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Software

Submission + - GPL v3 Release Timetable Set

Submitted by
mrbluze
mrbluze writes: "Linux.com has an article by Bruce Byfield regarding the timeline for the GPLv3 drafting and release. Despite many delays it now appears that the Free Software Foundation has a plan for the coming months and expects the third draft GPLv3 to be released on "Wednesday, March 27" (although that date is really last Tuesday .. are we talking about 2007?), with a final draft 60 days later. The FSF will be having a telephone hot-line available to answer questions and, according to the article, they seem to be quite open to comment and debate on what should go into the license. One could expect GPLv3 to be released sometime in June/July this year."
Enlightenment

Submission + - Italy village gets 'sun mirror'

Submitted by
Gre7g
Gre7g writes: "A sun-deprived village in the Italian Alps has come up with a novel solution to fix the problem — by installing a giant mirror.

The mirror — an eight-by-five metre (26x16ft) sheet of steel — was placed on a nearby peak to reflect sunlight onto Viganella's main square below.

The computer-operated mirror will now be constantly following the sun's path."
Networking

Submission + - Microsoft teams to offer SMB VoIP gear

Submitted by
Savior_on_a_Stick
Savior_on_a_Stick writes: "http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/032007-micro soft-smb.html?page=2 Microsoft steps further into the voip world. Is this an attempt to make Office 2007 a more compelling upgrade for smb's? What will happen to the established players if MS gets a foothold? Will their relationship with hw vendors make it tougher for byod voip providers to gain credibility with smb decision makers?"
Networking

Submission + - IBM Announces 160Gbps Optical Networking Chip

Submitted by haddieman
haddieman writes: Ars Technica has a story about a new chip from IBM that can acheive blazing fast transfer rates.

FTA:
"IBM has announced a prototype optical transceiver chipset that can transmit data over optical fiber at speeds of up to 160Gbps. IBM informs us that it's fast enough to transmit "a typical high-definition movie" per second."
This is surely a great day for thepiratebay.
Security

Submission + - Vulnerabilities in SCADA systems (power grid)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: The Internet Storm Center is reporting that 6 different vulnerabilities have been reported in OPC servers used in SCADA systems (power grid, water systems, etc). Those vulnerabilities allow remote attackers to gain complete control of the affected systems. The vulnerabilities have been out for 2 months, but no known exploit exists.
Power

Submission + - The History of Sugar Cane: From Slavery to Ethanol

Submitted by
Prof. Goose
Prof. Goose writes: ""Sugar Cane is back in the news. With oil prices resembling those of the early 1980s, it seems that all those efforts made by then in Brasil to step-up ethanol production make sense again. With the promise of a high energy return and a renewable production cycle, the cane culture might be set for a return.

It won't take long to start hearing about sugar cane successfully planted and converted to ethanol closer to home than expected. But before the cane hype gets installed, please take a dive into the fascinating history of a plant that shaped the World."

Link: http://europe.theoildrum.com/node/2390"
Google

Submission + - Google... Movies?

Submitted by
JHarrison
JHarrison writes: "No, not another vaugely YouTube-related move! Google appears to now be offering local movie offerings in search results, with automatic ratings and reviews based on spidered content. The pages are generated, it appears, in much the same way as Google News. With lawsuits about the way Google News syndicates content, how will this move be interpreted?"
Operating Systems

Submission + - Linux and Windows: what is the truth?

Submitted by
Stive Selvist
Stive Selvist writes: "Many millions of words have been written and said concerning advantages and disadvantages of Linux and Windows. But what is the truth?

Windows is currently the most popular operating system on the PC, not really by user choice, just because it comes with most PC's, many computer users run Windows. But when you ask them what operating system they use, they don't know, it's because they take the idea of an operating system for granted since one came with their system.

You know, security of your operating system is a great deal. It is the main thing not only for IT staff, but for average users as well. Overall analysis of both systems showed that Linux provides more secure capabilities than Windows. The majority of Linux variants and versions are notoriously reliable and can often run for months and years without needing to be rebooted. Viruses are not normal, it's not something that you should protect yourself from. They shouldn't exist at all, but they do, and so does spyware. People using Linux are much more productve, they don't have the problems with the security while browsing the Internet. Linux users don't need to scan for viruses or spyware, they use the computer for what it's intended.

Obviously the lower costs of Linux fit in well with limited budgets. Linux is an excellent example of how a free market economy should work, that is that if you charge too much for your version, someone else will just come along, make something better, and charge less for it.

Windows will never match the flexibility of the Linux system. Linux is an open source operating system, which means if you have any trouble with your operating system there are lots of tutorials and even IRC channels where other more competent users can give you some advice how to deal with it.

Now regarding the cost. For desktop or home use, Linux is very cheap or free, Windows is expensive. For server use, Linux is very cheap compared to Windows. Linux has the advantage that most of the distributions are free and that they are generally more secure.

Contrary to popular belief, some Linux distributions have become pretty easy to use. In some aspects Linux is sometimes faster to set up.

Even the latest offering of Windows Vista still doesn't cut it against Linux. The real reason Microsoft is releasing a new version of Windows is not because they have something worth saying, its because they need some reason to justify keeping the Windows business unit around. All the specifications that Vista demands are just too much, even for the computers sold now. In fact, they are giving people more and more reasons to switch to Linux. So while Microsoft are very loudly bragging about spending as much money as it took to put man on the moon on Vista, and have nothing to show for it — Linux is quietly at the heart of changing the world just as the moon landings did.

It does show that over the last few years people are starting to realise that it is for them the better operating system.

Since Linux is considerably cheaper, demands a lot less from your hardware, has a good collection of web browsers, email clients, IM clients, word processors (and other office productivity software) it is perfectly acceptable alternative to commercial operational systems. It is excellent solution for the people who know what they are doing. By all odds we can't deny the increasing importance of Linux in the world of software."
Oracle

Submission + - Oracle accuses SAP of systematic stealing

Submitted by
netbuzz
netbuzz writes: "News is breaking this afternoon of a lawsuit filed by Oracle against SAP that alleges "this case is about corporate theft on a grand scale." Oracle claims SAP has in a systematic way gained unauthorized access to password-protected customer-service systems, "in many cases by use of pretextual customer login credentials." The "stolen" intellectual property was used to offer Oracle customers cut-rate service and attempt to lure them to SAP, Oracle contends. ... No word from SAP.

http://www.networkworld.com/community/?q=node/1278 4"
Microsoft

Submission + - Who invented the GUI?

Submitted by
athloi
athloi writes: "To amuse co-workers, I found some screenshots of early versions of Windows, but they came with a surprise. I didn't remember that Windows began development in 1981, inspired by the Xerox Star project. That's before Lisa, Mac, Atari, Amiga, et al but not before the early graphical interfaces Apple II and Commodore programmers added to their war-dialers, compression algorithms and copy protection obliterators. I find myself reaching the frightening conclusion that M$ has been in this game since day one. Is anyone else unsettled by this?"

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