Network World Fusion reports “IBM Monday introduced a range of services and software that aims to improve security in wireless networks. It will be sold through IBM’s Global Services division.”

PC World report that AMD “came out swinging with its Athlon XP processor launch [in San Francisco], calling Intel’s Pentium 4 a performance failure while chastising the company for “taking advantage of consumer ignorance” in the way it markets the processor.”

Kelly McNeill writes “Linux has not aggressively exploited the nearly two-year gap between the release of Windows 2000 and the release of Windows XP. With the Home Edition of XP now the standard operating system shipped with most PCs, Linux advocates can no longer use the instability of Windows 95/98/Me as an argument for Linux. Linux advocates missed a golden opportunity to evangelize their platform to these third-party hardware and software companies. Instead, they spent their time arguing over issues like whether KDE or Gnome was a better desktop environment, ignoring how confusing that topic was to other developers.”

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, October 8, 2001 – Century Embedded
Technologies, a
leader in graphical application technologies for embedded Linux,
today announced the immediate availability of PIXIL? Thin Client.
Targeting rapidly growing needs in the thin client market, PIXIL
delivers a flexible
Linux-based architecture that leverages the benefits of server-based
computing, provides Windows and Linux access, and offers powerful
PC-like
capabilities in a small footprint, low-resource thin appliance.

Businesses are demanding solutions that provide cost-effective ways
to deliver and manage information across the enterprise. Advantages
of adopting
PIXIL Thin Client include centralized application management and
maintenance, access to new and existing applications, greater
interoperability, and improved security.

“Embedded application developers are increasingly looking to Linux
for reduced development costs and the shortest path to market for
Internet Appliances,” explained Gregory Haerr, CEO of Century
Software and open source leader, “PIXIL delivers a powerful Linux
alternative to the Windows-based thin client. By incorporating
advantages of embedded Linux
along with the significant benefits of deploying thin clients
enterprise-wide, Century lowers the total cost of ownership.”

Linux-based thin clients offer increased reliability and security in
a server-based environment. PIXIL, by allowing the client to take
advantage of
local Linux code for browsing, can ease network congestion by
offloading
browser-based tasks directly to the client. Running Linux rather than
Windows on the thin client allows combining local Linux applications
with
desktop Windows access, all in a small footprint.

PIXIL Thin Client Features
Thin appliances targeting end user needs and centralized management
capabilities are introducing a shift in the network-computing
paradigm and
replacing the PC. The availability of powerful embedded Linux-based
computing devices feature increased functionality available in a
reduced
footprint. PIXIL Thin Client provides a complete solution for
companies that
want to take advantage of server-based computing.

PIXIL offers a central Network Login Manager utility that enable
thin clients to access Windows-based applications and support
connectivity through Microsoft® Terminal Server’s RDP and Citrix®
Systems Inc.’s ICA
technology. These protocols empower thin clients to access
Windows-based
servers across a network or the Internet. PIXIL utilizes these
protocols to
minimize the bandwidth thin clients require by transmitting only
changes
over the network. Browser-based connectivity is available through the
PIXIL
Thin Client Browser and features small footprint adapted versions of
Mozilla
and Netscape. Advanced internet technologies currently available
include:
HTML 4.0, JavaScript 1.4, Real Networks, Adobe PDF, and Shockwave.
These
features run in a 32Mb footprint and include local browser support
client-
side. For smaller footprint devices, PIXIL Thin Client can be
configured to
run in 16Mb without local browser support.

OEMs and manufacturers can easily scale and customize the client
environment
using PIXIL’s flexible architecture. Components can be fine tuned
according
to the desired end user environment. PIXIL’s Software Development Kit
(SDK)
offers developers’ tools to streamline the customization process,
incorporate essential services, and add enhanced functionality. The
SDK
provides customers with a framework for accelerated development,
offering
higher performance, rapid deployment, and faster time-to-market for
connected thin clients and smart devices. Generic configurations are
available to jump-start device bring-up and application development.
Specific features, protocols, and technology support details are
available
at: http://embed
ded.censoft.com/pixil/thin.php.

Availability Now
PIXIL is available now, directly from Century Embedded Technologies.
Each
component of the PIXIL Operating Environment can be sold or licensed
separately, offering a unique configuration for any platform or
product.
Bundled component collections are also available, already integrated
and
customized ready for use in a target device.

Century offers custom engineering services, maintenance and support
for
PIXIL. Pricing is hardware dependent. For additional information,
contact
cetsales@centurysoftware.com.

About PIXIL? Technology
PIXIL provides a complete suite of embedded solutions for advanced
Internet
appliances such as PDAs, WebPAD? devices, cellular phones, smart
handhelds,
and thin clients. Developed for multiple form factor flat panel
devices with
requirements for wireless communications, networking, web browsing,
power
management and GUIs, PIXIL offers a fully integrated architecture
leveraging
the open standards of embedded Linux. PIXIL’s modular framework, with
fully
optimized pre-defined components offers ready-to-use and easily
customized
applications.

About Century Embedded Technologies
Century Software Embedded Technologies, a newly created division of
Century
Software, Inc., is a leading developer of core applications
technologies for
the worldwide embedded Linux applications market. These technologies
include: graphical windowing system development and runtime
environments;
customized Internet browsers and HTML viewers; embedded and Internet
appliance multimedia technologies, including MP3 audio and MPEG video
players and recorders; PDA/WebPAD runtime and development suites, PIM
suites; and set-top boxes. Complete solutions These core technologies
are
designed specifically to allow chip manufacturers, hardware board
vendors,
and their customers to build embedded applications on x86, PowerPC,
StrongARM, MIPS, SH and other microprocessor architectures running on
either
the Microwindows or the X Window System. Based in Salt Lake City,
Century
Software was founded in 1985 and is privately held. Century
Software’s CEO,
Gregory Haerr, is the founder and chief maintainer of the
Microwindows Project, and founder of the ViewML Project.

# # #

Century Software, Century Embedded Technologies, and PIXIL are
trademarks of
Century Software, Inc. Linux is a registered trademark owned by Linus
Torvalds. WebPAD is a registered trademark of National Semiconductor
Corporation. All other names mentioned are trademarks, registered
trademarks
or service marks of their respective owners.

Contacts:

Jill Ratkevic

1 (408) 209-5181

jillr@centurysoftware.com

Jon Beutler

1 (801) 268-3088 X145

jonb@centurysoftware.com

Saint writes “BioCryst, a pharmaceutical development company, is using a Linux NetworX cluster to help create new disease fighting drugs: ‘…The massive amount of data computation inherent in drug design typically requires the power of a supercomputer-class system. Cluster technology is a method of linking multiple computers, or compute nodes, together to form a powerful, unified system. Linux NetworX clusters can match the performance of traditional supercomputers for a fraction of the cost.’ Full press release here.”

Dave wrote in to report the release of Linux kernel 2.4.11: “That was quick!Changelog:
final:
– Jeff Garzik: net driver updates
– me: symlink attach fix
– Greg KH: USB update
– Rui Sousa: emu10k driver update
Download it here (.tar.gz) or here (.tar.bz2).

As seen on Redhatbox.org.”

From SecurityFocus.com via The Register: “Gartner Research, in their recommendation for corporations to dump IIS, is using … flawed logic. In a recent press release, the generally well-respected research
and advisory firm is advising that companies hit by Nimda and Code Red
“immediately seek alternatives” to Microsoft’s IIS Web Server product due to its
history of security vulnerabilities.

It’s a bad idea.”

CNet has an analysis saying that Tuesday’s deal between the major record labels and music publishers
“removed a significant speed bump delaying the arrival of online music subscription
services, but it didn’t end the rough ride.”

It’s at AbiSource.com. Among the items: “AbiWord 0.9.4 released – and I have it from a reliable inside source that there’s been tons of good feedback.
This is a good release: if you don’t already have it, go download it.”

The Register reports that Jedi Knights has made the list of religions on the UK 2001 census. “Coming very near the bottom of an official list of religions put out by the Statistics
Office, Jedi Knight is known by the code 896. Heathen comes in at 897. Followed
by Atheist at 898 and lastly None with 899. It’s not exactly a ringing endorsement
though since the 800s come after every other religion, no matter how obscure, and
700 is used for all ‘other religions’.”