LinuxWorld.com: “The hype about Linux’s potential as a desktop operating system started years ago.
But just as easy-to-use interfaces are being crafted for the operating system, which
has had a stronghold in the server arena for a number of years, troubles faced by
some Linux companies lead observers to question whether it will ever truly compete
with Windows for desktop dollars.”

InterNet News: “There’s little argument that XML Web services are the future of
computing, which explains why Microsoft is promoting .Net – its
XML Web services platform – as heavily as it is.

However, .Net is not the
only player to offer a
platform for Web services.
Sun Microsystems will give
Microsoft a battle in the
Net-native application
arena. Support for Web
services is a key
component of the next
version of the Java 2 Platform Enterprise Edition (J2EE), a set
of standards for developing enterprise applications using Sun’s
Java. “

From a Red Hat press release: “Red Hat, Inc. (Nasdaq:RHAT), the leader in developing,
deploying and managing open source solutions, today announced that it’s eCos RTOS is now available for use with
Comtrol’s next generation programmable network appliances and device servers. The availability of eCos for the
DeviceMaster(tm) RTS platform will enable end users to customize the unit’s operating environment to suit specific
applications. Additionally, developers will be able to use compilers and development tools supplied directly by Red
Hat and will have access to Red Hat consultancy and support services.”

The Register notes that AMD today launched a 1.1GHz mobile Athlon 4 along with a 900MHz mobile Duron. The new Athlon 4 is priced at $425; the mobile Duron at $130. Pricing is based on 1000-volume order minimums. Compaq announced that it would use both parts in its 1200-series notebooks.

News.com: “Scientists at Japan’s Tohoku University said they’ve found that computer games stimulate
only those parts of the brain devoted to vision and movement and do not aid the
development of other important areas of the brain.

The researchers are particularly concerned that by spending many hours playing games some
children will not develop their frontal lobes, which play a crucial role in controlling behavior and
in developing memory, emotion and learning.”

Wired News reports on the Aspen Summit, the annual meeting that brings together politicians, business leaders, and academics for a three day conference in Aspen, Colorado. Previous gatherings were most notable for their rah-rah-everything-Internet focus; this year, the meeting will ponder the problems with the IT sector and what, if anything, can be done to get that industry segment back on track.

What does the future hold for consumer wireless products? According to industry insiders from Palm, AT&T, and OmniSky, who gathered for a panel discussion last week, we can look forward to voice-activated mobile phones the size of an earplug, gadgets that sound an alarm whenever friends or favorite restaurants are nearby, and smaller portable computers with fold-up screens. Read the San Francisco Chronicle story.

The Register: “The FBI’s National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC) has issued a bulletin
stating that “the Internet threat posed by Code Red when it changes from a
scanning mode to an active distributed denial of service (DDoS) mode at 8pm
(EDT) on August 19, 2001 is significantly reduced.”

All right, that’s correct in a sense, but it’s still misleading. The threat to the Internet
never existed in the first place, as we’ve made clear in increasingly satirical
coverage of the doomsayers’ prognostications from the outset.”

EE Times: “Support for Bluetooth may be waning, as 802.11b
wireless networks rise and fixed wireless and ultrawideband stub their toes on
technical hurdles. That’s the implication from the program lineup at this week’s
Rawcon conference in Boston, where a paucity of Bluetooth papers adds fuel to
analyst speculation that the highly touted wireless networking technology may not
be able to compete with the faster 802.11b on one end and simpler, low-power
alternatives on the other.”

From News.com: “Excite@Home and its accountants said Monday that the company may not be able
to continue operations, especially if the Nasdaq Stock Market delists its shares. The company said in the amendment that it may not continue as a “going concern,” which in
financial lingo means that the cable Internet access company is running out of cash. The
company also warned it could get booted off the Nasdaq, a move that would accelerate
Excite@Home’s financial woes. Companies can be delisted if they trade under $1 for 30
consecutive days.”