A ZDNet story talks about the end of the x86 processor era. “The Common Language Runtime not only can jump processors running Windows, but also jump processors and operating systems in general. What this means is someone creates a CLR for MacOS (or for Xfree86/Linux, BEOS or any other GUI-based operating system), and the programs written under the CLR in Windows will run in those environments as well. And of course, it can probably expand from even the computer market. Anyone want to run Outlook Express on your toaster?”

Sales of personal digital assistants in the United States during the first six months of 2000 equaled sales for all of last year, suggesting that overall sales of the devices in the United States this year will be double those of 1999. U.S. sales of PDAs in 1999 reached 1.3 million units, with a value of $436.5 million, reports InfoWorld.

Against the backdrop of the 10th annual International Storage System Symposium in San Diego, IBM on Tuesday will unveil its Modular Storage Server, which is heavily rooted in Compaq’s MA 8000 modular storage array, according to Mike Harrison, the director of storage alliances for Armonk, N.Y.-based IBM. With the introduction of this system, IBM gains ground in Compaq’s successful lower-end Intel and Unix-based storage markets, reports InfoWorld.

Intel Corp. has asked computer makers to halt shipments of models powered by a 1.13 gigahertz version of its Pentium III chip because of problems in running some software. Under certain conditions, the chip doesn’t work properly with computers running programs based on the Linux operating system and Sysmark 2000, a performance-benchmarking program, according to a Dow Jones story.

From an announcement at LWN.net: Since the last regularly scheduled CERT summary, issued in May, we have published information on a vulnerability in
rpc.statd on Linux systems, several ActiveX controls, vulnerabilities
in Outlook and Outlook Express, security considerations for using chat
software, hidden file extensions, and vulnerabilities in many FTP
daemons.

The First Annual Linux Users’ Training Conference And Awards Presentation will be Oct. 30 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington D.C. The full
press release is at LWN.net.

Intel has recalled its fastest chip–the 1.13-GHz Pentium III–saying the chip could cause system
errors when running certain programs and at a particular temperature.Story at C|Net. More from TechWeb.

Linuxnewbie.org offers this advice: “It’s important to be aware that when you’re installing Linux, you’re installing a powerful server operating system. As a home user, you probably won’t use much of what’s installed by default, and anything you don’t use is a security risk you don’t have to take. This means that most of the install procedure for a user like you or I actually involves not installing things, and then configuring the remaining elements as securely as possible. I can’t stress enough that security is an important and ongoing concern, one that starts with installing and configuring your system as a stand alone box (so that it can’t get hacked before you harden it), continues with constant attention to security holes and fixes, and then never ends.”

Derek J. Burney, the president and CEO of Corel Corporation writes to assure customers about the company’s future.

PC Magazine columnist Michael J. Miller writes that the movie industry’s arguements are troubling> “My biggest concern is the contention that the act prevents even the discussion of how to decrypt the code. Excuse me? That seems like a huge infringement on our First Amendment rights. Discussing how some form of encryption works seems a fair topic to me, and I sure don’t want the government telling me I can’t discuss it. I’m also worried about the contention that 2600 shouldn’t even be able to point to the code if it’s on someone else’s site.”