MS ends Windows 98 support
Microsoft is urging an estimated 70 million users of Windows 98 to upgrade, as it ends support for that version of its operating system two years later than originally intended, reports BBC News.
Microsoft has finally stopped phone support and security updates for Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, and Windows Millennium Edition. It has also ended all paid support and critical security updates.
The report says the majority of these users are likely to be home users because most corporations have phased out machines running the software. However, many small firms are still believed to be using the software and could therefore become more vulnerable to security risks.
Firefox 2 beta due this week
The Mozilla Foundation has announced it is ready to release a beta version of the next major version of its Firefox Web browser, reports News.Com.
This is the first beta version of Firefox 2 to be made publicly available, and according to the report, Mozilla hopes software developers will download it and test whether it is compatible with their existing Firefox extensions.
While release candidate three of the beta can already be downloaded from Mozilla`s FTP server, the actual beta will be released later this week.
US warned of Chinese gains in chip making
The semiconductor industry in China is improving rapidly, and could achieve technological parity with the US in a few years, warns Applied Materials CEO Mike Splinter.
News.Com says Splinter told a semiconductor conference taking place in San Francisco this week the advances were being fuelled by government investment and Chinese chipmakers could catch up with their US counterparts within five years.
Like many US chipmakers, Applied Materials derives 85% of its revenue from overseas. The report says Splinter expressed concern about Chinese government pressure to use local equipment makers.
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