“After more than a year of layoffs and frustrating job searches, Silicon Valley job hunters are worn down and discouraged. This year started with many people optimistic that the job market would improve after a dismal ending to 2001. But instead, layoffs have continued and the unemployment rate has remained stubbornly high.” From bayarea.com.

“Demand is especially high for people certified in J2EE, XML, SOAP and Web services platforms like BEA WebLogic and IBM WebSphere,” says a NewsFactor special report.

“After reading the post about Netscape 4.8 being released, I went to their FTP site to check things out. I noticed that in their “/pub/netscape7/english/” folder that there is a new entry besides 7.0PR1. The new entry is 7.0, but you can’t get into the folder with an anonymous name and password. I’ve done a search on google for “netscape 7.0 final” and sure enough, there’s two sites reporting something about the 7.0 final being released very soon! I suspect that it “might” be within this next week or so. Netscape’s site is still referencing the PR1 release.

Here’s the url from google for the site(s) talking about it:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF -8&q=%22netscape+7.0+final%22&btnG=Google+Sear ch” — Fishbutt

Adrian Wajsbrem writes, “Ideally, Sun ONE and Solaris become Open Source as outlined on http://www.scottmcnealy.com. This detriments.NET in favour for J2EE. Then, GrooveAmp media player is released, (http://www.scottmcnealy.com/music.htm) which seals the coffin of Microsoft and the big 5 record companies. Sounds good to me.”

If you’ve never needed Midnight Commander to rescue you from a failed X configuration, you will. After a long period at 4.5x, mc-4.60-pre1 is now available and would make a great weekend project for the tinkerers among us. Details and links on Linux and Main.

ZDNet UK has more reporting on the University of Maastricht’s Free/Libre/Open Source Software study. “A new study has recommended that governments require the use of open-source software, fanning the flames of the increasingly heated debate over the place of open-source in public policy.”

C|Net’s News.com describes Borland’s effort to compete with Microsoft’s Visual Studio.Net tool suite and become the Switzerland of development tools.

LinuxPlanet.com has a story about iCanProgram, which teaches students how to program. Classes follow the layout of how some Open Source projects are run.

ITworld.com reports that Infomart Pvt. Ltd. has designed a Linux-based personal digital assistant that “aims to offer features comparable to PDAs built around Microsoft Corp.’s Pocket PC operating system, but at a price below lower-cost PDAs based on the Palm OS.” A developer version of the PDA, called the Kaii, is scheduled to be released in November, and a consumer product is scheduled for early next year.

James at Seventh Art Releasing writes: REVOLUTION OS, an award winning documentary about GNU, Linux and Open Source, opens today in Silicon Valley in a big way at Camera Cinemas Towne 3 Theatre in San Jose. San Jose Mercury News film reviewer Glenn Lovell writes “Revolution OS is, of course, must-see viewing for anyone involved in the high-tech industry.”
The showtimes for REVOLUTION OS are:
5:10 PM
7:15 PM
9:20 PM

At 3:05 PM on Saturday and Sunday there will be a matinee. Camera Cinemas Towne 3 Theatre is located in San Jose at 1433 The Alameda about one mile south of 880 Freeway.

A special edition DVD of REVOLUTION OS with loads of bonus features and extra interview footage will be released for retail sale at the end of September. For more information about the upcoming DVD and videotape release of REVOLUTION OS, please e-mail info@revolution-os.com.

After a highly successful Los Angeles run, REVOLUTION OS resumes its nationwide screening tour with its theatrical release in Silicon Valley. The LA Weekly states “The filmmaker also evinces a fine sense of framing, montage, color and pace; shot on 35mm, Revolution OS is aesthetically pleasing, briskly involving and, for a movie about tech theories, surprisingly charming.” Film Critic Kevin Thomas of The Los Angeles Times writes that REVOLUTION OS is “…witty…” with a “…brisk pace.”

Daily Variety calls the film a “…cheery, puckish concoction…targeted equally at the techno-illiterate and the savvy-hacker crowds.” Film Threat states that REVOLUTION OS is “Required Viewing.” TV Guide calls the film “…surprisingly exciting… unusually sharp looking…and something that even non-techies can enjoy.” Hollywood.com calls the widescreen, 35mm photography of the film “…striking.”

See for yourself what the critics are writing about. View the trailer and the first eight minutes online at ifilm.com:
http://www.ifilm.com/ifilm/product/film_multimedia /0,4470,2419320,00.html.

Shot in cinemascope on 35mm film in Silicon Valley, REVOLUTION OS depicts an unusual group of characters that are three-parts libertarian, two parts communist, and one-part bad garage band. REVOLUTION OS stars Linus Torvalds – the creator of Linux, and Richard Stallman – the ideological godfather of the movement, and features interviews with high-tech luminaries and commentators such as Bruce Perens, Eric Raymond, Brian Behlendorf, Michael Tiemann, Larry Augustin, Frank Hecker, and Rob Malda.

REVOLUTION OS is available on 35 mm and runs 85 minutes. For more information go to the website http://revolution-os.com/.