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A group of five enterprise software companies on Monday announced the creation of the Enterprise Desktop Alliance to facilitate the acceptance of Macintosh computers in organizational environments managed with Microsoft Windows. The alliance — created by Atempo, Centrify, Group Logic, LANrev and Parallels — will validate and promote the availability of solutions that make it easier to deploy, integrate and manage Macs in the enterprise using Microsoft Windows-based solutions.

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A group of five enterprise software companies on Monday announced the creation of the Enterprise Desktop Alliance to facilitate the acceptance of Macintosh computers in organizational environments managed with Microsoft Windows. The alliance — created by Atempo, Centrify, Group Logic, LANrev and Parallels — will validate and promote the availability of solutions that make it easier to deploy, integrate and manage Macs in the enterprise using Microsoft Windows-based solutions.

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What seems to have started as a simple play to create new cartoon content for the Web — and make money from it — may in effect usher in a new media distribution model. A Web search engine giant, a highly paid cartoon creator, and a production company are all working together to deliver 50 two-minute episodes of edgy cartoons that will launch in September, according to a published report. Seth MacFarlane, the creator of TV’s “Family Guy,” will work with Google and use AdSense to syndicate a new project called “Seth MacFarlane’s Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy,” according to the report.

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Sony announced a crop of new features and functionalities for the PlayStation 3 Monday. Additions in the 2.40 firmware update include in-game XrossMediaBar access that will enable players to communicate with other gamers on their PlayStation Network friends list — now doubled in size to hold 100 contacts — as well as access other features without leaving the game they’re playing. Other additions include a new virtual ranking system called “Trophies” and a Google-based Internet search feature added to the XMB. The latest add-ons will be available for download on July 2.

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RealNetworks’ Rhapsody thinks it knows how to end Apple’s dominance of the online music distribution scene: remove the digital locks on its songs; make key deals with A-list names in media, wireless providers and social networks; and let consumers preview entire songs, not just 30-second snippets. Rhapsody, a leader in subscription-based online music, on Monday announced a “Music Without Limits” digital download strategy that its executives hope will put a scare in Apple’s iTunes.

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Security software vendor PC Tools has watched the rise of two cause-and-effect security factors in the Mac OS X world — first, the growing popularity of Macs along with increasing market share, and second, the accompanying attention of malware that’s targeted directly at Mac users. Consequently, PC Tools has launched a beta edition of iAntiVirus, a new antivirus and antispyware tool designed specifically for Mac OS X. While the Mac maintains an industry-leading reputation for being generally healthy, some troubling Mac-focused security vulnerabilities have recently come to light.

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A lot of us are focused on Microsoft and Bill Gates this month as Bill’s last day at the company he founded and ran to dominance passed last Friday. I’ve met Bill several times but only really once spoken to him. From a personal aspect, he has mostly been cordial, and he once personally came to my rescue back when my career as an independent analyst first started, something I’ll never forget. Something else I’ll never forget was the Windows 95 launch, which in my mind and evidently his, was the high point for Microsoft.

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Since the release of the iPod, the market has flooded with accessories ranging from the mundane to the radical. All are meant to further incorporate the tiny device into another aspect of daily life. Many of these add-ons are innovative solutions for common problems. Others are just gimmicks targeting consumers with a taste for silly novelty items. The iBreath, for example, is an accessory for the iPod that allows you to transmit your music on an FM radio frequency as well as test yourself or others for intoxication.

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Apple’s presentation at WWDC of an alternate approach to background processes for the iPhone, compared to Microsoft’s ActiveSync, has implications for both developers and users. It requires developers to invest in new systems and takes away some of their direct control of the iPhone, but it also improves the user experience and allows Apple to develop an enterprise revenue stream. Historically, many smartphones have used background processes to respond to external push notifications and e-mail.

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Wait. Scroll. Scroll. Tap-tap. Wait. Wait. For many years, that was the typical experience of someone surfing the Web using a mobile phone or PDA, at least in the U.S. Although some content providers offered stripped-down versions of their sites specially designed for mobile users, most did not, and reading a page designed to be viewed on a PC on the small screen was about as much fun as sitting in a dark room reading a newspaper by flashlight.

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