It's alive!: Ars reviews AmigaOS 4.1

Ars reviews the latest and greatest update to the little OS that could: AmigaOS 4.1. We've got the lowdown on the new features, fixes, and tweaks, and we look at where the OS is headed. Also inside: a chat with one of the developers.

September 22, 2008 - 11:30PM CT - by Jeremy Reimer

A history of the Amiga, part 7: Game on!

In the latest installment of our popular history of the Amiga, Ars looks back at some of the most fondly remembered games on a system that was legendary for its gaming prowess.

May 12, 2008 - 11:51PM CT - by Jeremy Reimer

Hands on: Opera 9.5 beta 2 improves speed, adds features

Opera has released Beta 2 of the 9.5 version of their web browser, and we've taken a quick tour to see what's in store. First impressions? It's faaaaaast.

April 28, 2008 - 08:45AM CT - by Jeremy Reimer

Between black and white: the state of grayware on the PC

Grayware claims to offer a useful service, but unwanted software tags along for the ride. We take a look at the top offenders.

April 23, 2008 - 11:55PM CT - by Jeremy Reimer

From BFS to ZFS: past, present, and future of file systems

From the mainframe to the Mac mini and from BFS to ZFS, Ars explores the past, present, and future of file systems.

March 16, 2008 - 11:58PM CT - by Jeremy Reimer

Rogers Unlimited data plan not so unlimited after all

Canadian network provider Rogers has introduced a new "unlimited" mobile Internet plan that at first glance seems tailor-made for devices such as the iPhone. A closer inspection, however, reveals that it is anything but.

February 11, 2008 - 02:30PM CT - by Jeremy Reimer

A history of the Amiga, part 6: stopping the bleeding

Ars continues its retelling of the history of the Amiga. Part six explores the tough financial times faced by the company after the first machines launched and what it did to stop the bleeding.

February 10, 2008 - 11:36PM CT - by Jeremy Reimer

Hunting trolls: USPTO asked to reexamine broad image patent

An anonymous sponsor has submitted a lengthy request for the reexamination of a patent that claims to cover the sending of compressed images over an Internet connection. In the meantime, the patent trolls are trying to grab as much cash as they can before the patent is thrown out.

February 05, 2008 - 09:24AM CT - by Jeremy Reimer

Bavarian government caught looking for Skype backdoor

The government of the German province of Bavaria has been contracting out the development of software that can intercept Skype communications and other encrypted Internet traffic, according to leaked documents.

January 28, 2008 - 10:43PM CT - by Jeremy Reimer

The ocean as watercooler: floating data centers stay cool

A startup called IDS is coming out of stealth mode to announce its plans to deploy a fleet of cargo ships that act as floating data centers. Skynet, meet Aquanet.

January 14, 2008 - 12:28PM CT - by Jeremy Reimer

Microsoft loosens database licensing for Web Server 2008

A report from CRN points at a new and less restrictive licensing policy for Windows Web Server 2008. We'll see how determined Microsoft is to win market share back from open-source software.

January 07, 2008 - 10:50AM CT - by Jeremy Reimer

Class action lawsuit targets Microsoft for Xbox Live outages

A group of Texans have launched a class action lawsuit against Microsoft for the recent failures of the Xbox Live online gaming service.

January 07, 2008 - 09:30AM CT - by Jeremy Reimer

Microsoft patents frustration-detecting help system

A new Microsoft patent could head off computer frustration by using biometric feedback to detect agitation, then ask other Internet users to help the frustrated user with a task. But will people want a biometrically-enhanced Clippy peering at their heart rates?

January 03, 2008 - 09:58AM CT - by Jeremy Reimer

Patently busy: IBM filing 10 patents/day in technology

The annual patent survey by the IEEE shows that IBM had the most software patents issued in the last year reviewed, whereas Microsoft won in the category of overall science strength. Between the two, more than 5,000 patents were filed in a single year.

January 01, 2008 - 09:30PM CT - by Jeremy Reimer

Reality check: what we know (and don't) about Windows 7

Only a year after Vista first shipped, anxious Windows fans are already speculating about Microsoft's next release of the dominant desktop operating system, Windows 7. However, not all predictions will come true.

December 18, 2007 - 11:00PM CT - by Jeremy Reimer

Windows Mobile 6.1 and 7.0 feature big changes to compete with iPhone

The much-maligned Windows Mobile user interface is getting a face-lift in Windows Mobile 6.1, and the underlying operating system is going to be completely revamped in version 7.0, in the face of strong competition from the iPhone.

December 17, 2007 - 11:16AM CT - by Jeremy Reimer

Nokia wants W3C to remove Ogg from upcoming HTML5 standard

Nokia has recommended to the W3C that the standards body delete all references to the open-source Ogg media format from its proposed HTML5 standard.

December 10, 2007 - 09:55AM CT - by Jeremy Reimer

A history of the Amiga, part 5: postlaunch blues

Part five of our series on the history of the Amiga covers the computer's bumpy road under Commodore's ownership, including marketing missteps and missed opportunities.

December 09, 2007 - 11:52PM CT - by Jeremy Reimer

Geek porn: the "enterprise-level DVR" is TV's panopticon

Recording 10 channels at once and sporting a few thousand hours of playback time, this DVR isn't for your average couch potato. Gluttony aside, the ability to search recorded show dialog is also quite impressive.

December 09, 2007 - 07:35PM CT - by Jeremy Reimer

Under the shadow of lawsuits, Amiga development marches on

While the future of new Amiga hardware remains in limbo pending the resolution of a lawsuit between IP owner Amiga, Inc. and OS4 developer Hyperion, new product releases show that the platform may have some life in it yet.

December 04, 2007 - 11:51PM CT - by Jeremy Reimer