Microsoft and Novell unfold collaboration roadmap

Microsoft and Novell have given more details about their joint technical roadmap for the implementation of Windows support for Novell's SUSE Linux. The two companies have announced that they will jointly develop four areas of technology to address significant problems faced by enterprise customers today: virtualisation, Web services for managing physical and virtual servers and directory and identity interoperability. Collaboration on virtualisation will work towards the development of technology that will enable Linux and Windows servers to consolidate server workloads in heterogeneous data centres. ...more

EMI receives Warner takeover approach

EMI has confirmed that it has received an approach from Warner Music Group about the possibility of a merger. In a brief statement EMI said that Warner has yet to submit a concrete proposal, nor is there any certainty that this approach will lead to an offer being made. The two companies have been carrying on a will-they won't-they relationship since the turn of the century. ...more

Apple storms through Intel switch

Apple's chief financial officer told a California technology conference that more than 1,000 Mac applications have now been ported to the Intel platform and that the company is a year ahead of its schedule for the transition to the new hardware. However Peter Oppenheimer told the Morgan Stanley Semiconductor and Systems Conference that key applications are not yet universal and acknowledged the poorer performance of these apps on Intel Macs. 'For power users, they are going to notice a difference,' he said. ...more

John Wiley signs up Symbian Press

In advance of the release of the EPOC-based Nokia 9290, "Symbian Press" is a new publishing imprint from John Wiley and Symbian, the consortium behind the EPOC operating system that powers Communicator devices. Aimed at developers, Symbian Press will be producing a range of titles designed "to help C++, Java and content developers to add value to the unique technologies offered by the Symbian OS". Essentially, the imprint will help the company share technical information about Symbian WIDs (Wireless information devices) and help establish the wireless industry standards that the company is following. ...more

Vaio sets sights on your front room

Sony is to launch a new Vaio PCV-MXS10 that combines front room and PC technology in one stylish device and gives more than a nod in design to Apple's G4. Under the hood, there's a powerhouse of components: a 1.7Ghz P4, 512Mb of memory and a 80Gb hard drive for starters. ...more