AT&T DSL - They Just Can't Stop

Well AT&T promised to offer a cheap DSL in return for being allowed to become an even bigger monopoly. Big phone companies never change.
http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2007/06/18/
att_quietly_offers_10_dsl_plan/?p1=MEWell_Pos3

NEW YORK --Without any sort of fanfare, AT&T Inc. has started offering a broadband Internet service for $10 a month, cheaper than any advertised plan.

The DSL, or digital subscriber line, plan introduced Saturday is part of the concessions made by AT&T to the Federal Communications Commission to get its $86 billion acquisition of BellSouth Corp. approved last December.

The $10 offer is available to customers in the 22-state AT&T service region, which includes former BellSouth areas, who have never had AT&T or BellSouth broadband, spokesman Michael Coe confirmed Monday. Local phone service and a one-year contract are required. The modem is free.

The plan was not mentioned in a Friday news release about AT&T's DSL plans, and is slightly hidden on the AT&T Web site. A page describing DSL options doesn't mention it, but clicking a link for "Term contract plans" reveals it. It's also presented to customers who go into the application process, Coe said.

The service provides download speeds of up to 768 kilobits per second and upload speeds of up to 128 kbps, matching the speeds of the cheapest advertised AT&T plan, which costs $19.95 per month in the nine-state former BellSouth area and $14.99 in the 13 states covered by AT&T before the acquisition.

So typical. Why is there always this desire to mislead the customer? Cell phone carriers seem even worse.
Now AT&T also wants to help big media companies caught pirates.
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=40320

Privacy? We've heard of it. Sorta.......

Xandros - How To Kill Goodwill

Well it should have been obvious after Novell's tryst with the beast.

Microsoft and Linux distributor Xandros announced on Monday a technical and legal collaboration, the latest step in the software giant's ongoing programme to partner with open-source companies.

According to the two companies, over the next five years they will work on improving interoperability between their servers to improve systems management.

The pact calls for Microsoft to provide patent covenants for Xandros customers that ensure they are not infringing on Microsoft's intellectual property, according to the companies.

Xandros will also ship software for desktop productivity applications that translates between the Open Document Format and OpenXML, which is Microsoft's own document format.

The agreement will make it easier for Xandros customers to run a mix of Xandros and Microsoft software, Andreas Typaldos, chief executive of Xandros, said in a statement.

http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,1000000121,39287358,00.htm

Idiots I tell you.