OpenOffice.org 3.0 beta shrugs off X11

The OpenOffice.org Community has announced the public beta release of OpenOffice.org 3.0, a new version of the free office productivity software suite for various platforms including Mac OS X.

OpenOffice.org Beta Fails the Office 2007 Test
I'm not embarrassed to admit it: I'm a big fan of Office 2007. I think Microsoft got a lot right with its latest release, starting with the ribbon interface and including any number of tweaks and improvements that make my day easier. I can't say I'm thrilled about the price of the suite, however; nor the countless SKUs to choose from. Plus, I'm also a big Linux fan. That's why I always try to keep my eye on the current state of OpenOffice.org, the open source office suite founded by Sun.

Microsoft to help disabled access Office documents
Microsoft has released a software add-in to help those who have difficulty reading printed documents to turn Word documents into audio files.

Mozilla: Firefox plugin shipped with malicious code
Mozilla warned Wednesday that a malicious program inserted adware code into a Firefox plugin that has been downloaded thousands of times over the past three months.

Black Duck buying Koders for code search
Black Duck Software plans to announce Monday that it has purchased the assets of Koders, maker of a code search engine and other tools, for an undisclosed sum.

MySQL upgrade now slated for June, Sun says
Sun Microsystems pushed out a "near final" version of MySQL 5.1 on Tuesday, but is holding back the production release of the open-source database until it irons out some remaining bugs, officials said Tuesday.

Linux replacements for your favorite Windows apps
For many users, getting started with Linux is surprisingly easy. New, friendlier versions of the free operating system, such as Fedora and Ubuntu, feature straightforward menus and automated installations that make switching from Windows to Linux a relatively simple process.

Adobe, RealNetworks back Linux on Mobile Internet Devices
Adobe Systems and RealNetworks are backing Intel's drive to put Linux on Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) and will offer versions of AIR and RealPlayer, respectively, for handheld devices that use the open-source operating system, the chip maker said.

Adobe joins Linux Foundation, develops Air for Linux
Adobe Systems released an early alpha version of its rich Internet application platform Air for Linux on Monday, and announced that it has joined the Linux Foundation, a nonprofit organization that promotes and standardizes Linux.

Put Facebook on your Web site, says startup
Open source startup, Ringside Networks, has launched this week with the aim of persuading companies to embrace social networking by building it into their own Web sites.

OpenOffice.org update arrives
OpenOffice.org 2.4, the latest version of the free productivity application suite, was released Thursday and is now available for download for a number of operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X.

ODF loses if OOXML does, ODF editor says
The editor of the Open Document Format (ODF) standard has written a letter that strongly supports recognizing Microsoft's Open Office XML (OOXML) file format as a standard, arguing that if it fails, ODF will suffer.

India rejects Office Open XML again
A technical committee in India has rejected Microsoft's Office Open XML file format as a standard.

Wine 1.0 nearly ready for pouring
Developers of Wine, the most widely used software for running Windows applications on Linux, have announced the upcoming release of Wine 1.0 -- scheduled for June 6, the 15th anniversary of the commencement of the project.

The 10 Most Disruptive Technology Combinations
If there's one thing the digital revolution has taught us, it's that we shouldn't get too attached to anything. Technology has a way of seizing long-held ideas and entrenched industries and turning them upside-down.

All

• SCO CEO takes the witness stand
• Linux visionary convicted of murder
• Ubuntu releases Hardy Heron
• Computer experts protest Microsoft OOXML
• US software lock-ins harm local bidders

LugRadio Live USA San Francisco, April 12-13 2008.

Nerdapalooza Orlando, Florida, July 4-5 2008.

LinuxWorld Conference and Expo San Francisco, August 4-7, 2008.