microsoft

Details of a Hotmail security breach emerged early yesterday, and it's suggested that approximately 10,000 accounts could have been compromised. While the exact number of accounts has not yet been confirmed, the breach was likely the result of a ... phishing campaign -- a different kind of hack that uses fake web pages in order to acquire all kinds of sensitive information, from login data and passwords (such as in this case) to credit card and social security numbers. (Source: cnet.com ) "We determined that this was not a breach of internal Microsoft data and initiated our standard process of ... (view more)

GSmartControl GSmartControl is a useful open source tool designed for the prevention of hard drive failure. Essentially a S.M.A.R.T. frontend client, GSmartControl will give you a close-up look at your disks, and predict 64% of failures before the ... drive fulfills its destiny as a paper-weight. http://www.freewarepharmacy.com Microsoft Security Essentials Microsoft Security Essentials provides real-time protection for your home PC and guards against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software. Microsoft Security Essentials is always kept up to date so you can be assured your PC is protected ... (view more)

Microsoft is taking a two-pronged approach to making sure customers know which hardware and software is compatible with Windows 7. It's launching a database of compatible products as well as running a special labeling scheme. The campaign is mostly ... aimed at making up for the Vista debacle, where many applications and devices had compatibility problems when the OS first launched in early 2007, creating a bad impression that lasted even after many of those problems were fixed. The firm will be anxious to ensure customers do not view Windows 7 in the same manner. Windows 7 Compatibility Center ... (view more)

Just in case you pay for Microsoft's upcoming operating system (OS) Windows 7 and don't like it, the Redmond-based company is making an optional 'Windows XP Mode' available for download the same day as the new OS' launch, October 22. Microsoft ... yesterday revealed that it had released Windows XP Mode to manufacturing, and that this would make it available for download when Windows 7 hits stores in three weeks. Why Bother with XP Mode? If there's one thing Microsoft appears to have learned from the Vista debacle, it's that people hate change -- especially when change means "upgrading" to an ... (view more)

Microsoft has released free security software for Windows. But the company has confirmed it will only work with legitimate copies of the operating system. The software, once codenamed Morro , is now known as "Security Essentials." It's a replacement ... for OneCare, a previous Microsoft security product that was not free. Effective, but Falls Short of Rivals Independent tests of the finished product suggest it's a useful tool, though falls short of the protection offered by commercial rivals. One company testing it found Security Essentials detected 98.4% of malware and 90.9% of spyware ... (view more)

Just a few months after being slammed by a Texas federal judge for infringing on the patent of a Canadian company, a similarly critical lawsuit has, in this instance, gone Microsoft's way. Earlier this week a Rhode Island judge overturned a ... Singapore company's $388 million victory against the Redmond-based software giant. MS Accused of Piracy, using Antipiracy Software First filed in a Rhode Island federal court in 2003, the case involved Singapore-based Uniloc, which accused Microsoft of illegally incorporating its antipiracy technology with Windows operating system (OS) and Microsoft's ... (view more)

If you buy a standalone copy of Windows 7 or a PC shipped with the operating system (OS) by a big-name manufacturer, it's unlikely you'll get your hands on the highly-anticipated Microsoft OS before October 22nd, 2009. But firms selling custom-built ... PCs will now be able to ship Windows 7 machines from October 13th. Jon Bach, president of Puget Systems, recently revealed that Microsoft told him in writing he has permission to ship the machines nine days before the official release. Microsoft has noted the scheme does apply to all such "system builder" manufacturers, but says the advantage ... (view more)

Microsoft has struggled to make room for itself in the digital media market since the days of iPod -- but now critics are today calling Microsoft's Zune HD the "best portable media player released by any vendor." Early Revisions Lackluster Released ... in time for Christmas 2006, few techies found the Zune hanging in their stockings. Despite wireless capabilities that allowed one user to swap tunes with a friend, the Zune's drab colors (black and brown, mostly) and few other features failed to shake the Apple tree. Experts: Zune HD Put iPod to "shame" But now it seems, Microsoft may ... (view more)

In a remarkable piece of frankness, Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer says the firm has "screwed up" in past efforts to bring Windows to mobile devices. He also reiterated that the firm is not planning to develop its own handsets. Ballmer's comments ... about the Windows Mobile operating system came at an event for venture capitalists. Though journalists were not allowed to attend, one delegate, Paul Jozefak, wrote on his Twitter account: "Ballmer says they screwed up with Windows Mobile. Wishes they had already launched WM7. They completely revamped the team." (Source: twitter.com ) Windows Mobile ... (view more)

Microsoft's new search engine Bing continues to take small but steady steps towards chipping away at Google. Since its release in June, Bing has inch by inch racked up increasing market percentages each month, with August being no exception. Last ... month it was reported that Microsoft's short but impressive gains for July moved to 8.9 per cent of the total market, according to research firm ComScore. That was up nearly an entire percentage point from the days of Live Search, the name bequeathed to Microsoft's search engine before the arrival of the more cutting-edge Bing mid-summer. Bing ... (view more)