Microsoft is developing the operating system, called Windows XP Embedded, in partnership with Bally's video casino-game organization, Fujitsu-Siemens' set-top box group and Siemens' factory robot group. The upcoming version of its Windows software is designed to be stuffed into all sorts of nontraditional computing gadgets.

IBM is leveraging its technical expertise in Linux by providing free educational tools via its developerWorks site. IBM has added a free tutorial on desktop basics, known as "K Desktop Environment or KDE", to its growing collection on the developerWorks Linux Zone. This tutorial will teach Linux users of ever level to customize their own KDE GUI.

Lutris Technologies Inc., has announced a sales and marketing agreement with Hewlett-Packard Company to deliver Lutris Enhydra 3.5 to HP's customers for developing and deploying enterprise-level applications on HP Netserver systems running Linux and Windows 2000. The solution will enable service providers, value added resellers (VARs), telcos, and individual and corporate developers to easily create and deploy Internet and wireless Web applications.

Progeny Debian was developed in cooperation with Debian GNU/Linux. It provides an enhanced feature set that includes easy graphical installation, hardware detection support, and improved configuration and management tools. Also included is the latest stable technology, consisting of XFree86 4.0.2 and glibc2.2.

The Zend IDE is a full-service, client-server application dedicated to removing bugs from your PHP scripts. It features the only PHP debugger of its kind.

In an effort to bring Linux overclocking types up to speed, nvclock was made. Now NVIDIA card owners can have the same power as their Windows counterparts.Version 0.2 is now available. In this version, the GeForce2 bug appears to be fixed, including Ultra cards.

Linux is predicted to become the most dominant global web server platform by mid 2002, and open source software is expected to become the dominant underlying technology for web hosting services by 2003. However, this growth is dependent on improvements in Linux functionality and failsafe techniques.

Despite sometimes fractious philosophical differences among open-source advocates, alliances make sense in these days when start-ups are worried more about solvency than competing with one another.

The Linux community has long been formulating a wish list for the 2.5 kernel. A slew of issues were already under discussion for the 2.5 development tree. These range from minor modifications to major issues such as the incorporation of a Journaling File System, more work on Linux clusters and continued work on the scheduler.

SmoothWall 0.9.8, Britain's most successful Open Source project, has been released. The latest version of the security device software attacks the traditional marketplace of the SoHO and SME security at a price that gives it a major advantage and is available for free download under the GNU General Public Licence.