The title says it all. Release 5 of the MySQL database server is out and ready for download now. The 5 release contains many features desired by enterprise customers and brings it much closer to products by rival companies like Oracle. Get your copy now.

MySQL recently caught a bit of flak from the Open Source community for working with the SCO group to port the MySQL database server software to SCO’s new OpenServer UNIX release. Since they are not the only ones doing that, it isn’t really that big of a deal and is unlikely to sway users to the SCO platform who are not already there.

After a very long process, OpenOffice.org has finally released a stable 2.0 release. OpenOffice is a totally free, Open Source, Microsoft Office compatible Office suite. The new release is more stable, more featured, more MS Office compatible and just generally better. Check it out.

Michigan officials have raided an alleged spam operation seizing computers and records. It will be interesting to see if there is a noticeable difference in spam received in the short run, or is this merely a drop in the bucket? The man who’s business has been closed by the seizure describes himself as a commercial mailer and claims through his attorney that he has spent a lot of money to keep his business in compliance with the federal can spam act. All I know is that every day I get hundreds and often thousands of emails for products like mortgages, viagra and natural enlargement remedies (by the way, does anyone know if those remedies can be used cumulatively?). I am happy for any break in the unwanted commercial email.

A debate is raging over the propriety of having municipalities build wireless networks, or WiFi. Many think it will bring the internet to the masses in the large cities. Here is an interesting article about proposed “Muni – WiFi” in Philadelphia that suggests they may actually save money by installing it.

There have been television screens in conversion vans for many years now. Most of them had ineffective antennas and were primarily used for viewing tapes and later DVD’s. In recent years, many SUV’s and mini-vans have added drop down or flip up screens for back seat viewing. Most states have laws preventing the screen from being viewed by the driver.

According to this article in USA Today, satellite tv is now affordably available in vehicles. For the cost of an extra receiver you can apparently have satellite tv in the car. Of course you need to have the vehicle wired, but many upscale vehicles will be pre-wired.

This is great for people who travel with kids, spend time in their vehicles waiting for this or that, and for people who tailgate.

Some things never change, however. Technology has to be simple to be used by the masses. Last night I had to go help a friend who has satellite tv. Since he had it installed a year ago, he has been unable to tape/record shows from satellite. I went over assuming that he didn’t have the satellite signal wired through his recording device. Come to fine out it was, he just needed to set the units to the right channel. Simple, but it eluded him. How many VCR’s have we seen flash 12:00 for years? They eventually designed self setting clocks to solve that problem.

Having mobile video monitors also introduces all sorts of new issues. For example, what goes on the screen? Michigan for example has considered a law to make made it illegal to show sexually explicit content on a screen in a motor vehicle.

Google has officially introduced a plan to provide free office applications online. Under the plan Google will provide access to free word processor and spreadsheet programs accessible from a toolbar. The application behind the functionality is OpenOffice.org.

The deal is seen as the next volley in the war between Microsoft and Google as Office is Microsoft’s biggest cash cow. Read more here.

For once it might actually be true. The government is hot on the trail of spyware placement organizations according to this story in Oneida Dispatch, a Cleveland area news outlet. Ironically when you go to read this story they will jam you with a pop-up. The company the FTC is after says that the end users clicked to authorize the intrusion. Nobody would knowing agree to that stuff as it brings your computer to it’s knees.