The Newspaper Shop -- Tuesday edition

[walktalker]

Lindows asks MS to dismiss suit
Lindows, a start-up developing software that would let many Windows programs run on Linux computers, filed a motion to dismiss a trademark-infringement suit Microsoft filed in December. Lindows, based in San Diego, Calif., argued that it has no presence in the state of Washington, where Microsoft filed the suit, the Linux company said in a statement Tuesday. Lindows said a hearing is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 1 on the company's motion and on Microsoft's motion for a preliminary injunction that would halt use of the Lindows name.
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/ne...kpt=zdnnp1tp01

TechNet to Uncle Sam: Back broadband
A major Silicon Valley lobbying group is asking Washington lawmakers to pave the way for broadband adoption in 100 million American homes and small businesses by 2010. TechNet, which represents about 250 high-tech heavy hitters, released a report Tuesday asking the Bush administration to jump-start the adoption of affordable high-speed Internet access through a series of initiatives that include offering tax incentives and removing regulatory hurdles.
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/ne...kpt=zdnnp1tp02

Win XP updates stopped by glitch
Engineers are working to fix a glitch in a Microsoft Web server that has prevented Windows XP users from downloading software updates, including a patch for a security hole, a company spokeswoman said Monday. The problem, discovered last Thursday, was created when engineers attempted to update software on a server, she said, adding that it is expected to be corrected before Tuesday. The spokeswoman said she could not confirm the number of people affected by the problem, but said about 8 million people download Windows XP software updates each week.
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/ne...kpt=zdnnp1tp02

Look out, Palm, here comes the "brick."
The rectangular-shaped Communicator, Nokia's all-in-one personal data organizer and mobile phone from Finland, has surpassed Palm as the most popular handheld computer in Europe. And it's set to hit U.S. store shelves by early summer. Although some are leery of its hefty price -- about $799 -- its growing fan base of business users laud the Communicator as the first device to successfully meld the mobile phone with the handheld computer.
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/ne...kpt=zdnnp1tp02

Your .name here -- Net's new domain
The Internet equivalent of the personalized license plate became available Tuesday with the launch of the new .name top-level domain. Global Name Registry is launching the .name domain, reserved for individuals. A similar extension, .me.uk, made its debut in the United Kingdom on Monday. The Internet has no shortage of Web sites named for individuals -- in ways ranging from the straightforward to the whimsical -- and that tout their interests, achievements and other personal proclivities. Until now, though, a designation especially for them had been lacking.
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/ne...kpt=zdnnp1tp02

AOL warns of ICQ attack risk
People chatting with outdated ICQ software are at risk for a potentially damaging buffer overflow exploit, AOL Time Warner cautioned in an alert posted Monday. The buffer overflow vulnerability affects versions of America Online's popular ICQ instant messaging software prior to version 2001b, which was released October. Only versions for Microsoft's Windows operating system are vulnerable. AOL posted a page urging people who haven't already downloaded the latest version of ICQ software to do so.
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/ne...kpt=zdnnp1tp02

Back to beginnings for FreeBSD
FreeBSD is going home. Bob Bruce, founder of Walnut Creek CDROM -- the company that in 1993 first published FreeBSD -- will once again be in charge of the core FreeBSD business. That's because the current owner, Wind River Systems, announced Monday that it is selling off its assets related to FreeBSD, an open-source version of Unix. Bruce has also become CEO of FreeBSD Mall, the new name of Walnut Creek CDROM and one of the FreeBSD assets that Wind River has owned.
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/ne...kpt=zdnnp1tp02

Online tickets: A great idea or a rip-off?
If you purchase an airline ticket from an online travel company, don't be surprised if you end up paying more than the advertised fare. It will only be an extra $5 to $10 -- the amount of a relatively new service fee some travel sites are tacking onto the bill -- but consumer advocates say that separating the fee from the cost of the airfare shouldn't be allowed. Now federal regulators are considering whether to require online travel agencies to include them as part of the quoted airfare. http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/ne...101655,00.html

Europe takes a front seat in Net rulemaking
Hyde isn't the only American executive trying to come up to speed on trade regulations between the United States and the EU. The Internet has dramatically boosted the number of potential buyers for American goods and services, but increasingly U.S. companies must design products and make business decisions based on strict regulatory hurdles in Europe. In fact, European regulations governing hot-button technology issues such as privacy, antitrust and taxation are beginning to play as much of a role as American regulations for businesses on both sides of the Atlantic.
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200...html?tag=tp_pr

How does a computer virus scan work?
Geoff Kuenning, a professor of computer science at Harvey Mudd College, provides this explanation. Malicious software comes in several flavors, distinguished primarily by their method of propagation. The two most pervasive forms are viruses and worms. A virus attaches itself to an existing program such that, when that program is executed, bad things happen. Like a biological virus, it cannot live without a host. In contrast, a worm is an independent program that reproduces itself without requiring a host program. Depending on the form, a worm may be able to propagate without any action on the victim's part. Most malicious software today consists of worms rather than viruses.
http://www.sciam.com/askexpert/computers/computers16/

Net's servers under scrutiny
A row is brewing over the reliability and security of the servers that direct much of the net's traffic. Some of the organisations that oversee the net's domains are calling on the internet's ruling body to give guarantees about the safe running of these crucial servers. They are threatening to withhold cash demanded by the ruling body, saying the fees it is levying amount to a tax for which they get little in return.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci...00/1761362.stm

Taxing times for laid-off techies
Figuring out a 1040 can be difficult in the best of circumstances, but some former dot-com workers may have a little more trouble than normal this year. With tax season fast approaching, companies will soon be sending W-2 forms to employees, stating what they made and how much they paid in taxes last year. But with hundreds of companies having closed shop in the last year, many former high-tech employees may not get a W-2 form this year and instead may find themselves having to rely on their own records to prepare their taxes.
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200...html?tag=ch_mh

Terra Lycos pitches ads to FoxSports.com
Terra Lycos unveiled a multimillion-dollar marketing, sales and content alliance Tuesday with News Corp.'s FoxSports.com, aimed at increasing the exposure of both brands. The deal will let Fox Sports market its on-air programming, as well as its Web site, to Lycos users; the Internet media company will gain on-air marketing exposure on the various Fox Sports TV networks. Sources close to the deal said it was valued around $300 million.
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200...html?tag=cd_mh

MSN adds members as AOL growth slows
Microsoft on Tuesday said it had added some 750,000 net subscribers to its MSN Internet access service in its last quarter, bringing the total to 7.7 million customers. In addition, MSN also attracted about 250,000 subscribers to other pay services on its network of Web sites, mostly users of extra storage in Hotmail e-mail accounts, MSN Vice President Yusuf Mehdi told Reuters. Other pay services included automatic bill payment and online gaming at MSN's Zone video game site, Mehdi said.
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200...html?tag=cd_mh

Wanted: A factory for Xbox in Asia
Microsoft said Tuesday that it was looking for a production base in Asia to manufacture its Xbox game console for the Japanese market. Hirohisa Ohura, managing director of Microsoft Japan, said the consoles would initially be shipped to Japan from Mexico, but that the company may need a production base in the region if demand picks up.
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-200...html?tag=cd_mh

More news later on