update

A new update for a Symantec antivirus program reportedly causes some PCs running Microsoft's Windows XP operating system (OS) to crash. Apparently, the new software contains elements that conflict with older elements of the Symantec program. The ... faulty update was first made available early last week for Symantec's Endpoint Protection 12.1 antivirus software, a program used by a substantial number of businesses and some home consumers. Some XP Users Updated, Then Confronted by Blue Screen of Death The problem seems to affect computer systems running Microsoft's aging Windows XP OS. Symantec ... (view more)

Research in Motion (RIM), best known for its BlackBerry smartphone, has recently released a highly-anticipated software update for its struggling PlayBook tablet computer. The updates help to resolve interactive features of the device. The PlayBook ... was first launched in April, 2011, in an attempt to siphon off sales from the iPad. Unfortunately, it sold just 500,000 units in its first quarter of availability, only 250,000 units in the next quarter, and a disappointing 150,000 units in its third quarter. (Source: thestar.com ) Email Issues, Lack of Apps Kept Down PlayBook Sales Several factors ... (view more)

Apple's newest iPhone is highly popular, but its battery-life problem continues despite a system update intended to fix it. On Thursday morning, Apple released iOS 5.0.1, designed specifically to resolve a bug that reportedly drains the iPhone 4S's ... battery at a too-rapid rate. Unfortunately, some users remain unsatisfied, while others seem to feel the update has made the situation worse. (Source: computerworld.com ) Update Problems Prompt Hardware Fears "After upgrading to 5.0.1 my iPhone is draining the battery even faster!" said Apple forum user. Another, user says that after ... (view more)

Microsoft has published details of its next batch of security updates (known as Patch Tuesday), due to download to Windows machines automatically on Tuesday, November 8 via Windows Update. The only critical update in the batch affects newer rather ... than older editions of Windows. None of the security updates to be released next Tuesday are said to patch MS Word, which is currently being exploited by the Duqu virus (a major zero-day threat ). The entire update is a bit of a surprise, say critics, because it deals with just four groups of bugs -- a far cry from recent updates that have included ... (view more)

Microsoft has recently released the first major overhaul of its Windows Phone operating system and it's getting some generally good reviews. The revised system is powering a range of devices, including the first significant results of the ... Nokia-Microsoft partnership. Windows Phone 7, released late last year, was a much-delayed revamp of what had previously been Windows Mobile. Although the system was generally praised, it appeared to come far too late to overcome a significant loss of market share to systems such as Apple's iOS and Google's Android. Sales of the Windows Phone 7 handsets thus ... (view more)

Microsoft has released test editions of its next update to the Windows Phone operating system (OS). It should mean some of the changes will be hitting new and existing phones relatively soon. The update has been codenamed 'Mango' and is the largest ... set of changes to the Windows Phone 7 OS yet, though the company hasn't yet decided to officially dub it version 2.0. There are two slightly different versions of the update in circulation at the moment. One has gone to phone manufacturers and is designed to allow them to test it on both existing and forthcoming handsets to spot any potential ... (view more)

It's safe to say that, so far, Windows Phone 7 (WP7) is not off to the record-breaking start that Microsoft had hoped for. It's a fact that the Windows Phone 7 mobile platform has barely made a dent in the overall market share and the focus ... continues to be on Android, BlackBerry and Apple's iOS operating systems. Furthermore, updates for the system have been slow in reaching users, and for that, a Microsoft executive is apologizing to all Windows Phone 7 adopters. Speaking out on the issue is Joe Belfiore, Microsoft's vice president for the Windows Phone division. He admits that updates to ... (view more)

Microsoft has announced that it won't be sending out Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) by automated update until the end of June this year. Originally, the plan was to send the Internet Explorer 9 update as an automatic download, providing the Windows ... Automatic Updates feature was enabled. The timeline for the automated update was to be scheduled for March 21, but that has since changed because Microsoft says the delay is a necessity due to its widespread corporate use. (Source: zdnet.com ) Internet Explorer 9 Rollout Cause of Delay Two-Fold There are two reasons being given for the June timetable. ... (view more)

Microsoft has finally put the brakes on a feature in Windows XP and Vista designed to automatically run applications (and virus infections) on a USB drive. The feature had been open to abuse by virus creators and was blamed for helping the wide ... spread of the Conficker virus, which wreaked havoc PCs back in January of 2009. Back then, it was estimated 9 million PCs were infected with Conficker, which was first discovered only 3 months prior . Automated Virus Infection as Easy as 1-2-3 The exploit involves two separate technologies: Windows AutoRun, which automatically runs a setup program as ... (view more)

Microsoft has revealed that hackers have attempted to exploit a bug in Microsoft Word. The bug was fixed in a security update last month, but the company is also concerned that some users may not have installed the update. The bug involves the way ... MS Word handles rich text format (.RTF) files. This is a format used for text documents that have a very limited degree of formatting information compared to full-blown MS Word documents. The format is most commonly used as a way of moving documents from one word processor to another without altering the text's formatting. RTF Flaw Causes Memory ... (view more)