The newsletter includes a blurb on FreePad, Norway’s alternative to Sweden’s Screen Phone.

The Tokyo Linux Users Group, jointly with the Linux Seminar
Working Group, Project BLUE and the Yokohama Linux Users Group,
is pleased to host Mr. Jon “maddog” Hall, executive director
of Linux International, for a talk on the evolution of the Linux
operating system and an overview of the re-structuring of Linux
International to meet the needs that arise from the growth of Linux.
The talk will be at IBM Japan Headquarters Auditorium, at 18:30
on September 5, 2000. This event is open to the public and everyone
is welcome. The press release is at LinuxPR.

Upside.com follows up on the announcement Wednesday that four technology companies are partnering to open a Linux lab: “Face it. If you work with Linux, and IBM (IBM) hasn’t tried to partner up with you yet, you’re just not working hard enough. Take Wednesday’s four-way announcement involving IBM, Hewlett-Packard (HWP), NEC Corp. and Intel (INTC), in which each company pledged support and resources for the creation of a new, nonprofit Open Source Development Lab.”

Gamespy.com reviews Linux gaming, and Slashdot readers give their opinions on the article.

From a ZDNet column: “Tracking the clock-speed wars between Intel Corp. and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. is a little like handicapping the Indy 500; sometimes, you get the feeling that a lot of the spectators have turned out to watch someone crash.”

Reuters reports on Microsoft’s email tracking bug: Documents created with some Microsoft Corp. software can be rigged to “phone home” to another computer and report where and how often a document is read, a privacy organization said Wednesday. The technique, known as a “Web bug,” takes advantage of a shortcut for including images in Microsoft’s Word word processor, Excel spreadsheet software and PowerPoint presentation program, the Denver-based Privacy Foundation said on its Web site.

Energy conglomerate Conoco Inc. announced that it has built and deployed a huge Linux-based supercomputer to analyze massive amounts of seismic data gathered in the process of exploring for oil and gas. The new geophysical computer — which Conoco said boasts enough storage capacity to house the complete U.S. Library of Congress — was built entirely by an internal information technology and engineering team headed by Dr. Alan Huffman, manager of the company’s Seismic Imaging Technology Center. The story is at ComputerWorld.

Energy conglomerate Conoco Inc. announced that it has built and deployed a huge Linux-based supercomputer to analyze massive amounts of seismic data gathered in the process of exploring for oil and gas. The new geophysical computer — which Conoco said boasts enough storage capacity to house the complete U.S. Library of Congress — was built entirely by an internal information technology and engineering team headed by Dr. Alan Huffman, manager of the company’s Seismic Imaging Technology Center. The story is at ComputerWorld.

MP3.com has launched a marketing service for record labels, sending emails to fans touting new music. The first band to be promoted is VAST, which is signed to Warner Music Group’s Elektra entertainment division, according to a story at ZDNet UK. More from The Associated Press.

From the humor site Segfault.org: The “New Nerd Network” (NNN) is joining the rush to produce yet another voyeuristic reality show (YAVRS). The show will be available only over the Internet, using live, streaming video. The new show, named “Code Noir”, will highlight the antics of a bunch of wild and crazy hackers as they develop applications, utilities, viruses, and other artifacts of the new e-generation of programmers. Dozens of cameras and microphones located in and around the hackers’ cubicles, cafeteria, and ‘fun zone’ will capture the action 24/7. The hackers’ own “web cams” will also be used.