Microsoft-Watch have an article detailing the possibility of Microsoft releasing update plugins for Internet Explorer before the release of Longhorn sometime in 2006/2007. Ironically I predicted this about a week ago. Guess what folks? If it happens, it will be the pressure exerted by Firefox that will have caused it. After all, before Firefox, IE had stagnated for about 4 years, virtually abandoned except for security patches. See? Competition really is good for consumers. 🙂

In other news, Microsoft has been paying off companies that are suing them for anti-trust and other issues at an alarming rate. So far Sun, Linspire, Novell, several US state cases and the “Computer and Communications Industry Association” have all received specified or unspecified payments to drop the lawsuits against the software behemoth. Novell plans to re-instigate litigation over anti-trust issues related to Novell’s previous office suite programs and Microsoft office, and the EU still plans to continue its anti-trust proceedings as well, however it now has to do it without the backing of Novell and the CCIA. Nokia have quit the CCIA in disgust over the settlement. Personally, I understand Nokia’s disgust, these companies have just agreed either to lose a potentially significant part of their business to Microsoft and its “tactics”, or to forgive them for having taken it already. And they did it all for what in the grand scheme of things is a tiny little pay-off that hardly affects MS’s profit figures at all.

Franki

If you are running a version of Windows other then XP SP2, then you REALLY need to download Firefox and stop using IE. The reason? Well apart from the extra features and stuff, it’s a security thing. Namely with IE you have none.

A new version of Mydoom has surfaced that will affect any and all fully patched versions of IE prior to XP SP2. Don’t take my word for it, read this Eweek article for the details.

Franki

SMS is currently in the same place email was about five to ten years ago. It’s an open system with no real filtering methods on place to stop spamming. Worse it doesn’t even have a real subject line by which you can determine whether to read or delete it. So it is hardly a surprise that some enterprising blackhat has created a Trojan horse program that uses infected PC’s to send SMS spam to unsuspecting mobile users in Russia.

This is going to be a growth “industry” before long, because e-mail SPAM is slowly reaching the point where it’s hardly worth the spammers effort. New laws and technologies are starting to make a dent in the spammers profit margin so you can bet they are looking at now markets to pester with Viagra and penis enlargement ads.

TheRegister has the story here.

Franki

The first real non beta release of the Firefox web browser is now available if you know where to look for it. Ironically the beta releases have about as many users now as the actual stable Mozilla suite has. Having a official release should boost that even more.

There are now millions of Firefox users around the world now who just got sick of constant IE security flaws and Microsoft’s refusal to update IE’s stagnant feature set (that has not changed much in about 4 years.) Even SP2 has been withheld from 50% of Windows users that are not running Windows XP.

Anyway, the official download link has not been updated to point to the new 1.0 release, but my searching turned up the download file here.

Enjoy.

Franki

Recently webmail.us announced that they have swapped to Linux and Open Source software, and listed some of the relevant software here. Interestingly they are using a very similar system to the new mail system I just set-up. (except that I’m using Debian).

They are apparently as happy with their new system as I am with ours. It is getting harder for old school companies like Microsoft to tell people that it is better for you to give them your money in the long run when the facts keep getting in the way. More importantly the facts are coming from companies that have made the switch themselves and speak from experience.

In related news, Novell has decided to refute Microsoft’s funded “facts” campaign by launching one of their own and explaining in detail why Microsoft’s results are not credible. For one thing Microsoft paid for most of the studies, secondly they only show the bits of them that further their cause, and thirdly, why would anyone listen to either Novell or Microsoft to find out the truth:? If you want the truth, you either ask an independent 3rd party, or look into it yourself. I would not ask a GM dealer if GM cars were better then Ford, so why is this any different? Anybody that is swayed by Microsoft’s “get the fud” campaign really needs to ask themselves if perhaps some time in a mental hospital is called for. Can you imagine Microsoft saying “Well in some cases Linux is actually cheaper…..” ? No, me either.

Franki

The Mozilla foundation has just released version 0.9 of the Thunderbird e-mail client. Firefox tends to get most of the press releases, but Thunderbird is a brilliant product in it’s own right. I’ve been using it since early 0.3 releases and I’ve never had reason to complain. (My e-mail needs are quite extensive so I give it a huge workout.)

For well over a year, I have used IMAP and POP3 to retrieve over 1200 e-mails a day, and Thunderbird has held up very well. It fits very well with Firefox, in that it is small, fast, looks good and has all the cool features. (like SPAM filtering, HTML cleaning, themes and extensions and heaps of other goodies.) It will also import the address books and account settings from several different e-mail clients (including OE). If you are sick of the Microsoft Virus transport system. (Outlook Express and Internet Explorer) you really should be using Firefox and Thunderbird. Take my word for it, you’ll be safer and more efficient. You will not regret it. Plus both are free, so what have you got to lose by trying them?

Franki

A current study is underway to compare nasal flu vaccine to injections. Ironically, there is a big “scare” in the US this year because the flu shot is in very limited quantity because of a manufacturing problem. What people don’t know is that the mist for nasal inhaling is readily available. Of course, until this test is done, who knows if it is as effective … or could it be more effective.

For years I bypassed the flu shots and seldom got sick. Then I took a job that involved interaction with many many people, often with poor health, nutrition and hygene … and I got sick more than before. I started getting flu shots and again got sick very little. This year I cannot get the flu shot, so I may (like most of my family already has) go get the mist.