Business

Microsoft has convinced a judge to grant it legal ownership of 276 web domains previously used to control networks of infected PCs. It's the first time this has happened, and the company believes it could be used as a legal weapon. The case involves ... a botnet , created from computers infected with the Waledeac worm . A botnet is short form for "robot network" -- or quite simply, a network of infected computers controlled by one or few individuals. Botnet Sends 1.5 Billion Spam Email Messages Per Day At one point an estimated 80,000 computers were under part of the botnet and were ... (view more)

It seems that while the highly-acclaimed Windows 7 could ease headaches for IT professionals, installing the new operating system (OS) will prove costly for companies making the transition from the decade-old standby, Windows XP. Industry analysts ... Gartner in a recent study predicted IT budgets will balloon as more businesses make the switch to Windows 7. The report says many companies may need to divert finances from other sectors in order to help negate the cost associated with upgrading their OS. Software, Hardware Upgrades Out of Sync The big problem is that many firms will upgrade their ... (view more)

Microsoft is preparing another large Patch Tuesday security release this month, issuing nine bulletins that address a total of thirteen vulnerabilities. These patches target flaws affecting the Windows operating system (OS), Internet Information ... Services, and popular business suite Microsoft Office. Importantly, four of the nine bulletins have been designated "critical," Microsoft's most serious rating. The other five are all marked "important" by the company's Security Response Center blog, Microsoft's second-highest rating. Windows XP Users Most At-Risk All three of the Redmond-based firm's ... (view more)

Google has unveiled a new instant search feature that provides results as users type in their query. It's a new trick for online searches -- one Google says will save its many, many clients lots of time. As Google vice president of user experience ... Marissa Mayer put it, the instant search feature is designed to provide results "as you type, not after you type." (Source: usatoday.com ) American Internet users got their first look at the instant search tools on Wednesday, with international clients being introduced to the feature over the course of the week. Google Instant Search Powered by ... (view more)

Recently, Microsoft raised a few eyebrows by partnering with old rival Yahoo on the search and advertising front. Now, Microsoft once again looks to blur the line between friend and foe with plans to introduce their first application for Google's ... Android platform. The application will offer a host of typical Bing features: image search, movies, maps, local news and driving directions. Microsoft Flaunts Bing via Google App It seems as if Microsoft is trying to purposely highlight functions that Google does not currently offer, while flaunting their features on an Android-based (Google) ... (view more)

PC maker Dell is helping to usher in a new age by announcing that it will no longer offer PCs downgraded to Windows XP after the end of this month. It's a deadline well ahead of that set by Microsoft: October 22nd, which, coincidentally enough, ... marks the first birthday of Windows 7. Windows XP Driver Support to Continue Although Dell will continue offering driver support for Windows XP for another two years (December 2012, in fact), the company is determined to stop selling the OS well before October 22. "This means that we will stop offering XP as an option for customers starting this month ... (view more)

With Microsoft's latest mobile Windows finally shipping to manufacturers, handset makers are deciding whether it's worth paying a licensing fee for the software when free alternatives (such as Google's Android) are available. However, Microsoft ... argues that the hidden costs of open source systems mean Windows represents better value. Windows 7 Phone License Fee Cheaper Than 'Free' Manufacturers that want to install Windows Phone 7 on their handsets will have to pay a licensing fee to Microsoft, just as computer makers do with Windows. The fee is understood to average around $15 a handset. That ... (view more)

Microsoft yesterday announced it was resurrecting one of the most popular Windows 7 deals to date: the Family Pack discount. The deal, which gives consumers the ability to purchase a trio of upgrade licenses for their shift from XP or Vista to ... Windows 7, will again be available in early October. It's easy to see why the Family Pack Windows 7 deal was so popular: for three licenses the cost is just $150 (or $50 per upgrade), the same as it was last year. Microsoft put the package together for several weeks following the operating system's October 22, 2009 launch, and seems ready to celebrate a ... (view more)

Google will soon offer content from the Associated Press (AP) on its news site. While the deal makes business sense, it's something of a surprise given that the two companies have publicly disagreed over interpretation of copyright rules. The full ... details of the deal, and specifically the financial arrangements and the duration of the license extension included, are being kept under wraps. MarketWatch figures suggest that, given Google's size, the fee is likely worth more than $1 million US dollars per year. The Associated Press has revealed that the deal will mean closer collaboration rather ... (view more)

Microsoft has announced it plans to make the PC and Mac editions of Office 2011 as compatible as possible. According to Kurt Schmucker, one of the leading figures in Microsoft's Mac division, the goal is simple: you should be able to print out the ... same document in Office on both systems, put one sheet on top of the other, hold them up to the light, and not spot even the slightest difference. Mac Excel Gets Sparkling Makeover One example of this is a new Excel feature named Sparklines. This is designed to allow users to automatically produce small graphs and charts that appear beside the ... (view more)