Microsoft has confirmed plans to bundle anti-spyware protection into Windows Vista, a move that is sure to raise eyebrows among competitors and possibly antitrust regulators.

The Windows AntiSpyware product, which currently ships to consumers as a free standalone application, will be integrated into Vista, as is indicated in the newest beta build of Vista distributed to technical beta testers on Monday.

“The core Windows AntiSpyware functionality gets built in,” said Greg Sullivan, lead Windows product manager. “For unmanaged environments—home and small business users—we want to provide base-level security services.”

Source: eWeek

LeapFrog Enterprises Inc.’s Fly “pentop computer” hit retail shelves on Monday, and the educational toy maker is expecting strong sales after racking up strong online “pre-sales.”

“Our hopes are strong for it,” said LeapFrog President Jerry Perez in an interview. “There’s nothing else in the market like it.”

The Fly pentop computer is a talking, computerized pen that can translate words into other languages, or help with math and spelling homework. It gives users audio feedback as they write and draw on special “Fly paper.”

Related: LeapFrog Showcases New FLY Pentop Computer

Source: Reuters

Federal regulators will require banks to strengthen security for Internet customers through authentication that goes beyond mere user names and passwords, which have become too easy for criminals to exploit.

Bank Web sites are expected to adopt some form of “two-factor” authentication by the end of 2006, regulators with the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council said in a letter to banks last week.

In two-factor authentication, customers must confirm their identities not only through something they know, like a PIN or password, but also with something they physically have, like a hardware token with numeric access codes that change every minute.

Other types of two-factor authentication include costlier hardware involving biometrics or “smart” cards that would be inserted into designated readers on a user’s computer.

Banks might also issue one-time passwords on scratch-off cards or require “secret questions” about a customer’s account, such as the amount of the last deposit or mortgage payment.

The council also suggested that banks explore technology that can estimate a Web user’s physical location and compare it to the address on file

Source: AP

The Computer History Museum, the world’s largest institution dedicated to preserving Information Age artifacts, is getting a hefty financial boost from one of the biggest names in the computing industry.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged a $15 million gift — the museum’s largest donation yet, museum officials said. The gift means the Silicon Valley-based museum needs only about $50 million more to reach its $125 million goal of creating a full range of educational programs and exhibits and establishing a long-term endowment.

Source: AP

Positioning its middleware as an open source SOA platform, JBoss is adding the Drools Java business rules engine to its stable of products.

The company also is upgrading its workflow and orchestration software, called jBPM (Java Business Process Management) and plans to offer an open source ESB (enterprise service bus) as a foundation for providing standardized integration.

Drools and the new jBPM 3.0 will support deployment of SOA applications on JEMS (JBoss Enterprise Middleware System).

The JBoss ESB will feature the planned JBoss Messaging product as its messaging backbone. The ESB is due to ship next year.

Source: Info World

Everything is set for the holidays. But, wait a minute. What’s for dinner? Oops. That detail slipped through the cracks. Not to worry. At today’s specialty Web sites, you can order your ideal meal, and have it delivered — ready to heat and eat — right to your doorstep.

The best place to start your search is http://www.shopthenet.org, the online shopping portal operated by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA). “More and more people are discovering the freshness, variety, and quality of foods ordered online and from catalogs,” says Amy Blankenship, director of DMA’s Shop@Home Information Center. “Advances in packaging help ensure that food arrives fresh and ready to enjoy.”

The chefs will let you design your own meal experience where you can choose appetizer, entree, sides, dessert, artisan bread, wine and even dinner music.

Handheld computer makers Palm and Research In Motion inked a deal on Monday to let Treo 650 owners to connect with BlackBerry e-mail and calendar software.

The option will be available for new and existing Treo 650 users as well as future Treo products with the Palm operating system starting in early 2006. Carriers, pricing and distribution deals will be announced at a later date, the companies said.

The deal means that the BlackBerry Connect software will show up as an option on Palm’s VersaMail e-mail client. Palm also has several software contracts including Microsoft Exchange, IBM’s Lotus and Domino, Good Technology’s GoodLink software, Intellisync, Seven, and Visto in Europe.

“The long-term goal is to get e-mail available on every Treo with every server,” said Joe Fabris, director Palm wireless marketing.

Source: News.com