Mandriva Linux 2008.1 Beta 2

Adam Williamson has announced the second beta release of Mandriva Linux 2008.1: "The fourth pre-release of Mandriva Linux 2008.1 is here. This pre-release brings recognition of other installed distributions during installation, NTFS-3G (with write support) by default for all NTFS partitions, significant improvements to the Mandriva graphical software management tool and more. The beta is available in Free and One editions, with i586 and x86_64 DVDs for the Free edition and i586, KDE-based and GNOME-based CDs for the One edition. As far as testing goes, for this pre-release we are particularly interested in testing the NTFS support, detection of other installed distributions during installation, PulseAudio, multimedia keyboard support, hardware detection and hibernation support." Read the release announcement and release notes for further details. Download: mandriva-linux-2008...dvd-i586.iso (4,113MB, MD5), mandriva-linux-2008...dvd-x86_64.iso (4,154MB, MD5).

Apple releases OS X 10.5.2 update, tons of fixes

It's a good day for Leopard users, the latest update (10.5.2) is finally being released, and weighs in at a mighty 180MB+ (some are reporting theirs is over 300MB). As expected this update has a TON of fixes, including stuff in Active Directory, AirPort, BTMM, Dashboard, Dock, Finder, iCal, iChat, iSync, Mail, Preview, Safari, Time Machine, and more -- the choicer of we'll be publishing after the break. Go on, indulge yourself.

P.S. -Oh, purists, you'll definitely love the fact that you can now (finally) turn off menu bar transparency. Score one for the team. (It's in the desktop and screen saver system pref pane.)

P.P.S. -It would appear there's also a second update, the Leopard Graphics Update (about 50MB) which comes through once you've installed 10.5.2. No word on what that one does yet. Thanks, amidamaruflame.

Some of those fixes:

AirPort: Improves connection reliability and stability, more.
Dashboard: Widget performance improvements (as in Dictionary), more.
Dock: Updates Stacks with a list view and folder view options, and an updated background for grid view.
Mail: Improved data detector accuracy, hurts Growl users in disabling GrowlMail version 1.1.2 or earlier (to avoid issues), but also has tons of other fixes.
RAW support: Now supports more RAW formats / cameras (presumably more on Apple's site).
Time Machine: Adds a menu bar option for accessing Time Machine features (the menu extra can be enabled in Time Machine preferences), among other things.

AMD gets official with ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3000 series for laptops

It looks like AMD has a new solution for gamers in need of a little more than your run-of-the-mill laptop graphics have to offer, with it now trotting out its new ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3000 series graphics chips. Right now, that line consists of the HD 3400 and HD 3600 models, each of which boast full support for DirectX 10.1 (a first for laptop graphics, as AMD is quick to point out). Otherwise, you can expect PCI Express 2.0 support from each model, along with 1080p playback of Blu-ray and HD-DVD movies, and ATI's trademark Avivo HD Technology, which promises to free up the CPU for other tasks, not to mention a promised increase in battery life. If that's got you interested, you can look for Asus to begin offering the graphics in some its laptops right away, with other laptop manufacturers expected to follow in the first half of 2008.

SLAX 6.0.0

Tomáš Matějíček has announced the final release of SLAX 6.0.0: "SLAX 6 is released. What's new? First, SLAX is officially released in two forms - ISO and TAR. The ISO format (labelled as 'SLAX for CD') is to be burnt to a CD, while the TAR format (labelled as 'SLAX for USB') is for all who need to run SLAX directly from USB media or from a disk. Simply unzip the tar archive directly to your device (to its root directory, it will create 'boot' and 'slax' subdirectories). That's almost all; you only need to make it bootable. For that purpose, navigate to the 'boot' directory and find bootinst.sh (if you are in Linux) or bootinst.bat (if you are in Windows). Run it. Linux users will need to use root account for that. The script will setup the device to be bootable. If you are using 'SLAX for USB', you will notice that all the changes you made are permanent." Read the rest of the release announcement for information. Download the CD image from here: slax-6.0.0.iso (196MB, MD5, torrent).

FreeBSD 7.0-RC2

Ken Smith has announced the availability of the second release candidate for FreeBSD 7.0: "The second Release Candidate for FreeBSD 7.0 is now available on most of the FTP mirror sites. Users of i386 or amd64 systems may wish to perform a binary upgrade to 7.0-RC2 using code recently added to the freebsd-update utility. On systems running 7.0-BETA4 or 7.0-RC1, the instructions for minor upgrades should be followed for this purpose; on systems running older releases or BETAs (including 7.0 BETAs prior to BETA4) the lengthier instructions for major upgrades should be followed. We sincerely hope this will be the last of the public tests for 7.0 and that the -RELEASE builds will start in about a week and a half. If bug(s) considered big enough to be show-stoppers are found we will of course reconsider but hopefully we're in good enough shape now to proceed with the release." Here is the full release announcement. Download: 7.0-RC2-i386-disc1.iso (510MB, MD5), 7.0-RC2-amd64-disc1.iso (501MB, MD5).

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 7.5.516 Build 1262

AVG Anti-Virus has been protecting computers
AVG Anti-Virus FREE Edition is the well-known anti-virus protection tool. AVG Anti-Virus FREE is available free-of-charge to home users for the life of the product! Rapid virus database updates are available for the lifetime of the product, thereby providing the high-level of detection capability that millions of users around the world trust to protect their computers. AVG Anti-Virus FREE is easy-to-use and will not slow your system down (low system resource requirements).

Highlights include:
- Automatic update functionality
- The AVG Resident Shield, which provides real-time protection as files are opened and programs are run
- The AVG E-mail Scanner, which protects your e-mail
- The AVG On-Demand Scanner, which allows the user to perform scheduled and manual tests
- The AVG heueristic analysing monitor
- Free Virus Database Updates for the lifetime of the product
- AVG Virus Vault for safe handling of infected files
- Great customer satisfaction! around the world for more than 12 years!

Homepage - http://www.grisoft.com

Size: 33.1 MB

Download

Mirror

Mozilla Firefox 'Gran Paradiso' 3.0 Beta 3

Mozilla Firefox - faster, more secure, easier to use and sporting a new look, this latest Firefox release sets a new standard for web browser innovation. Mozilla Firefox project (formerly Firebird, which was formerly Phoenix) is a redesign of Mozilla's browser component, written using the XUL user interface language and designed to be cross-platform. It is small, fast and easy to use, and offers many advantages over other web browsers, such as the tabbed browsing and the ability to block pop-up windows.

Mozilla Firefox 3 is focused on improved memory handling, performance, and stability, improved XUL, and new core components such as application data stored in SQLite. Mozilla Firefox 3 could break a few existing extensions and applications built on top of Firefox, and it will definitely include new optimizations if you like to build on the popular browser. Mozilla Firefox 3 should have additional JavaScript and SVG features if you're into that sort of thing.

Features in Firefox include:
- Easy migration: Switching to Firefox has never been easier now that Firefox imports data like Favorites, history, settings, cookies and passwords from Internet Explorer. Firefox can also import settings from Mozilla 1.x, Netscape and Opera.
- Smaller Download: Continuing efforts to make this the most efficient browser, the Windows version of Firefox is now only a 4.7 MB download, making downloading Firefox a breeze for dial-up and broadband users alike.
- New Default Theme: A new default theme provides a bright new look for Windows and Linux users.
- SmartUpdate: A new SmartUpdate feature notifies users of new versions of Firefox to ensure that the browser is always up to date.
- Help: A new online help system makes this one powerful, friendly browser.
- Extension/Theme Manager: New Extension and Theme Managers provide a convenient and secure way to manage and update the hundreds of add-ons that set Firefox apart from other browsers.
Mozilla Firefox also includes numerous bug fixes and incremental improvements, including faster page load speed.
- Popup Blocking: Stop annoying popup ads in their tracks with Firefox's built in popup blocker.
- Tabbed Browsing: View more than one web page in a single window with this time saving feature. Open links in the background so that they're ready for viewing when you're ready to read them.
- Smarter Search: Google Search is built right into the toolbar, and there are a plethora of other search tools including Keywords (type "dict " in the Location Bar), and FastFind (start typing the first few letters of some text in the page and Firefox takes you there).
- Privacy and Security: Built with your Security in mind, Firefox keeps your computer safe from malicious spyware by not loading harmful ActiveX controls. A comprehensive set of privacy tools keep your online activity your business.
- Hassle-Free Downloading: Files you download are automatically saved to your Desktop so they're easy to find. Fewer prompts mean files download quicker.
- Fits Like a Glove: Simple and intuitive, yet fully featured, Firefox has all the functions you're used to - Bookmarks, History, Full Screen, Text Zooming to make pages with small text easier to read, etc.
- S M L XL XXL XXXL: Firefox is the most customizable browser on the planet. Customize your toolbars to add additional buttons, install new Extensions that add new features, add new Themes to browse with style, and use the adaptive search system to allow you to search an infinite number of engines. Firefox is as big or small as you want.
- Setup's a Snap: At only 4.7MB (Windows), Firefox only takes minutes to download over a fast connection. The installer gets you set up quickly, and the new Easy Transition system imports all of your settings - Favorites, passwords and other data from Internet Explorer and other browsers - so you can start surfing right away.
- A Developer's Best Friend: Firefox comes with a standard set of developer tools including a powerful JavaScript and CSS error/warning console, and an optional Document Inspector that gives unheard of insight into how your pages work.
- Read Mail—Not Spam

Homepage - http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/

Download Firefox 3.0 Beta 3 for Windows - 6.40 MB

Download Firefox 3.0 Beta 3 for Linux - 8.65 MB

Download Firefox 3.0 Beta 3 for MacOS - 16.7 MB

All Downloads

Download Portable Firefox 3 Beta

Nexenta Core Platform 1.0

Alex Ross has announced the release of Nexenta Core Platform 1.0, a free and open source operating system combining the OpenSolaris kernel with GNU application userland: "The Nexenta team is pleased to announce Nexenta Core Platform 1.0 release - the 1.0 release. List of the changes and highlights: OpenSolaris b82-based (x86, 32bit and 64bit, non-debug); Ubuntu Dapper-based; project integration: NWS, AVS, COMSTAR, in-kernel CIFS client; apt-clone - ZFS-integrated safe upgrade via remote APT repository; support for in-place (live) and safe upgrades; installer - multiple improvements, installs from USB; small memory requirement - 256 MB; Nexenta Zones - multiple improvements, integrated automatic Zone upgrades; CIFS client included in the default installation; Xen DomU and Xen Dom0 (32bit); GRUB-integrated memory test; Nexenta ISO Builder; APT repository - status complete, stable repository (elate-stable) ready for usage." Here is the complete release announcement. Download (MD5): nexenta-core-platform_1.0-b82_x86.iso.zip (320MB).

AMD Plans to Introduce New AMD Phenom Chips in April

Advanced Micro Devices has once again changed its plans regarding the launch of higher-performance AMD Phenom microprocessors. Apparently, the higher speed microprocessors will be released commercially in April, 2008, a little earlier than it was generally expected.

AMD Phenom processor models 9550 (2.20GHz), 9650 (2.30GHz) and 9750 (2.40GHz) will be released commercially about eight weeks from now, sometime in April, a source familiar with the world’s second largest x86 chipmaker’s plans said. The new chips will be based on the B3 revision of the processor and will not have any issues with Translation Lookaside Buffer. The destiny of the high-speed AMD Phenom 9950 is unclear at the moment.

After a Translation Lookaside Buffer (TLB)-related erratum was discovered in AMD Phenom microprocessors and AMD had to impose a fix that reduced performance of the CPUs, Advanced Micro Devices announced a new B3 stepping of the chip with bug corrected without performance degradation. Originally the higher-performance AMD Phenom 9700 and 9900 at 2.40GHz and 2.60GHz, respectively, were scheduled to arrive in Q1, but after a series of delays many suspected that the products slipped into late Q2 or even Q3.

Earlier this week it was reported that virtually all AMD Phenom processors based on the B3 stepping are due in May or June with AMD Phenom 9950 at 2.60GHz scheduled to arrive sometime in the third quarter.

AMD crucially needs new microprocessors with decent performance in its lineup since its aging AMD Athlon 64 X2 family of chips cannot demonstrate performance on par with Intel Corp.’s Core 2 microprocessors. Moreover, with the list of Intel Core 2 Quad central processing units with four processing engines getting longer, AMD’s ability to compete decreases since the company’s lineup of microprocessors contains only two quad-core CPUs.