Linux bosses see no gain in meeting needs of SME businesses

Will SMEs ever get the Open Source platform they deserve? The Great Linux debate. At a panel discussion at Linuxworld Coference and Expo in London yesterday, executives from IBM, HP, Novell, Red Hat and Samba argued over whether Linux was meeting business needs. While most agreed that the Open Source operating system was doing a reasonable job, many saw the future as a mixed landscape between closed and open source programs running on a Linux platform. ...more

Microsoft issues March security bulletins

Microsoft has announced three security bulletins for March, but rates none as critical. A patch for MSN Messenger - as opposed to Windows Messenger, which is not affected - addresses a vulnerability that Microsoft rates as 'moderate'. The flaw exists in the way the software handles file transfers between users and an attacker could potentially read the contents of a file on another's computer if they knew the target's sign-on name and the location of the file. ...more

MySpace sets up stand up

Having established itself as the Web's chief outlet for the discovery and promotion of music and film - at least in the eyes of the Hollywood Reporter - MySpace has turned its attention to comedy. The 'networking juggernaut' will launch MySpace Comedy in partnership with US comedy club chain Improv and will promote the venture by sponsoring events such as the Just For Laughs festival. 'I'd heard comedians working MySpace into their routines and giving out their URLs as early as 2004,' said MySpace president and co-founder Tom Anderson said. ...more

Apple to fix defective iBook logic boards for free

Apple has launched a worldwide programme to repair failed components on iBook logic boards manufactured between May 2002 and April 2003. Under the iBook Logic Board Repair Extension Program, anyone who has suffered the following problems with their iBook display may be entitled to an entirely free repair: scrambled or distorted video, appearance of unexpected lines on the screen, intermittent video image, video freeze, or computer starting up to blank screen. Full details are available at www. ...more

All aboard the Big Drive

Maxtor has announced that it is working in conjunction with Compaq, Microsoft, VIA Technologies and a number of other companies to support the new ATA interface that will break through the 137Gb barrier imposed by the current ATA standard. The "Big Drive" standard will allow ATA hard drive to store 100,000 times more data than the current 137Gb ATA standard. The new interface allows for up to 48 bits of address space on a single drive and so expands the total storage space to a phenomenal 144 petabytes (Pb) - that's two to the power of 50. ...more