Windows Update 5.0 is set to enter into testing before the end of this year and extends patching capabilities to the full monty of Microsoft products including Office, SQL Server, Exchange, as well as Windows. The update will be completed in time to coincide with the launch of Windows XP Service Pack 2, arguably the first major revision to Microsoft's flagship desktop operating system. Beta testers on the Windows Update roster were notified this week that they will test the new service pack....

Microsoft's Virtual PC 2004 -- a product intended to ease the sometimes arduous migration to Windows XP -- has been released to manufacturing. Virtual PC allows customers to run multiple operating systems on a single, consolidated desktop machine, preserving access to legacy applications that remain in use. But no official support is provided for non-Windows x86 environments such as Linux or Solaris. Another function of Microsoft's virtualization software targets helpdesk and training personnel...

Sparkle is intended to automate the coding of XAML-based applications, according to sources. Speculation aside, however, there is not much else known about Microsoft's plans for XAML development. Despite Redmond's tight lips, the rumor mill is whirling. Some sources have claimed that the analog clock found in Longhorn's sidebar is a product of Sparkle. "Microsoft is bringing together its application and browser development model into one with Longhorn. That has to impact developers like ...

During his keynote address at the 2004 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Bill Gates shed light on Microsoft's "seamless computing" vision. Windows Media Center Extender Technology will spark the evolution of Media Center Edition PCs into entertainment workhorses that broadcast digital media throughout the entire home. Gates also exploited the CES spotlight to announce Smart Personal Objects Technology (SPOT) - wired gadgets that utilize Microsoft’s MSN services. R...

For computer security experts, 2003 started with the Slammer Internet worm and went downhill from there. The year, which included four major worm and virus outbreaks in August alone, has been labeled the "year of the worm" and "the worst year ever" by more than one computer security expert. All that activity meant good news for antivirus software companies such as Symantec. It was bad news for organizations of all kinds, which expended precious resources disinfecting everything from desktop ...

Many customers do not or cannot roll out security updates as soon as they become available, but still need to be protected against the risks that they mitigate. Each security bulletin that Microsoft delivers includes information that customers can use to help mitigate risk while they deploy the update. However, Microsoft is delivering other security technologies that provide additional mitigation when a security update cannot be deployed immediately. These security technologies cover the followi...

After six years of service, Microsoft is officially retiring its NetMeeting conferencing software. Instead, the company's Office Live Meeting software, based upon PlaceWare, will fill the void left by the gradual phase out of NetMeeting. Currently, both MSN and Windows Messenger utilize NetMeeting technology to power application and whiteboard sharing. Development is indefinitely frozen, however, and Microsoft's IM clients will be migrated to drive Live Meeting services. A Microsoft spokes...

Dick Tracy comparisons are inevitable. And there's nothing wrong with that. Until — and if — NTT Do Como ever makes its Seiko Wristomo phone for the United States, your best chance of imitating the square-jawed cartoon cop is to get yourself a WristLinx 2-Way Wristwatch Communicator by XACT Communications Two-way radios are drawing a lot interest these days. They're not just kids' toys. They are becoming a cell-phone alternative for certain private uses, from keeping the family togeth...

Mircrosoft is hedging its bets that the "Lonestar" upgrade to its Tablet PC series will shine. The Lonestar release of the Tablet PC operating system is composed of three pillars: improved ink to text, integration with Office 2003 and a newer, more advanced SDK for developers. The upgrade will ship mid-2004 free of cost to existing users, and be preinstalled on new systems. One of the main areas of attention in the development of Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2004 is inking. There is less...

BRUSSELS, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp said it would be forced to offer European consumers a substandard version of Windows if the European Union makes it re-write its operating system, sources close to the case said on Thursday. Microsoft issued the warning to EU regulators, they said, during a three-day closed-door hearing to consider charges the software giant abused the power that Windows gives it over the personal computer market. The European Commission has proposed forcing Micr...

A computer virus that camouflages itself as a message from PayPal has started spreading among home users, antivirus companies said on Friday. The program is a variant of the Mimail virus, which has previously spread by appearing to be a security advisory from Microsoft. The latest version of the program is attached to an e-mail forged to look as though it came from PayPal, an online payment service bought by eBay last year. Running the program infects the victim's computer and asks the PC us...

In late 2003, Microsoft reorganized its business yet again. Part of that reorganization saw the Tablet PC team become part of a wider Mobile Platforms Division, which is now responsible for spearheading the development of the company's mobile operating systems, applications, services, and tools. In case it's not obvious, this change also means that Microsoft is serious about getting its Tablet PC innovations into every product where it makes sense. Thus, it's pretty clear that, eventually, the T...

As part of Windows XP Service Pack 2, which will make its full official debut today, Microsoft has upgraded the operating system for Tablet PCs. Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 offers a redesgined input panel, in-place correction, better integration with Office System, and wireless improvements. According to Microsoft's Officials, "Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 is a significant step toward delivering on our vision of incorporating Tablet PC functionality as a standard mobile fe...

Once a mere copycat, AMD keeps cranking out innovative products, to the point where it finds itself on the leading edge of processor and system bus technology. But should you bank on a company that has earned the wrath of the world's largest chipmaker. You just gotta love a Cinderella story. Advanced Micro Devices is the hardscrabble kid who came to Silicon Valley with a dollar and a pack of Luckies and ended up in a building with its name on top. AMD’s rapid rise from startup to $5 b...

Microsoft is cutting back its Longhorn client's planned feature set so as to be able to make its current delivery targets: Beta 1 by next year and final release some time in 2006. Microsoft officially confirmed what had been leaked by developer sources late on Friday: changes to its future roadmap for the desktop version of Longhorn. And while developers and customers who expected they'd be required to rewrite their applications to take advantage of Longhorn may be happy with Microsoft's road...