microsoft

If you have signed into your Windows Live or MSN Messenger services lately, you may have had to upgrade. Microsoft is forcing its users to switch to the newest versions of its instant messaging programs due to a security threat with these systems. ... Although this upgrade will take place on a voluntary basis, those who do not modify their Windows Live or MSN Messenger services will not be able to sign in until they accept the new versions. The services affected by the security vulnerability include versions 6.2, 7.0, and 7.5 of MSN Messenger, and version 8.0 of Windows Live Messenger. When the ... (view more)

As rumors of a Microsoft-crafted competitor for the iPhone begin to swell, the company is making one of its other hardware experiments a little more attractive. How, you ask? By dropping the price, of course. When it launched during the late fall of ... 2006, the Zune music player was lauded by some critics for its revolutionary WiFi support. Such a feature gave it the power to transfer songs from one party to the next (albeit for a limited time), something very new for the digital media market. Unfortunately, the Zune came up short on its sheer appeal, with consumers less interested in brown, ... (view more)

In 1995, Microsoft attempted to fend off their ever-increasing rival companies by adding a free web browser to their brand new operating system, Windows 95. This effort was effectively blocked by several court rulings and the subject was never ... spoken of again. Over a decade later, Microsoft is giving the strategy one more try by offering free software that connects their current brand new operating system, Windows Vista, to software services delivered over the Internet. (Source: nytimes.com ) This practice is not uncommon in the technological world and is often referred to as "cloud" ... (view more)

Is Microsoft going to buy out BlackBerry manufacturer Research in Motion (RIM)? This purchase may be beneficial for Microsoft since RIM has been going through a period of strong growth in terms of subscribers and profits. However, RIM does have its ... downsides, the main one being its customers. So far, retail consumers are very few and far between. On the other hand, the company is striving to gain a broader consumer population by equipping its devices with new multimedia features such as cameras and music players. It has also negotiated with carriers in order to reduce consumer prices. A ... (view more)

Please don't be too shocked by this one: Microsoft has again delayed one of its highly anticipated products. This time the unfortunate one is Windows Server 2008, unsurprisingly pushed back until, you guessed it, 2008. At one time, Microsoft had ... planned to release Windows Server 2008 just in time for reindeer and Santa Claus, although recent troubles have left representatives scratching their heads. Now, it seems work on the software could take as long as an additional ninety days, moving the final release well into spring of next year. (Source: computerworld.com ) What is Windows Server 2008 ... (view more)

As recently reported by senior editor Brandon Dimmel, Microsoft has officially announced information about Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) and is reportedly scheduled to release it sometime in the first quarter of 2008. The official Vista white ... paper from the Windows Vista Blog offers some information about SP1. The white paper notes that "organizations do not need to wait for SP1 to deploy Windows Vista; they are encouraged to begin their Windows Vista evaluation and deployment now." Irregardless of the usual Microsoft epitomical marketing and explanations of the benefits and tradeoffs of ... (view more)

We hope you're not too shocked by this one: someone recently referred to Microsoft as a 'monopoly'. Got back on your feet? Good. Because, jokes aside, respected security firm Symantec Corp. is lashing out at big 'ol Microsoft for its pricing of ... Windows Live OneCare, the Redmond-based company's first foray into the preventative software market. In terms outlined by the media, Symantec Chairman and CEO John Thompson called Microsoft's low-ball pricing "monopolistic." In exact terms, Thompson was quoted to have said, "I don't want to say it was monopolistic, but it looked that way to some of us ... (view more)

After a long wait and much speculation, Microsoft has finally announced plans for its upcoming service pack, SP1 for Windows Vista. Unearthing details on Wednesday, the Redmond-based company revealed it will be launching the update over the course ... of a 90-day period, with the SP1 beta test planned soon. What is SP1? SP1, or Service Pack 1, is the first major update to Microsoft's newest operating system, Windows Vista. It's a critical "patch", if you will, and may lure more of the tech world's cynics to a troubled OS that could, and should, be the next wave in its market. And so, some of our ... (view more)

Once again Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) has gone awry, penalizing legitimate Windows XP and Vista users. The problem occurred when unspecified server problems caused by an unknown automatic update from Microsoft created a Windows Validation ... meltdown making Microsoft Windows Genuine Advantage servers incorrectly flag legitimate copies of Windows XP and Vista as pirated copies. The damage created quite a stir in the Microsoft Support Forums , with disruptions lasting for about 19 hours over this past weekend. Windows Vista users who rebooted their computers were blasted with WGA pop-ups, ... (view more)

Nokia and Microsoft are partnering up to increase revenue from web services. The device uniting them is from Nokia, as the mobile manufacturer plans to pre-install Microsoft Internet applications on its new phones early next year. The ... Microsoft/Nokia relationship is not just for North Americans, but will be available in eleven countries, including Britain, France, Spain, and Germany. In the past, Nokia phones were equipped with a few Microsoft products such as Windows Media DRM10, which enforces copyright protection for audio files. Now, a whole range of Microsoft programs will dial their way ... (view more)