Desktop Java gets ready for Vista

Sun Microsystems has released version 6 of its Java Standard Edition programming language for desktop applications. The technology implements the new Java Specification Request 270 ratified last month by the Java Community Process.

Microsoft CEO releases Windows Vista, Exchange and Office 2007 to businesses.  Microsoft formally launched Windows Vista and Office 2007 at a company event in New York.

System automatically determines what is being watched from a small audio signature

Researchers at Google Labs are working on an interactive television application that provides contextually relevant web content for viewers. The researchers have demonstrated how to sample the ambient sound emitted from a TV and automatically determine what is being watched from a small audio signature.

Overheating batteries can cause units to catch fire

HP is recalling over 675,000 of its Photosmart R707 digital cameras from around the world because of potential safety issues.

Software firm promises early release of compatibility testing tool
 
Microsoft plans to release an application compatibility toolkit for its forthcoming Windows Vista operating system in the second quarter of this year, said Will Pool, senior vice president for Windows Client said in a keynote presentation at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) in Seattle.

Gates unveils betas for Microsoft's flagship products

Microsoft has released Beta 2 versions of its forthcoming Windows Vista and Windows Longhorn Server operating systems, as well as a Beta 2 for Office 2007. 
 

Pushes virtualization at WinHEC and acquires Softricity

Microsoft plans to launch a beta of its virtualization hypervisor management console earlier then previously expected.
The launch is now slated for the end of this year, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates said in an opening keynote at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) in Seattle.

Vendor ends exclusive Intel love affair
 
Dell will start shipping servers featuring AMD's Opteron processor, the hardware maker unveiled as part of its latest earnings release. 
 
The chips will power multi-processor servers positioned at the high end of the company's server line. The first models are expected to ship by the end of this year.

Portal responds to recent Google and Microsoft moves
 
Yahoo plans to launch advertising technology later this year designed to boost the relevance of ads shown to users, the company said at a meeting with financial analysts in San Francisco.

Microsoft has revealed the minimum requirements a PC will need to run its forthcoming Windows Vista operating system.
 
 The software giant listed the required specifications for a PC to be branded 'Vista Capable' and 'Vista Premium Ready'.

Sun to support Ubuntu on Niagara servers

Sun Microsystems plans to offer support for the Ubuntu server Linux distribution on its T1 server line, the company said at the JavaOne industry conference in San Francisco.

Question-and-answer community integrated into main search results
 
Yahoo aims to improve its general search by adding information from its Yahoo Answers service into the list of results.

Question-and-answer community integrated into main search results

Yahoo aims to improve its general search by adding information from its Yahoo Answers service into the list of results. 

VoIP firm scraps fees for landline and mobile calls in the US and Canada

Skype has axed fees for calls to landlines and mobile phones within the US and Canada for consumers in those regions.

Slew of patches aim to keep operating system afloat

Apple has released security updates for its OS X operating system and Quicktime media player.  The OS X patch repairs 31 security vulnerabilities in the operating system and bundled applications. The Quicktime update tackles 12 vulnerabilities.

Returning to its search roots
 
Google has unveiled four new products in an effort to improve the accuracy of online searches.
 
The search engine in the past has become known for launching non-search products such as Gmail and Google Talk.

Provider lets first email campaign pass through Goodmail programme
 
America Online has last week has had the first email campaign run through its Goodmail Certified Email programme, a company spokesperson told vnunet.com.
 

Chipmaker slaps Core 2 Duo label on future client processors
 
Intel is planning to sell its forthcoming low power dual core desktop and laptop processors under the brand name "Core 2 Duo" when they come out later this summer, the company has said.
 

Java update promises less work for software developers

Sun Microsystems has confirmed the final specifications for Java Enterprise Edition 5 (Java EE 5) and has promised to release a software development kit and compatibility test suite at the JavaOne Conference on 16 May. 
 

But phishing attacks soar
 
The number of emails carrying viruses has plummeted to fewer than one per cent of all messages sent, according to the April virus trends report from BlackSpider Technologies. 
 

Internet explorer hands MSN Search an unfair advantage, Google alleges
 
Google is lobbying the US government and the European Union to level the competitive playing field between itself and Microsoft.

Trojans and spyware taking over

Early reports of malware distribution in April show that viruses are swiftly declining as a threat in comparison with other malicious software.
 

Open source file system raises storage limits and promises better data integrity
 
Apple is planning to use Sun Microsystems' Zettabyte File System (ZFS) for its OS X operating system, Sun employee Eric Kustartz said on an OpenSolaris mailing list.