WinXP and MP3. So, despite the FUD from the past few months, there's no inherent limitation built into Windows XP that prohibits creation of MP3 files. You can still install whatever app you used before to make your MP3 files, and in addition, you can buy any of a few $10 add-ons to Windows Media Player that'll build the capability right into Windows. (Right now, add-ons are available from Cyberlink and InterVideo, and further add-ons are available that allow WMP to handle DVDs. More companies promise MP3 and DVD releases in the near future, as well.) [queso News]

Windows XP may spur biometrics. IDG Oct 29 2001 9:44PM ET... [Meerkat: An Open Wire Service]

Survey Shows Doubts Stirring on Terror War. New York Times Oct 29 2001 11:24PM ET... [Meerkat: An Open Wire Service]

Web Services -- SOAP (10/30/2001). Do you know what SOAP stands for? Learn about SOAP's role in standardizing the way we call Web services. [JavaScript Tip of the Day]

Is Windows XP Really a New Operating System?. "Microsoft is backing up Windows XP, the latest version of its ubiquitous operating system, with a massive advertising campaign, aiming to spur sales of software and hardware as the economy continues to slow down. What features is Microsoft touting in its new baby? According to its own evaluation page, Windows XP lets you create movies, handle digital photos, play music, share one computer among many people, and "enjoy an all-in-one entertainment center" -- evidently a combination of the first four items." [osOpinion]

WinXP and Taskbar grouping. Windows XP keeps making me smile. This afternoon, I noticed that one of the items in my Taskbar looked different... and then I noticed the subtle little numeral 3 next to the icon. It turns out that when the taskbar starts to get cluttered, WinXP groups multiple windows from a single application together; the little numeral indicated that there were three Internet Explorer windows grouped under one entry. I like that. (There's a picture of what this looks like in the Discussion, if you're interested.) [queso News]

Windows XP launch signals time to buy a Mac? [MacNN]

Dell punts out pre-built $599 WinXP PC. No upgrade option [The Register]

LinuxWorld.com: Why your organization needs Linux. Joe Barr advocates Linux in a speech: "A few of us continued to talk afterwards. Steve told me how he had tried XP and decided there was no way he was going to upgrade. He said he didn't know how much longer it would be before Microsoft would "expire" support for the version of Windows he runs today. His unhappiness with Microsoft was palpable. Steve's feedback convinced me that Stallman has it right when he says we should use free software for the freedom it... [Meerkat: An Open Wire Service]

MS XML Parser Version 4: Don't Look Back. With their latest XML Parser release, Microsoft seems to be saying: "Out with the old, and in with the new." How will this lack of backwards-compatibility affect your own XML efforts? Michael Classen investigates. 1029 [WebReference News]

World Wide Web Consortium Releases the XML Information Set Specification as a W3C Recommendation. W3C has announced the release of the XML Information Set specification as a W3C Recommendation. XML Infoset provides a set of definitions for use in other specifications that need to refer to the information in an XML document. An XML document's information set consists of a number of information items such as elements and attributes; each information item has a set of associated named properties. [The XML Cover Pages]

Business take-up of XP nominal. IT-Analysis.com Oct 29 2001 4:39PM ET... [Meerkat: An Open Wire Service]

Can Windows XP Save the PC Industry?. Business 2.0 Oct 29 2001 4:48PM ET... [Meerkat: An Open Wire Service]

Win-XP vs Red Hat 7.2. The Register Oct 29 2001 5:17PM ET... [Meerkat: An Open Wire Service]

Scientists find genetic key to Parkinsons disease. Unison Oct 29 2001 5:03PM ET [Genetics news]

Microsoft to non-MS Browsers: Access Not Denied. Microsoft is revising a policy that denied users of the Netscape, Opera, Mozilla, and Amaya Web browsers access to the popular MSN home page. Users of these browsers will be able to view the page in the future, instead of being routed to Internet Explorer download sites. [internetnews.com: Web Developer News]

BBC School's Online - There's Something Coming. Quote: "Take a look at our pilot site and help us build a new Schools Online Community that will launch in November. This pilot shows you some of the elements we are planning to have on our finished site" Comment: via Schoolblogs [Serious Instructional Technology]

Is Microsoft losing its grip in Asia?. ZDNet Oct 29 2001 9:35AM ET... [Meerkat: An Open Wire Service]

Microsoft gets stuck opening Windows. Chicago Tribune Oct 29 2001 8:59AM ET... [Meerkat: An Open Wire Service]

My Userland on the Desktop. I have to say clearly, that I don't like the "local web app" approach Radio Userland is taking for its core application - the My Userland on the Desktop. Usability is decreased so much, that I even do not use the application anymore, alhtough it provides functionality which I can't get anywhere else. It is simply no fun to use it.[owrede_log]

Techs, broader markets retreat. After showing resilience in the face of bad economic data, terrorism threats and poor earnings, technology stocks take a breather. [Meerkat: An Open Wire Service]

Rich Clients for Web Services. ** Says Evan Williams: "The general idea behind [Sun's] presentation-web apps that have both lightweight HTML interfaces and rich client desktop interfaces for different purposes/users-is one I like. The conclusion-that you should use Java to build the rich client interfaces-is something I have a hard time swallowing." [Web Voice - Because people speak out on the web]

Patent holder eyes Web services players. CNET Oct 29 2001 7:09AM ET [CNET]

Sun Microsystems present their Web services vision and roadmap [Webservices.org]