vikas Berry.'"

Next on the agenda: T1000.

Parents 'risk jail' by discussing children's detention: "The Federal Opposition says it is concerned that a parent could be jailed for five years if they tell their partner their child is being held under the Government's proposed anti-terrorism legislation."

From The Australian: "An increase in appetite is a well-known side-effect of smoking marijuana," Dr Mallet said.

"However, the way in which the brain controls the hunger-inducing effect of cannabis was not well understood until now."

The Best Science Photographs of 2005.

The winners of the 2005 Novartis and The Daily Telegraph Photographic Awards make an exciting and diverse set of images.

Captured using a wide range of techniques, from state-of-the art scientific microscopes to standard and digital cameras, the images cover many different areas of science.

For example, amongst the winning images we see a hatching mosquito, a close-up of salt and pepper, an artist’s impression of a migraine attack and care of a premature baby. And, behind the bold images lie some intriguing science stories – be sure to read the caption to find out what you’re really looking at!

The End Of The Light Bulb?: "sdmonroe wrote to mention an MSNBC article discussing the likely eventual replacement of common light bulbs by LEDs. That replacement is likely to come quicker thanks to an accidental discovery announced this week. From the article: 'Michael Bowers, a graduate student at Vanderbilt University, was just trying to make really small quantum dots, which are crystals generally only a few nanometers big. ... When you shine a light on quantum dots or apply electricity to them, they react by producing their own light, normally a bright, vibrant color. But when Bowers shined a laser on his batch of dots, something unexpected happened. 'I was surprised when a white glow covered the table,' Bowers said. 'The quantum dots were supposed to emit blue light, but instead they were giving off a beautiful white glow.''"

I want these.

Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 SP2 Released: "Microsoft recently released Exchange Server 2003 SP2 to the masses.

Following on from a public beta, SP2 enables devices with Windows Mobile 5 and the Messaging and Security Feature Pack for Windows Mobile 5.0 to accept push mail similar to Research In Motion's (RIM) Blackberry devices. SP2 uses an HTTP connection, maintained by the device, to push new e-mail messages, calendar, contact, and task notifications to the device.

SP2 also allows greater security for mobile devices. The introduction of policy settings for devices also administrators to:

Unlock a device with a password
Local wipe. Decide how many incorrect logon attempts are permitted before your data might be at risk.
Remote wipe. Lost, stolen, or misplaced devices are never out of reach. You decide when it’s prudent to reset devices remotely over the Web.

Finally, SP2 includes better protection against spam. The updated and integrated Exchange Intelligent Message Filter provides a filter to ensure a continued focus on identifying spam and reducing false positives. Microsoft have also included new support for the Sender ID e-mail authentication protocol."

Seaweed Found in Fiji May Help Fight Cancer, AIDS: "A type of seaweed discovered in Fiji could someday be used to fight bacterial infections, cancer, or even AIDS, researchers report."

Italy To Build World's Longest Suspension Bridge: "Rei writes 'According to the BBC, Italy has just granted contracts to begin work on the world's longest suspension bridge, connecting the island of Sicily to the mainland. The nearly four kilometer-long bridge across the Messina Straits is to carry a double six-lane highway and four high-speed railway tracks. Its main span will be 3.3 kilometers long; this would over 1.5x the current record-holder, the 1991-meter Akashi-Kaikyo bridge.'"

Pillows Dangerous for Your Health: "Roland Piquepaille writes 'I guess we shouldn't be surprised by the fact that our pillows are miniature zoos containing millions of fungal spores, with some species able to cause diseases and even death. Researchers at the University of Manchester have studied the fungal contamination of our pillows for the first time in seventy years and discovered that these pillows were hot beds of fungal spores. After dissecting both feather and synthetic pillows in regular use between several months and 20 years, they've 'identified several thousand spores of fungus per gram of used pillow -- more than a million spores per pillow.'"

Princess Mary admitted to hospital: reports: "Danish Crown Princess Mary was admitted to the maternity ward of Copenhagen's university hospital late on Friday, where she was awaiting the birth of her first child, the local media are reporting."

US troops starving Iraqis, says UN: A United Nations human rights investigator has accused the US and British forces in Iraq of breaching international law by depriving civilians of food and water in besieged cities.

Microsoft .NET Framework Version 2.0 RC: "'This Release Candidate is a pre-release version of the .NET Framework v2.0 (x86|x64) redistributable package. The Microsoft .NET Framework v2.0 Release Candidate installs the .NET Framework runtime and associated files required to run applications developed to target the .NET Framework v2.0.'"

"RobMowery writes 'CNN reports that North Dakota and other state governments are trying to pass laws to require people who are selling for others on Ebay to purchase an auctioneer license, attend classes (for a fee) and become bonded.' From the article: 'North Dakota's Public Service Commission is exploring whether people like Nichols, who runs a small consignment store in Crosby, must obtain auctioneer licenses before they can legally use eBay to sell merchandise for others. Regulators in other states are also eyeing similar restrictions or preconditions, moves prompted by the growing popularity of online auctions. To get a North Dakota auctioneer's license, applicants must pay a $35 fee, obtain a $5,000 surety bond and undergo training at one of eight approved auction schools, where the curriculum includes talking really fast ... Commissioner Kevin Cramer said he does not believe the law applies to people who sell their own goods over eBay, but it could cover those who sell property consigned by others for a fee.'"

LOL. Land of the free my fucking ass.

Google To Host Home-Video Uploads (TechWeb): "TechWeb - Move over blogging -- here comes Internet-based home video, to a Google server near you."

AP - Coming soon to a game console near you: a Steven Spielberg video game. The acclaimed film director and producer has agreed to develop three new games under a long-term exclusive deal with video game maker Electronic Arts Inc. The deal to be announced Friday reflects the increasingly intertwined interests of Hollywood and the video game industry.

Ubuntu 5.10 Released: "The Ubuntu team is proud to announce Ubuntu 5.10. This is the official Ubuntu 5.10 release, and includes installation CDs, live CDs, and combination DVDs for three architectures."

Comcast, Google Said in Talks Over AOL (AP): "AP - Google Inc. and Comcast Corp. are talking with Time Warner Inc. about acquiring ownership stakes in America Online's Web portal AOL, a person familiar with the discussions said Wednesday."

XSS IP Monitor 1.8: "Keeps you informed by e-mail when one of your servers IP changes"

This does the same as a little php script I wrote a while ago. The scrit runs every hour and emails me when there's a change of IP.

EF CheckSum Manager 3.00: "Checksum generator and verification utility"

Sources: Microsoft, Yahoo Reach IM Deal (AP): "AP - Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc. have reached a deal to make their two instant messaging programs work together, in a partnership that could provide a challenge to market leader America Online, people familiar with the situation said Tuesday."

October Security Patches: "As previously announced, 9 security bulletin entries has just been published. The outline is as followed:
MS05-044: Moderate: Vulnerability in the Windows FTP Client Could Allow File Transfer Location Tampering (905495)
MS05-045: Moderate: Vulnerability in Network Connection Manager Could Allow Denial of Service (905414)
MS05-046: Important: Vulnerability in the Client Service for NetWare Could Allow Remote Code Execution (899589)
MS05-047: Important: Vulnerability in Plug and Play Could Allow Remote Code Execution and Local Elevation of Privilege (905749)
MS05-048: Important: Vulnerability in the Microsoft Collaboration Data Objects Could Allow Remote Code Execution (907245)
MS05-049: Important: Vulnerabilities in Windows Shell Could Allow Remote Code Execution (900725)
MS05-050: Critical: Vulnerability in DirectShow Could Allow Remote Code Execution (904706)
MS05-051: Critical: Vulnerabilities in MSDTC and COM+ Could Allow Remote Code Execution (902400)
MS05-052: Critical: Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer (896688)
View: Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary for October, 2005

Microsoft gets Real for $761m: "Pride gives way to playlists RealNetworks has reached a $761m agreement to settle worldwide antitrust actions with Microsoft and integrate the company's media player and music services with Windows and Microsoft's search services.…"

The race for V8 Supercar TV rights: "Who broadcast the Bathurst 1000 beyond next year?"

Quake killed 'a generation': "A whole generation has been wiped out in the areas of Pakistan most devastated by the weekend's huge quake, a military spokesman says."

AP: FBI Considers Relaxing Drug-Use Policy (AP): "AP - The FBI, famous for its straight-laced crime-fighting image, is considering whether to relax its hiring rules over how often applicants could have used marijuana or other illegal drugs earlier in life."

Does this mean I have a chance at being an employee of the FBI? I highly doubt it.

Windows Vista Build 5231 Leaks: "A new build of Windows Vista has leaked, a week before the new build is expected to be released to testers.

The October CTP build released to testers will incorporate additional functions than this leak, whilst likely retaining the same build number.

Released with build 5231 are Windows Media Player Version 11 (still under the guise of Windows Media Player 10), which includes a smart new interface, and the latest Beta of Internet Explorer 7, with tabs adopting the more conventional ‘below the address bar’ style. New sound features are added with active output and input monitors, so hopefully previous sound problems have been resolved."

Nokia, Symantec Ally on Mobile Security
"NewsFactor - Nokia (NYSE: NOK) has signed a pact with Symantec to preinstall security software in the Series 60 Symbian-based smartphones."

Australia is world's 'happiest nation' - Daily Telegraph
Daily Telegraph - Oct 7, 2005
Federal Tourism Minister Fran Bailey today said more than 30,000 people across the globe participated in the 'happiness' survey by market research company Gfk NOP. The survey focused on factors such as environment, quality of life and health..."

Sign up for Microsoft Mail Beta: "We think you're going to really like the clean new look and other features -- at least we hope so! We need your feedback to make sure we are doing this thing right.

To sign up for the beta, please give us your e-mail address, and check the box if you want us to keep you in the loop about the latest developments. We'll use your e-mail address for this beta release and relevant updates only.

View: Sign up for the Microsoft Mail beta

Read full story..."

Google Goes to Washington: "DIY News writes 'Google has hired a lobbyist in Washington D.C. to influence the nation's laws governing the Internet, telecommunications and copyrights. Google sees a presence in Washington as a necessity as government becomes more involved in the Net's development. Among its efforts, the government has worked to shield private U.S. companies from demands by the United Nations and other countries for multilateral control of the Net.'"

Update for Windows XP (KB904412) - English: "Install this update to address several possible issues associated with connecting a Serial Bus Protocol 2 (SBP-2) device, such as an IEEE 1394 device, to a Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2-based computer. After you install this item, you may have to restart your computer.

Download: Update for Windows XP (KB904412) - English

Read full story..."

Hooray. This has been annoying be for a long time now.

Canada tobacco warnings now considered modern art (Reuters): "Reuters - Gruesome Canadian images of tobacco-damaged gums, lungs and hearts will form part of an exhibit at New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Canada's health ministry said on Friday."

Flash Drives Make Any Computer 'Personal' (AP): "AP - Students at Eastside Preparatory School in Kirkland, Wash., are getting class materials in a new way this year: on a tiny flash-memory drive that plugs into a computer's USB port."

White Sox Top Red Sox 5-3, Sweep Series (AP): "AP - Orlando Hernandez delivered a vintage performance out of the bullpen and Paul Konerko hit a tiebreaking homer as Chicago White Sox beat the Boston Red Sox 5-3 Friday to sweep the defending World Series champs out of the playoffs and win a postseason series for the first time since Shoeless Joe Jackson's team won it all way back in 1917."

Magazine Dubs Jessica Biel Sexiest Woman (AP): "AP - Jessica Biel has been proclaimed 'the sexiest woman alive' by Esquire magazine. The actress dons the cover of Esquire's November issue, following last year's honoree, Angelina Jolie."

VeriSign Acquires Weblogs.com for $2.3M (AP): "AP - Internet services giant VeriSign Inc. said Friday it has acquired Weblogs.com, a service that automatically alerts people when blogs and other Web sites are updated with new material."

I figured this was worth posting because Blogger has an option to post updates to Weblogs.com.

Bush claimed God told him to invade Iraq, Afghanistan