Articles by Jay Lyman

As operating system migration has become more of an issue, particularly for Microsoft administrators, the company has responded by releasing a beta version of Virtual Server 2004, which promises to pave a gentle migration path to Windows Server 2003 while working with older Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000 operating systems While the compa...

Various standards bodies and organizations are contributing to and competing for different Web services formats, but promoters of the new WS-Discovery specification say it will expand the market for Web services more than other specs by seamlessly connecting all kinds of devices -- including desktops and cell phones -- to the networked world. Detr...

In what a Recording Industry Association of America spokesperson described as "catching up to the pace we were at before," the RIAA has filed five new suits to ensnare another 531 computer users who allegedly have traded pirate music online The copyright lawsuit tactic first emerged last year in a spate of subpoenas based on the Digital Millennium ...

The idea of the Windows desktop PC in a small, mobile form is nothing new, and judging by the amount of notebook sales to consumers, the mobile form factor is in high demand. But the latest approach to the mini PC -- on display at this week's DEMO 2004 trade show in Seattle -- has the endorsement of Microsoft co-founder and tech heavyweight Paul Allen...

The recent disclosure of a security hole revealed through the leak of Microsoft Windows 2000 and NT source code is raising several issues that the software giant will have to face as a result of the breach. Analysts are indicating the leak could have a profound effect not only on the security of Microsoft's software, but also on the company's worldwide reputation...

Computer attackers are among those discussing and dissecting exploit code for a recently disclosed, serious security gap in all newer versions of Microsoft Windows operating systems, following a pattern now familiar to victims of the SQL Slammer, Blaster, Nimda or Code Red viruses. And while past experience -- and the resulting preparedness -- mig...

The past year has had no shortage of costly and complicating computer viruses and worms -- SoBig, Swen, Klez and Yaha, among others -- but what might be more troubling is the intersection of these attacks with the world of spam, which not only is pouring on in quantity, but also is carrying more destructive payloads Tack on to these issues the rela...

IBM reportedly is working with Microsoft to port the Redmond, Washington-based company's popular Office desktop software to the Linux platform, which IBM has wholeheartedly endorsed and leveraged to win market share in the enterprise-computing space Although open-source alternatives such as StarOffice and OpenOffice have evolved to the point of acc...

What started out for Microsoft as a bad day with the reported theft and Internet posting of source code for some of its Windows operating systems turned worse as the technology giant once again saw the security of its software tested with the emergence of a dangerous Internet Explorer exploit Security experts said the attacks via Microsoft's Web br...

Based on arguments that SCO Group is spoiling its own legal efforts, Linux backer Open Source Development Labs (OSDL) has indicated most companies are ignoring the entire matter Referring to a position paper written by Columbia University law professor Eben Moglen and published by the Linux consortium, OSDL said Linux customers likely will ignore S...

It's happening again. A major security vulnerability in Microsoft's Windows operating system has security experts concerned about widespread attacks even though Microsoft has issued a patch for the problem -- this time a security vulnerability in the widely used Abstract Syntax Notation (ASN.1) protocol. Microsoft, which rated the vulnerability cr...

Open-source developer the Mozilla Foundation has released a new version of its next-generation browser, dubbed Firefox after a name change and the addition of several new features that bring the browser, according to the group, to "the bleeding edge of Internet technology." The browser was formerly known as Firebird, but Mozilla changed its name to Firefox, now in version 0.8, because of a conflict with another open-source project...

PalmSource has released two operating system updates -- one major and one minor. PalmSource's Cobalt is an almost entirely new OS aimed at giving enterprise users more flexibility, while Garnet is a collection of minor updates to an earlier version of the popular Palm operating system. The company said its Cobalt OS features multitasking capabilit...

Privately held Norwegian technology company Opera Software, maker of the increasingly popular Opera Web browser that serves as an alternative to Microsoft's Internet Explorer, has announced its intentions to offer an initial public offering next month The company, which also reported fourth-quarter revenue growth of more than 100 percent over the p...

Microsoft is poised to offer a lower-priced, scaled-down version of its Windows XP and Office XP software to compete more effectively in Thailand -- and similar developing markets -- against the threat of open-source software The Redmond, Washington-based company is hoping that by lowering its prices and thereby releasing more legitimate software i...

The seemingly unstoppable tide of junk e-mail known as spam has resulted in several different technologies and approaches to combat the inbox clutter, but one tactic has recently gained the attention of major ISPs such as Yahoo and MSN: e-mail postage. While consumers might find spam an annoyance and corporations might view it as a waste of time a...

RealNetworks has released several updates to close security gaps in its media players, including RealPlayer Enterprise and the beta version of RealPlayer 10. The vulnerabilities, if exploited, could give attackers control over victims' computers. The Seattle-based company said it has received no reports of actual attacks but has made available upd...

In a move reminiscent of government tactics used against drug dealers and organized crime, an Australian group working on behalf of the recording industry there raided offices and homes belonging to executives of the Kazaa peer-to-peer (P2P) network operator, Sharman Networks Using a search order secured from an Australian federal court, the Austra...

The Open Source Development Labs (OSDL) has released a set of guidelines aimed at helping users deploy Linux in corporate data centers. Following a process that mirrors the open, ongoing development of Linux software, OSDL is inviting feedback on the Data Center Linux Technical Capabilities 1.0 specification. The document prioritizes Linux capabilities required by enterprise-class applications...

Diverging from its usual dedication to Intel-based machines, Microsoft has made public a beta version of Windows XP for use on 64-bit computers running the AMD Athlon 64 and Opteron processors Microsoft said its Windows XP 64-Bit Edition is designed for technical workstation users who require large amounts of memory and floating point performance i...