Xara today announced that they are releasing an open source version of their vector drawing program, Xara Xtreme. They already have a Linux demo but source code is not available quite yet. Xara Xtreme on Linux will not only bring a leading-edge graphic tool to the platform, but with community assistance, has the potential to become the world’s most powerful, easiest-to-use and simply the world’s best graphics program.

Source: Slashdot

8 Microsoft Security Bulletins affecting Microsoft Windows. The highest Maximum Severity rating for these is Critical. Some of these updates will require a restart. These updates will be detectable using the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) and the Enterprise Scanning Tool (EST).

1 Microsoft Security Bulletin affecting Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Exchange. The highest Maximum Severity rating for this is Important. These updates will require a restart. These updates will be detectable using the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA).

The critical updates include:

• Vulnerability in DirectShow Could Allow Remote Code Execution (904706) - A vulnerability exists in DirectShow that could allow an attacker to take complete control of the affected system.
• Vulnerabilities in MSDTC and COM+ Could Allow Remote Code Execution (902400) - Vulnerabilities exist in MSDC and COM+ that could allow an attacker to take complete control of the affected system.
• Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer (896688) - A vulnerability exists in Internet Explorer that could allow an attacker to take complete control of an affected system.

Other than the critical updates there are also 4 important and 2 moderate. You can update your system using Windows Update or download directly

Source: Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) and RealNetworks, Inc. (Nasdaq “RNWK”) today announced three agreements valued at $761 million to RealNetworks to settle their antitrust case and create a new partnership to innovate and promote consumer choices in digital music and games.

The three agreements include an agreement to resolve all the companies’ antitrust disputes worldwide; an agreement for a wide-ranging digital music collaboration between the parties, including promotional and marketing support of Real’s leading digital music subscription service, Rhapsody®, on MSN properties; and an agreement to offer RealNetworks’ digital games through MSN Games and Xbox Live Arcade for Xbox 360.

Under the music and games agreements, Microsoft is scheduled to pay Real $301 million in cash and provide services over 18 months in support of Real’s product development, distribution, and promotional activities. Microsoft will earn credits at predetermined market rates to be applied to the $301 million for subscribers delivered to Real through MSN. Additionally, Real will take steps to support MSN Search, and Real and Microsoft will jointly promote use of Windows Media technologies with Rhapsody to Go.

The antitrust and technology assurance agreement resolves all antitrust disputes worldwide, based on a $460 million up-front cash payment to resolve all damages claims and a series of technology licenses and commitments under which Real will obtain long-term access to important Windows Media technologies that will enhance Real’s media software solutions.

California Gov. Arnold Schawzenegger signed a bill into law last week that would outlaw the sale of violent video games to minors.

The law is already facing challenges from the video game industry. And federal courts have overturned similar laws in Washington state, Indianapolis and St. Louis.

The legislation prohibits the sale or rental of games that depict violent acts such as killing, maiming or sexual assault. Violators are subject to a $1,000 fine. Passage of the bill followed the recent uproar over the inclusion of sexual content in “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas” from Take-Two Interactive Software.

Source: News.com

Nero, unveiled the much-anticipated Nero 7, the all-in-one integrated digital media and home entertainment software solution.

Building on the award-winning digital media software, Nero 7 now delivers 18 applications in one powerful suite, including the addition of Nero Home, a new TV and PC multimedia management and distribution system that provides users with quick and easy access to all digital media files from the comfort of their living rooms using a remote control.

Although Blu-Ray and HD-DVD drives are not available at this time, Nero 7 is already supporting these formats as the drives are expected to hit the market next year.

Nero 7 packed with new features:

Burning and Copying

• Full-o-meter automatically adjusts to you project type (DVD-1, DVD-5 or DVD-9)
• Intelligent size calculation will suggest a DVD if data will not fit on a CD
• New, easy-to-use GUI for Nero Express and Nero InCD
• Use Nero Scout to index your digital media making it easy to find the right video or song for your CD or DVD
• Support for Blu-ray (BD-RE and BD-R) media

Audio

• Support for 5.1 and 7.1 audio recording, editing and mixing
• Create beats, melodies and sound sequences
• HQ mastering (192KHz) resolution audio supported
• Up to 32 bit audio supported
• Sample looper
• Rip tracks from audio CDs (SoundTrax)
• Adjust tempo of samples & loops to mixes for seamless track transitions
• New surround effects
• Pump-up your music mixes with powerful Beat Editor, Sequencer and Text II Speech converter

Photo and Video

• HDV capture support
• Compress video to fit mobile, PDAs, home theater and HDTV standards
• Dolby Digital 5.1 Encoder integration
• Extend capture device support
• Export slideshows to share or archive
• New 2D and animated 3D menu templates to spice up your home-made professional quality DVDs
• Capture, edit and export High-Definition (HD) video files.
• Browse customized image directories
• Burn to DVD, SVCD and VCD or export to video file for sharing
• Stream media files across any UPnP™ compatible devices

DVD

• Support for chapter menus (DVD+VR)
• Split and merge titles (DVD+VR)
• Automatically overwrite unprotected titles if space on disc is low (DVD+VR)
• Add/remove images from slideshows (DVD-VR)
• Simulation/Preview of DVD-VR project
• Looped DVD navigation
• DVD-Audio support

(more…)

The group behind the OpenDocument standard has submitted the document format to a key standards organization, a move that could make open-source desktop applications more attractive to governments.

OASIS, the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards, said it has submitted the standard to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). OpenDocument is a set of document formats for storing desktop applications, including word processors, spreadsheets and presentation software.

The first version of the standard was ratified earlier this year by OASIS and is used by the OpenOffice open-source product suite.

Yahoo Inc.’s online news search tool on Monday added Internet journal entries as a supplement to professional media offerings - an experiment that figures to test the public’s appetite for information from alternative sources.

Under Yahoo’s new approach, a keyword search for online news will include a list of relevant Web logs, or “blogs,” displayed in a box to the right of the results collected from mainstream journalism.

Source: AP