“Megawheels Inc. (CDNX: MGW), a global
application provider of e-solutions for the automotive publishing and retail
sectors, today announced appointments to its Board of Directors and the
expansion of its management team.” Why is this on NewsForge? Because they have a Linux-based ASP server for auto retailers, which is kind of cool. Press release at Canada NewsWire.

As if there wasn’t enough “Crusoe at Comdex” news out there already, CNN adds to the buzz, scans the show floor and finds lots of Crusoe, although not as much in Sony’s booth as they expected.

ZD’s Matthem Rotherberg writes, “Despite the software’s formidable pedigree as the first multiplatinum
Internet browser — and notwithstanding some political partisans’
continued reluctance to concede the title to the tender mercies of
Microsoft Corp. and Internet Explorer 5.5 — many posters to ZDNet
News’ TalkBack threads are less than optimistic about the prospects for
Netscape’s latest candidate.”

ComputerWorld reports from Comdex: “Oddsmakers in this town probably aren’t betting against Linux, but the operating system’s users and vendors both believe that its old-style command-line interface makes it a long shot for moving beyond its current niche as an Internet infrastructure building block.” Gee, I hear they even have GUIs for Linux coming out shortly.

From Business Wire: sangoma.com, an innovator of wide area network connectivity
products, has announced an agreement with DY 4 Systems Inc. to jointly develop a Linux-based universal network appliance
based on DY 4’s ‘harsh environment’ PC technology.

CNN.com features the Linux-powered iRobot, “the closest
thing yet to a personal R2-D2.

Looking like a sportier version of NASA’s Mars Rover,
the first wireless, Web-connected robot sees, hears and
speaks for you.”

From Business Wire: Bluepoint Linux Software Corp. announced that it has signed a
strategic alliance agreement with Guangdong Shijilong Holding Co. Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Guangdong Telecom. The
agreement calls for Bluepoint to work with Shijilong to develop Internet Data Centers. Most of the Chinese companies have their Internet
servers hosted in IDCs operated by Telecom companies. Besides server hosting, IDCs also provides data space and other value added services.

From CNet: “French computer maker Bull has invested in Linux server maker Penguin Computing, and the companies
agreed to tackle the European Linux market together.
Under the agreement , Bull will sell Penguin Computing servers packaged with its own services in Europe, the companies said.
The alliance elevates the Linux prospects of two companies striving to deal with
larger or better-known competitors. San Francisco-based Penguin Computing
plays second fiddle to Linux specialist VA Linux Systems, and Penguin
Computing and Bull both face competition from big-name companies such as
IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Compaq Computer and Dell Computer.” (Disclosure: VA Linux owns NewsForge.)

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The Associated Press reports: “As more individuals build their own Web sites, some privacy advocates now question requirements that site owners disclose their personal contact information.
Names, e-mail addresses, postal addresses and telephone numbers for more than 24 million domain names are stored in
databases called Whois. The information is available to anyone with an Internet connection.”

From Internet Wire:
Advanced Systems
Concepts, Inc., a developer of strategic system software solutions that
enhance Windows 2000/NT, UNIX and OpenVMS systems, has announced the
availability of ActiveBatch version 3. ActiveBatch is an affordable Enterprise Job
Scheduling and Management system, which was designed for Windows 2000/NT
and supports the reliable execution of jobs and programs on multiple operating systems including various Unix
platforms as well as OpenVMS. The product can be downloaded from the Advanced Systems Concepts web site
at www.advsyscon.com.