microsoft

According to Microsoft's annual board of directors review, company Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Steve Ballmer received a near six per cent salary increase over the fiscal year concluding June 30, 2010. The board's statement also revealed what they ... felt Ballmer had done well (and not so well) as Microsoft's top man. According to Microsoft's annual proxy statement revealed late last week, Ballmer made about $1.34 million over the course of the 2009 / 2010 fiscal year. That represents an increase of about 5.8 per cent from the previous period. For those not wowed by the numbers, keep in mind ... (view more)

Microsoft has this week issued a patch for a bug in the system used to develop active web pages. In a change from the company's normal procedures, the update had already been made available for manual downloading before testing was complete. The bug ... affected ASP.NET (Active Server Pages), a Microsoft system for creating dynamic rather than static web pages. That could cover a journey planner site that created custom results for the reader, as opposed to a page simply listing bus timetables. Passwords Exposed by Flaw The security flaw meant hackers could bypass encryption and see information ... (view more)

Earlier this week we reported that the upcoming Internet Explorer 9 web browser would require Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1). Since that post, it appears that Microsoft's website regarding this issue has been changed. For those who have already ... installed the Internet Explorer 9 Beta Edition, the installation process requires a Windows Update, followed by a restart of the operating system (OS). According to Microsoft's updated FAQ, the single most important reason for announcing the Windows 7 Service Pack 1 requirement was to prevent Internet Explorer 9 installations from requiring a system ... (view more)

Microsoft has taken considerable flak from critics and end users in its decision to not allow Windows XP to run Internet Explorer 9. The only operating systems currently supported are Windows Vista and Windows 7. But the requirement doesn't stop ... there. In fact, those interested in using Internet Explorer 9 will need to upgrade their copies of Windows Vista to Service Pack 2 (SP2) and Windows 7 to Service Pack 1 (SP1). News of the requirement comes courtesy of a frequently asked question (FAQ) posted on Microsoft's website. "Organizations must plan, pilot and deploy Internet Explorer 9 as part ... (view more)

A recent survey by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) has found that Microsoft's newest operating system (OS), Windows 7, has brought the company near all-time high approval ratings. It's an ideal outcome for a firm whose satisfaction ... ratings plummeted after the release of its last OS, Windows Vista. Commenting on the findings, ACSI's founder Claes Fornell said: "Windows-based PC brands appear to have recovered from the problems associated with the Windows Vista software," said ACSI founder Claes Fornell. "Barely a year into the release of Windows 7, satisfaction with ... (view more)

Verizon has revealed it won't be stocking any handsets running Windows Phone 7 until next year. It means a big dent in Microsoft's plans to firmly establish the new mobile phone operating system this fall. Uncertainty over Windows 7 Phone Launch ... Date Brenda Raney, a spokeswoman for Verizon Wireless, said that not only will the network not carry any handsets when Windows Phone 7 launches, but that it won't have any devices until next year. Although Raney described the two companies' relationship as being solid, Bloomberg reports Verizon plans to support the system and will "probably" release a ... (view more)

Despite the fact that Microsoft's Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) won't be available to Windows XP users , IE9 is off to a fast start. Released on the 15th of September, it's estimated that Internet Explorer 9 was downloaded two million times in just two ... days. It's an incredible adoption rate for the Internet Explorer 9 beta, particularly considering the fact that Microsoft hasn't widely advertised the new browser. Users won't get access by simply waiting for an update, but must intentionally download the beta edition. Internet Explorer 9 Receives over 9 Million Visitors The IE9 beta site itself ... (view more)

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)

Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool 3.11 This tool checks your computer for infection by specific, prevalent malicious software (including Blaster, Sasser, and Mydoom) and helps to remove the infection if it is found. Microsoft releases an ... updated version of this tool on the second Tuesday of each month, also known as Patch Tuesday . http://www.microsoft.com EssentialPIM 3.7.3 EssentialPIM is a program that manages personal information. It allows you to keep all your information in electronic form; for example: all your appointments, tasks, to do lists, notes, contacts and email ... (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)