We’re just about ready to start automatically pinging the RSS ping servers. This news item is a test to see if that technology is up and running inside ZENPRESS. Cross your fingers!

A Web-based word processor can now convert documents to Adobe’s PDF standard, adding to other new features, such as OpenDocument and Rich Text Format support. The Writely word processor was launched by privately held Upstartle in August as a Web site to store, edit and share word-processing documents. The site lets people upload Microsoft Word documents, which are then converted to HTML.

To plug a hole in its intrusion-prevention product, eEye Digital Security may adopt the Clam AntiVirus project and improve the open-source software. eEye’s Blink intrusion-prevention product includes system- and application-level firewalls and protects computers against phishing, spyware and exploitation of known vulnerabilities. Blink is used by about 250 organizations worldwide, including the U.S. Army and the Department of Homeland Security. Some want the product to include antivirus support, so eEye is considering its options, including adopting the Clam AntiVirus project.

FormEZ from Ytria is a smart and useful Notes development tool that can let you make field formula changes to your forms. Use it alongside the Domino Designer for an easier way to manage and edit your field formulas in one simple interface.

TrustDefender provides Internet users with a guaranteed way to stay safe when making transactions, conducting business, and connecting to home or office servers when on the Internet. TrustDefender is will analyze all outgoing Internet transmissions on a user’s computer. By using its GAP Protection (Guaranteed Authentication Program), TrustDefender is able to guarantee the authenticity of Web servers. In case of uncertainty, TrustDefender will automatically connect to the free TrustedSurfing Internet Database to perform sophisticated checks and provide meaningful information.

When New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin announced a plan to attract residents and business back to the ravaged city with free municipal Wi-Fi service, BellSouth cried foul and pulled its offer of a building to be used by the police department, whose own headquarters were damaged. Nagin’s announcement came exactly one month from the day that BellSouth rolled out wireless broadband services for New Orleans’ recovering businesses at $69.95 per month.

The algorithm used in one of the most debilitating email worm attacks in history has been cracked, allowing virus researchers to accurately predict the dates and URLs that will be used in future mutants. Researchers at Finnish anti-virus vendor F-Secure first cracked the code used in the Win32.Sober worm family in May this year but withheld details until this week to avoid tipping off the attacker.

A former software executive’s guilty plea to charges of breaking into a rival’s computers and stealing trade secrets has offered a rare glimpse into the world of corporate espionage. John O’Neil, former CEO of Business Engine Software, pleaded guilty in a San Francisco federal court on Wednesday to conspiracy to download and steal the trade secrets of software competitor Niku over a 10-month period. O’Neil, 43, is the third former executive of the San Francisco company to admit guilt in a case that the FBI’s computer intrusion squad helped to investigate in 2002. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in jail and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for next spring.

Gateway has won its appeal before the International Trade Commission over a parallel-port patent fight with Hewlett-Packard. The case, which will be remanded back to a lower court for further proceedings, centers around whether PC maker Gateway infringed on HP patents that involve legacy circuitry for parallel-port printer technology. In its ruling Thursday, the ITC determined Gateway did not engage in a "literal infringement" of the patents in question.

Yahoo and Six Apart, creator of Movable Type–the most popular software used to create professional blogs–said on Sunday Yahoo will be the preferred supplier of Movable Type for small businesses. The partnership is the latest in a string of deals as Yahoo seeks to embrace so-called "social media," the new generation of Web sites that encourage Internet users to share written text, photos, and videos. On Friday, Yahoo acquired Del.icio.us, a site for users to share their favorite Web links. Earlier this year, it acquired Flickr, which offers a way to annotate and share photos.