Microsoft

According to reports emerging this weekend, users have been slow to adopt Microsoft's new Internet Explorer (IE) 8 Release Candidate 1 (RC1), rumored to be the company's last version of the iconic web browser. Internet Explorer 8 RC1 was released ... late last week, and met with general satisfaction from security and usability experts. Although the new IE has the ability to blacklist known malware web sites and prevent phishing scams, it's been demonstrated already that it can be hacked . Reaction to IE8 "Underwhelming" Despite all the hacking, speed, and usability tests buzzing about ... (view more)

A recent study conducted by NSS Labs revealed that of the six most-used browsers, Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) RC1 is "head and shoulders" above Firefox, Safari and Chrome in its ability to detect and block socially-engineered malware. ... Socially-engineered malware is considered to be among the most prevalent computer viruses in existence. The infection process becomes a very familiar scenario: a user is enticed to visit an external website and agrees to the malware download under false pretences. NSS reported on the dangers of these attacks many times in the last year, urging users to constantly ... (view more)

When the leader of a nation makes an important change, the belief is that most citizens will support and echo their decision. Microsoft is hoping that won't be the case in Asia, after the Prime Minister of India abandoned his Microsoft Outlook ... account in favor of open-source email. The Indian leader voiced his concern over the vulnerabilities of his Outlook account following a nasty computer virus that caused massive disruptions when sending/receiving emails containing important (and at times, crucial) information. The Indian Central Information Commission admitted to the change, stating that ... (view more)

A computer running Windows 7 stayed secure for longer than a Mac in the "PWN2OWN" hacking contest this week. But the challenge showed that Internet Explorer 8 -- just released today -- is still vulnerable. The contest, dubbed PWN2OWN, takes place at ... the annual CanSecWest security conference. Participants have to find a way to breach security on one of several computers, each running a different browser and operating system which have been fully patched with all currently available security updates. The winner this year took just 10 seconds to compromise a MacBook. It's bad news for ... (view more)

Could this be the end of the storied relationship between Internet Explorer and Microsoft's Windows operating system? That may just be the case with recent rumors suggesting Microsoft may terminate the popular browser. According to reports surfacing ... last night, Microsoft may make Internet Explorer 8 the last in a long line of dominant browsers. Some are clearly happy about the possibility of a new Microsoft browser, one built from the ground up with, ideally, constant consultation between the software company and users (not unlike the Windows 7 beta). Montreal tech consultant Gerhard Mack is ... (view more)

The California woman suing Microsoft over Windows Vista's downgrade rights has revised her lawsuit to focus on the requirement that users must buy the most expensive versions of Vista if they want to downgrade to Windows XP. Los Angeles resident ... Emma Alvarado repeated her charges that Microsoft violated Washington state's unfair business practices and consumer protection laws by restricting computer makers' ability to offer Windows XP on new PCs after Vista's launch in the amended complaint. Microsoft Took Advantage Of Consumer Demand, Suit Says According to Computer World, the lawsuit says ... (view more)

Microsoft has released a study suggesting Internet Explorer 8 is faster than its rivals. The firm used a different testing method than most independent studies, but insists it is a more accurate and realistic way to measure speed. According to ... Microsoft, many testing systems steer clear of using live websites because there are too many variables which can affect speed. For example, the website itself may be experiencing particularly heavy traffic. Thus, most studies concentrate on a particular aspect of loading a webpage, such as how long it takes to receive any javascript information. ... (view more)

In a bid to gain market share in the emerging mobile phone industry, Microsoft has made plans to go live with their new online mobile application store 'Windows Marketplace for Mobile.' The site will be a one-stop source for new mobile applications ... that can be downloaded to Windows Mobile 6.5 devices and earlier models, and will be analogous to the Apple App Store, Microsoft's biggest competitor in the mobile application market. (Source: eweek.com ) Windows Marketplace for Mobile (WMM) will offer mobile applications that can be accessed either directly from a Windows phone or else downloaded ... (view more)

Not a big fan of Internet Explorer 8? Well, Microsoft's upcoming and highly-anticipated operating system (OS) Windows 7 actually allows you to shut the program off altogether -- along with several other features users might not want loaded on their ... systems. The 'off switch' is actually a security feature at heart. "If a feature is deselected, it is not available for use. This means the files (binaries and data) are not loaded by the operating system (for security-conscious customers) and not available to users on the computer," said Jack Mayo, of Microsoft. "These same files are staged so ... (view more)

Microsoft is attempting to boost use of its Media Center tools by offering a sports channel. The programming kicks off with extensive coverage of college basketball's March Madness. The new channel, which goes live this week, will include footage ... from Fox, MSNBC and CBS. There will be no subscription charge or other costs. The footage is only available in the Vista edition and is not compatible with the Windows 7 Beta. (Source: cnet.com ) To launch the channel, Microsoft will be showing replays of those games in the final stages of the NCAA basketball tournament. The event, known as March ... (view more)