Dell opts for Ubuntu Linux distro

Dell has chosen Ubuntu as the Linux distribution that it will offer pre-installed on a range of its PCs. A month ago the company announced that it would extend its Linux offering in response to feedback to its IdeaStorm website and a subsequent survey. In this, more than 70 per cent of the 100,000 respondents said that they would use the open source operating system both at home and at work. ...more

New Bagle variant is a turn off for Windows XP firewall

Antivirus vendors are warning of a new variant of the Bagle virus discovered today that can turn off the firewall in Windows XP. Bagle-AT, also known as Bagle-BB, -AU, and -BC, -BD, spreads as an attachment in an email with simple subject lines such as 'RE: Thanks ;-)' and an attachment with the filename 'Price' or 'Joke' and a variety of extensions. Kaspersky says that variants AT and AU are the same with the exception that each uses a different compression format, or packer. ...more

OS X Server release imminent

Apple has revealed that a new version of the OS X Server software will be made available shortly after Mac OS X itself is released. Mac OS X Server provides a set of tools for managing a server-based network, including file management, print, Internet and Web serving, client management and directory services. It includes IP-based support for file sharing with Macintosh, Windows, Linux and UNIX clients, FTP support for Internet file transfers and incorporates Postscript print spooling. ...more

MP3 music in your wallet

Bantam Interactive has announced it will start selling two credit-card sized digital audio players in the UK from next month. The BA350 will cost approximately ?179 including VAT and offers 128MB of memory on which to store your tunes. There's an SD slot if you want to add more capacity. ...more

Linux gets open source patent boost

The Linux and open-source community is to benefit from royalty-free use of patents acquired by a new company called the Open Innovation Network (OIN). Funded by IBM, Novell, Philips, Red Hat, and Sony, OIN will acquire patents and make them available for royalty-free use on the condition that the users do not press their patent claims against 'the Linux operating system or certain Linux-related applications'. OIN's CEO Jerry Rosenthal, told us that this protected Linux area is both broad and set to grow. ...more