microsoft

Windows 8.1 is the first set of revisions for Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system. It's available as of this morning -- Friday, October 18, 2013. So, what do you need to know about this significant new update? Here, we'll answer some of the ... questions we've received from our readers in recent weeks. Question: Is Windows 8.1 the same as a service pack? Answer: No. A service pack is a single download that contains all updates, bug fixes, and security patches to date in one package. Normally it's at least a year before Microsoft releases a service pack for a new edition of Windows. Question: ... (view more)

If you've got the skills, it can certainly pay to be a security researcher. One expert recently earned more than $100,000 after discovering a major security flaw in Microsoft's Windows 8.1 operating system. The award is part of Microsoft's "bug ... bounty" program, which the Redmond, Washington-based firm unveiled earlier this year. Google and Mozilla also employ similar programs , which allow major tech firms to save money by effectively outsourcing their security tasks to independent experts. "Mitigation Bypass Bounty" Includes $100,000 Prize The $100,000 award is part of Microsoft's ... (view more)

This month's Patch Tuesday brings two major fixes for Internet Explorer zero-day flaws. In total, Microsoft has released eight new security bulletins, four of which have been marked 'critical' -- Microsoft's highest security rating. Experts point to ... MS13-080 as the most important security update this month. It address ten different vulnerabilities in Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) and applies to every supported version of the web browser. Aside from the number of vulnerabilities addressed, the update is considered important because it's designed to eliminate two zero-day flaws that have ... (view more)

A former Microsoft privacy expert says he no longer trusts the Redmond, Washington-based tech firm. The problem: Microsoft has been too willing to work with the United States' government's highly controversial National Security Agency. Speaking at a ... conference in Lausanne, Switzerland, former Microsoft Chief Privacy Adviser Casper Bowden (who was with the firm from 2002 until 2011) said "I don't trust Microsoft now." Bowden, whose work at Microsoft involved devising privacy policy for forty different countries around the world, says that Microsoft's top executives never informed him that the ... (view more)

Experts are growing increasingly concerned about a still-unpatched security flaw in Microsoft's popular web browser, Internet Explorer. According to recent reports, the vulnerability -- which first emerged in mid-September -- has been exploited on ... several occasions. Microsoft has called the vulnerability CVE-2013-3989. The firm first announced the flaw back on September 17 shortly after Microsoft became aware of its use in a number of attacks. In the days that followed Microsoft released a temporary "Fix It" tool that Internet Explorer users could manually download and install on their ... (view more)

Microsoft chief executive officer Steve Ballmer isn't known for keeping his emotions in check. In fact, videos of Ballmer jumping about the stage at various press events can be found all over YouTube. But this most recent video appears to capture ... Ballmer in a particularly emotional state. In fact, much of the video features the Microsoft CEO fighting back tears. The video (which can be seen on YouTube by clicking here ) is a recording of Ballmer's recent speech before Microsoft employees. The Verge, which initially provided the video, says Ballmer made the speech last Thursday. Microsoft ... (view more)

Microsoft's Bill Gates has admitted that requiring users to enter Control-Alt-Delete in order to end a process was a mistake. Speaking before a crowd at a Harvard fundraising function, Gates subtly blamed IBM. Gates says the initial thinking behind ... Control-Alt-Delete was that it would allow users to bypass applications and immediately interact with the computer's operating system. However, he admitted that there was probably an easier way of achieving that. IBM Denies Single Button Option "We could have had a single button, but the guy who did the IBM keyboard design didn't want to give us ... (view more)

Ford Motor Company's chief executive officer is reportedly the new front-runner to replace outgoing Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. According to technology blog AllThingsD, Alan Mulally has "warmed" to the idea of taking over as CEO of the Redmond, ... Washington-based firm. Ballmer announced his retirement last month but doesn't plan to leave Microsoft for another eleven months or so. That means there's lots of time for the media to speculate about who might replace Ballmer as head of one of the world's largest and most influential tech companies. Sources Say Mulally "Amenable" to Idea of ... (view more)

Microsoft is planning to release boxed copies of Windows 8.1, thereby saving new buyers from having to download the first big update to the Windows 8 operating system (OS). However, the boxed version's pricing and installation process may make it ... both confusing and unattractive for many consumers. The boxed edition of Windows 8.1 is being aimed at people who don't already own Windows 8 or any previous version of Windows. If you do have Windows 8 installed, you'll be able to download the update free of charge from the online Windows Store on October 18, 2013. The boxed version is seen as a ... (view more)

Microsoft chief executive officer Steve Ballmer recently appeared before Wall Street investors to outline the four things his firm must do right if it wants to stay in business. Previously, Microsoft executives have outlined several key areas in ... which Microsoft needs to grow. Those areas include cloud storage, social media, mobile hardware and software, and "Big Data". But Ballmer went into greater detail during this most recent investors meeting. First, Ballmer says Microsoft must ensure that consumer cloud services like Office 365 -- the version of Office that is closely integrated with ... (view more)