Microsoft

Microsoft has made the beta version of its upcoming Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) web browser available for download. However, those interested in downloading Internet Explorer 9 should remember that it is restricted to Windows Vista and Windows 7 users ... only. Windows XP users are not eligible . Microsoft on Wednesday introduced a beta-test edition of IE9, a browser it hopes will overcome the company's steadily declining market share. Consumer mistrust of Microsoft's browser started a few years ago with the buggy and insecure Internet Explorer 6, and although recent updates Internet Explorer 7 and ... (view more)

As announced late last week , Microsoft has released a patch addressing thirteen vulnerabilities in its Windows operating systems (OS) and business suite Office. The most critical of these threats are posed by the Stuxnet worm, of which 2 zero-day ... flaws remain at large and unpatched. (Source: eweek.com ) Stuxnet Worm: Sophisticated, Huge Threat Security experts say the patch is an important one. For users of the ubiquitous Windows XP, the exploit has been ranked "critical" by Microsoft, its most serious rating. However, if you're running the more recent Vista or Windows 7, the Stuxnet threat ... (view more)

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)

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)

Microsoft has warned users of its Windows Home Server technology that they could have problems using newer hard drives. It follows earlier warnings that the drives are also problematic for Windows XP users. Drives Use Advanced Format Technology The ... situation involves sectors, the individual chunks into which a hard drive is divided. The standard size of each sector has traditionally been 512 bytes, but some drives are already using a 4 kilobyte sector, and this will become the standard size for all drives after 2011. The new drives are referred to as having "Advanced Format" ... (view more)