Eudora 8.0.0b1

The first BETA release of Eudora version 8.0.0b1 (which includes the Penelope extension version 0.1a21) is now available for download. Use the links below to download. Please see the README below (which is the same as the downloadable ReadMe) for information on how to submit bug reports, etc.. [1]

Developers at the Mozilla Foundation have released the first beta versions of the new Eudora email application.
The Eudora 8.0 beta releases for Mac and Windows are the first new versions of since Qualcomm discontinued commercial development of the application in October 2006, turning it over to the open source community.
Since then, a new version of Eudora codenamed Penelope has been built from elements of Mozilla’s Thunderbird. [2]

First trap for new players, is that Eudora 8.0.0b1 is using the Thunderbird mail settings C:\Documents and Settings\%username%\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles\guffeyub.default\Mail\
and we cannot use the old call and point routine that we used in the older versions
eudora.exe c:\%username%\mail\
Possibly best to treat this as a Thunderbird migration than a Eudora replacement at this stage.

“Penelope is an extension to Thunderbird, and Eudora is a branded version of Thunderbird with some extra modifications. Some features we are working on can be implemented in an extension like Penelope, but some require changes to the core of the Thunderbird code and therefore have to be made in Eudora. It is our hope that many of our changes will find their way into the core Thunderbird code base, but we realize that not all of them will. The Mozilla folks have been positive about inclusion of our changes in to Thunderbird.” — Jeff Beckley, co-project lead at Qualcomm [4]

[1] Penelope Releases [MozillaWiki]
[2] Mozilla quietly resurrects Eudora (2007-SEP-05) [iTnews]
[3] Mozilla Quietly Resurrects Eudora (2007-SEP-05) [Slashdot]
[4] Qualcomm sets the record straight on Penelope (Hint: it’s not Eudora (2007-SEP-05) [Linux.com]

Popping GMail *POP!*

In the old but interesting category; GMail has allowed POP (Post Office Protocol) Access to GMail accounts. This means that you can set up an email client to send and receive mail from you GMail account rather than, or in addition to, using the web interface.

First off you need to log onto your GMail account using a web browser. Then under the settings, go to the “Forwarding and POP” tab and enable POP.

As I tend to use the Eudora email client, the screen shots here will relate to the config for Eudora. There are instructions for other mail clients.

• POP Server = pop.gmail.com
• SMTP Server = smtp.gmail.com

Most importantly for checking mail set the Secure Sockets (SSL) to be “Required, Alternate Port”

Now you can POP away and send via the GMail SMTP server (provided you have a GMail account)

Eudora v7.1.0.9

Qualcomm Open Sources Eudora and the price of the software is then reduced to US$19.95 with six months of support.

Wow, I still remember playing with Eudora v1.x on Windows 3 systems! Will Eudora survive as OSS, or will it merge with Thunderbird and be remembered with Mosaic as relict software from the first days of “the internet with with a GUI”? This is a bit like seeing a family pet being sold off

The thing not to miss here is that Eudora has also been updated to version 7.1 for Windows and version 6.2.4 for Mac. [3]

Future Eudora Based on Thunderbird [1]
“Qualcomm announced that future versions of Eudora will be based upon the same technology platform as the open source Mozilla Thunderbird email program. Future versions of Eudora will be free and open source, while retaining Eudora’s uniquely rich feature set and productivity enhancements. Qualcomm and Mozilla will each participate in, and continue to foster development communities based around the open source Mozilla project, with a view to enhancing the capabilities and ease of use of both Eudora and Thunderbird. [...] The open source version of Eudora is targeted to release during the first half of calendar year 2007. Once the open source version of Eudora is released, Qualcomm will cease to sell Eudora commercially.”

Ok now that’s interesting, but what about our current licensing and support?

Eudora® email moves to open source development and delivers final commercial version – Eudora 7.1 for Windows and 6.2.4 for Mac OSX. [2]
The open source version of Eudora® is targeted to be released during the first half of calendar year 2007 and will be free of charge. Once the open source version of Eudora is released, QUALCOMM will cease to sell Eudora commercially. Until then, the current commercial versions are available for the reduced price of $19.95 with a six-month period of technical support. All prior technical support commitments continue to be honored.

Any changes for a site license?

What support will be available to site licensees? [3]
QUALCOMM will honor its twelve-month technical support obligation to existing licensees.

 

Eudora v7.1.0.9

From the initial testing, Eudora v7.1 plays well with our current site licence when Eudora v7.0.1 is updated in situ.

 

Eudora 7.1 New Features [4]
Welcome to Eudora® 7.1! This document describes the new features and functions in Eudora 7.1 for Windows.

• Recent mailboxes – A virtual folder of recently used mailbox for conveniently getting to your most often used mailboxes
• Expanded Media for Alert Sounds – Play a Sound functionality on New Mail arrival and filters has been expanded from .wav files to allow for other media files such as .mp3
• Saved Searches – Save the search criteria of your Ultra Fast searches to use them again and again
• Minimize to Windows System Tray – Manage Eudora tasks from in icon in the system tray
• Insert Downloadable Picture – Include references to graphics stored on web servers

 

 

[1.] Future Eudora Based on Thunderbird [Slashdot]
[2.] Eudora [Eudora]
[3.] Eudora Announcement FAQ [Eudora]
[4.] Eudora 7.1 Release Notes [Eudora]
[5.] Eudora 7.1 New Features Guide (pdf) [Eudora]

Technorati Tags: eudora   Del.icio.us Tags: eudora   Flickr Tags: eudora   Wikipedia: eudora

 

Phishing Trip

“Phishing – Fraudulent emails and pop-ups designed to fool you into revealing personal information, such as passwords, credit card details, and account numbers, for criminal gain.”

Phishing Protection in Eudora v6.5.2.6 (winXP)

Technorati Tags: Phishing

Eudora v.7.0

Up until recently the latest version of Eudora has been 6.2.5.6, over the last week Eudora v7.0.x has been made available via the Eudora website as the “latest version”. My testing with version 7.0.0.16 shows that the University of Melbourne’s current Site License does not flow onto the v7.x release.

The currrent registration information (v6.x) does NOT work with Eudora v7.x. Currently the user will need to be converted from licensed to Sponsored mode to keep functionality.

 

The information published by the Information Division regarding the Eudora license currently indicates that the “current/latest” version of the software is licensed;

“The current agreement provides the University staff and students the latest version of Eudora software for Mac or PC.”[1]

“This licence is inclusive of maintenance for the life of the Agreement” [3]

I have requested that information be published with a timeline for the renewal/update of the Site License with Qualcomm, or a post outlining that our Site License is bound to the v6.x product. Let’s see if we get an update …

 

[0] Eudora 7.0 on ed-Server [Restricted Access]
[1] Special Software Licence Agreements: Eudora [COMPSS]
[2] Information Technology Policies, Strategies & Procedures Guide – 5. Desktop Software and Licences [ITPP]
[3] Special Software Licence Agreements – Eudora SITE LICENSE PROGRAM [UCS]
[4] Eudora Software [ftp unimeb-only]
[5] Eudora 6 Registration Details [Restricted Access]

Technorati Tags: Eudora

 

Eudora 6.2.5

After upgrading to the new laptop (DELL D810), moving off the GX280 workstation, and migrating from the iMac to the eMac (OS X.3.9) … I hadn’t crashed anything. *I am suprised too!*
I know, time to try some new software on the machine … and lookee here there’s a new version of Eudora (23-Sep-2005)

Eudora 6.2.5 Features [1,3]
Powerful features combat spam, search the web, import data, and more…

• ScamWatch: This new feature combats “phishing” schemes that use disguised URL’s to gather personal information. Eudora now detects if the URL in the link differs suspiciously from the host name and warns you to exercise caution before making the connection.
• OpenSSL: The state-of-the art standard in email security and encryption.
  Eudora now uses OpenSSL instead of Certicom’s SSL Plus library for SSL negotiations.
  When a server’s SSL certificate is rejected for certain reasons (not trusted, expired, etc.) Eudora will now present a dialog asking the user if they want to trust the cert instead of forcing them to navigate a complicated UI to manually trust the certificate.
• Improved IMAP: Improved functionality to synchronize and access email from multiple computers and locations.
  Filtering of IMAP messages should now be as fully functional as filtering of POP messages. Manually declaring an IMAP message to be either “Junk” or “Not Junk” now informs the junk plugins of the change in the message’s status. Improved user’s ability to stop IMAP operations. IMAP users running on servers without UIDPLUS now have the option of allowing Eudora to score incoming messages even though it will not move messages to the Junk mailbox. Eudora will now only move junk messages to the Junk mailbox from the Inbox for IMAP accounts.
• Emoticons: 24 new originally designed emoticons (not in Light mode).
  Well .. ummmm, thanks?

It would appear that our Site Licence still works with this version as it has stayed in the “Paid” mode.

 Guide Review – Eudora 6.2.5 [2]
Eudora is a wonderful email client. Over the years, the makers of Eudora have found efficient and elegant solutions to just about all the email problems as they have surfaced. Sure, Eudora also has solutions for problems you probably do not have (like “MoodWatch”, the amusing indicator of aggressive vocabulary), but for the most part Eudora has a flexible, fast and easy to use feature set. Eudora supports HTML emails, albeit not perfectly, but it also makes it easy to compose properly formatted plain text messages. Eudora’s message rules are versatile, it’s easy to eliminate spam using the precise Bayesian filter, dubbed “SpamWatch”. “ScamWatch” looks for spoofed URLs in phishing emails that want to trick you into believing you enter your account details at your bank’s site when, in fact, you hand it to a criminal. ScamWatch fares pretty well but does not catch all fraud attempts, so it still pays to be alert. While you can block Eudora from loading remote content in emails automatically, more flexible controls would be nice. Eudora comes with a flexible template system for canned replies, the “Eudora Sharing Protocol” (ESP) is a very easy to use, albeit proprietary, way to sync files automatically, and the content concentrator trims quoted text nicely. It’s really a pity that Eudora doesn’t come with integrated secure messaging, and it would be nice if Eudora could use its Bayesian engine to automatically sort mail. Fast, index-based search would be great, too.

[1] http://www.eudora.com/download/ [Qualcomm]
[2] Eudora 6.2.5 [About.com]
[3] What’s New in Eudora 6.2 to 6.2.5.6 [Eudora Forums]

Technorati Tags: Eudora