Windows XP SP3 download starts April 29th

Microsoft's release manager for the Windows XP
Service Pack 3 (SP3) posted on the Microsoft TechNet forum that the
long awaited update for Windows XP is a go.



Windows XP SP3 has been released to manufacturing (RTM). Windows XP
SP3 is on its way through our manufacturing channels to be available to
OEM and Enterprise customers.

On April 29th Windows XP SP3 will be available via Windows Update and the Microsoft Download Center.





For customers who use Windows XP at home, Windows XP SP3 Automatic
Update distribution for users at home will begin in early summer. I am
not quite sure why this exclusion would apply if Microsoft makes SP3
available through windows Update on April 29th.



More details on Microsoft TechNet.




Windows XP SP3 includes all previously released Windows XP updates,
including security updates and hotfixes, and select out-of-band
releases. Windows XP SP2 was released in August 2004.



SP3 does include Network Access Protection (NAP) to help
organizations that use Windows XP to take advantage of new features in
the Windows Server 2008 operating system.

The new XP Service Pack also rolls up the following features: MMC
3.0, MSXML6, Microsoft Windows Installer 3.1 v2, Background Intelligent
Transfer Service (BITS) 2.5, IPsec Simple Policy Update for Windows
Server 2003 and Windows XP, Digital Identity Management Service (DIMS),
Peer Name Resolution Protocol (PNRP) 2.1, Wi-Fi Protected Access 2
(WPA2) and "Black Hole" Router Detection.



Windows XP SP3 is cumulative, so you can install SP3 on top of Windows XP SP1 or SP2.
Form : http://www.i4u.com/

Skype Launches Low-Cost Global Calling Plans

Skype on Monday launched an aggressive $9.95-a-month international calling plan for U.S. customers that includes landlines and some cell phone calls to 34 countries.

The action by the eBay (NSDQ: EBAY) unit comes just days after eBay's chief executive John Donahoe indicated the auction company will seek to find and improve synergies between the VoIP calling unit and eBay's core auction operation. The Financial Times also reported that Donahoe indicated that eBay would "reassess" Skype if its "synergies" with the auction company aren't strong.

"This move is a natural step for Skype," said Stefan Oberg, Skype's VP and general manager for telecoms, in a statement describing the new calling plans. "We're making it even easier for the Skype community to call their friends and family who are not yet on Skype." It was not immediately clear, however, whether the new calling plan will represent a direct synergistic relationship between Skype and auctions.

When eBay acquired Skype, the auction company envisioned sellers and buyers on its popular auction site calling each other over Skype. That activity never gained traction and eBay subsequently wrote off $1.4 billion of the $4.3 billion it paid for Skype.

Skype has continued to thrive and grow with more than 309 million global subscribers using the system for VoIP phone calls, instant messages, and now video calls.

"We're building a great business," said Donahoe after eBay reported first quarter financial results last week. He cited Skype's "strong growth trajectory." Even so, Skype stands out in bold relief against eBay's PayPal electronic payments system, which is heavily integrated in its auction business.

Josh Silverman, who was named chief executive of Skype last month, praised the support eBay is giving to the VoIP calling service. "I am delighted with the support we get from eBay," Silverman told the Reuters news service. "Synergies are not an end in and of itself, just a means to help us achieve our full potential."

Skype built its success on undercutting the prices of established telecom providers, and the VoIP business is continuing that policy with the $9.95 plan it announced Monday along with a variety of other calling plans among 34 countries.

The plans cover most European countries, North America, and many Asian countries. For U.S. subscribers, a $5.95-a-month plan covers all of North America as well as major Mexican cities. Skype currently offers a $3-a-month plan for North American calls.

Form : http://www.informationweek.com/