microsoft

Adobe Systems, Inc. is expected to file an antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft due to a dispute over Microsoft's use of Adobe's PDF (Portable Document Format) software. Microsoft's Office suite currently includes PDF support, but Adobe wants its ... software to be removed and offered for a fee. The widely used PDF software allows users to create electronic documents and books. Microsoft previously included PDF support in test versions of Office 2007, but has opted to remove PDF from the suite entirely. (Source: macworld.com ) Instead, Microsoft is integrating its own PDF/Postscript competitor, ... (view more)

As hype over the Sony Playstation 3 (PS3) and Nintendo Wii (pronounced "We") continue to threaten Microsoft's current hold over "next-gen" systems, the latter is preparing for the Fall and Winter battle by incorporating proven hardware. Featuring ... technology manufactured by GestureTek, the Xbox Live Vision Camera will allow Xbox 360 owners with an online connection to customize their gamer tags, engage in video conversations, and most importantly play interactive games that move beyond the joystick. Much like Sony's popular EyeToy, the Xbox Live Vision Camera (set for release ... (view more)

Three years after announcing its intent to enter the world of security software, Microsoft will be launching its new Windows OneCare Live on Thursday, June 1st, 2006. OneCare provides users with Spyware and antivirus protection through firewall ... software that also offers comprehensive backup and maintenance tools for Windows PCs. Although the functions offered by OneCare -- including all-in-one protection against undesired intruders and the regular backing-up of files to keep processing speed high -- are reason for its growing popularity, much of the hype surrounding OneCare Live comes from ... (view more)

If you are confused about articles foretelling The End of Support for Windows 98 and Millenium Edition, join the experts. It is especially confusing, and I delight in envisioning the meetings between the lawyers, accountants and programmers who've ... tried to sort it out and clarify it. To make matters worse, the official page explaining The End has been rewritten a number of times. In short, you can find several dates for different things which can be interpreted in many different ways: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/lifecycle/default.mspx http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=LifeAn16 ... (view more)

After all the warnings and horror stories I've heard about problems with the beta versions of Internet Explorer 7 ("IE7"), it took a little courage for me to try it out. So far, I haven't seen any ill effects from installing IE7 beta, but was it ... worth the download? Short answer: No! Long answer below. ;-) Internet Explorer 7 Beta: Installation I downloaded the 12mb IE7 beta installer from Microsoft and fired it up. Not surprisingly, the first thing the installer wanted to do was to scan my PC to make sure I was running a legitimate copy of MS Windows. Since this wasn't an issue for ... (view more)

Microsoft estimates it lost $14 billion last year to software piracy. The loss may prove to be the most profitable sales never made. Although the world's largest software producer spends millions every year to combat illegal reproduction of its ... products, piracy helps the company to establish itself in emerging markets and fend off threats from free open-source programs. (Source: LAtimes.com ) The sharing of pirated copies establishes Microsoft products as the software standard. As the economy grows, people and companies begin buying legitimate versions, and they usually buy Microsoft because ... (view more)

Is Microsoft spying on you? The Redmond-based company will soon release a major update to their 'Windows Genuine Advantage' (WGA) program. The update will include an alert mechanism that informs users if they are using a pirated copy of Windows ... software. 1 Once installed, the Windows Genuine Advantage program beams popup notifications directly to the desktop. The notification will continue to pop up until your computer is running genuine Microsoft Windows. When you receive this message, you are left with the following two options: 1. You can click Resolve now to start the Get genuine Windows ... (view more)

Earlier this month, Microsoft released a series of critical patches that affect the way that Internet Explorer handles web pages that use ActiveX controls. Microsoft's $521 Million Dollar Patch To recap: In 2004 Microsoft lost a patent lawsuit on a ... method for embedding and invoking interactive applications in web browsers (such as applets and plug-ins). The patent affects the way Internet Explorer manipulates interactive content, including: Flash or QuickTime movies, Adobe acrobat reader, Apple QuickTime player, Macromedia flash player, Microsoft Windows media player, Real Networks real ... (view more)

In 2003, a federal court ruled that Microsoft must pay $521 million to a Chicago-based Eolas Technologies company and the University of California. (Source: cnet.com ) Eolas sued Microsoft on the basis that the software giant infringed upon its ... patent that allows web browsers to embed and execute interactive programs -- what we know today as "ActiveX Technology" for Internet Explorer. Now almost three years later, the Eolas vs. Microsoft fiasco is finally coming to a close. According to Internet News , on Tuesday, April 11th, Microsoft will be releasing a patch related to the lawsuit that ... (view more)

Do you care if you get hacked? You should! Just think about all the things you do with your computer. At the very least, I would bet you use it to send e-mail, and surf the web on a regular basis. In fact, if you're anything like the average ... computer user, you probably use the Internet to buy gifts, manage your stock portfolio, and even pay your bills online. So what if your computer became compomised by a hacker? In that case, it's safe to assume that everything you do with your computer is no longer private. Not only that, but depending upon the sophistication of an attack, a hacked ... (view more)