Microsoft

A new Windows zero-day flaw has gone public. Known as the "Windows Shortcut flaw", the exploit affects all versions of Microsoft Windows. What's important to note is that merely opening or viewing an infected USB stick can infect a computer -- even ... on systems where Windows Autoplay is disabled. The flaw affects files which have the file extension .LNK, otherwise known as a "Windows Shortcut" file. Shortcut files are essentially copies of program icons and tell Windows where the original program is located. For example, normally one would have to click Start -> Programs ... (view more)

Microsoft recently took full advantage when given the opportunity to criticize longtime rival Apple about its iPhone 4. To their credit, however, Microsoft ended up offering some self-depreciating humor in the process. "It looks like the iPhone 4 ... might be [Apple's Windows Vista], and I'm OK with that," said Kevin Turner, Microsoft's Chief Operating Officer (COO) during their Worldwide Partner Conference held in Washington. (Source: thestreet.com ) It was only five years ago that Windows Vista was pegged as Microsoft's most comprehensive operating system (OS) to date, yet it soon fell out of ... (view more)

Just days after media reports suggested that the Windows XP downgrade function would be available in Microsoft operating systems until 2020 , the software company has now announced that the feature is unlikely to last quite that long. In an ... announcement about the release of Windows 7 Service Pack 1 on the official Microsoft Windows Blog on Monday, Brandon LeBlanc made a side-note on the timeline for Windows XP downgrade rights -- in short, the ability to revert to Windows XP while using Windows 7. WinXP Downgrade Rights Extended "[W]e have decided to extend downgrade rights to Windows XP ... (view more)

The highly-anticipated Windows Phone 7 smartphone operating system (OS) has been blasted by at least one popular technology website shortly before its release. InfoWorld, which recently reviewed the software, referred to the new mobile OS as a ... "tepid knockoff" of similar and older offerings of the Apple iPhone. "It's as if Microsoft decided in summer 2007 to copy the iPhone and has shut its developers in a bunker ever since, so they don't realize that several years have passed, that the iPhone has advanced, and that competitors such as Google Android and Palm WebOS have also pushed the needle ... (view more)

According to a recent report by tech industry analysts NPD Group, sales of Microsoft's new Office 2010 software have been "disappointing" since its launch several weeks ago. (Source: pcmag.com ) NPD Group says sales of Office 2010 aren't terrible; ... right now, they're the same as sales for Office 2007. However, they're far below the numbers Microsoft expected, numbers that would have been closer to the sales of Office 2007 in the period after its launch. Poor Office Sales Could Mean Big Trouble for Microsoft The slow start is bad news for Microsoft, which earned an enormous sum ( ... (view more)

The Windows XP operating system (OS) is still the first choice for 74 per cent of businesses, according to Microsoft. Because of that popularity, the Redmond-based firm has decided to extend Windows XP downgrade rights to 2020. (Source: techrepublic ... ) Microsoft announced that people running higher-end versions of Windows 7 will be able to 'downgrade' to Windows XP for up to 10 years. Based on past history, however, Microsoft typically terminates downgrade rights shortly after rolling out a new operating system. Downgrade Rights Available Throughout Win7's Lifecycle This is the second time ... (view more)

Microsoft on Monday announced that Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) has been made available to business users. The update package also affects Windows Server 2008 R2, which is structurally similar to Windows 7. A Service Pack is a collection of all ... previous Windows updates and hotfixes, and typically includes enhancements and improvements. Its installation is much more convenient and often safer than installing updates on a patch-by-patch basis. Microsoft Hush-Hush about Windows 7 SP1 Release Date Up until now, Microsoft has kept fairly quiet about its first Windows 7 Service Pack. The company ... (view more)

Microsoft will next week unveil a series of security bulletins meant to address five security flaws. The fixes are part of the company's monthly Patch Tuesday release, and will most importantly fix a critical Windows XP Help Bug flaw in Windows' ... Help and Support Center. The series of fixes include four patches for the five vulnerabilities, three of which have been dubbed "critical" by Microsoft -- the company's highest level of alert. Each of these critical issues involve holes that, if exploited, could allow a hacker to launch a remote code execution attack upon an unsuspecting user's PC. ... (view more)

Microsoft has unveiled a beta version of their latest software offering called 'WebMatrix'. The free tool is intended to simplify application-based development on Microsoft's ASP.Net web platform. Among its many features, "the (WebMatrix) tool is ... free, provides core coding and database support, integrates with an open source web application gallery and includes support to easily publish and deploy sites and applications to web-hosting providers" according to a recent blog post written by Scott Guthrie, corporate vice president in the Microsoft Developer Division. (Source: computerworld.com ) ... (view more)

Are you still using Windows XP with Service Pack 2? If so, you'll want to take note of Microsoft's warning that it will terminate support of Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) on July 13th, 2010. According to a recent PC Advisor poll, 37 per cent of ... respondents are still using Windows XP. Of that number, 15 per cent of those users still have not yet upgraded to Windows XP Service Pack 3. (Source: pcadvisor.co.uk ) Windows XP users who have not yet upgraded to Service Pack 3 will need to do so before July 13th, 2010 in order to continue receiving Microsoft's latest security updates. Without the ... (view more)