• Monopoly Finding Prompts More Lawsuits
  Time: 13:49 EDT/18:49 GMT News Source: PC World Posted By: Alex Harris

  And so it starts. At least two antitrust lawsuits were filed against Microsoft after a federal judge called the vendor a predatory monopolist early this month.

  In a federal suit, Blaine Cox, a PC user in Birmingham, Ala., claimed he and other consumers were overcharged anywhere from $10 to $40 every time they bought Microsoft software. Cox wants that money back as well as treble damages.

  The figures are based on an internal study Microsoft did to figure out how to price Windows. The study, which U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson cited in his November 5 ruling, said Microsoft could charge $49; it ultimately charged $89.

  What prompted the suit? "The ruling, of course," said Bob Roden, Cox's lawyer from Shelby & Cartee in Birmingham.

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• Christmas virus could reformat hard drives
  Time: 13:43 EDT/18:43 GMT News Source: CNet News Posted By: Alex Harris

  This is worse than a lump of coal.

  A new quick-spreading computer virus that can reformat a victim's computer hard drive on Christmas has been detected, and already appears to have cropped up on three continents, antivirus researchers said.

  Dubbed "Prilissa," the malicious code is a combination of Melissa, an earlier virulent virus spread via email, and another program called PRI. It follows an increasingly common trend of using security holes in Microsoft's Outlook and Outlook Express to spread itself through email.

  "Come Christmas day, you could turn on your computer to play a new game or whatever, and it reformats your hard drive," said Sal Viveros, group marketing manager for the antivirus division of Network Associates.

  While potentially dangerous for users, the increased visibility of these viruses has been a boon for antivirus companies such as Network Associates and Trend Micro, which have seen sales of antivirus software skyrocket.

  Name: Prilissa
  What it does: If opened, the virus will reconfigure your hard drive on 12/25.
  Means of transmission: Email. Takes advantage of hole in Microsoft Outlook to replicate.
  How to recognize: The body of an email will read "This document is very important and you've GOT to read this!!"
  Who is at risk: Any Windows 95, 98 users

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• US says no to DRAM duties on Taiwan
  Time: 13:40 EDT/18:40 GMT News Source: ZDNet Posted By: Alex Harris

  The United States will not impose new import duties on dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) semiconductors from Taiwan, U.S. officials said. ``U.S. industry is neither materially injured nor threatened with material injury by reason of imports of DRAMs of one megabit and above from Taiwan,'' the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) said in a statement.

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• Windows 98 bug patch problems continue
  Time: 13:08 EDT/18:08 GMT News Source: News.com Posted By: Byron Hinson

  A recently discovered bug is causing headaches for some users of the Windows 98 operating system, but Microsoft has not yet put its finger on the source of the problem.

  Some users are reporting problems after downloading a recent update from the Windows Update Web site. The update provides bug fixes and software updates for Microsoft's flagship operating system for consumers.

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• More Site News
  Time: 13:04 EDT/18:04 GMT News Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Just a note about a few of the reviews that will appear on the site this weekend, they will be Microsoft Sidewinder Precision Racing Wheel, Theme Park World and Revenant. We are also starting work on a few of the request for new sections that you have made, we should have something to show you in a week or so.

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• ActiveWindows wins 1999 Site of the Year Award
  Time: 12:48 EDT/17:48 GMT News Source: WindowPlanet Posted By: Dennis Gregory

  We've won the 1999 Site of the Year Award brought to you by WindowPlanet!

  You can see their comments directly here.

  Byron's interview is available here.

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• AskAW Section Update
  Time: 11:53 EDT/16:53 GMT News Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Dennis Gregory

  We have our AskAW update up! Lots of questions answered this time! Keep them coming. Remember we are NOT accepting anymore questions via email. You can only submit questions via the MSN community here. Submit them ONLY in the AskAW Questions section on the left. We answered about 20 or so questions so thats more than half the questions we got. So if you submitted a question you may want to see this update, your answer could be included!

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• Site News
  Time: 11:50 EDT/16:50 GMT News Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Dennis Gregory

  We're going to start updating our Hardware and Gaming News sections more. So if you've visited before and no one was updating, well we are now! The 2 sections will be updated every day excluding weekends, but if some big news breaks we'll bring it to you weekends or not!

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• Site User Survey
  Time: 11:48 EDT/16:48 GMT News Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Dennis Gregory

  Please take a few moments of your time and fill out our User Profile Survey. This information will help us get a better idea of our average user's wants and needs. With this information, we will make ActiveWindows more customized to our viewers!

  Plus, we are giving away gift certificates to PC Connection - so it can't hurt!

  Women... No women have completed our survey, so get going!

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• Mediator appointed in MS-DOJ case
  Time: 19:31 EDT/00:31 GMT News Source: ZDNet Posted By: Byron Hinson

  The judge in the Microsoft antitrust trial has appointed a federal mediator in a last-minute bid to get the two sides to settle. The man who has been asked to help the two sides resolve the landmark case is Richard Posner, the Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for Seventh Circuit in Chicago.

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• Site News: New Logo - And The Reason
  Time: 18:01 EDT/23:01 GMT News Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Well we have finally gotten around to changing the main page logo, and as promised here is the reason we had to change it. We got a nice letter from Microsoft that said they would sue us if we didn't remove it immediately as someone at Microsoft complained about our site....No names but it isn't hard for us here at ActiveWindows to figure that one out. Anyway enough about them, we hope you like the logo, just a shame that it had to be used a month or so earlier than planned.

  Feel free to post comments about the new logo and/or the reason via our community message board.

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• Here it comes - Windows for lawnmowers...
  Time: 14:41 EDT/19:41 GMT News Source: The Register Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Many's the time that a cool feature devised for a Bill Gates demo has contributed to feature-creep in Windows, but in his Comdex keynote last Sunday Bill unwittingly (we hope) laid the groundwork for the daddy of them all - a control and monitoring system for all your electronic and automotive possessions that's surely going to require serious modifications to the user interface, scads more RAM and processor upgrades all round.

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• MS meets to set schedule for remainder of antitrust trial
  Time: 14:39 EDT/19:39 GMT News Source: ZDNet Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Microsoft (Nasdaq:MSFT) and government lawyers met briefly with U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson, the first encounter since the judge declared Microsoft a monopoly. The judge requested the meeting to schedule the next phase of the antitrust trial. He was also expected to review any settlement prospects. But both sides left the courthouse after less than 30 minutes, suggesting there was little, if any, substantive discussion.

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• WindowBlinds 1.06 Released
  Time: 11:28 EDT/16:28 GMT News Source: E-Mail Posted By: Byron Hinson

  WindowBlinds 1.06 has been released for registered users and Object Desktop customers. It includes support for skinning progress bars and reenableds the property tab skinning that was dropped from 1.01. Visit the download page here at www.windowblinds.net to grab the update.

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• Microsoft sues Chinese firm over privacy
  Time: 11:18 EDT/16:18 GMT News Source: ZDNet Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) has filed suit against Beijing-based Yadu Technology Group, accusing the company of using pirated software products. It's the first time that an end-user has been sued for piracy in China, the Xinhua news agency said

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• MSN Gaming Zone Membership Soars to 10 Million
  Time: 11:11 EDT/16:11 GMT News Source: Press Release Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Microsoft Corp. today announced the 10 millionth member registration on the MSN™ Gaming Zone (http://www.zone.com/). This is the latest milestone in a huge growth year for the Zone, which now boasts the following:
  
  

  • Over 500,000 unique visitors per day, more than double the daily traffic of a year ago
  • Over 50 new games, bringing the total number of available games on the Zone to 118
  • Ad revenue growth of 1,000 percent from the previous fiscal year
  • 4.2 percent reach, making the Zone the No. 1 Internet games site that offers multiplayer gaming, according to PC Data figures for October 1999
  • Average usage of nearly 40 minutes per user per day, making the MSN Gaming Zone second only to AOL proprietary in visitor usage minutes (Media Metrix Digital Media Report, Sept. 1999)

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• Site News: More Job Openings
  Time: 10:52 EDT/15:52 GMT News Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Thanks for all of the applications from yesterdays request, keep them coming. Today we have a few more openings so here we go again. We are looking for another new graphics artist, preferably someone with good Photoshop experience who can help us create new site logos and main section logos with similar themes across our Active Network pages when requested. Links to examples of your work is a must.

  We have a few openings free for those of you who are interested in writing Editorials and those of you who would like to specialize in CPU reviews (And we mean specialize). We are also looking for a number of new Tips writers who would be interested in helping us branch out our tips area (We are working on a large expansion of that area as you can probably tell from the side menu)

  All enquires should be mailed direct to me byron@activeie.com.

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• ActiveWindows Mouse Pads
  Time: 09:51 EDT/14:51 GMT News Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Matt Sabean

  The Mouse Pads have been so popular that we have had to order another batch so don't forget that the first ActiveWindows piece of merchandise is now available to order. The first product in our new range of logos is the ActiveWindows Mouse Pad.

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• Microsoft Garners Top Industry Awards From COMDEX
  Time: 08:03 EDT/13:03 GMT News Source: Press Release Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Microsoft Corp. this week will leave COMDEX/Fall '99 with 17 awards for product excellence from leading industry publications.

  Microsoft garnered several awards for business productivity software, recognizing the company's tools for the knowledge worker. The awards reflect the success of the Microsoft® Office family of business productivity applications, which enable knowledge workers with the right information at the right time.

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• Latest Windows 2000 Beta to Be the Last
  Time: 03:08 EDT/08:08 GMT News Source: PC World Posted By: Alex Harris

  Microsoft on Wednesday was poised to issue Release Candidate 3 of Windows 2000, the last beta test version planned for the next-generation client/server operating system before its long-awaited release.

  After some 15,000 beta testers have a chance to run Windows 2000 RC3 through its paces, Microsoft officials hope to release the operating system to manufacturing before the end of 1999. The software giant has set February 17 as the official launch date.

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• Microsoft Touts Quality, Linux Draws Crowds
  Time: 03:07 EDT/08:07 GMT News Source: PC World Posted By: Alex Harris

  Want high-tech paradigm shifts spelled out for you? Come to Comdex/Fall '99 in Las Vegas. Nowhere is the changing of the guard more obvious.

  Case in point: Windows and Linux. Wasn't too long ago that Microsoft's Bill Gates had the same drawing power as a rock star and kids would line up around the block just to get a glimpse of the nerd who made good. But Monday night, it was Linus Torvalds, developer of Linux, who held court over semi-hysterical young groupies, while Gates trotted out the establishment party line.

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• Hitachi Debuts DVD-RAM Camcorder
  Time: 03:06 EDT/08:06 GMT News Source: PC World Posted By: Alex Harris

  Hitachi unveiled at Comdex the prototype of a new digital video 110 camcorder based on a re-recordable version of DVD--the first optical disk camcorder for consumers, and the first to use a new version of DVD-RAM.

  The DZ-MV1 camera records video in MPEG2 format and the new single-sided 8-centimeter DVD-RAM disk holds up to 1.4GB of data. The small form DVD-RAM, like its larger 12-centimeter sister, comes in a cartridge. Both disks are the subject of standardization talks within the DVD Forum and specs are expected to be approved within the next six months, says Takeshi Hoshino, an interface designer from Hitachi's Tokyo Design Center.

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• Pentium III-800 brought forward to Q1 of next year
  Time: 03:02 EDT/08:02 GMT News Source: The Register Posted By: Alex Harris

  A report on a US wire said that Intel will bring the launch date of an 800MHz Coppermine Pentium III forward to the first quarter of next year. The Intel roadmap had this processor slated to appear in quarter two, said Pat Gelsinger, a senior VP at Intel, according to PC Week. And Intel has also acknowledged the shortages of many of the Coppermine parts it announced in October, as reported here a day after the launch. Gelsinger admitted that supply of many of the Coppermine parts was tight but claimed this was not due to any fundamental problem with its .18 micron process technology.

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• IBM Deploys Windows 2000 Professional Internally
  Time: 02:57 EDT/07:57 GMT News Source: Windows NT Magazine Posted By: Alex Harris

  Late last month, IBM announced that it will make Windows 2000 Professional (Win2K Pro) its standard internal desktop OS. IBM is one of Microsoft’s rapid deployment partners. I spoke with Dick Sullivan, IBM’s vice president of integrated software. “Press stories regarding [Win2K Pro] deployment are not 100 percent accurate,” he said. Some of those stories had reported that IBM planned to deploy 300,000 copies of Win2K Pro, which is not true. According to Sullivan, 300,000 is the number of IBM employees. Although IBM plans to deploy several copies of Win2K Pro as its standard internal desktop, the company won't place Win2K Pro on every desktop.

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• New SQL Server-based solutions improve efficiency, profitability of Web business sites
  Time: 02:53 EDT/07:53 GMT News Source: Microsoft Daily News Posted By: Alex Harris

  To succeed in the competitive e-commerce world, businesses need to know if their Web sites are effective.

  To help businesses find that information, Microsoft has announced the Business Internet Analytics (BIA) initiative. BIA is a set of solutions based on Microsoft® SQL Server™ that store and analyze data on business Web sites. These solutions combine high-quality data analysis and data warehousing to help businesses create more powerful and profitable Web sites. BIA delivers unprecedented near-real-time results, so businesses can respond quickly to the information.

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• Microsoft judge sets date for more oral arguments
  Time: 02:51 EDT/07:51 GMT News Source: News.com Posted By: Alex Harris

  The judge in the Microsoft case will hear oral arguments in February to help him decide whether the company violated the nation's antitrust law, lawyers involved in the case said after meeting with him today.

  U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson met privately with representatives of Microsoft and 19 states and the federal government to lay plans for the next phase of the trial.

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• Microsoft faces legal scrutiny at every turn
  Time: 02:50 EDT/07:50 GMT News Source: News.com Posted By: Alex Harris

  It was an arrangement that sounded uncomfortably familiar to many high-tech industry veterans.

  At the opening of this week's Comdex trade show in Las Vegas, Bill Gates showcased a computing product that runs a Microsoft operating system, connects directly to Microsoft's Internet service, uses a chip made by long-time Microsoft ally Intel and is made by Compaq, one of the largest manufacturers of PCs sold with Microsoft software.

  The concept is  hardly unique, as America Online and other competitors are striking similar deals to bolster their online services. But the product, called the MSN Web Companion, bears one crucial distinction: It will be offered by the largest software company in the world, which has already been branded a monopoly by the judge presiding over its historic antitrust case.

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• Hotmail criticized over spam filter woes
  Time: 02:48 EDT/07:48 GMT News Source: News.com Posted By: Alex Harris

  Two weeks after Hotmail implemented a controversial junk-email filter, users are complaining that the flow of "spam" to their in-boxes has not slowed.

  In addition, some Internet business owners contend that Microsoft has aligned itself with the online equivalent of "vigilante militants."

  Microsoft's Hotmail, a free Web-based email service, last week said it had subscribed to the Mail Abuse Prevention System's (MAPS) Realtime Blackhole List (RBL). The list filters email coming from servers known to be conduits for unsolicited commercial email, or spam.

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• Newbridge slims business but considers buyout
  Time: 02:45 EDT/07:45 GMT News Source: News.com Posted By: Alex Harris

  Newbridge Networks today said it is open to takeover offers as the company plans to slash 10 percent of its workforce and outsource some of its businesses to cut costs.

  The struggling networking equipment firm said it will cut about 700 employees, shut down some sales offices and outsource its manufacturing and customer service operations.

  Industry sources said it's likely Newbridge has signed on IBM to run its customer service division. Newbridge chief financial officer Kenneth Wigglesworth in an interview with CNET News.com declined to comment, saying only that the firm has struck a deal with a "world-class organization."

  Newbridge executives announced the firm's new direction today following months of financial problems and strategic questions. The one-time leader in networking and telecommunications equipment has struggled in recent years to compete against Cisco Systems, Nortel Networks, Lucent Technologies and others.

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• ActiveWindows Quiz?
  Time: 22:15 EDT/03:15 GMT News Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Dennis Gregory

  We were bored and decided to make a little quiz of some computer questions. If you'd like to see how much you know about the computer world from Netscape to AMD this is the place to find out!

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• Microsoft's business ethics
  Time: 19:07 EDT/00:07 GMT News Source: ZDNet Posted By: Byron Hinson

  "You mean this is wrong?" asks an obviously incredulous Bill Gates of a black-robed judge. In the background of a cartoon from last week's Los Angeles Times, a henchman is smothering another guy with a pillow. The caption: "Mr. Gates discovers that his treatment of competitors is illegal."

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• Microsoft In The Land Of Opportunity
  Time: 19:06 EDT/00:06 GMT News Source: ZDNet Posted By: Byron Hinson

  I think it's the beginning of the end for Bill Gates and Microsoft, and it has nothing to do with whether the company wins or loses its antitrust trial.

  To me, it's the trial itself -- and not the eventual outcome -- that is a turning point in computer industry history, the moment that historians will look back on in 20 to 30 years and point to as the linchpin that led to Microsoft's eventual fall from market power.

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• Editorial - The Speed of the Computer Industry
  Time: 16:24 EDT/21:24 GMT News Source: Active Windows Posted By: Alex Harris

  I have posted an Editorial about the Speed that the Computer Industry moves out. Here is a snippet:

  In the computer retail market that I work in it is quite scary when you have customers coming up to you to buy their first PC and you tell them that the PC they are about to buy will probably be out of date by the time they pay for it in about a years time. Now this isn't always true mainly for the fact it is down to what the PC is going to be used for. If the customer is just going to be using their PC for word processing then they won't really care that much the speed it will run at in a years time. But the bulk of people that are buying it will most probably be having games on that PC and want their PC to last as long it can. Now I know I shouldn't complain because it is because of the speed of the computer industry that I get the money I do and job I have. But on saying that, people that come in are buying a PC just for the fact that their children use PC's at school and most jobs these days require the knowledge and use of a computer in some sense of the word. Most first time buyers can not believe that the £1000 - £1500 they are about to spend on a PC is going to be deflated by so much in a years time.

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• Microsoft, Justice prep for next step
  Time: 11:32 EDT/16:32 GMT News Source: News.com Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Microsoft today meets with U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson for the first time since the release of his harsh findings nearly two weeks ago in the ongoing antitrust case. The meeting today, which includes government lawyers, is nothing more than a housekeeping discussion before moving on to the next stage of the antitrust case.

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• Site News: Job Openings
  Time: 10:52 EDT/15:52 GMT News Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Byron Hinson

  We have a few openings free for those of you who are interested in writing Editorials and those of you who would like to specialize in CPU reviews (And we mean specialize). We are also looking for a number of new Tips writers who would be interested in helping us branch out our tips area (We are working on a large expansion of that area)

  All enquires should be mailed direct to me byron@activeie.com.

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• Site User Survey
  Time: 09:14 EDT/14:14 GMT News Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Please take a few moments of your time and fill out our User Profile Survey. This information will help us get a better idea of our average user's wants and needs. With this information, we will make ActiveWindows more customized to our viewers!

  Plus, we are giving away gift certificates to PC Connection - so it can't hurt!

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• Windows Update - Updated
  Time: 06:27 EST/11:27 GMT News Source: E-Mail Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Microsoft has posted a number of new fixes and downloads up on Windows Update. Here are a few of them, Internet Explorer 5.01 which we mentioned yesterday, being the obvious biggy. It is always worth checking out the site each month to keep your version of Windows updated.

  Windows Security Update, November 12, 1999
  Windows 98 Second Edition Shutdown Supplement (November Update)
  Internet Explorer 5.01 and Internet Tools

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• Microsoft Windows 2000 manageability enhanced with new Full Armor software
  Time: 03:21 EST/08:21 GMT News Source: Microsoft Daily News Posted By: Alex Harris

  A powerful operating system has to be manageable to be truly useful.

  That's why Microsoft has included extensive manageability features in Microsoft® Windows® 2000. And that's why Full Armor, a provider of enterprise policy management software, this week announced that it is developing critical manageability support for Windows 2000. Full Armor will provide extensive management of Windows 2000 Active Directory™, Group Policy and Windows Installer in its policy management product, Full Armor Zero Administration (FAZAM). The expanded version of FAZAM will be designed to further increase efficiency and reduce the total cost of ownership in Windows 2000 environments.

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• Microsoft Project 2000, Microsoft Project Central aim to boost team efficiency
  Time: 03:21 EST/08:21 GMT News Source: Microsoft Daily News Posted By: Alex Harris

  Teamwork breeds success, and upcoming products from Microsoft can help companies make teams more effective than ever.

  Monday at COMDEX/Fall '99, Microsoft President Steve Ballmer announced Microsoft® Project 2000, a major upgrade to the company's project management software, and Microsoft Project Central, a Web-based companion to Microsoft Project 2000 that helps teams share product-related material on the Internet. Used together, these tools are designed to make it easier for teams of employees to plan, manage and collaborate on projects, increasing the quantity and accuracy of the information they give to project managers.

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• McNealy, Ellison call for Microsoft bust-up
  Time: 03:13 EST/08:13 GMT News Source: ZDNet Posted By: Alex Harris

  The chief executives of two of Microsoft's bitterest rivals have called upon the government to bust up the software giant.

  Look beyond the beige box Wednesday: Win 2000 beta? PC Mag's Excellence Awards Appearing separately in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Larry Ellison of Oracle (Nasdaq:ORCL) and Scott McNealy of Sun Microsystems (Nasdaq:SUNW) stumped on behalf of stiff remedies against the software giant. (Meanwhile, Microsoft CEO Bill Gates once again publicly raised the possibility of a deal with the government.)

  Ellison and McNealy regularly lob verbal bombs at Microsoft, but their comments took on heightened significance as they came only a couple of weeks after judge Thomas Penfield Jackson rebuked the software maker as a predatory monopolist. Many legal experts believe the judge will determine that Microsoft broke the law when he issues his conclusions in the long-running antitrust trial.

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• Why Microsoft Finally 'Gets' the Web
  Time: 03:13 EST/08:13 GMT News Source: ZDNet Posted By: Alex Harris

  Imagine you're at the tuxedo shop helping your teenage son choose a prom outfit. He struts out of the dressing room in a powder blue tux. He actually thinks he looks great. You wince, then urge him to try a black one.

  For years, I've been wincing at MSN's silly, sophomoric Web efforts. Remember the original, proprietary version that was incompatible with the Internet? Or Mungo Park, the exotic travelogue? Or all those cheesy, Hollywood-esque shows?

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• Details emerging on secretive start-up Transmeta
  Time: 03:13 EST/08:13 GMT News Source: CNet News Posted By: Alex Harris

  More clues about Transmeta, one of the most secretive companies in Silicon Valley, are slowly becoming available, including the name of its first processors.

  While details about its first products are still sketchy, the chip company evidently has decided on a name for them: Crusoe. The Crusoe processors will be targeted at mobile applications, according to the company's recently revised Web page.

  The secrecy surrounding the company's plans have led to much speculation about the nature of the start-up. But the secrecy is something of a ruse: The company has actually been working hard to promote itself by being just secretive enough to spur interest.

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• Via to release cut-rate processor early next year
  Time: 03:11 EST/08:11 GMT News Source: CNet News Posted By: Alex Harris

  Via Technologies will release its first microprocessor for low-cost PCs by the end of January, company executives said today, opening a new round in its duel with Intel.

  Code-named Joshua, the processor will run at clock speeds of 433 MHz, 466 MHz and 500 MHz. More important, it will fit into the same circuit boards as Intel's Celeron processor, making the chip the first Celeron clone.

  A new generation of chips will follow in the third quarter, company executives said at the Comdex trade show here today.

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• Internet Explorer 5.01 Released
  Time: 18:49 EST/23:49 GMT News Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Microsoft has released Internet Explorer 5.01 tonight. This new version contains many bug fixes and security patches that occurred in Internet Explorer 5. Make sure you download it, as it also manages to speed things up a bit.

  Download Internet Explorer 5.01

  Installation Notes

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• But Did Microsoft Actually Hurt Consumers?
  Time: 18:45 EST/23:45 GMT News Source: Washington Post Posted By: Matt Sabean

  Ever since 1890, when Congress passed the Sherman Act, the antitrust laws have sought to protect consumers and prevent the evils of concentrated economic power. No company seems to pose those dangers so starkly today as Microsoft. Yet, the case against Microsoft still isn't made, even after Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson's denunciation of the company. The trouble is that Jackson's opinion doesn't show how Microsoft's brutal competitive behavior has hurt consumers.

  Companies compete, after all, to defeat their rivals. The social harm arises only if consumers suffer from excess economic power. Despite months of bad trial publicity and Jackson's scathing decision, most Americans still doubt the government's antitrust case. A Gallup poll taken after the ruling found that, by a 67 to 16 percent margin, people have a favorable view of Microsoft. Asked whether the company should be broken up, respondents objected by 54 to 35 percent.

  Popular skepticism isn't just ignorance. "In many ways, [Microsoft] is a weaker company now than several years ago," says Michael Gartenberg of the GartnerGroup, a computer research firm. "It dominates the desktop, but it doesn't dominate every market it enters." Predictions that Microsoft would rule on-line Internet services and e-commerce haven't materialized

  Read more

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• GT Interactive and Epic Games' 'Unreal Tournament' has gone gold and the title will ship Nov 22nd Worldwide
  Time: 17:23 EST/22:23 GMT News Source: E-Mail Posted By: Byron Hinson

  In addition, Unreal Tournament features a innovative tutorial that guides novice players through the basics of multiplay and allows them to hone their skills before going online to play. In a partnership with S3 Incorporated, Unreal Tournament will be the first game to ship with over one gigabyte of original textures. Players whose PCs and laptops accelerator cards utilize S3 Incorporated Savage4 and Savage/IX 3D mobile accelerator chips will experience photo realistic environments, graphics and textures. S3's patent texture compression technology allows for rapid loading times of extremely complex, detailed textures. Unreal Tournament ships November 22 for an estimated retail price of $54.95. For more information about the game, visit <http://www.unrealtournament.net/>.

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• Microsoft backs off messaging clash with AOL
  Time: 15:34 EST/20:34 GMT News Source: News.com Posted By: Byron Hinson

  After months of wrangling, Microsoft announced today that its MSN Messenger service will no longer communicate with America Online's AOL Instant Messenger.

  The decision comes with the release of Microsoft's next-generation version of MSN Messenger, the company's instant messaging software. The announcement coincided with the launch of its redesigned MSN Web portal.

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• CDNOW's Cosmic Music Network Selects Windows Media As Featured Technology
  Time: 15:04 EST/20:04 GMT News Source: Press Release Posted By: Byron Hinson

  CDNOW Inc. (Nasdaq "CDNW"), a leading online music destination, and Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq "MSFT") today announced that Microsoft® Windows Media™ has been selected as a featured technology for music downloading and streaming audio on CDNOW's Cosmic Music Network (CMN), a new comprehensive and innovative online community uniting unsigned bands with music lovers. The CMN site, at http://cosmic.cdnow.com/, goes live tomorrow and bands interested in joining CMN can register free through the site.

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• MSN Messenger 2.0 Preview - Local Download
  Time: 14:59 EST/19:59 GMT News Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Byron Hinson

  We have made MSN Messenger 2.0 Preview available to download locally as we are one of the official download sites for MSN Messenger now. We will be setting up a special messenger page very soon too.

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• Microsoft and Blockbuster Team Up to Distribute Free Y2K Video
  Time: 09:13 EST/14:13 GMT News Source: Press Release Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Microsoft Corp. today announced that Blockbuster Inc. stores nationwide will carry a year 2000 (Y2K) video that helps customers prepare their home PC for the year 2000. Through this program, Microsoft has produced a free, 30-minute video titled "Is Your Computer Prepared for the Year 2000?" to be carried in the Community Service section of participating Blockbuster stores. When consumers check out the free Microsoft Y2K video, they will also be provided with the Microsoft Year 2000 Resource CD, which includes the latest updates for key Microsoft® products as well as an assortment of tools and information related to Y2K.

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• Billboard Brings Music Charts to Life With Microsoft Windows Media
  Time: 09:10 EST/14:10 GMT News Source: Press Release Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Billboard Online and Microsoft Corp. today announced that Billboard's weekly chart of music popularity, distributed to more than 75 of the largest online retail and media Web sites, will now include streamed audio samples in the Microsoft® Windows Media™ format. Web sites subscribing to the service will be able to offer their users a chance to sample all the hits on the Billboard charts.

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• Site News, Community Update and Stuff
  Time: 06:21 EST/11:21 GMT News Source: Slate Posted By: Byron Hinson

  Hi again everyone. As you have probably noticed, we never managed to get our new Active Network logo up the other day, we "should" have the new logo up tonight though. As usual it is also time to mention our MSN Community, we are currently still the leading Operating System community on MSN, so make sure you check us out - our next chat is on the way on 27th November.

  We also plan to have our online interviews area ready for launch in a couple of weeks with a few interviews with various important people from around the industries we cover including Microsoft, Games, DVD and Linux interviews.

  I have decided to clean up our reviews layouts so that our new reviews will be better than ever in terms of layout and information than before. I have also decided to clean up our upcoming reviews list, getting rid of the old and