Patent Asserted Against JPEG Standard Rejected by Patent Office as Result of PUBPAT Request: Public Interest Group’s Review Results in Broadest Claims of Forgent Networks Patent Being Ruled Invalid

Press Release: NEW YORK—May 26, 2006—In the reexamination proceeding initiated late last year by the Public Patent Foundation (”PUBPAT”), the United States Patent and Trademark Office has rejected the broadest claims of the patent Forgent Networks (Nasdaq: FORG) is asserting against the Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) international standard for the electronic sharing of photo-quality images. In its Office Action released yesterday, the Patent Office found that the prior art submitted by PUBPAT completely anticipated the broadest claims of the patent, U.S. Patent No. 4,698,672 (the ‘672 Patent).

Source: CNET
Written by Joris Evers

SEATTLE–If it is up to Microsoft, the omnipresent JPEG image format will be replaced by Windows Media Photo.

Source: Macworld
Written By Jim Dalrymple

Apple on Thursday responded to rumors that the company has asked the engineering team for its professional photography workflow application Aperture to leave. The rumors, which started late last week, are completely false, according to Apple.

“The reports of Apple reducing their commitment to Aperture are totally false,” Kirk Paulsen, Apple’s Senior Director Pro Applications Marketing, told Macworld. “In fact, we’ve got more people working on Aperture right now than ever before.

For those of you who put the day of the month in front of the month (the European method of designating days of the month), shortly after 1 AM tonight the time/date will be 01:02:03 04.05.06.

Is this significant? I don’t know. All I know is that last month, on the 5th of April, I missed the North American time/date designation of 01:02:03 04.05.06 so I didn’t want to miss this opportunity to mention it to my European friends.

Source: CNET
Written by Tom Krazit

Las Vegas has seen its share of title fights, but the only thing that will get pounded by the 64 finalists arriving this week for the 2006 TopCoder Open will be a computer keyboard.

Source: ars technica
Written by Jon “Hannibal” Stokes

Editor’s note: Geek Warning-this article gets into technical detail regarding Itel’s future chip developments, but since both Apple and other PC makers will be using the same basic chip architecture, it’s useful to read the signs of the future.

Source: The Mercury News
Written By May Wong – Associated Press

CUPERTINO, Calif. – Apple Computer Inc. chief executive Steve Jobs said Thursday he had no interest in becoming an executive at The Walt Disney Co., which will soon complete its acquisition of Jobs’ other company, Pixar Animation Studios Inc.

Source: Michael Hoppen Gallery
Tichý is truly one of the great ‘finds’ of an unknown artists who worked on the outside edges of the art world. Following the communist takeover Tichý spent some eight years in prison camps and jails for no particular reason other than he was ‘different’ and was considered subversive. Upon his release in the early 70’s, Tichý wandered his small town in rags, pursuing his obsession as an artist with the female form by photographing in the streets, shops and parks with cameras he made from tin cans, childrens spectacle lenses and other junk he found on the street. He would return home each day to make prints on equally primitive equipment, making only one print from the negatives he selected.

Source: eWeek via Reuters
Written By Chris Buckley, Reuters

BEIJING (Reuters)—”DVDs? CDs? Games? Porn? What you want?” hawkers in Beijing’s Zhongguancun neighborhood whisper to potential customers.

Source: CRN
Written by Edward F. Moltzen, CRN

Apple’s CFO said Wednesday the company saw a “pause” in sales of Macintosh systems during its most recent quarter during its transition of the computer platform to Intel processors, and the company expects that pause to continue this quarter.

News Analysis: Now that Macs can run Windows, will developers lose their incentive to write code for Mac OS?
Source: Publish
Written by Stephen Bryant

Now that Macs can run Windows, will developers lose their incentive to write code for Mac OS?

Mac fans sign up for Boot Camp

Source: CNET
Written by Daniel Terdiman

That could explain the Macintosh community’s surprisingly upbeat reaction to Apple Computer’s announcement of software enabling the running of Windows on Macs.

Apple Introduces Boot Camp
Public Beta Software Enables Intel-based Macs
to Run Windows XP

Press Release: CUPERTINO, California—April 5, 2006—Apple® today introduced Boot Camp, public beta software that enables Intel-based Macs to run Windows XP. Available as a download beginning today, Boot Camp allows users with a Microsoft Windows XP installation disc to install Windows XP on an Intel-based Mac®, and once installation is complete, users can restart their computer to run either Mac OS® X or Windows XP.

Source: eWeek
Written By Daniel Drew Turner

On the eve of its 30th anniversary, Apple Computer is in the middle of a major transition—moving its Mac hardware and operating system over to the Intel chip. But Apple isn’t alone: this transition affects every developer of Mac software, including Apple itself.

In a post on Gearlog it was noted that Apple Computer has joined BAPCo, the industry-standard Windows benchmarking consortium.

Source: CNET
Written by Martin LaMonica

Microsoft will step up its assault on Adobe Systems’ customer base with the release early next year of its Expression line of design and development software.

NEXT MOVE COULD BE FORAYS INTO MOVIES, TV

Source: SiliconValley.com
Written by John Boudreau – Mercury News

In the ’80s, Apple Computer brought the personal computer to the masses.

And in the first few years of the 21st century, the Cupertino company’s iPod digital music player has revolutionized how we listen to, buy and tote around our music.

So, what’s next?

Delay could prompt holiday shoppers to check out Apple’s wares–and it might force PC vendors to offer incentives to keep customers from straying.

Source: PC World
Written by Yardena Arar

Microsoft’s decision to delay the consumer versions of Windows Vista until early 2007 could encourage some holiday computer buyers to get Macs instead, industry analysts say.

Business customers will still get the OS late this year

Source: ComputerWorld
Written by Elizabeth Montalbano

MARCH 21, 2006 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) – The broad availability of Microsoft Corp.’s Windows Vista client operating system has been pushed back to next year, Jim Allchin, co-president of the company’s platform and services division, announced today.

Soucre: Macworld
Written by Jason Snell

Yesterday (March 16, 2006) was a milestone day for the Mac. A pair of enterprising hackers got Windows XP to boot on an Intel-based Mac, and won almost $14,000 for their troubles.

Opinion: Research on Web useability is easy to find, but not so for operating systems and hardware. We need a new lexicon for understanding differences between devices.

Source: Publish
Written by Andreas Pfeiffer

In 2005 and early 2006, my company, Pfeiffer Consulting, conducted an extensive research project collecting information about Macintosh and Windows operating systems.

Flash Security Bulletin

Summary: Critical vulnerabilities have been identified in Flash Player that could allow an attacker who successfully exploits these vulnerabilities to take control of the affected system. A malicious SWF must be loaded in Flash Player by the user for an attacker to exploit these vulnerabilities. Users are recommended to update to the most current version of Flash Player available for their platform.

Source: ZDNet Australia
Written by Renal LeMay

Microsoft has temporarily halted development work on some aspects of its upcoming professional graphics application as it tries to bring companion tools and its next-generation Windows Vista operating system to market.

The desktop software market is getting more competitive as companies invade one another’s turf.

Source: Yahoo News
Written by Patrick Seitz

Microsoft (NasdaqNM:MSFT – News) is going head to head with Adobe Systems (NasdaqNM:ADBE – News) in document sharing and interactive Web design software. Apple Computer (NasdaqNM:AAPL – News) is taking on Adobe as well, but in photo editing software.

Source: CNET
Written by Ina Fried

SAN FRANCISCO–Hoping your Intel Mac will easily run Windows Vista?

Don’t bet on it, one Apple Computer engineer said Thursday.