• DVD Volunteers Needed
  Time: 19:15 EDT/24:15 GMT Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Bob

  ActiveWindows is currently looking for volunteers to head up the DVD Section of our website. Job includes adding news(primarily), updating various sections on a timely basis and doing DVD reviews. Microsoft Frontpage 2000 experience is a must! Some fringe benefits included. Qualified individuals should contact Bob Stein if you are interested!

   

• MS cuts out channel to sell direct
  Time: 18:06 EDT/23:06 GMT Source: The Register Posted By: Matt

  Microsoft is usurping the channel through its re-launched Web site which sells products direct to customers. .

  The software giant is selling its own software and hardware direct through its online store shop.microsoft.com.

  The Web site was originally launched in March, when customers could choose to buy through four resellers -– CompUSA, Insight, CDW and Beyond.com –- or through Microsoft. It was relauched in August, minus the resellers. Customers now using the service have to buy direct.

  The Web site may represent a small slice of the company's sales, and only service customers in the US at present, but it shows a marked change in channel policy.

   

• U.S. Office 2000 sales lower than expected
  Time: 17:55 EDT/22:55 GMT Source: News.com Posted By: Matt

  One of Microsoft's key product lines seems to have missed out on the company's earnings party, at least in the United States.

  Globally, sales of Office 2000--Microsoft's desktop software suite and one of the most important products for the company's bottom line--increased an impressive 19 percent in Microsoft's first quarter of fiscal 2000, contributing to the company's record revenues announced yesterday. But in the United States, Office 2000 sales were lower than expected.

  Blame it on the number 2000. With the Windows 2000 operating system effectively delayed until next year, U.S. corporate customers are putting off software upgrades. Microsoft plans to officially launch Windows 2000 next month. But customers won't recieve the software until next March, analysts estimate. Further, spending on the Y2K technology glitch remains an issue for corporations.

   

• Site News: Downtime
  Time: 16:41 EDT/21:41 GMT Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Byron

  We have had a little bit of a problem with our server this evening, everything should be fixed and back to normal now, here are a few of our upcoming reviews:

  Hardware: Microsoft Sidewinder Precision Racing Wheel, Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer, Regular Visor, Microtek SlimScan6, SoundBlaster Live! Platinum
  Software: Delta Force 2, Nocturne, Fifa 2000, Prince Of Persia 3D, Flight Simulator 2000, Pandora's Box, Links LS 2000 Encarta 2000 Reference Suite DVD Edition (This Week), Firestorm, X: Beyond The Frontier, System Shock 2, Rogue Spear, Driver
  Applications: Corel Suite 9

   
• Asheron's Call Beta Ends with METEORS
  Time: 15:15 EDT/20:15 GMT Source: ICQ Posted By: Dennis

  We've received unconfirmed reports that Microsoft is going to be ending the AC beta by ruining the worlds. Shoushi, which is one of the AC cities, is supposed to become a crator. These reports are still unconfirmed, but we are almost sure that MS will be ending the world by October 24th 11:59 P.M.

  The worlds will be up and running by November 11th for the public release of Asheron's Call.

  ActiveWindows will continue to keep you up to date. You can read our AC review at the link below or by clicking the headline for this news release.

   

• Asheron's Call Review
  Time: 15:13 EDT/20:13 GMT Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Dennis

  Our Asheron's Call review is done! Its everything we promised except the user comments which will be added later. Download the beta now at our review as the beta ends on October 24th at 11:59 P.M. They're going to be going out with a bang (read above).

   

• Microsoft decision won't be this Friday
  Time: 14:46 EDT/19:46 GMT Source: Reuters Posted By: Byron

  WASHINGTON--The judge in the Microsoft antitrust case today refined his announcement last night that his "findings of fact" will be issued on a Friday evening, by saying through a spokesman it will not be this Friday. The court said the findings will be released on a Friday at 3:30 p.m. PT. But a court press liaison said today, "The findings of fact will not issue on October 22."

   

• Microsoft to Team Up With Hewlett-Packard to Help Nonprofits Nationwide Prepare for Y2K Rollover
  Time: 09:37 EDT/16:37 GMT Source: Press Pass Posted By: Byron

  Microsoft Corp. today announced it will team up with Hewlett-Packard Co. to launch a nationwide "Y2K Week of Service" to help local nonprofit organizations as they prepare their computing environments for the upcoming transition from 1999 to 2000. Microsoft employees will work with Hewlett-Packard employees and others Oct. 21-28, 1999, at locations nationwide in this effort. More than 300 employees from the two companies will be available to offer technical assistance to selected nonprofit agencies during the Y2K Week of Service.

   
• E-Stamp Selects Microsoft and ClearCommerce To Manage World's First E-Commerce Postage Site
  Time: 09:36 EDT/16:36 GMT Source: Press Pass Posted By: Byron

  Microsoft Corp. and ClearCommerce Corp. today announced that E-Stamp Corp., the first company to sell postage over the Internet, selected Microsoft® Site Server 3.0 Commerce Edition and the ClearCommerce® Merchant Engine™ to manage the nation's first e-commerce postage site. Through E-Stamp (http://www.e-stamp.com/), Internet users can purchase U.S. postage in the form of a digital stamp and print their postage directly onto envelopes or labels for delivery through the U.S. postal system.

   
• Microsoft Decision Coming On A Friday
  Time: 09:07 EDT/14:07 GMT Source: Avault Posted By: Byron

  The district judge presiding over the Microsoft anti-trust trial will issue his findings on the case on a Friday at 6:30 p.m. EDT, the court announced Tuesday -- but the court did not say which Friday. When the day does come, the parties will have two hours notice. The Justice Department and 19 states allege Microsoft violated the nation's antitrust laws; the judge held a 76-day trial on the matter. His first major decision in the case will be findings of fact.

   
• Microsoft soars past 1Q estimates, expects strong 2Q
  Time: 08:21 EDT/13:21 GMT Source: ZDNet Posted By: Byron

  The chief financial officer of Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) aptly summarized the first quarter with a quote from his three-year-old:

  "Whoa. What a quarter."

  Microsoft flew past analysts' estimates in its first quarter Tuesday, earning $2.19 billion, or 38 cents a share, on sales of $5.38 billion. First Call consensus expected the software giant to earn 34 cents a share in the quarter. So-called "whisper" estimates winding through Wall Street Tuesday afternoon pegged it for a profit of 38 cents a share. "The PC market remains very healthy," Microsoft CFO Greg Maffei said during a conference call with analysts.

   

• LiveWare! 3 Released
  Time: 02:14 EDT/07:14 GMT Source: E-Mail Posted By: Byron

  Creative have finally posted LiveWare! 3 for download for their SoundBlaster Live! range of cards. It may be later than expected but you can download it right here.

• AOL Releases IM Beta with Voice
  Time: 20:09 EDT/01:09 GMT Source: ActiveWindows Posted By: Garrett

  AOL just released a new build of their Instant Messenger software with a new feature they call "Connect to Talk." Well, maybe they just call it "talk," but either way--you get the point. This new feature [supposedly] allows two people with AOL Im to talk to each other (ala NetMeeting) over the internet. The reason I threw in 'supposedly' is because I tried it, and it didn't work. Who knows, maybe you'll have better luck.

  You can download this new beta by clicking the picture, or visit the AOL Im betas page by clicking here.

  *Please remember this is BETA software, and therefore may contain errors, bugs, etc. Neither ActiveWindows nor AOL offer any warranties or support.

   
• Microsoft and InfoImage form alliance to deliver enterprise digital dashboard solutions
  Time: 17:26 EDT/22:26 GMT Source: Microsoft Daily News Posted By: Alex H

  Workers who quickly access key information can be more effective.

  That's why Microsoft Corp. and InfoImage Inc., a leading corporate portal provider, have formed an alliance to deliver solutions to help workers find, share and analyze information. The two companies will work together to offer digital dashboard solutions for enterprise customers. Based on the Microsoft® knowledge management platform and InfoImage's freedom corporate portal, these digital dashboard solutions will consolidate important information—from personal e-mail to databases to the Internet—into a unified desktop view.

  "Microsoft and InfoImage will answer the growing need among large organizations for a way to connect knowledge workers to critical information and to each other," said Jeff Raikes, group vice president of worldwide sales and support at Microsoft. "InfoImage's corporate portal software exemplifies Microsoft's vision of a digital dashboard based on Office 2000, Exchange Server and other core Microsoft products."

  Phoenix-based InfoImage develops and implements corporate portal solutions designed to help people make better, faster business decisions.

   
• Microsoft Announces Asheron's Call Pre-Order Programs
  Time: 14:54 EDT/19:54 GMT Source: Press Release Posted By: Byron

  In anticipation of the launch of Asheron's Call in early November, Microsoft today announced exclusive pre-order programs with Electronic Boutique and Babbages/Software Etc.

  By pre-ordering Asheron's Call at store locations, or online at EB World (http://www.ebworld.com/ ) or Gamestop (http://www.gamestop.com/), gamers will receive an additional month of free Asheron's Call play ($9.95 value), plus either a Player's Guide (for pre-orders from Electronic Boutique) or an Adventure's Log (for pre-orders from Babbages/Software Etc.). Combine this offer with the one month of free play already available when initially subscribing to Asheron's Call, and gamers receive two free months of adventuring in the isle of Dereth when placing a pre-order.

  Additionally, Electronic Boutique is offering a $10 mail-in rebate for all pre-orders completed at their store locations. This Electronic Boutique exclusive is an excellent value for in-store purchases, providing gamers with a combined savings of nearly twenty dollars.

  Microsoft encourages gamers to place their pre-orders early, as all offers are based on limited quantities.

   
• Melissa Mutates Again; Fix Found
  Time: 14:51 EDT/19:51 GMT Source: PC World Posted By: Alex H

  Melissa may be the virus that refuses to die. Another new variant, Melissa.U(Gen1), has been found--but so has a fix.

  This version is actually a variant of a variant, a corrupted version of the Melissa.U variant that was reported last week, say officials at Symantec, maker of Norton AntiVirus, which has posted a fix for Melissa.U(Gen1). "A couple" of major corporations have been hit by this virus, including one that experienced 30,000 infections, Symantec representatives note.

  Also discovered last week was the Melissa.V variant. Fixes to both the U and V versions of Melissa are posted on the sites of major antivirus vendors, including both Symantec and McAfee.com, part of Network Associates.

  But Melissa.U(Gen1) is a new strain, and you shouldn't mistake this one for the original--or for the original variant, warns Darren Kessner, a senior virus researcher at Symantec.

  "People need to get the latest update, even if they already have the fix for the U and V variants," Kessner emphasizes. The fixes for those variants will not protect against the new modified variant, he says.

   
• Updated Clio Handheld Gets Speed, Smarts
  Time: 14:50 EDT/19:50 GMT Source: PC World Posted By: Alex H 

  If you could improve your handheld PC companion, you'd probably make it faster, smarter, and easier to manipulate.

  Vadem went two for three Monday with the release of its $999 Clio PC companion, the Clio C-1050. It's faster: It comes with a 56-kilobits-per-second hardware-modem, a step up from the 33.6-kbps software modem built into the earlier model, the C-1000. And it's stocked with 32MB of memory, twice that of the previous model, so it's smarter.

  But from all appearances, the C-1050 looks just like the C-1000--in other words, it has the same curvy keyboard that users either love or hate, according to Vadem representatives.

  "People have lots of emotions about the keyboard," says Bret Kennedy, a Vadem product manager. "It's pretty tough unless you're shipping a standard-size keyboard."

   
• Linux beats NT, but Unix is top for enterprise claims report
  Time: 14:43 EDT/19:43 GMT Source: The Register Posted By: Alex H 

  British outfit Bloor Research has -- "by coincidence," it says -- intervened in the Linux versus NT wrangle with some tests of its own. The results of these, Bloor says, show that Linux is superior to NT in six of nine categories devised to test the two "from the standpoint of how they operated in practice to support real applications."

  Bloor's coincidence is a happy one, as the Linux world is currently aflame over the strange tale of the Gartner-MS report.

  But although Linux seems to do well, Bloor concludes that neither Linux nor NT is "suitable for use as an enterprise level server." This isn't particularly welcome news for Microsoft, which is keen to get NT accepted at enterprise level, but will be of little consequence in the Linux world, where penetration at the highest levels of the enterprise isn't yet an issue.

   
• MS spin doctors 'explain' Win2k slippage to 2000
  Time: 14:42 EDT/19:42 GMT Source: The Register Posted By: Alex H 

  Microsoft's marketing elves seem to be spinning busily, following the latest fix on Windows 2000's final ship date. From these it looks like Microsoft will make it to finally beta (Release Candidate 3) immediately before Comdex, but RTM (Release to Manufacture) clearly won't be achieved for a big launch at Las Vegas.

  So for actual, in-your-hands, running on new PCs code, the date is going to be at least February, as we've been saying here for some time, and could even according to some sources be April. How could this be, if the latest RC3 and RTM dates (November 11 and December 9, respectively) seem achievable?

   
• MS piracy losses claims don't stack up
  Time: 14:40 EDT/19:40 GMT Source: The Register Posted By: Alex H 

  In trying to scare consumers, businesses, governments and institutions into having licensed software, Microsoft is making unsupportable claims about the jobs that it says have been displaced as a consequence of the piracy, and the ensuing loss of taxes to the state or country. Microsoft's new anti-piracy campaign is being so badly executed that its seriousness must be questioned.

  Steve Ballmer, in a curious signed comment on software piracy on Microsoft's Web site, overstates the case: "You might think that software theft hurts only those of us who create software. But the truth is, the damage goes much further, impacting jobs, wages, taxes, and retail sales right in your community." Microsoft's Web site currently claims that "American software companies lost $11 billion in revenue in 1998 due to global software piracy." This assumes that every pirate would otherwise have bought the software. Many computer users cannot afford to buy software at Microsoft's prices, so any dollar value for supposedly lost sales is meaningless.

   
• Gates and Ballmer mount buddies act in Fortune
  Time: 14:40 EDT/19:40 GMT Source: The Register Posted By: Alex H 

  There's a love-in conversation between Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer in the 25 October issue of Fortune magazine. It's billed as the $100 billion friendship, the pre-eminent buddy act in American business. They have known each other for 25 years, since their days at Harvard.

  Gates boldly claims "That summer [1975] I wrote BASIC for the MITS Altair..." which will be news to the co-developer (some say principal) Paul Allen, and Monte Davidoff. Gates also notes that shortly afterwards, somebody on Long Island "offered to buy Microsoft for seven or eight million dollars -I mean, nothing." Ballmer was "exactly the kind of help" that Gates decided he needed to run Microsoft, at a time when there were 30 employees. He confessed he had overloaded himself, and that the company "was a bit of a mess". Ballmer was offered more than any other employee, but they couldn't seem to agree how much that had been, with Ballmer believing it to be $40,000 and Gates claiming $56,000. The text of the offer letter was left on the Wang word processor, so before long copies were circulating round the office and it became known that Ballmer was a shareholder, along with Gates and Allen.

  Microsoft's obsession for keeping a great deal of cash on hand can be traced back to an obsession of Gates about being able to meet the payroll.

   
• MS pushes system builders back to distribution by withholding CDs
  Time: 14:38 EDT/19:38 GMT Source: The Register Posted By: Alex H

  Microsoft plans to stop providing operating system CDs to direct OEMs. From January 2000, OEMs buying software direct from Microsoft will either have to put a back up of the system on the customer's hard drive, or provide an OEM branded recovery CD that is BIOS locked to run only on individual customer systems.

  This will apply to Windows 95 and 98, NTW4 and Windows 2000, sources told The Register. Originally planned for November, the software vendor's move has been pushed back to 1 January. This seems largely due to the fact that most system builders were unaware of the changes until a few weeks ago, and are unhappy with them.

  In a leaked email, Microsoft said it was making this move to prevent software counterfeiting via CD copying and sharing. Yet it will not stop the main aspect of the problem – professional software piracy.

   
• Encyclopedia Britannica goes free
  Time: 14:32 EDT/19:32 GMT Source: ZDNet Posted By: Alex H

  Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc. is expected to announce Tuesday that it plans to split off its digital properties into a separate company and overhaul its britannica.com Web site, making the encyclopedia's database free to users for the first time.

  The site will be free, but it will have corporate sponsors and commercial links. So when Johnny starts doing that report on the moon landing or the Trojan Horse he won't need to subscribe -- but he will need to sift through some sales pitches for toys, books and other items.

  The new company, called Britannica.com, will house all of Encyclopaedia Britannica's digital assets, which include both its free and fee-based Web sites, as well as its CD-ROM and DVD businesses. Encyclopaedia Britannica Chief Executive Don Yannias, 41 years old, will leave that post and become CEO of Britannica.com.

  Asked whether Britannica.com was considering an initial public offering of its new digital company, one official said, "We're not ruling out any options at this point."

   
• Lycos makes Latin America push
  Time: 14:28 EDT/19:28 GMT Source: News.com Posted By: Alex H

  Lycos will launch 12 Latin American Web sites and two sites aimed at U.S. Spanish speakers, the company said today.

  Lycos and Tripod country-specific sites will be launched in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Venezuela and will reach more than 80 percent of the people in Latin America. News, finance, and sports content along with search and directory services from Lycos and HotBot will be included, Lycos said.

  "Latin America is poised to become the next great growth center for Internet services," Bob Davis, Lycos chief executive, said in a statement.

  Internet users in Latin America are expected to increase to 19.1 million in 2003 from 4.8 million in 1998. The e-commerce market in Latin America is expected to grow to $8 billion by 2003 from $240 million in 1998, according to data from market research firm International Data Corporation, Lycos said.

   

• Microsoft Launches Academic Professional Development Centers To Create Training Opportunities for Academic Staff and Faculty
  Time: 10:22 EDT/15:22 GMT Source: Press Release Posted By: Byron

  Microsoft Corp. today announced a new education program that will empower academic institutions nationwide to launch on-site community technology training programs needed to prepare faculty to teach technology courses as well as help information technology (IT) staff stay up to date on the latest Microsoft® technologies. During the 1999-2000 school year, Microsoft plans to help more than 100 academic institutions begin participating in the Academic Professional Development Center program, a convenient and affordable solution that brings technology training courses directly to local communities. The Academic Professional Development Center program will enable faculty and staff to gain the skills and certification necessary to begin teaching Microsoft Authorized Academic Training Provider (AATP) program courses to students in their communities, as well as provide training and certification for IT staff at colleges and universities.

   
• MS lobbies senate to lean on Europe, WTO
  Time: 06:03 EDT/11:03 GMT Source: The Register Posted By: Matt

  It's becoming clearer what Microsoft and other major software developers want to achieve at the World Trade Organisation ministerial meeting in Seattle next month (related story). We now have the text of the presentation by Eric Koenig, Microsoft's senior federal government affairs manager, to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations' subcommittee on European Affairs.

  Koenig spoke on behalf of Microsoft, and the BSA. He wanted the Senate subcommittee to persuade the EU to take a joint stance on the negotiations, especially with respect to e-commerce. Koenig is also co-chair of the WTO Seattle host committee. Strangely, he claimed that "More than 50 per cent of the revenues of ... Microsoft are generated by overseas sales". Yet in its 1999 Annual Report, Microsoft stated that US revenue is $13.7 billion (including OEM sales) and that non-US revenue is just $6 billion, with European sales amounting to a quarter of Microsoft's world revenue. Horses for courses, it would seem.

   
• Microsoft assailed in online chess match
  Time: 05:33 EDT/10:33 GMT Source: News.com Posted By: Matt

  A number of chess players battling against world champion Garry Kasparov on a Microsoft Web site today accused the company of mishandling a move that denied them at least a draw.

  Microsoft representatives said in response that the accusations were unfair, that the four-month-long "Kasparov vs. the World" game had been conducted within the rules, and that they were "totally agnostic" about the outcome.

  "Fiasco farce chess game" and "you have destroyed a work of art" were among the messages posted today on an electronic bulletin board on Microsoft's Gaming Zone Web site. The match started June 21 and appeared to be nearing its conclusion with a likely win for the Russian grandmaster.

   

• Microsoft joins with Telmex in portal venture
  Time: 05:03 EDT/10:03 GMT Source: News.com Posted By: Matt

  Microsoft announced a joint portal venture with telecommunications giant Telefonos de Mexico, marking yet another effort to reinvigorate the company's struggling MSN brand and establish a credible international Web presence.

  The deal comes more than a year after the software company announced a sweeping effort to establish Web portals in 24 countries, including Mexico and several South American nations. A spokesman said MSN is now up and running in 29 countries, including the United States, but would not disclose details concerning customers or usage.

  "In some countries we have a portal, in some other countries we have a partnership with a local provider who can help us get reach and help us get content," said Microsoft's Steve Guggenheimer, adding the plan hasn't changed much since last October.

   
• Microsoft Security Bulletin (MS99-043) - Workaround Available for "Javascript Redirect" Vulnerability
  Time: 04:27 EDT/09:27 GMT Source: E-Mail Posted By: Matt

  Summary
  Microsoft has learned of a vulnerability in Microsoft(r) Internet Explorer that could allow a malicious web site operator to read files on the computer of a user who visited the site, under certain circumstances. Microsoft is developing a patch that will eliminate the vulnerability; in the meantime, a temporary workaround is discussed below.

  Frequently asked questions regarding this vulnerability can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/security/bulletins/MS99-043faq.asp.

  Issue
  Client-local data that is displayed in the browser window can be made available to the server by using a redirect to a Javascript applet running in the same window. This in effect bypasses cross-domain security and makes the data available to the applet, which could then send the data to a hostile server. This could allow a malicious web site operator to read the contents of files on visiting users' computers, if he or she knew the name of the file and the folder in which it resided. The vulnerability would not allow the malicious user to list the contents of folders, create, modify or delete files, or to usurp any administrative control over the machine.

  Affected Software Versions
  Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 and 5.

  Work Around
  As an interim step while the patch is under development, Microsoft recommends that customers add sites that they trust to the Trusted Zone, and disable Active Scripting in the Internet Zone. This will provide full functionality for all trusted sites, while preventing untrusted sites from being able to exploit this vulnerability. The FAQ provides details on how to do this, and how to manage Security Zones in general.

  More Information
  Please see the following references for more information related to this issue.

  Microsoft Security Bulletin MS99-043: Frequently Asked Questions, http://www.microsoft.com/security/bulletins/MS99-043faq.asp.
  
  Microsoft Security Advisor web site, http://www.microsoft.com/security/default.asp.

• Microsoft fights handful of IE holes
  Time: 17:38 EDT/22:38 GMT Source: News.com Posted By: Matt

  Microsoft today moved to patch one security hole in its Web browser just as another came to light.

  Both problems spring from the browser's implementation of JavaScript, a scripting language created by Netscape Communications. Web sites use scripting technology to take actions on a visitor's computer without his or her input. Typical uses for scripting include launching pop-up windows or scrolling text across a screen.

  Scripting has been a boon not just for Web designers but for bug hunters. They have found numerous ways to circumvent security measures to show how malicious Web site operators can use the technology to take inappropriate actions on a visitor's computer.

  One bug hunter, Bulgarian security enthusiast Georgi Guninski, has been reporting JavaScript security problems regularly for more than a year. Although Netscape, now a unit of America Online, has had its share of Guninski's scrutiny, Microsoft has been his primary target in recent months.

  Last week, Microsoft acknowledged that Internet Explorer 5.0 was vulnerable to a Guninski exploit that let malicious Web site operators view visitors' files. The exploit bypassed Microsoft's security measures by running the script from within a frame--a smaller window in a Web site--where the security checks did not apply.

  Microsoft said the exploit only let an attacker view files, not alter or delete them.

  Microsoft advised that users of IE 4.01 apply the IE 4.01 service pack 2. IE 5 users can download different patches depending on whether they are on the Intel Platform or the Alpha Platform.

   
• Microsoft Joins Storage Networking Industry Association
  Time: 17:41 EDT/22:41 GMT Source: Press Release Posted By: Byron

  Microsoft Corp. and the Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) today announced that Microsoft has joined the SNIA as an associate member. The move signals Microsoft's commitment to working with the industry to develop innovative, standards-based storage area networks (SANs) and other reliable and scalable storage solutions for data centers, high-end advanced servers and enterprise environments.

   
• Microsoft Announces Availability of New Developer Tool For Knowledge Management Solutions
  Time: 15:12 EDT/20:12 GMT Source: Press Release Posted By: Byron

  Microsoft Corp. today announced the availability of a new tool for developers to build tracking and workflow solutions. The Access Workflow Designer for SQL Server™, previously code-named "Grizzly," enables developers to easily design and build Web-based workflow and tracking solutions that can also be used offline. From customer call tracking to expense reporting, almost any team business process that needs to be tracked is improved by using Access Workflow Designer. This tool is available now, free of charge (connect-time charges may apply), to all licensed users of Microsoft^® Office 2000 Developer by ordering online at http://msdn.microsoft.com/officedev/.

   
• Microsoft Allegiance Announced
  Time: 15:04 EDT/20:04 GMT Source: E-Mail Posted By: Byron

  Allegiance, the upcoming multiplayer space-combat game from the minds of Microsoft Research, combines the challenges of tactical squadron-based combat, intense one-on-one space dogfights, and amazing graphical and sound effects into a space-action experience like nothing you've seen before.

  All taking place on the MSN Gaming Zone, you can elect to get into the action immediately in death-match style arenas, or pledge Allegiance to one of the diverse Civilization Alliances and join a squadron. And when you play on the Allegiance Zone, you'll be able to engage hundreds of players in death-match style arenas, compete in tournaments, and access exclusive additional civilizations!

  Allegiance is scheduled for a Spring 2000 release.

   
• Antitrust experts bash MS lobbying
  Time: 11:06 EDT/16:06 GMT Source: ZDNet Posted By: Byron

  Microsoft Corp. is playing political hardball with the budget of the agency that's been a thorn in its side since the early 1990s.

  The company, and some non-profit groups associated with it, have been asking lawmakers to approve the lowest possible year 2000 budget for the U.S. Department of Justice, which brought a sweeping antitrust suit against the software maker last year. The two settled an earlier suit.

   
• MS pushes system builders back to distribution by withholding CDs
  Time: 09:07 EDT/14:07 GMT Source: The Register Posted By: Byron

  Microsoft plans to stop providing operating system CDs to direct OEMs. From January 2000, OEMs buying software direct from Microsoft will either have to put a back up of the system on the customer's hard drive, or provide an OEM branded recovery CD that is BIOS locked to run only on individual customer systems. This will apply to Windows 95 and 98, NTW4 and Windows 2000, sources told The Register.

   
• The Value of 1s and 0s
  Time: 09:04 EDT/14:04 GMT Source: Presspass Posted By: Byron

  It is no coincidence that the United States -- the world’s leading advocate for intellectual property rights -- is also home to the world’s largest software industry. Strong intellectual property protections in the United States have also helped create thriving movie, publishing, recorded-music and pharmaceutical industries which, combined with software, help drive the nation’s economy.

  Without these protections, creativity and innovation would be stifled, leading to fewer choices for consumers. Software development -- like that of movies, music, books and pharmaceuticals -- involves significant investment in research and development. To the extent that companies in any of these fields cannot be assured of a reasonable return on their investment, they are reluctant to develop new products.

   

• Gates knocks stuffing out of Paxman
  Time: 04:55 EDT/09:55 GMT Source: The Register Posted By: Byron

  "You can punch him; you can explode his head; you can decapitate him; you can even put a pie in his eye." This video-clip narration, accompanied by some rather childish animated screen shots of what some people think of Bill Gates, set the tone for Jeremy Paxman's interview on BBC2 television last night.

  The only critical remark in the video was that Gates was "A difficult little sod whose parents ended up sending him to a child psychologist because they thought he was underachieving."