Aside from giving the Linux press something to talk about, what will be the impact of the new 2.4 kernel? Here, industry leaders comment on their ideas for integrating the latest Linux release into their products and their plans. Database makers will likely tweak their products to use the improved disk access.

Just like elsewhere, Linux in Poland most often handles Internet and LAN jobs. But would you expect a four-star hotel to run all of its operations on Linux? As the case of the Hotel Jan III Sobieski shows, you can run your entire business on Linux -- if you do it right.

G.Mate's Yopy will be getting a speech interface when it's released, according to Redmond-based company Conversay. The company says the interface will allow for spoken commands in natural English, and feature support for an upcoming GPS device for the Linux-based handheld.

With the future of the company on the line, top officials from Corel Corp. plan on unveiling the company's new corporate growth strategy on January 23. The executive team will roll out details of the company's plans to employees and media at a special event to be held at the Ottawa Congress Centre.

Some users wouldn't have gone near a computer without at least one; others believe they're only good for those rare times when a graphical Web browser is needed. With recent developments between the GNOME and KDE camps, 2001 could shape up to be an entertaining year for the world of window managers and desktop environments.

If you're like most LinuxPPC users, a large portion of your computing time is spent using network-based applications, either explicitly or implicitly. Mostly, your are both sending and receiving data over shared networks. And this in turn means that your communications are potentially vulnerable to inquisitive eavesdroppers.

"Why would the world's biggest computer company invest so much in "free" software? The answer: It's about software infrastructure, the "control point" of account control. The IBM open source thrust is a way to blunt Microsoft's advance into the enterprise."

Developed in co-operation with industry research partners, the prototype includes enhancements to Linux which provide stronger protection against the bypassing of application security mechanisms and greater limits on the damage that can be caused by malicious or flawed applications.

Regulators are examining why two investment funds obtained relatively large chunks of VA Linux's initial public stock offering.

"For now, Linux 2.4 is for the adventuresome, the Linux lover--not someone whose bottom line depends on Linux. Besides, even after Linux 2.4 ages well, most users won't get that much more from it anyway."