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Opinion: For those of you who think Red Hat is on its way to becoming the next Microsoft—get over it.

Four major open source database projects have scoffed at Oracle’s attempt this week to tackle the threat of open source software.

On Tuesday, Oracle released a beta version of Oracle 10g Express Edition, a low-end edition of its database. The Express Edition is the same as other databases in Oracle’s lineup, but can only run servers with one processor, 4GB of disk memory and 1GB of memory.

[Ed - Oracle has done this in the past to promote its products. tadelste]

Univa, for instance, has adopted a business model that is, essentially, the same as the Linux vendor Red Hat. Whereas Red Hat distributes and services Linux, Univa focuses on Globus open-source middleware for creating grid networks.

Louisiana Tech's eXtreme Computing Research (XCR) unveiled a breakthrough development today in the RAS-ware runtime for transparent job queue fault tolerance in HPC Cluster environment.

Dr. Box Leangsuksun, an associate professor in computer science, explained that XCR's breakthrough consists of High Availability, Self-configuration, and Self-healing as enabling solutions.

Microsoft's recently appointed chief technology officer (CTO) Ray Ozzie, believes Redmond can utilize MSN to beat Google and become the industry's largest beneficiary of online advertising-based services. Microsoft hopes to convert millions of Windows developers using software development tools like Visual Studio into content providers, building adverts and services into Windows Live, Office Live and Windows applications

[ED- This is an interesting idea if it wasn't for the fact that MS has screwed every single development company that tried to work with them. Maybe Ozzie is dancing Balmer style shouting. Amnesia, Amnesia, Amnesia]

A Linux object-based storage device compliant with the T10-OSD standard specification. OSD technology addresses security and scalability problems that arise in distributed storage systems (e.g. a SAN-based file-system). To ease the technology deployment, the OSD-Simulator can be used for exploring it and testing its applicability and as a future building block for storage systems.

[ED- In light of Senator Pacheco's effort at Mondays closed hearing (story posted below) it is only fitting to lament what happened to one of his like-minded colleges]

WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF CLUELESSNESS -- In a bizarre incident last week, U.S. Senator Fattecat (R-Washington State) fell off a 30-foot high cliff and sustained several broken bones.

"One of Fattecat's handlers at the MPAA told him to jump off a cliff, and he did it," said an anonymous source who wished to remain anonymous. "What choice did he have? He's always done everything the MPAA and RIAA want, and in return he's always been re-elected -- despite his gross incompetence."

Andy Updegrove went to the hearing. He gives his impressions and his near verbatim typing of the proceedings. It speaks for itself.

N. Sanders writes: "Just two months ago, Novell opened the development process behind SUSE Linux, creating the openSUSE project. Novell's move gave developers a chance to be involved in SUSE, which previously had been developed privately without community input. In the short time since openSUSE was unveiled, developers have begun work on several new and interesting SUSE derivatives."

[There's even SUSE Performance Enhanced Release (SUPER) for you bleeding edge types. - Ed]

Yesterday's hearing at the Massachusetts State House was clearly an attempt to delay adoption of OpenDocument Format (ODF) --- delivering a swipe at Peter Quinn, CIO and Director of the state's Information and Technology Division.

["...No comments or questions were allowed from the large audience, and there was frustration that written testimony delivered to the hearing, and in support of Massachusetts adopting ODF, went unmentioned." Imagine that! Squashing public testimony in American politics? Say it ain't so! - Ed]

The ax comes down, but fewer employees than expected will feel its cut. However, the Linux company is preparing to sell its consulting subsidiary, Celerant.

On Thursday afternoon, the House Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property will hold an Oversight Hearing on "Content Protection in the Digital Age: The Broadcast Flag, High-Definition Radio, and the Analog Hole." with Dan Glickman (Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)), Mitch Bainwol (Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)), Gigi B. Sohn (President, Public Knowledge), Michael D. Petricone (Vice President, Government Affairs, Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) on behalf of CEA and the Home Recording Rights Coalition.)

Rhea Davis writes: "As Hurricane Rita bore down on the Texas coast, two Gentoo penguins were locked in the rapture of love. Now, five weeks later, the product of their hanky-panky filled weekend has hatched. The first Gentoo chick ever to be born at Moody Gardens pecked out of its egg around 5 p.m. Tuesday, according to Moody Gardens. The fluffy baby penguin weighs a mere 90 grams and can fit into a tea cup. " [O.k., so it's not Gentoo Linux. It's a real Gentoo penguin! -Ed]

Six years ago, one of the most incriminating articles I had read about "dirty tricks" disappeared from the Internet. I made the article the center piece of an investigative piece I wrote concerning how I thought Microsoft attempted to destroy UNIX and would go after Linux.

By a stroke of luck, I saw a link to it while doing research in the Way Back Machine.

I found a link to the article on the cover of an archived front page of "ConsultingTimes.com" dated March 2, 2001. But the link didn't work. I keep searching and finally found Steve Walli's article entitled "Open Systems, POSIX and NT".

If you read this article, you will recognize the players even though ten years have passed. These games have not stopped and may never stop. History repeats itself. Monopolists are almost impossible to unseat without the will of Congress, the Administration and the Courts and ultimately each and every one of us.

Related Story: Did Bill Gates Invent Linux and Has He Erased the Evidence?

The underdog browser will be available through in-flight entertainment systems on Boeing and Airbus aircraft.

WHAT ON EARTH are the "fine" folks at Sony thinking? Are they insane? Morally bankrupt? How can any reasonable, thinking, moral person think that installing this sort of invasive junk on a customer's computer is OK? Yes, I am questioning both their intelligence and morality. This is beyond outrageous, it should be criminal.

Learn how to easily transition from any existing Linux distribution to a complete, online resource for creating and maintaining a commercial-grade custom Linux distribution tuned to the exact requirements of your embedded project.

Mozilla's Firefox has broken the 10 percent barrier, a Dutch Web metrics firm claimed Wednesday, and now is used by 11.5 percent of the world's surfers.

According to Amsterdam-based OneStat, Firefox gained 2.8 percent usage share since April, while Microsoft's Internet Explorer, still the most widely-used browser, fell 1.2 percent over the same period. Internet Explorer now accounts for 85,5 percent of the world's browser share.

NORTHBOROUGH -- Akibia Inc. yesterday unveiled a new distribution facility and repair shop that will serve as "the hub of the tangible part" of its business.

Akibia, which supports and optimizes data centers and network security systems for large businesses, opened its 42,000-square-foot "logistics center" in Northborough in late August, according to Mike Parisi, director of logistics for the Westborough-based company.

We've put together a series of Windows XP, SUSE 9.3 and Ubuntu 5.04 desktop screen shots as a side-by-side comparison of some of the common desktop features available in the modern operating system desktop.

Windows users need not fear making the switch to Linux in this day and age, with the mature desktop environments currently available. There are features available in Windows that are not present in the KDE and GNOME environments, and visa-versa, but the most common features used in Windows are present in Linux. This comparison is based on a default Windows XP installation, the SUSE 9.3 Live DVD and the Ubuntu 5.04 Live CD, without additional software being installed. So we begin.