Thursday's Thistledown

Hello news hounds. On this day: John William Draper takes a daguerreotype of the moon, the first celestial photograph made in the U.S., 1839. Ratification of the 13th Amendment, and abolishment of slavery throughout the U.S., is officially announced, 1865. The first communications satellite broadcast takes place in the U.S., 1958. TV industry executives agree to adopt a ratings system in 1996. Happy birthday Steven Spielberg. He's 56. Parents: before you run out and buy a CD for your kid, visit WhatACrappyPresent.com.

1. The new kernel is here! The new kernel is here! Linus released Linux kernel 2.6.0 late yesterday with the cryptic words, "the beaver is out of detox." The new kernel is faster and offers better support for desktop technologies like plug-n-play and USB. Download the source from Kernel.org and start re-compiling.
2. Microsoft is joining the state of New York to file suits against a man it alleges to be a major spammer, Scott Richter of OptInRealBig.com. Microsoft is peeved because Richter supposedly spoofed Hotmail and MSN mail addresses for his spam. NY is asking for $20 million, MS for $18.8 million.
3. Our fearless leader, Paul Allen, has been revealed to be the chief investor behind SpaceShipOne - a private effort to create a sub-orbital spacecraft and win the $10 million X Prize.
4. Google is planning to add the contents of selected books to its search results. Google Print is expected to launch today.
5. Don't expect a Segway under the tree if you live in Brussels. According to Wired News, the Segway is illegal in most of Europe. Classified as a moped, brakes and lights would have to be added to the device for it to even be considered for testing.
6. Want to know what's in the forthcoming XP Service Pack 2 (now in beta)? Read the changelist on Microsoft TechNet.