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"What I'm looking for is some web tool in which everyone involved in a project could make changes in their task's status. (Things like number of hours worked and percent completed.) Preferably, all data should be kept in a relational database for easy data gathering and reporting.

MrProject is a nice app but it's Linux only (so far) and doesn't seem to allow for resource sharing among projects.

ToutDoux, another Gnome app, promised much more, but its development stalled a while ago.

I looked at some of the project management tools I found at Freshmeat, like SiteScape, EPIWARE, ITMS, and A.C.E., but none of them satisfied my needs.

MimerDesk is a web-based groupware environment that has a very promising project management tool. It's not complete yet, but it's the best I could find so far.

So, what do your companies use for project management and how is it going?"

A good oversight to correct. AndyMan! writes "Regarding yesterdays 'Building A Better Inbox,' I got the following email from support@mailblocks.com:

"'Our apologies, we picked up an old version of our TOS when we went live. We will NOT be allowing 3rd parties to send unsolicited email to our userbase. Please check the site this evening for the updated and correct TOS. We apologize for any confusion or inconvenience.'"

All the government you pay for. dunng808 writes "Despite frequent speculation to the contrary, Security Enhanced Linux is alive and well. Government Executive Magazine has a report from a conference on open-source software at which Peter Loscocco, a senior NSA scientist, revealed that the agency has continued to work on SE Linux despite efforts by Microsoft and the Initiative for Software Choice. "We spent a lot of time educating our managers, who accepted a lot of the flack that has come back to NSA about SE Linux," Loscocco said. For those readers trying to win acceptance of open-source software in the workplace, what effort have you undertaken to educate management, and what has worked?"

Also safe for now is GPS. As an anonymous reader writes, "Following last week's thread on GPS, and the possibility that the Pentagon might goof around with the civilian signal, Forbes checks in with the folks in charge and finds we have nothing to worry about."

OK, both of these things involve series of coherent vibrations in air ... A few months back, we mentioned that TheKompany was selling software to let Zaurus owners use Net2Phone for telephone service, and that they were working on a desktop version as well. Well, now it's ready. HeUnique writes "TheKompany just released tkcphone for the Linux desktop. This is the first product which lets Linux users to use their existing net2phone accounts to talk either through net2phone to net2phone or net2phone to standard POTS phone with the best audio quality (G.729 codec)."

And in almost-but-not-totally-unrelated news, jackjumper writes "Shawn Gordon of The Kompany fame has started his own record label, ProgRock Records. From the interview at Linux and Main: "The idea...is to provide progressive rock music to listeners at a low price while allowing more of that money to find its way to the artists' pockets than happens with conventional recording contracts and at the same time making a gesture -- you know the one -- to the established recording cartel." This sounds really cool."

A deadly pathogen by any other name. waytoomuchcoffee writes "The leading hypothesis for what is causing Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) is now thought to be a coronavirus, one of the virii that can cause the common cold. The New York Times (archive version for those non-members) has a story here. The global toll is now more than 750 stricken and 22 dead. Singapore is quarantining hundreds of people in an effort to stop the outbreak, while the head of the city's hospitals has taken ill with symptoms consistent with SARS. Both the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization have pages up now, which include FAQs and progression information."

How many times do we have to go over this? Vajsvarana writes "The major free Desktop Environment GNOME and KDE has released a common open statement on recent XFree86 troubles. 'Innovation should happen in the open, with all affected parties able to participate early in the process' seems a clear and strong request to XFree86 people."

Realism in the midst of hubris. An anonymous reader writes "In a disconcerting e-mail on an interoperability thread Miguel de Icaza affirms that Gnome, is in fact, lagging behind KDE. As stated in the e-mail 'At this point we are not fatally loosing a race for adoption, and a race to see our baby and our work be used by millions, but we are lagging behind. In this area, I agree with Jeff, I personally (because of the emotional component described before), would like to see more work be done on the Gnome desktop and less on replicating infrastructure.'"

More on the ideas that Apple owns. Turquoise Hexagon Sun writes "In a followup to yesterday's 'garbage patent' article, John Kheit has written an interesting piece on software patents where he goes into the history of software patents and the difference between utility and design patents."

Sick of this yet? Speaking of patents, An anonymous reader draws your attention to a point unmentioned in yesterday's book review: "The article Aspect-Oriented Programming with AspectJ gives an excellent introduction to AOP. However, neither the author nor the AspectJ website discloses that AOP is patented (US Patent #6,467,086). It is certainly beneficial to the programming community if the patent holders can clarify the purpose of the patent."

Shipping beats small and / or light. jcarr writes "Seems Lindows can't ship the portables it advertised. I ordered one from GearZoo the day it was reported. The CEO of GearZoo sent the attached email about it. Sounds like an opportunity for another manufacturer.

Dear Customer,

Because of recent licensing issues with Lindows.com, our supplier is unable to ship us any Lindows Mobile PC's. Thus, we are unable to fulfill your order for this product. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. We would, however, like to offer you the eNote Travel Lite notebook for purchase. The Travel Lite has similar specifications to the Lindows Mobile PC, and comes installed with Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition for only $879. You can also purchase the eNote without an operating system installed for only $789. The $10.00 discount I emailed you earlier would also apply to this purchase as well.

We are receiving a shipment of the Travel Lites later this week, and will be shipping them out to customers next week. We will also have the Travel Lite product information up on our Web site on Tuesday, March 4. Please let us know if you would like to replace your Lindows Mobile PC order with an eNote Travel Lite. If you decide to cancel your original order, then please let us know and we will process your request immediately.

Once again, our sincere apologies. We look forward to hearing back from you regarding your order.'"

I'd much rather read Salon than watch the Big Dig get dug. x_man writes "According to Salon, thousands of people have rallied behind the online publication and purchased subscriptions for themselves or their friends."