Internet Explorer


Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 Hits General Availability

Microsoft made Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 available for download on Tuesday.

Microsoft Fined 561 Million Euros over Lack of Browser Choice

The European Commission (EC) on Wednesday levied a €561-million (about $728 million) fine against Microsoft after the company failed to fully comply with the European Union's (EU's) competition law and follow some binding legal commitments.

Microsoft Opens Door to Flash on Windows 8, Internet Explorer 10

After a one-day advance notice on Monday, Microsoft this week enabled the Adobe Flash Player "to run by default" in Internet Explorer 10.

Microsoft Sends a Message After Bamital Messes with Bing

In the last three years, Microsoft has been involved in six botnet takedowns. This one, though, seems more personal.

Microsoft-Google Sync Fight Leaving Windows Users Confused

Some users have reported encountering synchronization problems with various Google Apps while updating their Mail, Calendar and People apps on Windows 8 and Windows RT systems.

Microsoft Releases Third Wave of Windows 8.1 Updates

The Windows 8.1 preview release received a third set of non-security updates from Microsoft this week.

Yahoo Taps PayPal President as Its New Chief

Yahoo has appointed PayPal President Scott Thompson to be its CEO, filling the role vacated by Carol Bartz, who was fired from Yahoo in September.

Microsoft Passes Yahoo for First Time in Search

Microsoft's U.S. Internet search market share has passed Yahoo's for the first time, according to market analysis by comScore. The companies are now No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, behind market leader Google.

Yahoo Co-Founder Jerry Yang Resigns

Jerry Yang, former Yahoo CEO and a key figure in the failed takeover bid by Microsoft in 2008, is cutting all ties with the company he co-founded almost two decades ago.

Windows 8, Windows Server 8 Betas Released; Windows Store Launches

Microsoft released the betas for Windows 8 and Windows Server 8, as well as launched the Windows Store for applications, on Wednesday at an event in in Barcelona, Spain.

Microsoft-Yahoo, Microsoft-Nokia: Will They Ever Pay Off?

Microsoft is currently paired with some big partners, with big risks. With Yahoo in the midst of an executive upheaval and Windows Phone still trailing badly in the smartphone race, can these partnerships yield the results Microsoft is looking for?

Yahoo Loses Noted Chief Scientist to Microsoft

Former Yahoo chief scientist Raghu Ramakrishnan has joined Microsoft as a Technical Fellow within the Server and Tools Business (STB), Redmond announced this week.

Reactions to 'Metro'-Style IE 10 for Windows 8 Are Mixed

Microsoft revealed more details about Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 8 this week, but much of the reaction has been skeptical.

Firefox, Chrome To Get 'Metro' Treatment for Windows 8

Browser makers face an unfamiliar hurdle with Windows 8, but both Mozilla and Google said they are building browsers that will work with the new operating system.

Office, Exchange '15' Coming Early 2013, According To Leaked Roadmap

A few clues about Microsoft's product roadmap for this year and the next were unearthed recently.

Court Gives Microsoft Reprieve in Motorola Patent Fight

A U.S. District Court on Wednesday gave Microsoft a temporary reprieve in its intellectual property dispute with Motorola.

Microsoft To Buy 800 AOL Patents for $1 Billion

Microsoft intends to buy more than 800 patents from AOL Inc. for $1.056 billion in cash, the two companies announced on Monday.

Microsoft To Sell AOL Patents to Facebook for $550 Million

Microsoft and Facebook have inked a deal in which the social networking giant will pay Microsoft $550 million in cash for patents recently purchased from AOL.

Windows RT Blocks Other Browsers, Mozilla Says

An attorney at Mozilla, which makes the Firefox Web browser, contended that Microsoft restricts browser choice on Windows RT (formerly known as "Windows 8 on ARM"), effectively moving the company into antitrust territory.

Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson Steps Down After Résumé Flap

Yahoo is cutting ties with CEO Scott Thompson amid controversy over falsified academic credentials on Thompson's resume.

Microsoft Prepares To Phase Out 'Windows Live' Brand

In preparation for Windows 8's release, Microsoft is planning to kill its "Windows Live" branding over the next few months.

Microsoft Rolls Out Windows 8 'Release Preview,' Windows Server 2012 RC

The "release preview" of Windows 8 and the "release candidate" (RC) of Windows Server 2012 were made available for download on Thursday by Microsoft.

Microsoft Buys Social Networking Site Yammer for $1.2 Billion

Microsoft is acquiring enterprise social networking company Yammer Inc. for $1.2 billion in cash, Redmond officials said on Monday.

Microsoft Threatened with Sanctions over Missing Browser Choice Screens

Microsoft is facing possible sanctions by the European Commission (EC) for failing to fully abide by its promise to give European users a choice of Web browser with their Windows distributions.

Yahoo Appoints Google Maps VP as New CEO

Yahoo has appointed former Google executive Marissa Mayer as its new president and CEO, effective Tuesday, the company announced this week.

FTC Hits Google with $22.5 Million Fine over Privacy Violations

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has fined Google $22.5 million over the company's misrepresentations on privacy protections.

Windows 7 To Get IE 10 'Preview' Release in November

A "preview" version of the Internet Explorer 10 browser supported on Windows 7 will be released next month, Microsoft announced on Wednesday.

Microsoft Draws Ad Group's Ire over IE 10's 'Do Not Track' Setting

No good can come from the default "Do Not Track" (DNT) setting in Microsoft's forthcoming Internet Explorer 10 browser, according to the Association of National Advertisers (ANA).

Microsoft Rolls Out IE 10 'Release Preview' for Windows 7

A "release preview" version of Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 is now available for download, Microsoft announced on Tuesday.

Google No Longer Offering Business Apps Service for Free

Businesses signing up for Google Apps must now pay a fee, Google announced last week.

Analysis: How Apple, Google Are 'Disrupting' Microsoft's Dominance

Gartner analysts say that while the three companies are different, they are competing in the same battlegrounds: social networking, portals and collaboration, mobile device operating systems, the Internet cloud and e-mail.

Salesforce.com and the Enterprise Social Revolution

The company that defined cloud-based Software as a Service is now looking to change the way workers collaborate, communicate and service their customers.

Microsoft Enters Display Ad Deal with Yahoo, AOL

Microsoft, Yahoo and AOL have entered a publisher partnership deal to cross-sell their inventories as part of a collaboration on Web-based display ads.

Report: Google Planning Yahoo Acquisition

According to a Wall Street Journal report published Monday citing unnamed sources, Google is seeking to purchase Yahoo via private equity-firm funding.

Microsoft vs. the World: Can Microsoft Knock Out Its 6 Biggest Rivals?

At the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference, Microsoft COO Kevin Turner singled out and attacked six strategic rivals. Does Microsoft have what it takes to compete and win against Apple, Google, Cisco, Oracle, Salesforce.com and VMware?

Yahoo Fires CEO Carol Bartz (UPDATED)

Yahoo's board of directors has "removed" Carol Bartz from her position as CEO, according to an announcement from Yahoo on Tuesday.

Former Microsoft, FCC Exec VanRoekel Named Federal CIO

Former Microsoft executive Steven VanRoekel has been named the new Federal CIO, replacing Vivek Kundra, who was the first to hold that position.

Researchers Detect 'Supercookie' Tracking Code on Microsoft Sites

In response to claims from researchers that certain Microsoft Web sites contain code that could track users, Microsoft announced on Thursday that it has disabled the so-called "supercookies."

Forrester: IE 9 Can Bring Companies $3 Million Over 3 Years

Upgrading from Internet Explorer 8 to IE 9 can represent a significant cost benefit to organizations -- more than $3 million over three years, in fact.

Microsoft Trumps Low PC Sales To Earn Nearly $6B in Q4

Despite a drop in Windows revenue, Microsoft beat expectations with its fiscal fourth-quarter results, which it announced on Thursday.

FTC Investigating Google for Possible Search Antitrust

Google announced on Friday that it is being investigated by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission for possible antitrust or breach of consumer protection issues.

Microsoft Renames Mobile Unit to 'Windows Phone Division'

Veteran Microsoft watcher Mary-Jo Foley noticed the name change on Thursday, when she discovered that the official bio of Microsoft executive Andy Lees now describes him as president of the Windows Phone Division.

Google 'Chromebooks' Line of Notebooks Coming June

Google unveiled "Chromebooks," a new line of notebook devices that will run its Chrome operating system, on Wednesday, at the close of the Google I/O 2011 conference in San Francisco.

Microsoft Reaches Agreement in Bid To Buy Nortel's IPv4 Addresses

Microsoft has entered a legacy agreement with the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) over its purchase of Nortel's IPv4 numbers, possibly heading off controversy over the issue of who controls IPv4 numbers.

Microsoft Talks Up IE 9, Addresses Browser Migration Worries

A Microsoft-hosted webinar on Monday spotlighted the company's new Internet Explorer 9 browser, and what IT managers should know before adopting it.

Decade of Antitrust Scrutiny Ends for Microsoft

A final legal judgment against Microsoft that was rendered in 2002 over antitrust concerns expired on Thursday, the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) announced this week.

DoJ Clears Google's Acquisition Bid for ITA

Google's bid to acquire ITA Software Inc., a maker of software used by air-travel Web sites, was cleared by the U.S. Department of Justice on Friday.

Microsoft Releases IE 10 Preview at MIX 11

Just four weeks after the final version of Internet Explorer 9 (IE 9) was released, Microsoft has debuted the first platform preview of IE 10.

Analysis: Why Won't Internet Explorer 10 Work on Vista?

Microsoft released the Internet Explorer 10 platform preview last week during its MIX 11 conference, but the company did not mention that the new browser will not run on Windows Vista.

Amazon Cloud Outage Cripples Multiple Social Media Sites

Amazon Web Services (AWS) experienced outages on Thursday that Amazon claims are due to connectivity and latency issues in its Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) and Relational Database Service.

Microsoft: Internet Explorer 9 Less Prone to Add-On Problems

Microsoft is making inroads against Internet Explorer 9's add-on problems, the company announced on Monday.

Salesforce Adds Facebook Connector to Service Cloud

Salesforce.com is beefing up the social networking capabilities of its Service Desk app with support for native Facebook integration.

Microsoft Puts IE 6 on Death Watch

On Friday, Microsoft launched a Web site devoted to killing Internet Explorer 6 -- or at least shrinking its global browser share to 1 percent.

Microsoft: Internet Explorer 9 Set for March 14 Release

The release-to-Web version of Internet Explorer 9 is scheduled to become available this Monday, Microsoft announced at the South by Southwest (SXSW) event in Austin.

Microsoft Releases IE 9 Install Tools for Organizations

Internet Explorer 9 reached 2.35 million downloads within 24 hours after its release on Monday night, according to Microsoft.

Final IE 9 Version Gets Primetime Release

The release-to-Web version of Internet Explorer 9 will be available for download Monday night at 9 p.m. PST (12 a.m. EST).

Microsoft Files Search Antitrust Complaint with EC Against Google

Microsoft has filed a complaint against Google with the European Commission, the latest salvo in the EC's ongoing antitrust investigation into whether Google is stifling search-advertising competition in Europe.

Google Offers $20,000 To Hack Chrome

Google is looking to reward those who can find a vulnerability in its Chrome browser.

Microsoft Collects Google's Search Data for Bing

Microsoft admitted to copying search information in response to complaints from No. 1 search giant Google.

IE 9 Release Candidate Now Available

Microsoft today issued the release candidate (RC) version of its Internet Explorer 9 Web browser.

Desktop Virtualization Tips for Testing IE

Microsoft outlined desktop virtualization tips late last week that IT pros and developers can use to test the compatibility of their Web sites on a single PC.

Microsoft Expected To Unveil IE 9 Release Candidate on Feb. 10

Microsoft confirmed today that members of the Internet Explorer team will be in San Francisco for a news event this week, likely the launch of the release candidate (RC) version of Internet Explorer 9.

Microsoft IE 9 Tracking Protection Up for W3C Review

Microsoft's tracking protection approach, which is used in the Internet Explorer 9 release candidate, is up for review at the Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C).

Google Dropping H.264 Codec Support in Chrome

Google announced on Tuesday that it plans to support open video codecs in its Chrome Web browser going forward, and it will drop support for the H.264 video codec.

Chrome Up, IE Down at the End of 2010

Google's Chrome browser finished December with a worldwide market share of 10 percent of all Internet browser usage, according to Net Applications' NetMarketShare data.

Microsoft Releases Free MAP 5.5 Toolkit

Version 5.5 of the Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit was released early this week.

Microsoft Embracing Open Source Drupal 7 CM System

Microsoft today highlighted some of its interoperability accomplishments reflected with the release of the open source Drupal 7 content management (CM) system.

Schmidt Stepping Down as Google's CEO

Eric Schmidt, Google's CEO, will be stepping down from that position while continuing to serve the company as executive chairman.

Amazon Launches Bulk E-mail Service

Add transactional e-mail hosting and distribution to the list of services offered by Amazon Web Services.

Microsoft: IIS 6.0 Has 'Inconsistencies,' but No Bug

Microsoft denied that its Internet Information Services Web server software is subject to new-found security vulnerability.

Chrome Gains Browser Market Share at IE's Expense

After a year of dramatic growth, Google's Chrome has become the third most popular browser behind Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Mozilla's Firefox.

A Fast Start for Windows 7

If you're rooting for Microsoft, there's encouraging news this year that the backsliding is coming to a stop.

IBM Previews Social Networking for Lotus Notes

IBM expanded its vision for bringing social networking to the enterprise with a preview of new technology at Lotusphere 2010.

Microsoft Advises Upgrading IE 6 To Avoid Bug

Microsoft provided more advice about a zero-day Internet Explorer vulnerability exploited by hackers last week.

UPDATE: Microsoft's Free SEO Tool Released

Microsoft on Tuesday released a free search engine optimization tool for Web sites.

Google, Microsoft Diverge on China Censorship

Microsoft plans to continue to operate its search service in China, despite Google's recent suggestions that it might exit that market.

Zero-Day IE Bug Exploited for Google Attack

Microsoft continues to investigate the first zero-day exploit of 2010 surrounding Internet Explorer.

Google CEO Defends Stance on China

Google CEO Eric Schmidt confirmed the company's position with respect to China and commented on the attacks on Google's network.

Microsoft Reduces Bing Data Retention Times

Microsoft on Monday announced moves to reduce data retention times for Bing Internet search queries.

Evidence from Google Attacks Points to China

A researcher for SecureWorks says he has found evidence supporting Google's claim that last month's attacks on the company's systems originated in China.

Microsoft Issues IE Patch To Address Zero-Day Threat

Microsoft issued a cumulative "out-of-band" security patch on Thursday for a bug in all versions of Internet Explorer.

Gates: Chinese Internet Censorship 'Very Limited'

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates downplayed Chinese government Internet censorship when asked about the matter in a Monday ABC TV interview.

Microsoft Warns of IE Bug on Windows XP

Microsoft released yet another security advisory for Internet Explorer on Wednesday, mostly applying to Windows XP users.

Tuesday's Patch Will Be a Windows Wash

Microsoft today signaled that a hefty batch of security fixes will arrive on Tuesday.

Google Pulls Support for Internet Explorer 6

Support for Internet Explorer 6 appears to be dwindling after Microsoft's Web browser was exploited for well-publicized attacks on Google and other companies.

Google Looks To Create Enterprise 'Buzz'

The company said it intends to target a future release of its Buzz social networking service, launched on Tuesday, at the enterprise.

Microsoft Reports Bug in Web Security Protocols

Microsoft on Tuesday warned of a "vulnerability" associated with two protocols commonly used to establish secure client-server communications.

Microsoft Issues Hotfix for AD Rights Management

IT shops using Active Directory rights management services will need to install an update before Feb. 22, according to Microsoft.

Microsoft To Disclose IE 9 Details in March

Microsoft plans to talk about Internet Explorer 9 at its MIX 10 event for Web developers next month.

Report Profiles Top Software Security Coding Errors

A new study describes the top 25 programming errors that can open up security holes in software.

Microsoft-Yahoo Search Deal Gets Regulatory Approvals

Microsoft and Yahoo got approvals from U.S. and European regulators to proceed with their search-advertising business deal.

Europe Windows Users to Get Browser Choice Screen

Microsoft plans to begin sending out a test version of a Web browser-selection screen to Windows users in Europe, the company announced on Friday.

Windows 7, Internet Explorer Tracked in Report

A marketing report released this week profiled two important Microsoft products, with mixed results.

Google Gains Momentum with Apps

A year after launching its partner program aimed at offering Google Apps to enterprise customers, Google this week said it is approaching 1,000 resellers.

Millions in Europe To Get Browser 'Choice Screen'

Microsoft will start providing a browser "choice screen" to Windows users in Europe this week.

Microsoft: IE 8-Friendly Sites on the Rise

Microsoft cited progress on IE 8 use on Tuesday, suggesting that more Web developers are trusting the user experience with its newest browser.

Market Share Continues to Drift to Chrome, Away from IE

Net Applications: Firefox lost a bit in January, too.

Microsoft Investigating Windows VBScript Security Hole

Microsoft described a zero-day vulnerability involving some older Windows versions and VBScript when used with Internet Explorer.

Report: IE 8 Leads in Malware Protection

A Microsoft-funded report found that IE 8 outperformed four other browsers in protecting against socially engineered malware.

Google Buys Office Solution Provider DocVerse

Google took a step toward helping Microsoft Office users collaborate better over the Web by acquiring DocVerse on Friday.

Microsoft Issues Workaround for IE 6 and 7 Flaw

Microsoft published a workaround for an in-the-wild vulnerability in Internet Explorer 6 and 7, described last week.

IE 8 Finishes Last on Google JavaScript Test

Google last week provided an additional means for users to test JavaScript performance in Web browsers.

IE 8 Hacks Slowed by Windows Safeguards

Even a fire-proof safe needs additional protective measures, and Internet Explorer 8 on Windows 7 is no different.

Google Ends Internet Search Censorship in China

After following China's national laws in the past, Google has decided to stop filtering its search engine in the country.

IE 9 'Platform Preview' Released at MIX10

Microsoft announced the availability of an Internet Explorer 9 "platform preview" at Tuesday's MIX10 keynote address.

Symantec Web Security Monitoring Warns Customers of Impending Attacks

Symantec Corp. rolled out a new hosted service today that warns organizations of attacks on their Web sites as the attacks are happening.

Microsoft Staying the Course in China

Microsoft has not been swayed by Google's change of direction with regard to filtering search results in China

'Critical' Off-Cycle IE Patch Released

Microsoft today released its second "critical" off-cycle patch for Internet Explorer this year.

Internet Espionage Tied to Repression and Crime

Even the Dali Lama isn't safe from hacking, according to a report released on Tuesday.

Court: FCC Can't Regulate Broadband ISPs

A federal appeals court told the Federal Communications Commission that it lacks broadband Internet regulatory authority.

Microsoft Backs Digital Due Process Initiative

Microsoft this week joined a coalition to encourage Congress to update the Electronic Communications Privacy Act.

Web Security Threats on the Rise, Report Finds

It may not be Tony Soprano on the Web, but a new security report finds that wise-guy hackers have become increasingly organized.

IE 8 XSS Vulnerability To Get Fixed in June

Microsoft is preparing a security update in June for the IE XSS filter in Internet Explorer 8.

Microsoft Embraces H.264 Video for IE 9

Microsoft voiced support for the H.264 video codec in future versions of Internet Explorer, while affirming Adobe Flash.

Microsoft Warns of SharePoint Security Flaw

Microsoft issued a security advisory on Thursday for a vulnerability in two SharePoint products.

Microsoft: H.264 Support Not About Royalties

Microsoft on Monday provided additional clarification on why it will support the H.264 video codec in Internet Explorer 9.

Report: Windows 7 Surpasses Vista in Market Share

Windows 7 now has nearly 15 percent of the operating system market for business users, outshining Vista.

Will Google Disrupt the Microsoft Channel?

Microsoft is usually the one to beat. But we're talking search, so this means Microsoft is looking up to a larger foe in Google.

Microsoft Releases IE 9 Preview 2

Microsoft released the second platform preview of Internet Explorer 9 for review by testers.

Report: Windows 7 Gaining Corporate Adoption

A report issued on Wednesday by Forrester Research chronicles the declining use of Windows XP, as well as Internet Explorer 6, as staples of the corporate desktop.

Google Goes Open Source With WebM, VP8 Codec

Google announced on Wednesday that it has released its VP8 video codec into open source under the WebM open Web media project.

IBM Acquires Sterling Commerce

Big Blue bolsters WebSphere with B-to-B transaction processing platform.

Microsoft To Deliver Large Number of Patches for June

Three "critical" and seven "important" fixes will be coming your way.

IE's Market Share Stabilizes in May

Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser showed a U.S. market share gain in May compared with competing browsers.

Windows Use Said To Be Restricted at Google

Google restricts the use of Windows by its employees, according a story by the Financial Times on Monday.

DARPA Builds Cyber Range To Test Security Measures

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and industry are developing a National Cyber Range to test network attack-and-defend strategies.

Microsoft Releases June Patch Targeting 34 Flaws

Microsoft today released 10 fixes in its June security update, with three deemed "critical" and seven considered "important" to patch.

Free Microsoft Office Web Apps Available

Microsoft launched its free Windows Live versions of Office Web Apps on Monday.

Microsoft on Security: Actions Speak Louder than Words

Big targets are always easy to hit. Perhaps no company in the modern age of commerce knows this better than Microsoft.

Internet Fraud Reporting System Launched

What do the FBI, Microsoft and the American Bankers Association all have in common? Answer: they're all collaborating against online fraud.

IE 9 Platform Preview 3 Released, Supports Canvas

Microsoft on Wednesday announced the third "platform preview" release of its Internet Explorer 9 browser prototype.

Google Averts Censorship Showdown in China

China renewed Google's licenses as an Internet content provider for that country, according to Google's chief legal officer.

NSA Program Sparks Big Brother Fears

The National Security Agency's (NSA) new program to shield the networks of privately owned utilities and other critical infrastructure companies has caused some people to fear it's a step toward a surveillance state or a government power grab.

IE Usage Up Slightly in June, Still Down from 2009

IE market share rose past the 60 percent mark after two straight months of decline.

Adobe Reader and Microsoft IE Top Web Security Concerns

The majority of Internet security threats come from unpatched vulnerabilities in Adobe Acrobat/Reader and Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser.

Dell Kace Offers Free 'Secure Browser' Virtualization Tool

Dell Kace today rolled out a free browser virtualization solution that can help protect against Web threats.

Google Going After Gov Market With Apps Certification

After a year of working on security steps to comply with federal government regulations, Google today launched Google Apps for Government.

IE Use Grows Worldwide, but Europe Loves Firefox

Microsoft this week touted global market share gains for Internet Explorer 8 over rival browsers, citing July data from Net Applications.

IPv4 Addresses Could Dry Up by Year's End

The international registries that allocate IP addresses say only about 6 percent of IPv4 addresses remain available, and with an uptick in demand since the beginning of the year, the pool could be exhausted in about six months.

Microsoft Releases Platform Preview 4 of IE 9

Microsoft today released the fourth "platform preview" of Internet Explorer 9, the company's next-generation Web browser.

Google and Verizon Push Tiered Broadband Services

Google and Verizon today issued a statement on U.S. broadband policy, describing an approach that would permit differentiated services.

Microsoft Readying Releases of IE 9, MED-V, Opalis and CRM 2011

Microsoft this week provided notice of some upcoming product updates and betas to expect in the coming months.

Think Your Internet Connection Is Fast? Don't Count On It

Most Internet users have long been aware that the actual download speeds they get from their Internet connections are somewhat slower than advertised.

Google and Verizon Push Tiered Broadband Services

Proposal excludes wireless bandwidth and calls for weak FCC regulation. Critics allege the approach would create "private fast lanes" for "big players" and a "winding dirt road" for "the little guy."

One Bing Now Rules Them All in US and Canada

Microsoft today announced that it has completed integrating its Bing search engine technology into Yahoo's U.S. and Canadian Web portals.

Microsoft Releases EMET 2.0 Security Tool

Microsoft last week released the latest version of a free tool designed to help ward off attacks to legacy software.

Microsoft Releases BizTalk Server 2010 to Manufacturers

Microsoft today released BizTalk Server 2010 to its hardware manufacturing partners, which means that products will ship to customers soon.

Microsoft Launches Public Beta of Internet Explorer 9

With the release of its IE 9 beta, Microsoft on Wednesday promised that Web surfing would, from here on out, be about the sites users visit and not about the browser.

UPDATE: Microsoft: IE 9 Will Not Require Windows 7 SP1, but Don't Wait

Despite the excitement of last week's beta debut of Internet Explorer 9, Microsoft wants organizations moving to Windows 7 to use its Internet Explorer 8 browser.

OpenOffice Foundation Splits from Oracle

The community of volunteers that developed the OpenOffice.org project have split off from Oracle and formed a new structure called The Document Foundation.

Minnesota Inks Deal With Microsoft on BPOS Services

The state of Minnesota has embraced Microsoft's Internet cloud services by agreeing to an application outsourcing deal.

Microsoft Improves Office Web Apps

Microsoft on Thursday announced some new milestones for its browser-based Office Web Applications.

Ballmer Talks Up the Cloud in European Tour

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer went to Europe this week to help sell the Internet cloud, a key Microsoft business area.

Microsoft Admits BPOS Downtime

SLAs reportedly affected by three BPOS interruptions in August and September.

IE Dips Below 50 Percent Worldwide, According to StatCounter

Internet Explorer use dropped to 49.4 percent in October, according to Web analytics company StatCounter in a chart for this month.

Rumor: Microsoft To Buy Adobe

The New York Times reported today that the heads of Microsoft and Adobe held a secret meeting to discuss the acquisition of Adobe, among other matters.

Microsoft and Yahoo Put Search Ads Under One Roof

Microsoft added to its search advertising partnership deal with Yahoo by consolidating the ad platform used by Web advertisers in U.S. and Canadian markets.

Microsoft Focuses on Windows Phone, IE 9, Cloud in PDC Keynote

Microsoft kicked off its 2010 Professional Developers Conference (PDC) today by offering developers worldwide an update on its emerging cloud computing, Windows Phone and Internet Explorer 9 development platforms.

Google Sues Feds Over Cloud Contract that Requires Microsoft BPOS

Google is suing the Interior Department for allegedly excluding Google's products in a request for quotation the agency issued on Aug. 30.

IE Market Share Slip Slidin' Away

StatCounter: Microsoft browser usage dips below 50 percent worldwide.

Microsoft Rolls Out Security Baselines and MAP 5.5 Beta

Microsoft on Monday announced that it had rolled out two "new" security baselines for use with its Security Compliance Management tool, plus new setting packs for Windows 7 and Internet Explorer 8.

Speedier IE 9 Platform Preview 7 Released by Microsoft

Microsoft today released the seventh "platform preview" of Internet Explorer 9.

Next SQL Server Reaches CTP Stage

Improvements coming to Web-based data viewing, high availability and query performance.

U.S. Government Agency First To Go Google Cloud

The General Services Administration is moving e-mail and collaboration tools to the cloud, becoming the first federal agency to move e-mail to a cloud-based system agencywide, GSA officials said yesterday.

Microsoft Unveils Privacy Control Feature for IE 9

Microsoft on Tuesday announced an upcoming privacy feature for its Internet Explorer 9 Web browser.

Study: IE Scores Highest Against Social Malware

Microsoft's Internet Explorer 8 and 9 Web browsers demonstrated better protection against socially engineered exploits than other browsers, as described in a September NSS Labs report.

Google Unveils Admin Controls for Chrome

Google announced today that it has rolled out enhanced controls for IT pros who install and maintain Google Chrome Web browsers within an organization.

Amazon Launches DNS Hosting Service

Amazon Web Services today launched the beta of a programmable and purportedly scalable hosted Domain Name System service aimed at letting users of its cloud services create, modify and delete DNS zone files.

China Hacks Described in Secret U.S. Cables

One of the cables published by WikiLeaks late last month cites U.S. diplomatic concerns over a Chinese software security company with access to Windows source code.

Forefront Unified Access Gateway 2010 SP1 Released

Microsoft last week released the first service pack for its 2010 Forefront messaging and collaboration management product.

Microsoft Battling Google on ITA Search Acquisition

Microsoft has joined a coalition of companies that is fighting Google's plans to acquire Cambridge, Mass.-based ITA Software.

Google Chrome OS Pilot Launched on Hardware

Google made three announcements today concerning its consumer Web efforts.

Microsoft Releases IE8 Blocking Tool

When Microsoft issues the general release of Internet Explorer 8, enterprises will be able to deploy a new blocking tool to prevent unauthorized installations of the browser.

One Fix Expected for Patch Tuesday

Microsoft's first security update rollout of 2009 may be a quiet one, according to an advance notification released Thursday.

Half of Developers Report Hosted Software Projects

New global research forecasts a swift rise in development plans for Software as a Service applications in the next 12 months.

Conficker Worm Still Wreaking Havoc on Windows Systems

Users of Windows Server service that haven't patched a previously disclosed worm hole (MS08-067) are taking a big risk.

Microsoft Quietly Updates Live Mesh

Microsoft announced a client update to the beta version of Live Mesh on Tuesday.

EU To Consider Internet Explorer Antitrust Action

The European Commission (EC) issued a "Statement of Objections" against Microsoft's practice of bundling Internet Explorer with Windows.

Spammers To Target Job-Hunting, Networking Sites in 2009

A new report from security consultancy AppRiver confirms what many of us have long expected: Spammers are becoming both savvier and sneakier.

Report Sees Cloud Trend for OSS Developers

A survey of more than 300 open source software (OSS) developers found that many plan to distribute their solutions as services over the Internet cloud.

Windows 7 Beta Availability Extended to Feb. 9

Microsoft has extended the general public availability of its Windows 7 Beta yet again, with a new final date of Feb. 9 to get it.

Q&A: Top IE Exec Discusses New Browser

With the release candidate of IE 8 now available, Microsoft GM Dean Hachamovitch talks about switching to standards compliance.

Windows Mobile Development Slowed in Second Half of 2008

Growth of the Apple iPhone and Google's Android mobile platforms are cutting into the market for devices based on Windows Mobile and will continue to do so, according to a global survey of developers.

Testing Begins for Vista SP2 Release Candidate, Reports Say

Microsoft has advanced to the next testing phase by issuing Release Candidate "Escrow"-build versions of Service Pack 2.

Clickjacking Flaw Hits Chrome and Firefox

Though Microsoft may have gotten ahead of the browser-security curve with RC1 of IE 8, which includes a feature that helps protect against clickjacking attacks, recent developments suggest that other browsers haven't quite caught up yet.

Four Security Fixes Planned for Patch Tuesday

Microsoft plans to rollout four security bulletins for this month's patch cycle on Tuesday, with two "critical" items and two "important" patches on the slate.

Study: Wi-Fi Networks Help Rapid Spread of Worms

An international team of computer scientists has demonstrated in the lab that it is possible for overlapping Wi-Fi networks in densely populated areas to support the rapid spread of malicious code that could infect an entire city in a matter of weeks.

Microsoft Opens Up Web Sandbox

The source code for Microsoft's Web Sandbox is now available under an open license.

Watching the Foundations

Microsoft is losing market share on a few franchise products almost as aggressively as it gained that share in the 1990s.

Windows Mobile: Call Waiting?

Developers ask if Windows Mobile is on hold.

Microsoft Readies MyPhone Service

Microsoft over the weekend acknowledged it is planning a service that will allow users of its Windows Mobile operating system to synchronize data on their devices with the Web.

Mozilla Coming After Microsoft in EC Dispute

Microsoft's antitrust past has come back to haunt it, yet again.

Microsoft Joins Group To Stop Conficker Worm, Offers Reward

Problems with the Conficker worm have become so widespread that Microsoft is putting up $250,000 for information leading to the arrest of the worm's author.

February's Patch Contains 'Critical' IE and Exchange Fixes

Redmond's February slate of security bulletins includes four patches -- two deemed "critical" and two "important."

Microsoft Bolsters SharePoint's Enterprise Search

Microsoft rolled out two new enterprise search products on Tuesday at its FASTforward'09 event in Las Vegas.

Hackers Targeting IE 7 After Security Patch Issued

Trend Micro said hackers are targeting a hole in Internet Explorer 7 that was addressed in Microsoft's February security patch issued last week.

LightEdge's UC Service Taps BroadSoft-Microsoft Partnership

Unified communications (UC) has emerged from the Internet cloud thanks to a partnership that brings together LightEdge Solutions, BroadSoft and Microsoft

Bad Economy Good for Cloud Computing, Microsoft Exec Says

A weakened economy will serve as a catalyst to push enterprises from on-premise computing to accessing services over the Internet cloud, according to Microsoft exec Doug Hauser, who delivered an address on Wednesday at the Thomas Weisel 2009 Technology and Telecom Conference.

Safari 4 Intros Nitro JavaScript Engine, Adds Dev Tools

Apple has released a public beta of Safari 4, introducing several new end-user features, along with built-in developer tools and a new JavaScript engine called Nitro.

Web Campaign Targets IE 6 Use

A Norwegian Web portal has begun a campaign to kill the use of Microsoft's Internet Explorer 6 browser.

Researchers Say Gazelle Browser Offers Better Security

A team consisting of Microsoft Research personnel and university staff members has demonstrated a potentially more secure Web browser called Gazelle.

DNS Still Less than Secure

Exploits for a serious cache-poisoning vulnerability discovered in the DNS last year have begun to appear in the wild, and they have made security researcher Dan Kaminsky a believer in DNS Security Extensions.

Microsoft Embracing White Spaces for Broadband Access

Microsoft earlier this month began advocating for greater broadband access in a policy blog, with a particular focus on a piece of spectrum called "white spaces."

Google To Join EC Complaint Against Microsoft

Google is the latest Web browser maker to join the plaintiff's side in a European Commission (EC) complaint against Microsoft's Internet Explorer distribution practices.

Web Wise on the Sales Side

Partner Web sites should be more than marketing vehicles -- they should be sales tools as well.

Web 2.0 Series: Web Wise

The best business Web sites are more than online billboards -- they're powerful sales tools. Here's how some Microsoft partners are using their public sites to attract new customers and better serve their existing ones.

Q&A: Microsoft's Nash Explains IE 8's Enterprise Advantages

Mike Nash, Microsoft's corporate vice president for Windows product management, talks about the status of IE 8 RC1.

EC Eases Scrutiny in 2004 Microsoft Antitrust Case

The European Commission (EC) on Wednesday announced that it is changing its full-time monitoring of Microsoft's compliance with a 2004 antitrust decision, and instead will use technical consultants for monitoring on an "ad hoc" basis.

Spammers Retool for Renewed Assault

The botnets responsible for so much spam appear to be in a rebuilding phase, but any respite is likely to be brief and new threats loom on the horizon, according to e-mail security firm MX Logic.

IE8 Will Be Removable from Windows 7

Microsoft will expand the list of "features" that can be disabled when the Windows 7 Release Candidate becomes available, including the ability to turn off IE 8.

NIST Updates DNS Security Guidelines

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is updating its recommendations for meeting the unusual security challenges presented by the domain name system.

Adobe Issues Critical PDF Reader Patch

Adobe Systems Inc. had its own Patch Tuesday yesterday when it issued a critical security fix for an Adobe Reader 9 bug that first got broad attention in late February.

Forefront Security for Microsoft OCS Unveiled

Forefront Security for Office Communications Server (FSOCS) was released to manufacturing, Microsoft announced on Tuesday.

IE Market Share Has 'Stabilized,' Study Finds

A study polling the use of Web browsers and operating systems affirmed Microsoft's dominant market position on both fronts.

Microsoft Rolls Out New Commerce Server

Microsoft on Tuesday announced the release of its latest e-commerce server, which integrates with SharePoint services.

The World Wide Web at 20

You might not have noticed it, but the World Wide Web turned 20 years old last week.

Current Web Security Standards Not Enough, Study Finds

A recent report on Web security trends relayed a damning assessment of the IT security landscape that's prompting some to suggest the government should step in to give enterprises and individuals guidance on how to protect themselves.

IE 8 Goes Live

On Thursday, Microsoft released Internet Explorer 8.

Hackers Enlist Search Engines for Phishing Attacks

Hackers are increasingly attempting to influence search engines to misdirect users to spurious Web sites.

Microsoft's DNS Patch Flawed, Security Official Says

nCircle's Tyler Reguly discovered a vulnerability that renders the Microsoft's DNS patch virtually useless if a server has already been compromised.

IE 8 Fastest Browser, Microsoft Says

A white paper published by Microsoft on Wednesday concludes that Internet Explorer 8 is the fastest browser, based on benchmark testing conducted in a Microsoft lab.

IE 8 Bugs Squashed, Claims Microsoft

Microsoft has tinkered with IE 8 and is now claiming a resolution to vulnerabilities amid a firestorm of chatter surrounding the browser's release last week.

Microsoft Exec Reacts to 'Open Cloud Manifesto'

A Microsoft official took umbrage on Thursday to an "open standards" initiative proposed by a coalition of cloud computing technology providers.

Microsoft Beefs Up Web Platform Tools

Developing and managing Web sites may have gotten a little easier with new tools announced by Microsoft this week as part of its MIX09 Web developer conference.

Microsoft Broadens IE 8 Bug Hunt

Microsoft continues to squash bugs in its new Internet Explorer 8 Web browser, which was released last week for Windows-based PCs.

April 1: D-Day for the Conficker Worm

The Conficker frenzy continues as IT security pros prepare for April 1, when the worm is expected to take some action from infected systems.

DOA: The Open Cloud Manifesto

The Cloud Computing Interoperability Forum (CCIF) publicly launched its "Open Cloud Manifesto" on Monday, but the document, which advocates open standards and interoperability between cloud platforms, generated few sparks after a spokesperson indicated that the CCIF isn't vouching for it.

Enterprises Hanging on to Legacy Microsoft Apps

Forrester Research found that enterprises predominantly use Windows and Internet Explorer, but they're currently sticking with the older Microsoft technologies.

Microsoft's FAST Strategy Shift

Since Microsoft's acquisition of Fast Search & Transfer last year, users have been keen to find out precisely what Microsoft plans to do with the company's search know-how.

Microsoft To Make NASA Content Available Through WorldWide Telescope

Microsoft announced this week that it's partnering with NASA to develop and deploy technology to deliver planetary images and data over the Internet.

No Serious Threat from Conficker on April 1

Conficker is scheduled to update itself April 1. But analysts say the appears to be an upgrade of its defenses rather than a planned attack.

Spammers Exploiting the Recession

Security researchers say that unprecedented economic uncertainty is translating into unprecedented opportunity for purveyors of spam.

Firefox 3.0.8 Released, Critical Security Bugs Fixed

Mozilla rolled out security updates for Firefox after the Web browser was hacked during a contest two weeks ago at a software security convention in Vancouver.

Zend Releasing Enterprise-Grade PHP Server

Zend Technologies will release its commercial-grade server for PHP applications on Tuesday.

Microsoft Partner Phase 2 Adds IBM's Hosted Apps

Phase 2 International now offers online IBM Lotus applications to SMBs, adding to its various hosted service offerings which already include a Microsoft solution stack.

Numerous New Dev Tools at Web 2.0 Expo

The annual Web 2.0 Expo is considered a prominent showcase and launching ground for noteworthy next-generation applications, and last week's gathering in San Francisco was no exception.

US-CERT Warns of Conficker Variant

The U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team warns that researchers on April 9 discovered a new variant of the Conficker worm that updates earlier infections via its peer-to-peer network.

EC Deadline Nears for Microsoft in IE Bundling Case

The European Commission (EC) granted Microsoft another week to respond to a competition complaint involving its Internet Explorer Web browser.

IE Settings Can Enable Intranet Attacks, Report Says

Default security settings in Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser could open a company's intranet to hacking attacks, according to a recent security white paper.

Botnets on the Rise, Despite Aggressive Law Enforcement

The number of compromised computers actively being used in botnets to launch attacks on any given day last year was about 75,000, according to a new report on Internet threats from Symantec Corp.

RSA: Microsoft Urges Greater Internet Security Collaboration

As cyber security problems become more widespread, Microsoft urged the IT community to take a more active role, and described its security approach.

2008: The Year of the Insecure Web Browser

Web browsers offered soft and interesting targets for hackers in 2008, who took advantage of them to attack the increasingly rich Web experience, said security expert Jeremiah Grossman.

Botnet Discovered on Thousands of Government Computers

Researchers from Finjan Software Inc. announced at the RSA Security conference the discovery of a new botnet on nearly 2 million infected computers -- many of them in U.S. government networks.

Reporter's Notebook: Cloud Security a Key Focus at RSA

Concerns about the security implications of evolving cloud computing technologies dominated last week's annual RSA Conference.

Channel: Apptix Looks to Channel for Growth

Hosting company launches partner program to sell hosted Exchange, SharePoint and other products.

Adobe's Reader Fix: Disable JavaScript, For Now

How Adobe is handling critical vulnerability discovered in its Reader software gets mixed reaction from IT security experts.

Windows Mobile's New Moves

Facing strong competition from Apple and Google, Microsoft looks to re-tool Windows Mobile for the enterprise market.

Lone Microsoft Patch Fixes PowerPoint Vulnerability

As expected, Microsoft rolled out only one patch for this month's Patch Tuesday, a critical bulletin for PowerPoint.

Federal Agencies Using Azure To Store Data

Microsoft has set up a repository in which government agencies may upload and store their public-facing datasets so that they can be reused by other parties.

Microsoft's Bing Search Engine Unveiled

Microsoft announced "Bing" on Thursday, the company's newest search engine technology and brand campaign.

Microsoft To Skip EC Hearing on Competitive Practices

Microsoft has cancelled a hearing on alleged competition violations that was scheduled to take place before European Commission (EC) officials in early June.

Microsoft Forms Social Networking Partner Alliance

Microsoft on Wednesday announced the creation of the "Social Enterprise Alliance," a partnership centered on the customization and integration of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) 2007.

Google Reveals Wave at I/O Dev Conference

Google this week took developers off guard by revealing Google Wave, a real-time shared communications stream that can include text, photos, videos and maps to which all participants have access.

Cybersecurity Policy Will Pose Challenges, Security Pros Say

Now that there's some movement toward a U.S. cybersecurity policy, it's time to roll up the sleeves and get to work, and that task won't be easy, software security experts suggested on Friday.

Microsoft Issues Security Alert on IIS Web Server

Responding to public reports of a wild bug, late Monday Microsoft issued a security advisory to address a potential vulnerability in its Internet Information Services (IIS) Web server software.

Heavy Security Patch Coming on Tuesday

June may prove to be a busy month for IT pros, with Microsoft planning to release 10 fixes in its next security patch.

Google Fixes Bug in Sync App for Outlook

Google came through with fixes to its newly introduced e-mail and calendar synchronization application that works with Microsoft Outlook.

Zoho Bypasses Microsoft Office With SharePoint Integration

Zoho Office for Microsoft SharePoint is now available, company officials announced this week.

Researchers Discover Online Botnet Market

Researchers at Finjan Software Inc. have discovered a professional network for buying and selling botnets anywhere in the world.

Report: Spam Levels Continue To Surge

Last month, according to Symantec Corp. subsidiary MessageLabs, the spam tally eclipsed 90 percent of all business e-mail.

Study Finds Wireless APs Open to Attack

AirTight, a provider of Wi-Fi security services, recently scanned 3,632 access points and nearly 550 clients in different financial centers and found that half of them were either open -- unprotected -- or used Wired Equivalent Privacy encryption.

Use 'Protected Mode' To Secure IE 7, Microsoft Says

A setting in Internet Explorer 7 running on Windows Vista can help stave off a particular remote code execution attack, according to Microsoft's security team.

Portable PCs Overtake Desktops in 1Q 2009

Worldwide shipments of portable PCs surpassed desktop PCs in the first quarter of this year, marking the first time it has occurred, according to an IDC report announced on Thursday.

Google Unveils Potential Exchange Killer

Google just made it easier for IT organizations to ditch Microsoft Exchange Server.

Recent Cyber Attacks Have Little Impact on U.S.

Recent denial-of-service attacks against government Web sites in the United States and South Korea appear to have had little impact and are not particularly sophisticated, experts say.

Microsoft Office ActiveX Security Flaws Disclosed

On the eve of its July security patch release, Redmond issued a security advisory on flaws in the ActiveX control function -- the second such advisory in as many weeks.

Microsoft Probing ActiveX Bug in Internet Explorer

Microsoft continues to investigate a new vulnerability revealed at the top of the week regarding an ActiveX control component in Internet Explorer.

Google To Release OS Aimed at Netbooks

Google is developing an operating system designed primarily for lightweight Web-based tasks, the company announced on Tuesday.

Internet Explorer 8 Coming Next Month Via WSUS

Microsoft is planning to deliver Internet Explorer 8 via Windows Server Update Services, starting on Aug. 25.

Cisco Describes Plans for Office-Like Service

Networking giant Cisco Systems on Tuesday showed an interest in the hosted productivity suite space that Microsoft is poised to dominate.

Microsoft's 'Gazelle' Browser Concept Going on Tour

Why can't a Web browser be more like an operating system? That's a question being investigated with "Gazelle," an ongoing project at Microsoft Research.

Off-Cycle Patches Issued for Visual Studio and IE

Redmond on Tuesday released a security advisory concerning its Active Template Library technology, accompanied by two out-of-band application patches.

Microsoft Integrates Live@edu With Moodle, Launches Education Labs

Microsoft is connecting its Live@edu online collaboration suite with Moodle, an open source learning management system.

IE 8 Slowed by Third-Party Software, Microsoft Says

Microsoft admitted on Monday that some users of Internet Explorer 8 may perceive its newest Web browser as sluggish.

Microsoft's ISA Server Is Only Half Patched

Microsoft's clarification of an Internet Security and Acceleration Server patch released this month has left at least one security expert stumped.

Microsoft Proposes Browser 'Ballot' to European Commission

Microsoft issued a proposal last week that attempts to address European Commission concerns about its bundling of Internet Explorer with Windows.

Adobe Bugs Linked to Microsoft ATL Flaw

When Adobe announced that it would periodically have Patch Tuesday releases of its own to coincide with Microsoft's, it became clear that Windows plays a vital role in the third-party software firm's security repertoire.

Microsoft and Yahoo Agree on Search Deal

Microsoft and Yahoo finally consummated an Internet search advertising-text deal after almost two years of contentious wooing.

New DNS Vulnerability Has Organizations Scrambling

Organizations using the BIND 9 DNS server are being urged to update and patch their servers to correct a zero-day vulnerability that can allow denial-of-service attacks.

Survey: Cloud Dev Efforts on the Rise

The move to the Internet cloud will pick up steam in the next year for developers, according to a new survey from Santa Cruz, Calif.-based Evans Data Corp.

Microsoft To Hire 400 Yahoos in Search Deal

Microsoft plans to hire at least 400 Yahoo employees as part of its search-advertising deal with Yahoo, which was announced last week

August Patch Brings Windows ATL Fixes, and More

Tuesday's nine security patches are all about networking, the Internet, servers and interoperable components that tie everything together.

Office 2008 for Mac Gets New E-Mail Service

Microsoft provided fresh details about the next editions of Microsoft Office for the Apple Macintosh platform, including a new e-mail service.

IE 8 Gets High Marks for Security in Reports

Microsoft is putting out the word that users of Internet Explorer 6 should upgrade to IE 8, primarily for security and standards-compliance reasons.

Russian Military, Organized Crime Involved in Georgia Cyberattacks

Denial-of-service attacks launched last year against Georgian Web sites were carried out by Russian civilians and sympathizers rather than the government.

Twitter Attack May Have Its Origins in Malware

System administrators might be more pleased than dismayed when a social networking site such as Twitter locks out millions of users.

Google Releases New Chrome Beta, Looks To Bolster Web Video

In a move that promises to strengthen its influence over how video is developed and disseminated online, Google last week said it has agreed to acquire On2 Technologies.

Security Group Collaborates on Sharing Malware Data

A consortium of IT security companies is rolling out an XML malware metadata scheme to improve data sharing within the industry.

Microsoft Researchers Look To 'De-Anonymize' Internet

Researchers from Redmond this week unveiled an anti-hacking concept that can help track hackers or malicious content to origin servers.

Study: New Attacks Use Old Tricks

If there's one thing that last month's attacks against public sector sites in both the U.S. and South Korea demonstrated, it's that the exploits of the past often come back to haunt us.

Spam Surge Fueled by Health Care Debate, Fake Pharms

Spam volumes have increased fourfold during the last six months, accounting for a discouraging 94.9 percent of all e-mail delivered so far in August.

Online Office Market Gets New Access Options

Zoho is making further inroads in the online office market with the introduction of a unified log-in mechanism that allows users to use their Google and Yahoo ID to access Zoho's suite of Office-like apps.

Microsoft To Push Out IE 8 via WSUS on Tuesday

Internet Explorer 8 will arrive as an "update rollup" via Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) on Tuesday, Aug. 25, Microsoft announced.

New Threats Emerge from Once-Trusted Protocols, Services

Two of the most troubling new threats are in the Domain Name System and Secure Sockets Layer, services users have trusted for years.

SSA Testing Microsoft HealthVault

The Social Security Administration will to test Microsoft's HealthVault software for its disability determination process.

Social Networking and the Revolution

Despite the risks of social networking, it's not surprising that Microsoft would want to join in.

Microsoft Warns of Bug in IIS Server, Yet Again

For the second time this year, Microsoft issued a security advisory for possible vulnerabilities in its Internet Information Services (IIS) Web server software.

Microsoft Exec Describes Search Ad Strategy

Microsoft executive Charles Songhurst answered questions on Microsoft's business strategy at the Jefferies Annual Technology Conference in New York on Tuesday.

Microsoft Warns of Another Server Message Block Bug

The all-critical patch release of hotfixes served up by Redmond Tuesday hadn't even cooled off yet when Microsoft issued yet another security advisory on late Tuesday night.

PHP Cache Accelerator for Windows Unveiled

Microsoft on Tuesday announced a test version of an extension that's designed to help speed up PHP-based Web applications running on Windows platforms.

September Patch Aims at Windows Web Components

Microsoft on Tuesday rolled out its September security patch, which is notable for containing five "critical" security bulletins.

Microsoft Aiming for 30 Percent Search Share

Microsoft's chief financial officer for the Online Services Division fielded questions at the Deutsche Bank Technology Conference in San Francisco on Tuesday.

Security Will Not Come Naturally to IPv6

The next generation of Internet protocols has some security features built into it, but IPv6 is not inherently more secure than the current IPv4 now in use.

Microsoft Unveils Office Web Apps Preview

Microsoft on Thursday announced that it had commenced an invitation-only public technical preview of Microsoft Office Web Apps.

Google Finds Way To Bypass Internet Explorer Engine

Google introduced a coding plug-in for Web site developers that instructs Microsoft Internet Explorer browsers to use Google Chrome technologies.

Google Buys reCaptcha, Gains Web Security Tool

Google's acquisition of open source security technology firm reCaptcha could help the search giant's Internet security, except against persistent hackers.

Microsoft Takes on Malvertising

Microsoft last week filed a civil lawsuit against five companies for allegedly spreading malicious online advertising.

Judges Hear Appeal Arguments in Microsoft vs. i4i Case

Lawyers for Microsoft and Toronto-based i4i LP concluded oral arguments before the U.S. Federal Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday.

Unpatched Apps a Growing Target for Hackers

Hackers are exploiting unpatched applications on Web servers and client computers to infect entire networks, according to report released Tuesday.

Microsoft: From Complacence to Competition

When Microsoft does indeed rally around a competitive opportunity, the results can be startling.

Microsoft, Others Earn Single Sign-On Cert

Eight identity management products from seven vendors have earned interoperability certification for the Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML 2.0) in this summer's round of interoperability testing.

Microsoft Releases Forefront UAG RC0

Microsoft on Friday announced that Release Candidate 0 of Forefront Unified Access Gateway is now available for testing.

Microsoft Rolls Out Windows Phone Launch

Microsoft launched "Windows phone" branding on Tuesday, marking the global rollout of Windows Mobile 6.5-based phones by Microsoft's hardware partners.

EC Opens Comments on Microsoft Browser 'Ballot'

The European Commission on Wednesday took another step closer to resolving its Web browser competition complaint against Microsoft.

Feds Prepare To Make Leap to Windows 7

Government adoption of Vista has been anemic at best. But the prospects seem much better for Windows 7.

Spam-Based Malware Shows Dramatic Rise

Spam-based malware traffic increased dramatically last month, surging by 900 percent between August and September.

Office Starter 2010 Unveiled, Replacing Microsoft Works

Microsoft has devised a way to introduce new PC buyers to its Office productivity suite through a "Starter" edition.

Symantec: Rogue Security Software a Big Business

Scaring computer users into buying and installing potentially malicious security programs is becoming a big business, according to a study of rogue software by Symantec.

Flu Pandemic Could Overwhelm Internet, Gov't Agency Warns

A severe flu outbreak could send millions home to telecommute, possibly disrupting networks vital to the nation's security and financial well-being.

Windows 7's UAC Slammed by Sophos

Microsoft and Sophos are at it again, this time arguing about Windows 7's user account control feature.

Hefty November Patch Adds to IT Woes

Microsoft rolled out six security fixes in its November patch on Tuesday.

Q&A: Google's Enterprise Software Plans

Google described its efforts in the enterprise software space, including its e-mail contract win with the city of Los Angeles.

Opera Beats IE in Browser Web Security

Microsoft's efforts on combating server-side Web vulnerabilities, as well as patching its Internet Explorer client, may be paying off.

Cisco Causes a Stir With Hosted E-Mail Service

Cisco's announcement of a new hosted e-mail service is causing high-pressure rumblings in the cloud computing space.

PDC: Microsoft's Sinofsky Reviews Windows 7, Previews IE 9

A year ago, at the 2008 Professional Developers Conference, Steven Sinofsky earned plaudits when he offered a mea culpa for the mess left by Vista.

Google Chrome OS Released as Open Source Code

Google's previously under-wraps operating system is now available to developers as open source code, the company announced on Thursday.

Google Fixes Bugs in Chrome Frame Affecting IE 8

Google has fixed bugs in Google Chrome Frame, including one that Microsoft called out as a security problem.

Interop New York: Customers Press Vendors for Private Clouds

Google, Microsoft and Amazon pitched their respective cloud offerings during the keynote panel session at Interop New York Thursday.

Microsoft Warns of IE 6 and IE 7 Bug

A new zero-day Internet Explorer bug awaits IT pros returning from the holiday break.

Microsoft and Yahoo Finalize Search Contract

Microsoft and Yahoo have finalized the legal details of their proposed search-advertising deal.

Search Still Eludes Microsoft, Despite Some Progress

A Microsoft executive fielded questions about the company's Internet search-advertising business at Credit Suisse's Technology Conference on Tuesday.

Microsoft Rolls Out Bing Improvements

Microsoft announced enhancements to its Bing Internet search service on Wednesday, including a new Bing Maps beta.

Patch Tuesday To Deliver Six Security Fixes

There's no rest for the weary, as Microsoft is planning to release six security bulletins for this coming Patch Tuesday.

Microsoft, Partners Fumbling Toward Community

As part of the recent overhaul of its partner program, Microsoft made a big bet on leveraging existing social networks.

2009: The Year of the Social Media Hack

While social networking has opened new possibilities for communicating over the Internet, it also gives hackers more vectors through which to attack.

Microsoft Creates Server and Cloud Division

Microsoft formed a new organization within its Server and Tools Business last week called the Server and Cloud Division (SCD).

December Microsoft Patch Contains Critical IE Fix

As expected, the last Windows Security Update of 2009 will include six security bulletins -- three dubbed "critical" and three labeled "important."

Federal Appeals Court Upholds Ban on Microsoft Word Sales

Microsoft has been ordered to stop selling its Microsoft Word software starting Jan. 11.

Microsoft Admits to Purloined Plurk Code

Microsoft confirmed on Tuesday that one of its software vendors copied code from a microblogging application called Plurk.

Microsoft Beefs Up Interoperability Agreements

Microsoft provided more details about its settlement with the EC, particularly with regard to interoperability agreements

Microsoft Settles with EC, Agrees To Offer Choice of Browsers

The European Commission on Wednesday ended its antitrust suit against Microsoft, accepting Redmond's agreement to allow users the choice of making any browser their default Web interface.

Will Boeing's 787 Be Safe From Hackers?

Before Boeing Co.'s new 787 jetliner gets the green light to fly passengers, the aircraft maker will have to prove that offering Internet access in the cabin won't leave the flight controls vulnerable to hackers and hijackers.

Amazon, eBay, Google Pitch Woo to Developers

A flock of new-age tech powers -- Amazon.com, Google, eBay, Facebook -- want your developers to target their pieces of "the Cloud."

EU Opens New Microsoft Investigation

European Union regulators investigating whether Microsoft is using monopoly powers to squeeze out competing Internet browsers and software rivals.

Microsoft, Fast Combo To Yield Better Search Dev Tools

Microsoft, which has said for months that it fields the best enterprise search, is spending another billion to bolster that claim.

Study: Online Privacy Concerns Increase

Privacy concerns stemming from online shopping rose in 2007, a new study finds, as the loss or theft of credit card information and other personal data soared to unprecedented levels.

Analysts: 'Inside Job' Among Top IT Security Concerns for '08

Browser-based attacks, bot vector incursions, targeted phishing, mobile hacking and insider espionage rank as top five security menaces for 2008.

Yahoo Poised To Lay Off Hundreds

After seven months as chief executive, Yahoo Inc. co-founder Jerry Yang has concluded hundreds of employees will have to be fired to help the slumping Internet icon recover from years of misguided management.

MPAA Admits Mistake on Downloading Study

Hollywood laid much of the blame for illegal movie downloading on college students. Now, it says its math was wrong.

SKorea's Daum, Microsoft To Work on IPTV

Daum Communications Corp., Microsoft Corp. and Celrun Co. said Tuesday they were setting up a joint venture to offer Internet protocol television services in South Korea.

Strongspace's 10-Day Crash Highlights Web Storage Risks

For the past 10 days, Sausalito, Calif.-based online document and storage hosting company Joyent struggled to get its online secure document collaboration service, Strongspace, back online.

Cable Co. Empties 14,000 E-Mail Accounts

Charter Communications officials believe a software error during routine maintenance caused the company to delete the contents of 14,000 customer e-mail accounts.

Phase 2 Embraces SaaS for Global SMB Market

A Microsoft Gold Certified Partner is proving Redmond's Software Plus Services case by offering hosted and customized IT support to the small-to-medium business market.

IE 7 To Be Pushed Out Via WSUS Auto-Update in February

Cecilia Cole, Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) program manager, announced today on Microsoft's WSUS team blog that the service will force-push out Internet Explorer 7 to organizations with WSUS set to auto-approve updates.

Adobe Throttles Up Flash Media Server

Adobe has released two new full version upgrades in its Flash Media Server line: Flash Media Streaming Server 3 and Flash Media Interactive Server 3.

Joyent's Hosted Apps Back Up, Going Open Source

After a more than week-long crash of a server hosting two of its inexpensive Web-based services, Strongspace and BingoDisk, Joyent is taking steps to address customer complaints following the outages -- and taking both applications open source.

Campus Security: 13 Data Breaches Reported So Far This Month

A breach at Baylor University is the latest in a string of more than a dozen data security incidents on United States campuses reported by a variety of sources so far in January 2008.

Google 4Q Profit Misses Analyst Target

Google Inc.'s fourth-quarter profit missed analyst expectations, signaling the crumbling U.S. economy has dented the Internet search leader's moneymaking machine.

Microsoft Oversight Extended to 2009

Court oversight of Microsoft Corp.'s market power, which began in 2002 after a landmark antitrust settlement, has been extended by 18 months.

Web 2.0 Threats Loom Large for IT

With the seemingly exponential growth of Web 2.0 technologies, IT professionals in education -- and all other sectors, for that matter -- face new challenges as control over technology slips away and moves into the hands of users.

Yahoo's Woes Vex Employees, Shareholders

Hoping to snap out of a financial malaise, Yahoo is preparing to lay off as many as 1,000 workers in the Sunnyvale-based company's biggest purge since it was scrambling to survive the dot-com bust seven years ago.

R.I.P. Netscape

The Internet marks a major milestone this month -- but chances are, hardly anybody will notice.

Microsoft Makes Case for Blockbuster Yahoo Deal

Microsoft today has made a surprise bid to acquire Yahoo Inc. for a $44.6 billion, a 62 percent premium over the company's closing share price Thursday.

UPDATED: U.S., EU Unlikely To Stop Microsoft Deal

U.S. and European antitrust regulators aren't likely to prevent Microsoft from buying Yahoo, analysts said Friday, though scrutiny of the deal could drag on for months.

Microsoft Acquires Danger Inc., Makes Other Mobile Plays

Timed with the 2008 Mobile World Congress taking place in Barcelona this week, Microsoft made announcements pushing its interests further into the consumer and global mobile market.

UPDATED: Yahoo Seeking Deal with News Corp.

The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Microsoft is facing another suitor for Yahoo: Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.

Gates on Yahoo: 'You Need Scale'

Today at Microsoft's Office System Developer Conference (OSDC) in San Jose, Calif., Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates commented on what he thinks Yahoo got right -- and wrong -- just as Yahoo formally rejected the Redmond, Wash.-based company's initial offer.

Gates Outlines Future of Office

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates took the wraps off a major new version of Office Live Small Business and launched a new developer program for Office Live.

Microsoft Releases 6 Critical Patches

For the February security bulletin release, Microsoft rolled out six "Critical" fixes -- rather than the seven detailed in the advanced notice.

Flash Ads Serving Up Malware on Popular Sites

Malicious Flash banner ads have been surfacing on major web sites including Expedia.com, Rhapsody.com, and MayoClinic.com in the last month, according to media reports.

Microsoft To Release Critical Patches for Vista, XP, Office, IE, Visual Basic

Redmond's February patch release is slated to roll out 12 security fixes -- seven rated "Critical," and five deemed "Important."

Microsoft Shows Off Web Ad Prototypes

Microsoft Corp.'s online advertising researchers will spend this year teaching computers to be smart about sticking ads into video clips, and to be even smarter about targeting ads to specific Web surfers.

Google Selling More E-Mail Security

Google Inc. is adding more e-mail security and storage products for businesses, sharpening its aim on a Microsoft Corp. stronghold while the competition between the two rivals also heats up in Internet search and advertising.

Google Assails Microsoft Over Yahoo Deal

Google Inc. raised the specter of Microsoft Corp. using its proposed $42 billion acquisition of Yahoo Inc. to gain illegal control over the Internet, underscoring the online search leader's queasiness about its two biggest rivals teaming up.

Microsoft E-Mails Employees Regarding Yahoo Acquisition

On Friday Microsoft released an e-mail sent from Kevin Johnson, president of the Microsoft Platforms & Services Division, to employees of his department commenting on how consolidating with Yahoo might impact them and Microsoft as a whole.

Microsoft Takes Bold Steps Toward Open APIs and Publishing Tech Specs

Microsoft is placing a significant emphasis on standardization and interoperability, saying it will share its APIs and release extensive documentation of its protocols.

Silverlight 2.0: The Wait Is Almost Over

The first public beta of Silverlight 2.0 is expected from Microsoft in the next few weeks. By all accounts, those that have seen the private beta report that the features outlined by the General Manager of Microsoft's Developer Division, Scott Guthrie, in a November blog posting are pretty much on track.

Microsoft May Try To Replace Yahoo Board

Microsoft appears to be taking the next steps in its move toward a hostile acquisition of Yahoo.

Transactions: Time to Gear up for a MicroHoo! Partner Program?

Analysts: Not so fast, partner.

Microsoft Launches Key 2008 Products in Los Angeles

Redmond officially rolls out Windows Server 2008, Visual Studio 2008 and SQL Server 2008 in Los Angeles event.

Cisco and Microsoft Partner for Branch Office Connectivity

On-again, off-again partners Cisco Systems Inc. and Microsoft Corp. are as cozy as ever again.

MIX08 Kicks Off with First IE 8 and Silverlight 2 Betas

Microsoft ushered in two highly anticipated betas: the first public downloads of Internet Explorer 8 and Silverlight 2.

Microsoft To Release 4 Critical Office Patches Tuesday

Microsoft announced that it will be releasing four patches, all rated critical because they allow remote-code execution, and all involving Microsoft Office in some way.

Microsoft Creates IT Job Portal for Students

Microsoft's Students to Business portal pairs U.S. college students working toward IT careers with companies who are looking to fill entry-level IT positions.

Study: The Year's Top-10 Web Application Vulnerabilities

Web applications, by far, dominate the list of application security vulnerabilities facing IT organizations, according to a report released recently by security firm Cenzic Inc., "Application Security Trend Report for Q4 2007."

Microsoft Takes SharePoint and Exchange Servers Online

Microsoft's SaaS initiatives gets kickstarted with online betas of Exchange Server 2007 and Office SharePoint Server 2007.

Standards Will Be Default in IE 8

In a major shift of position, the next release of Microsoft's widely deployed Internet Explorer browser will set standards-based rendering as the default, a move that will impact how developers build and deploy Web content.

Microsoft Expands Office Live Workspace Beta Worldwide

After nearly three months of private beta testing, Microsoft Office Live Workspace is being rolled out worldwide as a full public beta.

Network Time Protocol Updated for Improved Granularity, IPv6

Internet Engineer Task Force engineers are sharpening the Network Time Protocol's granularity of time measurements, as well as making the veritable time-synchronization standard compatible with version 6 of the Internet Protocol.

Murdoch Out; Yahoo Continues Fighting Microsoft

Yahoo just lost another option in its battle to stave off Microsoft's hostile takeover bid.

SaaS on the Rise Among SMBs

The use of software as a service (SaaS) among small-to-medium businesses is on the rise, according to a report by Access Market International Partners (AMI-Partners).

Patch Tuesday Fixes Critical Excel, Outlook, Web Component and Office Flaws

Microsoft rolled out four "critical" security bulletins -- all with as many as 12 remote code execution (RCE) vulnerabilities, according to security experts.

Ballmer Acknowledges Mistakes, Offers Insights on Roadmap at MIX08

In a rare display of contrition, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer yesterday acknowledged frustration with the acceptance of Windows Vista and the company's failure to upgrade its Internet Explorer browser more routinely, as well the questionable decision to pursue separate development paths for Internet Explorer and the .NET Framework.

Report: Google, Microsoft To Battle Over Digg

According to a story posted on TechCrunch this morning, Microsoft and Google are both preparing to make bids on the user-driven news aggregation site Digg.com.

Report: Yahoo and Microsoft in 'Informal Talks' About Merger

CNET is reporting this morning that Microsoft and Yahoo are now talking, at least informally, about the merger. CNET reporter Dawn Kawamoto cites an unnamed source for the information. "Yahoo has shown some willingness to have a conversation and talk," the source said.

Novell VP Openly Laments Microsoft Deal

According to IDG news service, Novell Vice President Miguel de Icaza publicly decried his company's patent licensing deal with Microsoft at Redmond's MIX08 conference last week in Las Vegas.

U.S. Votes for Modified OOXML Standards

The United States has voted for approval of a modified version of the Office Open XML (OOXML) standard for business documents.

Microsoft Takes First Steps Toward Eclipse Support

Microsoft has added another nickel to its open source credibility bank this morning with the announcement of its first collaboration with the Eclipse Foundation.

Yahoo Makes Case for Independence

On Tuesday, Yahoo filed a three-year plan with the SEC in an effort to convince investors that the company can offer shareholders value without merging with Microsoft -- or, at the very least, that Microsoft should significantly raise its bid for the company.

Flash, AIR Get Media Rights Management

Adobe this week began shipping Adobe Flash Media Rights Management Server, a $40,000 (per CPU) system designed to integrate with Adobe Media Player and Adobe AIR software to "safeguard video content created for Adobe Flash technology against misuse."

NIST Unveils Tool To Foil DNS Attacks

Network researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have unveiled a method that federal systems administrators can use to protect their systems from increasingly complex attacks launched via the Domain Name System (DNS) of the Internet and private IP networks.

Google Expands Docs Offline

Google's over-the-Internet software for editing, uploading and sharing office documents, known as Google Docs, can now be used offline, Google software engineer, Philip Tucker said on a blog yesterday.

Cloudy Future for Business IT

Cloud-based computing gets legs, and so does business in the cloud.

Another Phishing Scam Spoofs IRS

A new scam to steal personal and financial information through a combination of e-mail and phone calls surfaced last week, masquerading as an urgent message from the IRS about a tax refund.

Feds On Board with Online Apps

Federal agencies' adoption of online applications from Internet powerhouse Google Enterprise could usher in an era of rising productivity and improved security, said David Girourard, the company's vice president and general manager.

IFrames Resurface as Popular Attack Vector for Hackers

Security experts warn of rise in "poisoning" of thousands of Web pages via iFrame exploit.

Yahoo Backs OpenSocial; New Foundation Formed

Yahoo announced Tuesday that it's joined forces with Google and MySpace to back OpenSocial, a group that aims to define a common API to allow social applications across multiple sites.

Microsoft Faces Skeptics at Open Source Conference

Nearly a year and a half after striking their improbable alliance to provide better interoperability between open source and Windows-based platforms, Microsoft and Novell told developers this week that the pact has yielded technical benefits but there's still work to be completed, particularly on the interoperability between the two companies' enterprise directory platforms.

Microsoft's Bid Goes Hostile, but Yahoo Stands Firm

Yahoo's board of directors got a letter from Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer over the weekend about Yahoo's slow response to Microsoft's proposed takeover bid.

Bots, Spyware Top Worry List for Federal IT Security

Bots and spyware top the list of security worries for federal technologies, according to a survey of 200 federal information technology employees from Cisco Systems.

Microsoft Plans 8 Fixes in April

Redmond is poised to release eight security bulletins for its April patch release, with five designated as "critical" and three deemed "important."

Microsoft, Symantec Rethink Security Approach

If the traditional notion of infrastructure-based perimeter security is not yet dead, it's not for lack of effort by keynote speakers at this week's RSA Security conference.

Microsoft Issues Initial Protocol Documentation

Microsoft today released information on protocols used in some of its software products.

Microsoft Rolls Out 8 Patches for 10 Vulnerabilities

Microsoft rolled out five "critical" and three "important" patches for Windows Server 2008, Vista, Office, IE and other software.

Symantec: Online Security Concerns Growing in the Workplace

Windows processing environments put themselves at risk whenever they check their MySpace pages or shop for other goods and services -- all while at the workplace.

Yahoo-AOL Talks Rumored To Oppose Microsoft Bid

Microsoft's acquisition bid for Yahoo, initiated at the end of January, today unleashed media reports suggesting that shifting coalitions are forming that could decide Yahoo's fate.

Borland Debuts Silk 2008 Test Suite

The refreshed offerings mark a significant evolution in the Silk family, originally acquired by Borland in the 2006 purchase of Segue Software.

XML Database Server Up for Common Criteria Certification

Mark Logic Corp. has submitted its Extensible Markup Language (XML) database server for Common Criteria certification.

SPLA: A New Way To License Software

In the era of Software+Services, Microsoft takes a different approach to software licensing than Web hosting companies and managed service providers. Microsoft's Michael van Dijken explains in the Q&A.

Microsoft Releases Windows XP SP3 to Manufacturing

Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) has been released to manufacturing, according to a post on Microsoft TechNet.

Microsoft Investigating LocalSystem Access Bug

Security personnel in Redmond are investigating a newly reported zero-day bug vulnerability in Microsoft operating systems and server systems.

Microsoft Plans MSDN Revamp

Microsoft is finally tuning up its Microsoft Developer Network site and promises to resolve long-running frustrations developers have encountered working with it.

Project Albany Moves Into Google Turf

Microsoft revealed "Albany," a consumer-oriented hosted service that provides Excel, PowerPoint and Word applications, plus security and collaboration tools.

Convergence Idea Gets Serious With Live Mesh, Analysts Say

Live Mesh sounds like "HailStorm" in concept -- a way to access your data from any device with an Internet connection -- says Microsoft's Rosoff.

Microsoft Could Abandon Yahoo Bid, Ballmer Hints

Spurned suitor Microsoft, which has been trying to acquire Yahoo since the end of January, adopted a new tactic today.

Phishing Scam Uses IRS Rebate Lure

The tax filing season has passed, the economic stimulus rebate season is upon us, and the phishers are changing their bait.

Live Mesh: An 'Open Platform' for Developers

Amit Mital, general manager of Microsoft's Live Mesh group, had a message for developers attending the Web 2.0 Expo underway this week: Think open platform.

Experts Focus on Future of U.S. Cybersecurity

Whoever becomes our next president will inherit a cyber infrastructure under almost constant attack and at greater risk than eight years ago, and a handful of experts and legislators have come together to ensure that cybersecurity has a high priority in his or her administration.

Web Attacks on the Rise; E-mail Attacks Decline

According to a recent study from security and anti-virus specialist Sophos, servers in the U.S. and China host the lion's share of malware-infected Web sites. Meanwhile, Web attacks surged to an all-time high in the first quarter of this year, according to Sophos -- with no sign of dropping off any time soon.

Web Developers Left Holding the Bag on SQL Injection Attacks

Microsoft is claiming that an injection attack vulnerability discovered late last week and made public this week related to the popular business database application SQL, is not the company's fault but may lie with lax Web developers.

Buried Treasure: Uncovering SharePoint's Riches

Clients will see the light once you show how SharePoint can help them implement collaborative Web applications.

New Wisdom for Old Services

As Microsoft moves into the online hosting space, partners need to pay close attention to not only what the company is saying, but what it's actually doing as well.

Ballmer Has 'Nothing To Say' on Yahoo Deal

Leaks from unnamed sources to The Wall Street Journal constitute the only "news" so far this week about Microsoft's unsolicited takeover bid for Yahoo.

Report: Microsoft Meeting with Time Warner Regarding AOL

Just two days after walking away from its $49.6 billion bid for Yahoo, the Times Online U.K. is reporting that Microsoft is meeting with Time Warner executives regarding a possible bid for America Online -- the very company Yahoo turned to in a possible attempt to stave off the takeover bid from Redmond.

Yahoo Stock Falls on Failed Microsoft Bid

The plunge of Yahoo's stock happened as expected after Microsoft withdrew its takeover bid for the Web app company on Saturday.

Microsoft Scraps Yahoo Acquisition Plans

Citing a hefty price tag and other concerns, Microsoft this weekend officially scrapped its plans to acquire Yahoo.

Microsoft Appeals $1.3B European Commission Penalty

Microsoft appealed penalty for noncompliance with an earlier European Commission antitrust ruling against the company.

IM Attacks on the Rise

Just because you've deployed an enterprise-grade instant messaging (IM) solution from a well-known vendor, doesn't mean you've mitigated -- let alone completely licked -- the threat posed by rogue, unsanctioned or illicit IM use in your enterprise environment.

Spam More Creative, Better Targeted

Thirty years after the first unsolicited e-mail advertisement was sent, the phenomenon now known as spam is continuing to grow -- and becoming more sophisticated, creative and malicious.

Reports: Microsoft and Yahoo Actively Negotiating Merger Deal

Shares of Microsoft closed just shy of 7 percent higher on Friday May 2 based on new speculation that Microsoft and Yahoo are now actively negotiating to seal a deal.

Four Patches Coming in May

Three patches will target critical remote code execution exploits in Microsoft Office, Publisher and the Jet Database Engine.

Exec Describes Microsoft's 'Social Networking' Vision

A Microsoft executive involved with the company's Windows Live efforts outlined some of the company's ideas about cloud-based computing and social networking technologies today.

UPDATE: XP SP3 Available Via Windows Update

Microsoft said that users of Windows XP can now gain access to Service Pack 3 through Windows Update and the Microsoft Download Center.

Microsoft Releases 3 Critical Patches

On Tuesday, Redmond rolled out four patches for the month of May as expected, with three deemed "Critical" and one "Moderate."

Office 2007 SP1 Arriving Via Auto Update

Microsoft Office 2007 users will be able to get a new service pack delivered automatically via Microsoft Update as early as mid-next month.

Microsoft Wants Yahoo's Search Biz, Reports Say

Microsoft now wants to buy just a part of Yahoo, according to the latest rumors hitting the dailies.

Microsoft Renews Talks With Yahoo

Talks between Microsoft and Yahoo are back on the table again, but maybe not about the acquisition bid.

Novell Releases Silverlight for Linux Source Code

Cross-platform developers can now download the source code for Moonlight, the open source project chartered with building a Silverlight runtime for Linux.

Office Live Workspace Beta Released Internationally

Microsoft released an international beta of its Office Live Workspace (OLW) suite of productivity tools. The company also quietly launched an Office Live Update last week.

IE 8 Beta 2 Coming 'Third Quarter'

Senior Technical Account Manager at Microsoft New Zealand Nick MacKechnie posted on his MSDN blog that Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 is coming in the "third quarter" of this year.

Microsoft Revamps MSDN and TechNet

Microsoft late last week launched a revamped iteration of its highly trafficked resource sites for developers and IT professionals.

ISA Server 2006 SP1 Planned for This Summer

Sometime this summer, Microsoft plans to roll out Service Pack 1 for Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2006 according to a recent team blog announcement.

Threats to Office's Dominance Multiply with New Offerings from Adobe, IBM

Paying for word processing software may soon be a thing of past if Microsoft competitors Adobe, Google and IBM have any say.

Report: Microsoft Considering Rebranding 'Live' Offerings

A Microsoft executive said today that Microsoft may be considering rebranding its Live search engine brand.

'Whaling' Scam Targets Execs Via Tax Court Ruse

A new whaling scam -- that's a phishing scam that targets big game -- using a supposed U.S. Tax Court notification as bait has reeled in about 600 victims so far, according to Internet security firm SecureWorks.

P2P Breach Leads to Walter Reed Data Leak

An investigation launched Tuesday into the possible compromise of about 1,000 patient records at Walter Reed Army Medical Center serves as a stern reminder of how dangerous peer-to-peer and other social networking applications can be, security experts warn.

XP, Vista Vulnerability Triggered by Safari Browser

Microsoft continued to investigate what it called public reports of a remote code execution threat for XP and Vista when Apple's Safari Web browser is installed.

Sun Web Server Hit with Multiple Security Vulnerabilities

A security research firm has found multiple flaws in Web server software from Sun Microsystems that would collectively allow attackers to log on, gain root access, peruse and delete files, and execute malicious commands.

Report: Cyberspace Becoming More Malicious

Online security company MessageLabs found that more than three-quarters of the e-mail messages it scanned in May were spam, an increase of 3.3 percent over the previous month, said Mark Sunner, MessageLabs' chief security analyst.

Microsoft To Issue 7 Patches This Month

Redmond projects a rollout of seven fixes, with three rated critical, three important and one moderate.

E-Mail Spam Linked to Economic Slowdown, Symantec Says

The rise in the amount of Spam being eaten by families who have fallen on hard times is commensurate with the rise in e-mail spam, Symantec revealed this week.

Microsoft Releases 7 Patches, 3 Critical

Microsoft released seven patches for its June rollout of security fixes. As expected, three are labeled "critical," three "important" and one "moderate."

New Bluetooth Patch Fixes XP Security Hole

Microsoft reissues a "critical" patch relating to Bluetooth wireless technology that was released last week as part of its June update cycle.

Vulnerability Found in New Firefox Browser

It took only five hours from the release of Firefox version 3.0 for a researcher to report a critical vulnerability in the open source browser.

Bloomberg Launches Windows Mobile App

Customers of Bloomberg LP's real-time market data who have long been receiving feeds on their BlackBerrys can now receive them on their Windows Mobile-based devices, thanks to a recently completed development effort.

Firefox 3 Browser Released

The volunteer-led Mozilla project has released version 3 of the Firefox browser.

Microsoft Advisory Targets SQL Injection Attacks

Microsoft on Tuesday issued a new security advisory after the discovery of "a recent escalation in a class of attacks" targeting Web sites.

Group Pushes for High-Speed Internet Access for All

A coalition of academics, information technology industry leaders and public-policy advocates will launch a campaign today to make "access to a fast, open and affordable Internet a basic right for all Americans."

Massive Patch Coming for DNS Vulnerability

Major vendors of domain name system (DNS) servers are making an unprecedented coordinated release of patches for what is being called a fundamental flaw in DNS, a core element of the Internet.

IE Is Least-Patched Browser, Report Says

More than 40 percent of Internet surfers don't use browsers with up-to-date security patches -- and IE users are the biggest culprits.

Getting Dynamic(s) in the Cloud

Microsoft takes baby steps to deliver Dynamics solutions in the cloud, with a bit of a hybrid approach for now.

Word 2002 SP3 Subject to Remote Attacks

Less than 24 hours after its Patch Tuesday release, Microsoft issued a security advisory connected to a possible vulnerability in Word 2002 Service Pack 3.

Tougher Security Planned for Internet Explorer 8

In the wake of a report suggesting that IE was the least secure Web browser, Redmond on Wednesday touted the security features expected to appear in IE 8.

Microsoft's $60B Year-End Revenue Dogged by Search Costs

Microsoft's fiscal fourth-quarter and 2008 year-end financial results were announced in a Webcast on Thursday.

Research in Motion Issues Fix for BlackBerry PDF Bug

Maker of popular BlackBerry handset issued a patch to plug a vulnerability in its BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) solution.

Microsoft Denies Yahoo Version of Failed Talks

Microsoft today described its own version of events concerning Friday's failed talks with Yahoo's management, which were focused on a renewed effort to buy Yahoo's search ad business.

Government, Health Care Web Sites Attacked

A scan of Web servers by Internet security company Finjan Inc. has found more than 1,000 legitimate Web sites that had been compromised by a new wave of attacks in recent weeks.

Cloud Computing To Bring Security App Shift, Report Says

Microsoft's Chief Architect Ray Ozzie and some say the sky will be the limit for cloud computing in the enterprise, but there's still a need for IT security too.

Live Mesh Preview: It's Wait-List Only

Microsoft quietly opened its Live Mesh preview to more testers on July 15, but by today (July 17), the offer had been narrowed to just waiting-list only.

DNS Problem Is 'Important' To Patch, Microsoft Says

Microsoft issued a formal security advisory with an "urgent warning" to patch a general Domain Name System vulnerability that can enable spoofing attacks.

Microsoft Mum After Midori OS Plan Leaked

Microsoft is working on a project to develop a new operating system, code-named "Midori," but the company won't disclose the details at this time.

First Instance of New DNS Exploit Reported

Reports are coming in that an AT&T Domain Name System (DNS) server may have been compromised with malicious code that exploits a vulnerability reported earlier this month. This apparently is the first instance of the exploit in the wild.

Microsoft's DNS Fix Leads to More Problems

The blogosphere is awash with talk about the possible overall weakness of the Domain Name System (DNS) architecture.

Open Source Needs Better Security Focus, Study Says

The open source software community lags behind the commercial software sector in secure code development, according to a recent study of some commonly used open source packages.

DNS Flaw Unfixed as Experts Argue Protocol

Speculation continues as to what the ultimate systemic Domain Name System (DNS) flaw could be.

AT&T Delves into Cloud Computing

AT&T has introduced a new hosted service that offers online storage, processing power and enterprise applications.

Seven Critical Fixes Expected on Tuesday

IT Pros and system administrators will be mighty busy this month as Microsoft announced plans to release 12 patches.

Analyst: Beware of the Google Gadgets

One fun thing about the interactive world of Web 2.0 is the online applications you can take advantage of, such as Google Gadgets.

Open Source: A 'Growing Challenge' to Microsoft

Open source software topped the list of business "risk factors" outlined in Microsoft's annual 10-K report to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

IBM Makes Large Cloud-Computing Investment

IBM Corp. late last week touted the construction of two additional cloud computing datacenters -- an investment of $360 million -- which let it address what officials call "surging" demand for cloud computing resources.

WSUS Blocking: A Real Problem, Microsoft Says

Microsoft closed its investigation into an update blocking issue that affected users of Windows Server Update Service 3.0 or WSUS 3.0 Service Pack 1.

SQL Injection Attacks on the Rise

MessageLabs reports that the number of SQL injection attacks spiked sharply last month.

Microsoft's August Patch Brings 11 Security Fixes

Microsoft's August patch, slated to be the largest patch rollout since 12 bulletins hit users in February of 2007, came up short by one.

Microsoft Virtualization Launch Planned for Fall 2008

Microsoft announced a launch event for its virtualization products, scheduled for Sept. 8, 2008 in Bellevue, Wash.

Microsoft Ships Visual Studio 2008 and .NET SP1

Microsoft released to manufacturing its widely touted first service pack (SP) of Visual Studio 2008 and .NET Framework 3.5.

Report Finds Dip in Microsoft's Browser Share

Microsoft lost browser market share over the last year, according to a report issued by management consulting firm Janco Associates Inc.

UPDATED: Microsoft Tool Helps Filter SQL Injection Attacks

Microsoft on Thursday released an improved security filter for its Internet Information Service (IIS) Web server that is designed to help thwart SQL injection attacks.

Microsoft Updates IE Patch Due to VML Flaw

Microsoft this week released an update to a 2007 Internet Explorer patch covering Internet Explorer 5.01, Internet Explorer 6 and Internet Explorer 7.

Microsoft Announces SP1 for Forefront Client Security

The software giant this week released its first service pack for Forefront Client Security, a member of its Forefront family of security products.

Web Sites Rife with Unpatched Vulnerabilities

Although the overall number of vulnerabilities being discovered in software appears to be leveling off or even dropping, two recent reports on Web security say that the overwhelming majority of Web sites studied still have unpatched vulnerabilities that could expose visitors to malicious code.

Microsoft-Novell Linux Deal To Grow by $100M

Microsoft plans to pour an additional money into business and open source technology collaboration with Novell.

Microsoft Releases Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2

Microsoft released Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2, and the company spilled a lot of pixels explaining the beta's new features.

Microsoft Releases More Virtualization Details

Microsoft, following its earlier announcement about new virtualization products and imminent releases, has filled in some details that give more shape to its vision.

Security Exploits to Google Chrome Browser Emerge

Google's Chrome Web browser -- complete with quirky marketing comic book -- made a splash when announced on Tuesday, but what a difference a day makes.

Office Live Workspace: Shadowed by Google Docs?

Microsoft touted the success of its online extension to Microsoft Office, a free browser-based application that's still in beta release.

S+S: From Possibilities to Specifics

In narrowing its Software plus Services talk into a real program, Microsoft had to go from dozens of promising options to one controversial reality. Many partners see opportunities in the program, but concerns abound.

Japan, U.S., China Leading Sources of Web Attack Traffic

Japan, the United States and China topped the list of countries from which Internet attack traffic originates in a recent report by Akamai Technologies Inc. The three countries accounted for more than 60 percent of attack-oriented Internet traffic.

Windows Security Update Targets Elevation of Privilege Attacks

Microsoft is continuing its investigation into a vulnerability that could allow hackers to gain superuser privileges on various flavors of the Windows OS.

IE Share Continues Decline but How Far Will It Go?

One report suggests that IE could account for less than half of all browsers in use by enterprises within the next year.

Google Plunges Into Browser Market

Just days after Microsoft released the second beta of Internet Explorer 8, Google unexpectedly made what could be its largest assault on Redmond to date -- the release of its own Web browser.

September Patch To Fix Windows GDI Exploit and More

Redmond on Tuesday rolled out four critical fixes, as expected, for as many as eight remote code execution exploits for various Windows applications.

SQL Injection Attack Hits BusinessWeek Site

Security firm Sophos disclosed on Monday that BusinessWeek magazine's Web site had been hacked.

Cloud Computing Leaving Relational Databases Behind

One thing you won't find underlying a cloud computing initiative is a relational database. And this is no accident: Relational databases are ill-suited for use within cloud computing environments.

McAfee To Acquire Secure Computing

McAfee Inc. has agreed to purchase Secure Computing Corp. for about $465 million.

U.S. Tops List as Source for Botnet Attacks

The United States was the top source of distributed attack traffic, originating nearly three times as many attacks as second-place China, according to a recent study by security service provider SecureWorks Inc.

Privacy Uncertain With New IE8 Feature

Redmond continued to rebuff assertions that a "suggested sites" feature in Internet Explorer 8, currently at Beta 2 release, invades user privacy.

Former Microsoft Ad Exec Bradford Joins Yahoo

If executive turnover in the online advertising world were a soap opera, it might be called, "The Young and the Restless."

Microsoft, IBM and EMC Team on ECM Interop Spec

An industry specification for content management interoperability services has been floated by three players in the enterprise content management (ECM) space.

First Look: IE8 Beta 2 -- Catching Up With Firefox

Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 was released late last month, so I gave it a test run.

VSLive! NY: A Glimpse of .NET Framework in the Cloud

Developers got an indication of Microsoft's unfolding cloud platform strategy at this week's VSLive! conference in New York. Several conference sessions outlined the company's plans for Software plus Services and platforms-as-a-service, which offer hosted development and runtimes.

Virginia Supreme Court Rules Against Anti-Spam Law

It's unclear how a Virginia Supreme Court ruling may influence other state and federal laws, but the court on Friday struck down a Virginia law that prohibits the sending of unsolicited e-mail.

Private Tests of Windows 7 Lead to Release Rumors

Microsoft won't say when the first public beta release of its Windows 7 operating system will occur, but some possible dates have been anonymously leaked.

Cloud Computing: More Work for Admins

Alistair Croll, a principal analyst for consulting coalition BitCurrent, argues that moving to Internet-based Software as a Service (SaaS) offerings, "won't eliminate work [but will] just change the work," for IT administrators.

Observers At ZendCon Ponder What's Next For Microsoft and PHP

Despite speculation that Microsoft might make an announcement around its Silverlight runtime environment at Zend/PHP Conference and Expo, the company's profile was lower than past events.

Google's Chrome Browser Contains Microsoft Code

The newly released Google Chrome Web browser beta is a completely open source solution and a potential challenger to Microsoft's proprietary-code Internet Explorer browser, but Microsoft's Senior Program Manager Scott Hanselman found a little bit of irony in Google's browser as well.

Amazon To Host Microsoft Solutions in the Cloud

Amazon announced on Wednesday that it is conducting a private beta test of Microsoft's server products running on Amazon's hosted computing platform, which is called Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2).

Expect Google to Burnish Chrome to a High Shine

Dismiss Chrome as another browser and partners might miss a big opportunity.

Payment Card Security Toughens With DSS 1.2 Release

The Payment Card Industry Council on Wednesday released an updated version of its PCI data security standard, which is designed to help protect transmitted charge and debit card information.

Private Browsing's False Sense of Security

They call it private browsing. Microsoft recently released a beta version of Internet Explorer 8 that offers it. You'll find it in Mozilla's Firefox and the new Google Chrome. Apple's Safari has offered the feature for some time.

Beware of Hotel Internet Connections

Jet-setters should be careful about how they use the Internet connections supplied by hotels, as most are not secured properly, according to a new study from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration.

Coming to Terms With Cloud Computing

Is "cloud computing" the next big thing in IT, or are you just a victim of "cloud wash"?

Yahoo Fixing Zimbra Bug, Integrating With Exchange

Yahoo plans to resolve a password security vulnerability identified last week in its Zimbra open source e-mail and collaboration software.

Gartner Warns of Wi-Fi Vulnerabilities

A new study from Gartner concludes that the WLANs of today comprise a "significant vulnerability" for enterprise IT organizations.

Microsoft Promises To Improve UAC in Windows 7

Microsoft has been talking about future changes to Windows Vista's most maligned feature, User Account Control (UAC).

Ballmer Drops Hints About Windows 7, Cloud Computing

Microsoft's CEO talked about Windows 7 and the company's vision for syncing up applications in the Internet cloud at a Gartner-sponsored event on Thursday.

Microsoft Unleashes Tool For Web Developers

Web App Installer centralized management of ASP.NET and PHP-based open source Web apps.

Busy October Patch Cycle Comes Around with 11 Fixes

Security-minded admins have their work cut out for them, as Microsoft coughs up 11 fixes in its October patch cycle.

Silverlight 2 Now Available

Silverlight 2, the latest version of Microsoft's cross-platform browser plug-in for multimedia applications, will be available on Oct. 14, company officials announced on Monday.

IBM Sends SaaS With Hosted Messaging Rollout

Big Blue upped its ante in the software as a service (SaaS) space this week with the release of a hosted version of its venerable corporate e-mail software.

Yahoo To Cut Jobs After Flat 3Q Performance

Yahoo's revenue was up by one percent, year-over-year, according to its third-quarter results published on Wednesday, but its workforce will still get cut by 10 percent.

PDC: Microsoft Calls New Cloud Computing OS a 'Turning Point' for Company

At its Professional Developers Conference in Los Angeles this week, Microsoft is unveiling the end-to-end vision for its Software plus Services platform.

PDC: Microsoft Releases Geneva Beta

Microsoft today released the first beta of its federated identity services framework aimed at simplifying the way enterprises deploy authentication services.

Spam Attacks on the Rise in Q3

Identity thieves and hackers appear to be coming at Windows users from all fronts, most commonly with spam. They were particularly active during the third quarter of 2008, when they did it eight times more frequently than in the previous quarter, according to a report released Monday by Sophos.

Malware Disguised as Social Networking Tops Emerging Security Threats

What's the top threat to data security going to be in 2009? According to the GTISC Emerging Cyber Threats Report for 2009 out of Georgia Tech's Information Security Center, the answer is malware specifically disguised as "benign social networking links."

Google Shows Strong 3Q Revenue

Google on Thursday reported strong revenue growth for its third quarter, despite a faltering economy.

Microsoft Gets Patent on Broadcast Censorship Solution

On-line gamers using profanity in audio chat sessions may have their act cleaned up if Microsoft has anything to say about it.

Data Breaches at State, Local Agencies Expose Data about Millions

Data breaches at state and local government agencies exposed the personal information of nearly 3.8 million Americans in the first three quarters of this year, according to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.

Sync Framework: It's Still at Version 1.0

Microsoft claimed on Tuesday that it did not release the next version of its Sync Framework on Oct. 13, as reported by some news outlets last week.

Microsoft Releases Virtual Machine Manager

Microsoft released System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 (VMM 2008), the second major component of its virtualization strategy.

Cloud Computing Prompts New IT Planning

Microsoft's announcement last week that it will offer a new software development platform for cloud computing added new energy to the debate over how and when organizations might begin turning to the technology.

Security Concerns May Slow Cloud Computing Adoption

Microsoft may have reaffirmed its commitment to cloud computing with the launch of its Windows Azure operating system, but overall business adoption of the cloud concept may be stymied, in part, by security issues.

PDC: First Look at Live Mesh and Live Framework

Microsoft announced the new Live Framework during a Tuesday keynote that addressed Windows 7 and other tools and technologies that will comprise the front-end infrastructure of the company's unfolding Software plus Services strategy.

First Look: Google Chrome

Chrome has the makings of a good browser, but still lacks a few important features.

PDC: Microsoft Outlines Windows 7, Slew of New Dev Technologies

Microsoft today articulated how it will bridge PCs and mobile devices with an extraordinary blitz of announcements that included the first demonstration of Windows 7, its Live Framework, a bevy of new offerings for developers including WPF support for Visual Studio, and the first preview of Office 14.

PDC: Microsoft's Cloud-Based SQL Services Redefined

Microsoft is evolving its strategy for relational data services in the cloud.

Most Enterprises Unprotected Against E-mail Security Risks, Study Says

An IDC study found that nearly three-quarters (72 percent) of organizations don't have solutions in place to prevent data leakage over e-mail.

Google Android Flaw Reopens Open Source Security Debate

A security flaw in Google's new Android operating system discovered recently by independent researchers further underscores the security debate between open source and proprietary software.

PDC: HP Startup Tests Windows Azure Cloud Platform

A startup company called MagCloud.com is currently using Windows Azure, the new Microsoft "cloud operating system" supporting software as a service applications and storage.

PDC: Microsoft Office To Be Available as a Service

Microsoft Office users soon will be able to open, create and edit files using "lightweight" hosted versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote, Microsoft announced this week.

Microsoft To Add Smooth Streaming in IIS7

Web sites will be able to get improved bandwidth management for streaming media using a new extension to the Microsoft Internet Information Services 7.0 (IIS7) Web server.

Former MSN Exec Braves the Slopes at Yahoo

Yahoo, the advertising and search-engine giant that's taken a beating lately on the stock market, has hired a former Microsoft exec to help scale revenues.

Google Issues Mobile OS Security Fix

Google Inc. has rolled out a security patch for a flaw found last week in its Android operating system for mobile devices.

Microsoft Rolls Out Services Connector CTP

Microsoft has introduced a new Windows server component to seamlessly connect Active Directory users to Microsoft-based services and other services residing in the Internet cloud.

Microsoft: Software More Secure, but Malware Is Growing Threat

The number of software vulnerabilities in the first half of 2008 dropped 4 percent compared with the previous six months and a respectable 19 percent from the first half of 2007.

Internet Coming to White Space Near You

Wireless service providers will be able to take advantage of the locally unused television RF spectrum known as white space for high-speed Internet access under widely anticipated rules adopted Tuesday by the Federal Communications Commission.

Yahoo-Google Ad Deal Off

Calling it a distraction to its core mission, Google pulled the plug on an advertising agreement with Yahoo, according to statements from both companies Wednesday.

Azure Adds Risk to Microsoft's Business Model

Azure amounts to Microsoft's "most significant coordinated shift in strategy" since it got come-to-the-Internet religion in 1995.

Yang to Microsoft: Buy Yahoo

Yahoo's CEO at a tech conference admits to second-guessing the Microsoft offer and offers his assessment of the Google deal gone bad.

Spammers Mine New Ground

Spammers have jumped on the global financial crisis to lure unsuspecting victims into their botnets. And, in the wake of last week's election, President-elect Barack Obama also has emerged as bait for other large spam campaigns.

VMware Acquires Trango, Brings Virtualization to Telecom Market

VMware today announced a new market direction involving the mobile telecom market: VMware will target mobile phone makers and their partners with a new bare-metal hypervisor optimized for telecom applications.

DNS Security Still a Concern

Administrators have made improvements in the security of the Domain Name System during the last year, but DNS complexity and a lack of resources have resulted in major security gaps being left in the system that underlies almost all Internet traffic, according to a recent survey of DNS servers.

Sun To Cut More Than 15 Percent of Global Workforce

Sun Microsystems, a leader in Java and open source technologies, put market "speculation to rest" today.

Microsoft Exec Describes Azure Services Vision

Microsoft executive David Treadwell today provided a few more details about the company's Azure Services Platform in a Webinar aimed at the investment community.

Microsoft Sues To Protect Visual Studio Users

Three companies are seeking indemnification from Microsoft after being sued for using technology associated with Microsoft's Visual Studio software development platform.

Microsoft Unveils Exchange and SharePoint as Services

Microsoft exec Stephen Elop announced hosted versions of Exchange and SharePoint, which are now available to organizations of all sizes in the U.S. market

November's Patch Addresses Two Windows App Exploits

Redmond rolled out two patches on Tuesday -- one deemed "critical" and one "important."

Live Mesh Apps Unveiled by Microsoft Lab

Microsoft has developed four demonstration applications that showcase its Live Mesh cloud-based data synchronization service, according to a report issued on Tuesday by veteran Microsoft watcher, Mary-Jo Foley.

Microsoft Rolls Out Windows Live Services, Silk Road Project

Microsoft plans to roll out updates to its Windows Live services and Windows Live Essentials offerings, which are aimed at consumer users.

IBM Offers Cloud Computing Help

IBM on Monday announced consulting services specifically designed to help organizations assess their options in using cloud computing technology.

Unpatched Systems at Risk From Worm, Microsoft Says

Microsoft is seeing an increase in the number of malware attacks exploiting a security hole supposedly addressed by a recent patch.

UPDATED: Microsoft Offering $20 Billion for Yahoo Search?

Just days after Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's declaration that Redmond was "done with all of these [acquisition] discussions with Yahoo," one newspaper is reporting that a deal is in the works.

Free 'Morro' Anti-Virus To Replace Microsoft OneCare

Redmond is rolling out a free anti-virus software program for consumers that will compete with products made by Symantec and McAfee.

Organizations Urged To Update WPA After Security Crack

A team of security researchers this week demonstrated an attack confirming that the Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) protocol can be compromised.

Yang To Step Down as Yahoo CEO

Jerry Yang is transitioning out as Yahoo's CEO, but he will continue on as a member of the board, according to an announcement issued late on Monday by the online search and advertising company.

IE8 Release Candidate Coming on 1Q 2009

Microsoft's Internet Explorer 8 apparently will have its product debut some time next year, according to an announcement released on Wednesday by the company.

OneCare Was Not a Failure, Microsoft Exec Says

Critics asserting that Windows Live OneCare didn't succeed on its own have got it wrong, according to Microsoft's chief security advisor for the EMEA region.

Gartner: Enterprises Are Getting More 'SaaS-y'

Enterprises are starting to appreciate software as a service (SaaS) and plan to maintain or grow their SaaS use, according to a survey conducted by Gartner, tapping 258 respondents.

December's Patch Arrives, Addressing 28 Security Bugs

December's Patch Tuesday will be a historic security update release. But it won't be because of the size and scope of the eight patches.

Analysts: Enterprise Architecture Key To Stopping Cyberattacks

Enterprise architecture must be a key part of the strategy used to protect computers and networks from cyberattacks, said Ron Ross, a National Institute of Standards and Technology senior computer scientist.

Microsoft Hires Yahoo Exec To Head Online Services

Microsoft chose a former Yahoo executive to lead its Web-based search and advertising efforts, the company announced on Thursday.

Google Addressing Web App Security With 'Native Client'

Google is exploring a way to run code fast and natively in a Web browser without worrying about security issues.

IE8: 'Safe' but Scorned in Bug Battle Contest

Internet Explorer 8 -- Microsoft's latest release, currently at the Beta 2 stage -- was declared to be the safest but the least popular browser, according to a browser security survey.

First Look: Lunascape Multiengine Web Browser

Web developers have traditionally kept multiple browsers on their computers to facilitate testing, but a fairly new Japanese-made experimental browser called Lunascape rolls the three most important engines into one.

IT Security: Expect More Misery in 2009

This year, the IT industry reached an inflection point, where more new malicious programs were created than useful ones.

Ballmer: No Talks With Yahoo on Search

Steve Ballmer told The Wall Street Journal on Friday that while Microsoft is open to a search advertising deal with Yahoo, no negotiations currently are taking place.

U.S. Is Biggest Malware Culprit, Reports Say

The United States has the dubious distinction of hosting the most infected sites and having the most compromised computers relaying spam.

Zero-Day IE 7 Flaw Discovered

Microsoft once again has to contend with "Exploit Wednesday." This time, the problem is a zero-day IE 7 flaw discovered soon after the Patch Tuesday release.

Microsoft Offers IE Security Workaround, But No Fix

A zero-day flaw in Internet Explorer 7 reported last week has sparked increased hacker activity, and now the attacks involve most versions of Microsoft's Internet browser.

Microsoft Mobile GUI Has Debut on Apple iPhone

Microsoft Live Labs announced on Saturday that its Seadragon Mobile graphical user interface (GUI) is now available for the Apple iPhone as a technical preview release, but Windows Mobile users will have to wait to get it.

SQL Injection Hits Amid the Holidays

Redmond continues to investigate a new zero-day bug affecting popular database application SQL Server.

Microsoft Exec Urges IE8 Readiness

Microsoft won't say exactly when it will ship the Release Candidate of its Internet Explorer 8 browser but it's "just around the corner," according to a senior company official.

W3C Advances Web Accessibility Guidelines

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has updated its set of recommendations for designing Web pages so they can easily accessed by those with disabilities.

Microsoft Releases SQL Server Security Tools

Microsoft released a beta version of its Code Analysis Tool and Anti-Cross Site Scripting Library for developers.

Zero-Day IE Exploit To Get Out-of-Cycle Patch

Microsoft will end 2008 with a "critical" out-of-cycle patch for IE, according to an advance notification issued Tuesday for a new security update slated for release on Dec. 17.

Cisco Warns of Increasing Attack Sophistication

Cisco's 2008 Annual Security Report report highlighted the increasing sophistication of Internet-based attacks, largely because cyber-criminals themselves are becoming increasingly sophisticated.

Off-Cycle Internet Explorer Security Update Released

As expected, Microsoft released its second out-of-cycle patch in three months -- this time to plug a widely discussed and "critical" vulnerability in Internet Explorer.

Window 7 Beta 1: Soon To Be Unwrapped?

The public release of Windows 7 Beta 1 is expected next month, but speculation that it might appear earlier popped up on Friday from a few sources.

SOA Explained

Judith Hurwitz, Robin Bloor, Carol Baroudi and Marcia Kaufman explain Service Oriented Architecture in this book for "Dummies."

PDFs Vulnerable, Say Security Researchers

Flaw found in Adobe' Acrobat PDF format appears to target IE, Firefox browsers.

Venezuelan Teen Detained in Hacking Case

A 17-year-old has been detained by Venezuelan authorities after hacking into multiple government Web sites.

Microsoft and Ford To Get in Synch

This weekend Microsoft will reportedly announce a deal with automaker Ford Motor Company to get in "Synch."

Microsoft and Garmin Aim To Hit the SPOT

At the 2007 International Consumer Electronics Show, Microsoft announced that its Smart Personal Objects Technology (SPOT) group has released its MSN Direct navigation services.

OneCare 1.5 Goes to Manufacturing

Microsoft quietly announced this week that it has released version 1.5 of its Windows Live OneCare security and antivirus offering to manufacturing.

Video Emerges as Key to Cisco's Growth

So far, when it comes to making money, the online video explosion is mostly about potential. Studios selling TV shows and movies for download, and Web sites like YouTube that link ads to user-generated content, stand to reap billions from the Internet's hottest trend.

U.N. Not Eying Internet Control

The United Nations will not try to take the lead in determining the future of the Internet, the head of the U.N. telecommunications agency said Friday.

Belgian Government Site Hacked

The Web site of Belgium's Defense Ministry was hacked Sunday by a group of Turkish nationalists, news reports said.

100 Million Copies of IE7 Installed

Microsoft recently announced that, as of January 8, 100 million users have installed Internet Explorer 7.0.

Microsoft and Nortel Present Alliance Roadmap

Six months after announcing a telecommunications alliance, Microsoft and Nortel this week presented some early results of their efforts and outlined a roadmap for future projects.

Microsoft Hires WebSphere Architect

Don Ferguson, whom some observers refer to as the "Father of WebSphere," has joined Redmond as a Technical Fellow in Platforms and Strategy in the Office of the CTO, according to statements posted online.

Microsoft in Hot Water for Offering To Pay for Wikipedia Edits

Critics charge that Redmond giant's pay-to-edit approach with online encyclopedia's articles breaks spirit that Wiki community has been built on since inception.

Microsoft Ships Photosynth Plug-in for Firefox

Microsoft is shipping a Firefox plug-in version of its Photosynth 3D photo processing software technology preview.

MS Rivals to EU: Vista a Push for Internet Monopoly

Microsoft Corp.'s rivals renewed their call Friday on EU regulators to act against what they say are "illegal practices," alleging that the new Vista operating system is the company's attempt to extend its monopoly to the Internet.

Judge Dismisses Legal Fight over Skype's VoIP Technology

A federal judge has thrown out an antitrust lawsuit filed by the distributor of Morpheus file-sharing software against Internet phone service provider Skype Technologies SA, eBay Inc. and other defendants.

Microsoft: What's Wrong With Edits?

Microsoft cash offer raises question: What's wrong with accepting money to write on Wikipedia?

Google 4Q Earnings Nearly Triple

Google Inc. has grown into a financial juggernaut so quickly its extraordinary growth is starting to look routine -- a phenomenon making it more difficult for the online search leader to impress investors.

New Apps Compatibility Toolkit for Vista

To accompany the release of Windows Vista, Microsoft yesterday announced the final release of a toolkit for assuring that applications will run correctly under the new system.

U.S. Companies Urge Action Against Internet Censorship

American technology giants urged the U.S. government Tuesday to do more to confront China and other countries about Internet censorship.

Microsoft Readies Live Services Platform

Microsoft has said that getting third-party developers to build their own applications on top of its Web services will help push its Windows Live initiative over the top. So far, however, despite some interesting applications mashups, the Live community has been a little murky on the details.

Hackers Attack Key Net Traffic Computers

Hackers briefly overwhelmed at least three of the 13 computers that help manage global computer traffic Tuesday.

German Police Barred from Secret Internet Computer Searches

Police cannot secretly search suspects' computer hard drives over the Internet, a German court ruled Monday.

Microsoft Ships CTP of WPF/E

On February 2, Microsoft released the February CTP of Windows Presentation Foundation/Everywhere (WPF/E), a cross-platform browser plug-in that allows clients to display and play back rich media, 3D and vector graphics, animation, audio and video.

Defendants Acquitted in AOL Revenue Conspiracy Trial

Two former midlevel executives at America Online were acquitted Tuesday on all counts of charges that they conspired with a now-defunct Las Vegas software firm to inflate its revenue with secret side deals and backdated contracts.

Gmail Becomes More Widely Available

Google Inc.'s e-mail service is almost ready to accept all comers, nearly three years after the online search leader shook up the Internet by offering users an unprecedented amount of free storage and displaying ads based on the content of the correspondence.

VeriSign To Spend More Than $100M on Infrastructure Upgrade

VeriSign Inc., which manages the ".com" and ".net" domain names registry and ensures Internet users can reach those locations, said it will spend more than $100 million in a massive infrastructure upgrade to combat a new wave of computer attacks and manage a surge in online activity.

Inventors to Be Honored on Capitol Hill

Robert Metcalf, inventor of Ethernet, among honorees.

Cisco Acquires Social Networking Company

Cisco Systems Inc., whose core business is selling the routers and switches that direct data traffic over computer networks, said it has acquired a small social networking company that allows businesses to create MySpace-like communities on their Web sites.

AJAX, New Technologies, Put Online Ad Measures to Test

At Yahoo's finance site, stock quotes update automatically and continually, the numbers flashing green and red as prices rise and fall. Wall Street investors can easily leave a single Web page up all day.

VeriSign to Spend Over $100M on Upgrade

VeriSign will spend more than $100 million in a massive infrastructure upgrade to combat a new wave of computer attacks and manage a surge in online activity.

FTC Urged To Boost Internet Oversight

Consumer advocates on Tuesday said federal regulators need to increase oversight of telephone and cable companies that offer Internet access to ensure they aren't discriminating against certain providers of video and other Web content.

Clean Up Your AJAX Security

How secure is your AJAX? This book can help you avoid the security pitfalls.

Conn. State Workers' Info Ends Up on Web

More than 1,700 state workers recently learned that some of their personal information, including their names and Social Security numbers, had been inadvertently posted on the Internet.

Time Change to Bring Computer Glitches

Change in Daylight Savings Time this year may cause many software programs to malfunction, warns software makers.

Google Shuts Hole in Desktop Product

A potentially devastating hole in Google Inc.'s prevalent desktop search product could have exposed personal files on users' computers to data thieves.

Man Sues IBM Over Chat Room Firing

A man who was fired by IBM for visiting an adult chat room at work is suing the company for $5 million, claiming he is an Internet addict who deserves treatment and sympathy rather than dismissal.

Google Shuts Hole in Desktop Product

A potentially devastating hole in Google Inc.'s prevalent desktop search product could have exposed personal files on users' computers to data thieves. Google fixed the defect within weeks of being informed about it and says it has no evidence the vulnerability was exploited.

Microsoft Ships Vista Deployment Tools

Microsoft announced it is shipping final versions of six tools to aid in deployment of Windows Vista and Office 2007, although some had been previously released.

NY Youths in Plea Deal in MySpace Case

Extortion, illegal computer access among charges against quartet who claimed to have MySpace-monitoring software that could be used for nefarious purposes.

Europe May Ban Giving False Info Online

Some European countries are proposing outlawing the use of fake information to open e-mail accounts or set up Web sites, a move intended to help terror investigations but which could face resistance on a privacy-conscious continent.

Site Entrepreneurs Mull Build or Sell

As Facebook.com's mastermind, Mark Zuckerberg is sitting on a potential gold mine that could make him the next Silicon Valley whiz kid to strike it rich.

One-Third of Net Users Go Wireless

About one-third of Internet users in the U.S. have used a wireless connection to surf the Web or check e-mail, according to a survey released Sunday.

Microsoft To Buy Health Search Firm

Microsoft Monday announced its intent to buy out Medstory Inc., a privately held company that develops intelligent Web search technologies for health information.

NY Youths Get Probation in MySpace Case

Two New York men accused of trying to extort $150,000 from MySpace.com by developing code that tracked visitors pleaded no contest Monday to illegal computer access in a bargain with the prosecution.

Microsoft Opens Health Care Portal, Seeks Partners

Microsoft Corp. put its hat further into the healthcare ring by launching its Microsoft Developer Network Healthcare Industry Center.

Microsoft: Google Was 'Wake-Up Call'

Ray Ozzie says Microsoft will answer with plans that more than mimic its rivals successes.

Microsoft's Ozzie: Google Was 'Wake-Up Call'

Watching Google Inc. rake in advertising revenue "was a wake-up call within Microsoft," the company's top technical executive, Ray Ozzie, said Tuesday. But he said Microsoft plans to do more than simply mimic Google by rolling out Web-based versions of desktop programs or following its particular search and advertising model.

Google Search Growth Outstrips Yahoo, MS

Google's cash cow search engine -- Google Search -- continued to pull ahead of all competitors in usage growth in the U.S. during January, and managed a whopping 40.6 percent year over year growth rate, according to two recent surveys.

Microsoft Unveils Its Vision for Connected Businesses

At its annual Convergence conference this week, Microsoft will put into place the final pieces of its Dynamics ERP strategy by announcing a handful of new applications and partner programs aimed largely at small and medium-size companies (SMBs).

Sweden Plan Would Monitor Communications

Sweden's government presented plan to allow defense intelligence agency to monitor e-mail traffic and phone calls crossing the nation's borders.

SEC Goes After Scam E-Mails on Stock

The Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday suspended trading in 35 companies whose shares were touted in e-mail spam campaigns.

Best Buy Web Site Pricing Probed

Best Buy is under investigation by Connecticut's attorney general after consumers complained they were denied deals found at the electronic retailer's Web site by store employees who pulled up a lookalike site that listed higher prices on some merchandise.

Microsoft Live Search Exec to Leave

The executive who led Microsoft Corp.'s Web search division is leaving the his post with the software maker to start his own business.

Domain Registration Privacy Moves Forward

Many owners of Internet addresses face this quandary: Provide your real contact information when you register a domain name and subject yourself to junk or harassment. Or enter fake data and risk losing it outright.

Microsoft to Acquire Tellme Networks

Microsoft will buy Tellme Networks, which provides voice-enabled mobile search, directory assistance and computerized, speech-driven customer service hotlines.

Lenovo Uses Microsoft Search

Lenovo Group Ltd. became the first computer maker to agree to pre-load Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Live toolbar

Lenovo Computers To Use Microsoft Search

Lenovo Group Ltd. became the first computer maker to agree to pre-load Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Live toolbar and make its search portal the main service on all new computers worldwide.

Judge Drops Charges Against HP's Dunn

Viacom Sues YouTube for $1 Billion

MTV owner Viacom Inc. sued the popular video-sharing site YouTube and its corporate parent, Google Inc., on Tuesday, seeking more than $1 billion in damages on claims of widespread copyright infringement.

Cisco To Pay $3.2B for WebEx

Cisco Systems Inc. said Thursday that it has agreed to acquire the online meeting company WebEx Communications Inc. for about $3.2 billion in cash.

Expression Blend Release Candidate Ships

Microsoft this week began shipping the release candidate for Expression Blend, its new design tool for building Windows user interfaces using the .NET Framework 3.0’s Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF).

Google To Adopt New Privacy Measures

Google Inc. is adopting new privacy measures to make it more difficult to connect online search requests with the people making them -- a thorny issue that provoked a showdown with the U.S. government last year.

Study: Most Computer Attacks Originate in U.S.

The United States generates more malicious computer activity than any other country, and sophisticated hackers worldwide are banding together in highly efficient crime rings, according to a new report.

Gates Promotes PC Training in Colombia

Gates said Microsoft was helping set up computer learning centers in areas where demobilized paramilitary fighters are in dire need of job training.

Most Computer Attacks Originate in U.S.

The United States generates more malicious computer activity than any other country

AOL Introduces Location Plug-In for IM

AOL is offering users of its AIM instant messaging service new capabilities to see where people on their buddy lists are physically located.

FCC OKs Study of Internet Service

The Federal Communications Commission said Thursday it will study the business practices of high-speed Internet providers and consider adopting regulations to ensure all Web traffic is treated equally.

Microsoft Buys Tools Vendor DevBiz

Microsoft announced Monday it has bought out devBiz Business Solutions, a company that specializes in software development tools and components for professional .NET developers.

ICANN Reviews Domain Name Sellers

The key oversight agency for Internet addresses is reviewing the way it oversees businesses that sell domain names in the wake of financial and operational problems that left customers of one company nameless.

Adobe Launching Creative Suite 3

A new version of Adobe Systems Inc.'s Creative Suite software will go on sale next month, a launch that executives have billed as the most significant in the company's 25-year history.

Microsoft Joins OpenAJAX Alliance

In a move that promises to facilitate interoperability of AJAX-based applications developed with different tools and frameworks, Microsoft on Tuesday announced it has joined the OpenAJAX Alliance.

Neiman Marcus Joins MS in Suing Domain Name Companies

Neiman Marcus Group Inc. is suing a pair of domain name companies, accusing them of improperly registering more than 40 Internet addresses that resemble the department store chain's trademarks.

Microsoft Reorgs Search Unit

In an attempt to pull its search efforts out of a slow spiral, Microsoft Wednesday formed a new group to focus on search and advertising, and named two executives to head it.

Court Upholds Ban on States Regulating VoIP

A federal appeals court on Wednesday upheld a decision by the Federal Communications Commission that barred states, including Minnesota, from regulating Internet-based phone services.

Adobe Ships Cross-Platform Apollo Alpha

Adobe announced it is shipping an alpha release of its "Apollo" cross-operating system Web applications platform, with commercial release scheduled for later this year.

Yahoo Promises Unlimited E-Mail Storage

In another reminder of technology's quantum leaps, Yahoo Inc.'s free e-mail service will provide unlimited storage space to its nearly 250 million users worldwide -- a concept that seemed unfathomable just a few years ago.

New Group Created on Domain Name Privacy

A committee of the Internet's key oversight agency agreed Wednesday to form a new working group that would examine how to offer more privacy to small businesses and people with individual Web sites.

Microsoft Spins Off ZenZui

Microsoft this week announced the launch of ZenZui, an independent company partially funded by Microsoft created to market ZenZui's Zooming User Interface, which was patented by Microsoft and was first developed in the Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft Research lab.

Microsoft Previews 'Deepfish' Mobile Browser

Microsoft's Live Labs applied research group announced Wednesday it is making a limited number of previews available for a new mobile browser technology it has intriguingly dubbed "Deepfish."

Microsoft: Attacks on Windows Flaw Rise

Hackers stepped up attacks Friday on computers running some versions of Windows, a day after Microsoft disclosed a hole related to the mouse cursor.

Microsoft Plans Out-of-Cycle Patch for Zero-Day Flaw

We still don't know all that much about the scope of the vulnerability in Microsoft's Windows Animated Cursor handling implementation, but -- based on Redmond's responsiveness thus far -- it seems like a doozy.

Subcommittee Criticizes Google Maps

Google's replacement of post-Hurricane Katrina satellite imagery on its map portal with images of the region before the storm does a "great injustice" to the storm's victims, a congressional subcommittee said.

Google Guffaw: High-Speed Internet John

Presiding over a company with a market value of $143 billion apparently gives Silicon Valley's most famous billionaires a good sense of humor -- and a case of corporate potty mouth.

Google, French News Agency Settle Suit

Agence France-Presse, a global news agency based in Paris, has settled its lawsuit against Google Inc. and will allow the Internet search leader to post news and photos from AFP journalists.

Proposal May Ban Some Turkish Web Sites

A parliamentary commission approved a proposal Thursday allowing Turkey to block Web sites that are deemed insulting to the founder of modern Turkey, weeks after a Turkish court temporarily barred access to YouTube.

Microsoft, Adobe Competition Heats Up

Google To Buy DoubleClick for $3.1B

Seeking to expand its already well-honed ability to sell targeted Internet advertisements, online search leader Google Inc. said it has agreed to pay $3.1 billion in cash to acquire ad-management technology company DoubleClick Inc.

Researchers Explore Scrapping Internet

Although it has already taken nearly four decades to get this far in building the Internet, some university researchers with the federal government's blessing want to scrap all that and start over.

Google Acquires DoubleClick for $3.1B

The boards of both companies have approved the takeover, which is expected to close by the end of the year.

New Opera Browser Shows Glance of 9 Favorites

The latest version of Opera's Web browser lets visitors see mini versions of their nine favorite sites at a glance. Click on any thumbnail to load the full site.

IBM Meets 1Q Earnings Forecast

Google Expands Office Software

Google Inc. plans to launch software similar to Microsoft Corp.'s popular PowerPoint program.

Wireless Security Puts IRS Data at Risk

Internal Revenue Service offices across the nation that use wireless technology are still vulnerable to hackers

Microsoft Warns of Google-DoubleClick Danger

Microsoft isn't taking Google's proposed purchase of DoubleClick lying down.

Vonage Message Mixed on Technology Patch

Vonage Holdings Corp. is delivering conflicting messages on its ability to deploy a substitute technology should the Internet phone provider lose its bid to overturn a jury's verdict that it infringed on Verizon Communications Inc.'s patents.

Google Expands Office Software

Google Inc. plans to launch software similar to Microsoft Corp.'s popular PowerPoint program as the two companies vie to dominate the online experience.

Yahoo Disappointing 1Q Drags Down Stock

Investors were falling in love with Yahoo Inc. again until the Internet icon's disheartening first-quarter results ruined the mood.

Google 1Q Profit Rises 69 Percent

Just like its Internet-leading search engine has a knack for finding the information people ask for, Google Inc. keeps giving Wall Street what it wants -- scintillating earnings growth that eclipses analyst estimates quarter after quarter.

Google-DoubleClick Deal Complaint Filed

A consumer group asked the Federal Trade Commission Friday to investigate and block Google Inc.'s proposed $3.1 billion purchase of online advertising firm DoubleClick Inc. unless the companies improve consumer privacy protections.

Microsoft Unveils Silverlight Streaming

Microsoft today announced Silverlight Streaming, a media-hosting service the company says will allow developers to stream into their Silverlight apps high-quality video and other media stored for free on Redmond's servers.

Researchers Break Internet Speed Records

A group of researchers led by the University of Tokyo has broken Internet speed records -- twice in two days. Operators of the high-speed Internet2 network announced Tuesday that the researchers on Dec. 30 sent data at 7.67 gigabits per second, using standard communications protocols.

Open Source Slowly Gains Momentum on Wall Street

A growing number of financial services firms are embarking on open source projects, but they are moving cautiously when it comes to mission-critical applications.

Data Theft Scam Targets Google Ads

Google Inc. yanked paid advertisements linked to some 20 search terms that online criminals had hijacked to steal banking and other personal information from Web surfers looking for the Better Business Bureau and other sites.

Lawsuit Targets 'Spam Harvesters'

An anti-spam organization filed a federal lawsuit Thursday targeting so-called spam harvesters, who facilitate the mass distribution of junk e-mail by trolling the Internet and collecting millions of e-mail addresses.

Virtual Machine Manager Completely Revamped for Beta 2

New beta called 'quantum leap' by VMM product managers.

Telerik Already Prepping Silverlight Tools

Component vendor Telerik announced this week that it is readying a set of tools for creating applications with Microsoft's Silverlight rich media plug-in, formerly code-named Windows Presentation Foundation/Everywhere (WPF/E).

OpenDNS Aims for Consistent Web Browsing

A provider of Internet addressing services hopes to unify how you navigate the Web when using different browsers and computers.

Adobe Takes Flex SDK Open Source

In a major salvo that ups the stakes in the emerging battle for mindshare among developers and architects building Rich Internet Applications, Adobe today said it is releasing its Flex SDK into the open source community.

Presentation Toolset in Testing Phase

IdentityMine has released a community technology preview, or CTP, of a toolset for Microsoft Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) developers called "Blendables."

Microsoft Moves to the Forefront of Security

Formally announces availability of security suite for Microsoft clients

Microsoft Buys Mobile Advertising Company

Microsoft, perhaps stung by its failure to buy online advertising giant DoubleClick in recent months, announced that it has bought European company ScreenTonic SA, a mobile advertising company.

Microsoft Signs Web Video Deals

Microsoft Corp. has signed deals with Volvo Car Corp. and whisky maker Chivas Brothers Ltd. to support two new Web-only video series from Reveille, the production company behind TV shows "The Office" and "Ugly Betty."

Microsoft's New Hotmail Goes Live

The latest version of Microsoft Corp.'s free Web-based e-mail is now widely available to the public in 36 languages.

Silverlight To Gain Support for Opera Browser

When Microsoft unveiled Silverlight at the MIX07 conference in Las Vegas last week, the new cross-platform browser plug-in for rich media content lacked support for the popular Opera Web browser.

Microsoft Patches a Septet of Critical Flaws

Microsoft published seven new fixes for "critical" vulnerabilities in its Windows, Office, Exchange, Internet Explorer and BizTalk Server products.

Sun Announces JavaFX

Sun Microsystems today unveiled a new product line at its annual JavaOne conference, underway this week in San Francisco. Built on and around Java, JavaFX is aimed at the growing market for rich Internet applications (RIA).

Vista E-Mail Client Replaced by Live Hotmail

Windows Vista's mail client is obsolete after just a few months of life as a commercial product.

Reports: Microsoft Pursuing Yahoo

Microsoft is said to be resuming its pursuit of search engine operator Yahoo, which will help it better compete with search leader Google.

New Domain Names Could Come in Mid-2008

New Internet addresses for general use could start appearing in the summer of 2008 under a timeline the Internet's key oversight agency announced Thursday.

Next Gen of Wi-Fi Planned for Summer

The next generation of wireless Internet products certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance is expected to hit shelves this summer, even though a final standard for the technology isn't due for another year, the industry group says.

Google's Search Engine Goes Universal

In its latest technological leap, online search leader Google Inc. will begin showing videos on its main results page Wednesday along with photos, books and other content previously separated into different categories.

Microsoft Buys Stake in CareerBuilder

Microsoft Corp. said Wednesday it has acquired a minority stake in job-listings partner CareerBuilder.com and will use that job-search engine on MSN sites overseas in a bid to capture more of the classified advertising money migrating to the Web.

Microsoft Gets Its Online Advertising Company

After missing out on DoubleClick and other high-profile companies, Microsoft finally got its foot in the Internet advertising door by buying aQuantive Inc. for $6 billion in cash.

Online Advertiser Buying Spree Continues

WPP Group PLC, the world's second-largest advertising and marketing conglomerate, is buying the online advertising company 24/7 Real Media Inc. for $649 million, the companies announced Thursday.

New Web Site Opens Technology to Women, Minority-Owned Businesses

Women and minority-owned businesses have a new technical training partner: Biz Tech-Connect. Microsoft is part of a consortium of companies that designed the free Web resource to help women and minority entrepreneurs use the Internet and other technology to help grow their businesses.

EU Probes Google Over Privacy Concerns

An independent European Union panel has launched an investigation into whether Google Inc.'s Internet search engine abides by European privacy rules.

U.S. House Approves Bill To Combat Spyware

The House passed legislation Tuesday to combat the criminal use of Internet spyware and scams aimed at stealing personal information from computer users.

Microsoft Exec Slams Door on Yahoo Deal Speculation

If there was any lingering doubt about whether Microsoft's recent announcement to buy online advertising firm aQuantive spelled the end of its dalliance with Yahoo, they were laid to rest yesterday.

Software Plus Services Means Greater Choice, Microsoft Exec Says

What does the "plus" mean in Microsoft's Software Plus Services? A keynote talk by John DeVadoss, director of architecture strategy at Microsoft, provided an explanation. He spoke on the topic, "Software Plus Services: Towards a Model of Differentiated IT" at the Enterprise Architect Summit 2007 event held this week.

Study: More Spam but Fewer Complaints

Spam messages are increasingly plaguing e-mail inboxes, but more Americans are accepting them as a fact of life, a new study finds.

Google, Salesforce.com Discuss Alliance

Salesforce.com Inc.'s stock price climbed by more than 4 percent Monday in response to a report that the online software pioneer is poised to team up with Internet search leader Google Inc. in a double-barreled attack on Microsoft Corp.

'Popfly' To Help Bring Silverlight to the Masses

Microsoft has revealed one way it hopes to foster rapid adoption of Silverlight, its new technology for building rich Internet applications.

Gates, Jobs Make Rare Joint Appearance

Legendary technology rivals Bill Gates and Steve Jobs made a rare joint appearance Wednesday and wasted no time making nice.

Google Chairman Dismisses Privacy Issue

Google Chairman Eric Schmidt said Wednesday that U.S. regulatory approval of his company's proposed acquisition of DoubleClick will not be hindered by concerns over privacy.

Google, South Korean Co Mull Wider Deal

The top executives of Google Inc. and Daum Communications Corp., South Korea's No. 2 Internet search engine, met Tuesday to discuss broadening their partnership, Daum said.

Novell Publishes Details of Microsoft Agreement

As a part of its annual report and SEC 10K filings, Novell has included access to the agreements signed with Microsoft on the distribution of SuSE Linux free of any potential Microsoft patent claims.

FTC Probing Google-DoubleClick Deal

The Federal Trade Commission has opened an antitrust investigation into Google Inc.'s proposed $3.1 billion purchase of ad-management technology company DoubleClick Inc.

GoDaddy Agrees To Run Domains in Limbo

GoDaddy.com, the leading registration company for Internet domain names, has agreed to take over and manage more than 850,000 addresses belonging to customers of a troubled rival, officials announced Tuesday.

Microsoft Releases Host of 'Live' Betas

Microsoft Product Manager Nick White announced betas for Windows Live Messenger 8.5, Windows Live Mail, and Windows Live Writer.

Yahoo's Chief Tech Officer Resigns

Yahoo Inc.'s chief technology officer is resigning after nearly a decade on the job, creating a management void as the Internet icon tries to mine more profits from a recent upgrade to its system for delivering online ads.

Man Described As a Top Spammer Arrested

A 27-year-old man described as one of the world's most prolific spammers was arrested Wednesday, and federal authorities said computer users across the Web could notice a decrease in the amount of junk e-mail.

Gates, Jobs Make Rare Joint Appearance

Legendary technology rivals Bill Gates and Steve Jobs made a rare joint appearance Wednesday and wasted no time making nice.

Google Goes Offline

When Google announced its latest foray into an area of software in which Microsoft holds dominance, it was hard to miss the swipes aimed at Redmond. The search giant has decided that it will no longer confine itself to online-only technologies, but wants to live in the offline world and compete with Microsoft there as well.

Google Hires Former DOJ Lawyer To Lobby

Google Inc. has hired a former Justice Department official to lobby the federal government on its proposed $3.1 billion acquisition of DoubleClick Inc., which is being reviewed by antitrust regulators.

Microsoft Makes Another Linux IP Protection Deal

Microsoft continues to collect Linux development and distribution companies under its promise not to sue them for patent infringement. Following on the controversial recent deal with Novell, the company announced Monday at its TechEd conference in Orlando that it has reached a similar agreement with Xandros Inc.

Salesforce.com Creates Google Ad Channel

Online software pioneer Salesforce.com Inc. will help Internet search leader Google Inc. sell ads as part of a partnership that falls short of Wall Street's anticipation since word of the alliance leaked last month.

Ask.com Brings New Dimension to Web Search

Internet search engine Ask.com has been chasing market leader Google Inc. for years without making much headway, but that hasn't deterred its engineers from trying to set the pace for innovation.

Study: Music, Tech Search Terms Riskiest

Search terms related to music and technology are most likely to return sites with spyware and other malicious code, a new study finds.

Study: IIS More Likely To Be Compromised

Apache and IIS are equally at fault for pumping malware into the wild, according to a new study.

Another Patent Protection Deal for Microsoft

Microsoft continues to push forward its program granting amnesty to potential patent violators, this time inking South Korea's LG Electronics (LGE) to a deal.

Review: Portland Wi-Fi a Mixed Offering

It rains a lot in Portland. So on days when the sun's rays make it all the way to the ground, who wouldn't want to take the city's new free Wi-Fi service for a spin?

Adobe Flexing Into the AIR

Making good on its recent promise to take its rich Internet application development environment into the open source arena, Adobe Systems Inc. has released the public beta of its next generation of Flex 3 development tools.

Researchers: Safari for Windows Very Buggy

The biggest news Apple Inc. made yesterday at the opening of its Worldwide Developers Conference was its announcement that it had ported its Safari Web browser to Windows. CEO Steve Jobs called the beta of Safari 3 "the most innovative browser in the world, and the fastest browser on Windows." He could have added "the most insecure browser on Windows" to that list of superlatives.

Watchdog Group Slams Google on Privacy

Google Inc.'s privacy practices are the worst among the Internet's top destinations, according to a watchdog group seeking to intensify the recent focus on how the online search leader handles personal information about its users.

EU Welcomes Google Offer on Privacy

EU justice chief Franco Frattini said Wednesday that Internet search leader Google Inc. had offered to cut the time it retains data on user searches from the current 24 months to 18 months amid growing concerns it could be violating EU privacy rules.

Yahoo CEO Upbeat at Annual Meeting

Coming off Yahoo Inc.'s toughest year since the dot-com bust, Chairman Terry Semel remained upbeat Tuesday as he faced shareholders who have watched their investments shrivel while rival Google Inc. sprinted further ahead in the online advertising race.

Eligibility Expands for IE Web Certificate

Smaller and newer businesses will now be able to get security certificates that trigger a green address bar in Microsoft browsers under new rules ratified this week.

FBI Pulls Plug on Several Botnet Hackers

More than 1 million computers -- possibly yours, too -- are used by hackers as remote-controlled robots to crash online systems, accept spam and steal users' personal information, the FBI said Wednesday.

Bail Denied for Alleged 'Spam King'

A man accused of defrauding people through tens of millions of spam e-mail messages sent around the world was denied bail Wednesday.

Yahoo's Struggles Put CEO on Hot Seat

Just before Google Inc. went public nearly three years ago, Yahoo Inc. Chairman Terry Semel assured a roomful of securities analysts and money managers that his company would remain the Internet's brightest star. To punctuate his high hopes, Frank Sinatra's "The Best Is Yet to Come" played in the background.

Yahoo Weighs in on Free Speech in China

China should not punish people for expressing their political views on the Internet, Yahoo Inc. said Monday, a day after the mother of a Chinese reporter announced she was suing the U.S. company for helping officials imprison her son.

Google Charges Microsoft With Illegal Search Practices

Google has raised the ghost of Microsoft's past -- anti-competitive practices -- in a complaint to the U.S. government about Windows Vista.

Apple Extends Web Browser to Windows

Apple launched a version of Safari for Windows-based PCs, pitting it against Internet Explorer and Firefox.

Yahoo's New CEO Facing Tough Challenge

Yahoo Inc. thinks it's back on the right track now that co-founder Jerry Yang has replaced Terry Semel as chief executive, but analysts and investors already are wondering whether the shake-up is just a prelude to more radical measures, including a possible sale or breakup of the troubled Internet icon.

Silverlight To Run On Linux This Week

Novell later this week will demonstrate Microsoft’s Silverlight 1.1 browser plug-in running on Linux.

Yahoo Replaces CEO Terry Semel

Yahoo Inc. Chairman Terry Semel ended his six-year tenure as chief executive officer Monday and will hand over the reins to co-founder Jerry Yang in the Internet icon's latest attempt to regain investor confidence.

Microsoft Launches Chinese Media Venture

Microsoft Corp. and a major Chinese TV set maker announced Monday they will jointly develop entertainment products linking television and the Internet, joining a race to profit from the Web's growing status as a channel to distribute movies and other programs.

EBay-Google Spat Hints at Larger Tension

A spat that erupted this week between eBay Inc. and Google Inc. after Google tried to siphon attention from the online auctioneer's grand user celebration might presage more tension in one of the Internet's most interesting new rivalries.

Report: Google Could be Threatened by Drop in Search Ad Spending

Internet advertising will continue to be red-hot into the future, according to a new report, but some cold water was thrown in Google's direction as the same report stated that search-related advertising will lose market share.

AT&T Unveils Push To Stem Online Piracy

In a break with other Internet service providers, AT&T Inc. will work with Hollywood studios and recording labels to devise technology that identifies offshore content pirates who use its network to upload illegal copies of movies and music.

New Domains in Works at Internet Meeting

New Internet addresses, including those entirely in foreign languages, are under review by a key oversight agency, although meetings this week in Puerto Rico are likely to conclude with more questions.

EBay Returns to Google Advertising

After a spat between two of the world's largest Internet companies, online auctioneer eBay Inc. said Friday it would resume running advertising through Google Inc.

Google Asks Gov't To Fight Censorship

Once relatively indifferent to government affairs, Google Inc. is seeking help inside the Beltway to fight the rise of Web censorship worldwide.

Opera Software Reshuffles After Struggle

Key shareholders in Opera Software ASA have reshuffled the board of directors after a reported power struggle between board members and the company's chief executive and founder, Jon S. von Tetzchner.

Swiss Internet Terror Trial Opens

A North African man and his wife went on trial Wednesday on charges they ran Web sites that supported al-Qaida-linked groups with videos of people killed by terrorists and information on how to make bombs.

Backlash Against IP Protection Deals Heating Up

For the past several weeks, there has been a rush among some Linux vendors to ink patent protection deals with Microsoft. But that may have spurred a backlash, as other Linux companies are asserting their independence by refusing to go along with what they see as knuckling under to Microsoft's legal threats.

UPDATED: Microsoft To Make Changes to Vista Search

Microsoft has agreed to make changes to its search capabilities in Windows Vista, in response to federal anti-competitive charges leveled by Google. The changes will be part of Vista's service pack 1, which Microsoft said it hopes to have ready by the "end of the year."

Report: News Corp. in Yahoo Talks

Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. is discussing swapping social networking Web site MySpace for a 25 percent stake in Yahoo Inc., The Times newspaper reported Wednesday.

Image Attachments for Spam Decline

A common spamming technique of sending unwanted e-mail pitches as image attachments rather than text is on the decline, as spammers continue adapting their methods for sneaking past e-mail filters.

The Bugs Keep Coming for Safari on Windows

Unless there's a pressing need in your environment, you might want to hold off on installing the beta of Apple's Safari browser for Windows, as every day seems to bring a new bug report.

UPDATED: Vista Desktop Search Fight Gets Uglier

The Microsoft-Google spitting match over desktop search is getting wetter every day, with Google now claiming that Microsoft's remedies don't go far enough, and Microsoft arguing that Google has a bad case of sour grapes.

Judge Sides With Microsoft in Vista Search Complaint

A federal judge has sided with Microsoft in Google's most recent complaint that Microsoft remedies to open Vista search up to competitors don't go far enough.

Oct. Launch Planned for '.asia' Domain

Internet addresses ending in ".asia" will be open to governments and trademark owners starting in October, with general registrations coming in 2008.

A Peek Inside Google

A Microsoft employee who is also an ex-Google employee gave some insight into working conditions at his old job, including the perhaps surprising to some fact that Microsoft is a better place to work.

Agency Urges Caution on Net Neutrality

The chairman of the Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday recommended against additional regulation of high-speed Internet traffic.

Google Takes Enterprise Search Appliances to the Channel

Consumer search giant Google is entering a partnership with Ingram Micro Inc. to distribute the Google Search Appliance and the Google Mini, according to a Google blog entry on Wednesday.

iPhone Lure Used in Hacker Exploit

The iPhone hype makes it a natural target -- by scammers looking to sell Apple's first cell phone for a huge markup, and also by hackers looking to add to their bot networks.

Google Goes Back to Court Over Vista Desktop Search

Google remains undaunted in its quest to become a legal player in the battle to keep Windows Vista's desktop search subject to federal scrutiny.

Google-DoubleClick Deal Draws Criticism

Europe's major consumer group BEUC said Wednesday that it feared Internet search engine Google Inc.'s takeover of online ad tracker DoubleClick Inc. would damage European Union privacy rights and limit consumers' choice of Web content.

Google Buys Postini for $625 Million

Google Inc. is buying e-mail security specialist Postini Inc. for $625 million, fortifying the Internet search leader's effort to sell online software services to corporate customers seeking alternatives to Microsoft Corp.'s long-dominant products.

AOL To Pay $3M, Reform Cancel Policies

Averting a looming court battle over how it has been handling the exodus from its Internet dial-up service, AOL has agreed to make it easier for its remaining customers to leave as part of a $3 million settlement with 48 states and the District of Columbia.

IE 7 Cross-Browser Scripting Exploit Goes Zero Day

Just this week, a security researcher alerted Internet Explorer users (and Microsoft itself) to a new input validation vulnerability in IE 7.0.

Live CRM: Can Microsoft Pull It Off?

Microsoft has jumped with both feet into the software plus services end of the pool, announcing the unveiling at its Worldwide Partner Conference this week of Microsoft Dynamics Live CRM.

Citizen Journalism Site To Shut Down

A news site that has allowed its users to write and submit their own articles is shutting down, citing unspecified "business issues."

Stock Tip Blogger Detained in China

A blogger who sold stock picks to thousands of subscribers has been detained in northern China, as regulators try to reign in freelance operators amid a booming stock market.

Yahoo Closes Right Media Deal

Yahoo Inc. took control of online advertising exchange Right Media Inc. on Thursday, giving the slumping Internet portal a head start on rivals Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp. in a heated race to build more powerful marketing vehicles.

Google Offers To Run Site Search Engines

Google Inc. is offering to run the search engines of small Web sites for as little as $100 per year, marking the company's latest attempt to make more money off technology that already steers much of the Internet's traffic.

Games Boost Microsoft's Search Share

Microsoft suddenly boosted its share of the search market last month by playing a shrewd game of chicken.

Games Boost Microsoft's Search Share

Microsoft, long stuck in third place behind Google and Yahoo in the search wars, suddenly boosted its share of the market last month by playing a shrewd game of chicken.

Microsoft 4Q Profit Edges Up 7 Percent

Microsoft Corp.'s fiscal fourth-quarter profit edged up 7 percent, despite a hefty charge to cover the cost of defective Xbox 360 video game consoles.

Google Expands Sales of Print Ads

Google Inc. is expanding a test program that lets online advertisers buy ad space in newspapers, as the publishing industry struggles to offset business that has moved to the Internet.

Google's Profit Falls Short, Shares Drop

Google Inc.'s second-quarter profit climbed 28 percent, but it wasn't enough to fulfill Wall Street's high expectations for the Internet's search leader.

Dell To Buy Managed Services Provider

Dell, which has been expanding its distribution channels and offerings over the last several years, broadened its reach even further with the announcement that it's buying SilverBack Technologies.

Salesforce.com Launches Summer '07 Release

On-demand software pioneer Salesforce.com has unveiled Salesforce Summer '07, the 23rd upgrade to its customer relationship management solution, which brings with it Apex Code and the company's "Platform as a Service" approach.

Ask.com To Stop Data Retention

Ask.com became the first major search engine to promise users it won't store data on their queries, giving the privacy conscious the option of conducting research on the Internet in relative anonymity.

Researchers Seek Cash for Software Flaws

For some security researchers who uncover flaws in leading computer programs, a nod of appreciation from software companies is no longer enough. Now they want money.

Microsoft, Yahoo Tweak Privacy Policies

Hopping on the privacy-protection bandwagon, Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc. are limiting how long their Internet search engines retain potentially sensitive data about their users.

Microsoft Expansion on Horizon

Microsoft is changing, CEO Steve Ballmer said Thursday, with new frontiers opening in the areas of advertising, hardware and electronics.

MySpace Finds 29,000 Sex Offenders

MySpace.com has found more than 29,000 registered sex offenders with profiles on the popular social networking Web site -- more than four times the number cited by the company two months ago, officials in two states Tuesday.

Digg Fires Google for Online Ads

Digg Inc., a reader-powered news site, fired Google Inc. as its online advertising partner Wednesday in favor of a company Digg's top executive described as young and willing to take risks: Microsoft Corp.

Apple 3Q Profit Surges More Than 73 Pct.

Apple Inc.'s fiscal third-quarter profit soared more than 73 percent, fueled by demand for its Macintosh computers and the strength of its iPod media players.

Amazon Shares Soar on Strong Q2 Profit

Shares of Amazon.com Inc. soared 26 percent on Wednesday, a day after the Web retailer reported its second-quarter profit more than tripled on strong sales of books, music and electronics.

Blogger Outed: Forbes Editor Is 'Fake Steve'

At long last, someone has cracked one of the technology world's biggest mysteries -- the identity of Fake Steve, a sharp-tongued blogger who had tech aficionados in stitches with a satiric diary purporting to be from Apple CEO Steve Jobs.

Microsoft Web Server Threatens Open Source Leader

Microsoft's Web server, Internet Information Server (IIS), continues to gain against longtime leader Apache, and could end up surpassing it if current trends continue.

New Republic Blogger Questioned

A magazine gets a hot story straight from a soldier in Iraq and publishes his writing, complete with gory details, under a pseudonym. The stories are chilling: An Iraqi boy befriends American troops and later has his tongue cut out by insurgents. Soldiers mock a disfigured woman sitting near them in a dining hall. As a diversion, soldiers run over dogs with armored personnel carriers. Compelling stuff, and, according to the Army, not true.

AQuantive Approves Microsoft Buyout

Shareholders of online advertising company aQuantive Inc. approved a buyout offer from Microsoft Corp. at a meeting in downtown Seattle Thursday.

Microsoft Closes $6B Buyout of AQuantive

In closing a $6 billion buyout of digital marketing company aQuantive on Monday, Microsoft is taking a first step in its quest to leapfrog Yahoo and challenge Google in the online advertising business.

Microsoft Prototype FCC Device Broken

Microsoft Corp. on Monday gave a simple reason why its prototype for beaming high-speed Internet service over unused television airways failed a government test: the device was broken.

Skype Outage Caused by Microsoft Update

A two-day outage that left millions of Skype users unable to use the popular Internet phone service was caused by an abnormally high number of restarts after people had downloaded a Windows security update, the company said Monday.

Google Distributing Sun Office Software

Two years after announcing a somewhat vague software-distribution partnership, Google Inc. and Sun Microsystems Inc. have clarified their tactics for jointly attacking Microsoft Corp. and its ubiquitous Office software.

Microsoft On Skype Outage: Don't Blame Us

Microsoft's official stance on the recent Skype outage that left millions of users without phone access for two days last week? "Hey, it's not our fault."

China: Bloggers Should Use Real Names

Blog service providers in China are "encouraged" to register users with their real names and contact information, according to a new government document that tones down an earlier proposal banning anonymous online blogging.

Airline Sues Google Over Keyword Ads

American Airlines is suing Google Inc. over the Internet company's sale of keywords ads for rivals triggered by its own trademarks.

Search Changes Coming in Vista SP1

Although Microsoft didn't mention it in today's announcement about the upcoming release of Windows Vista SP1, the company confirmed today that one of the major changes will be to open up desktop search functionality to competition.

Levanta Offers VM Management App for Linux

Levanta is offering a virtual machine version of its Linux life-cycle management product that's similar to the company's flagship physical appliance. The product, called Intrepid VM Linux Management Appliance, is available as a free software download.

EarthLink To Cut 900 Jobs

Shares of EarthLink Inc. climbed more than 6 percent Tuesday after the Internet service provider said it would cut 900 jobs -- or about half its work force -- and close four offices in an effort to reduce operating costs.

Ark. Computers Delete Huckabee Criticism

Internet criticism of Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee's involvement in the pardon of a castrated rapist and his heavy use of a state airplane disappeared with a mouse click.

W3C Publishes Web Services Policy 1.5

Group devises a more flexible method of handling policy changes for Web services and service-oriented architectures.

Yahoo Buying Ad Network for $300 Million

Yahoo Inc. is buying online advertising network BlueLithium for $300 million in cash, building upon an expansion aimed at ending a financial malaise that has ravaged the Internet pioneer's stock price.

'Windows Live' Gets a Step Closer to Live

The next beta versions of the products that make up the Windows Live suite were made available today.

Capgemini To Support Google Software

Technology consultancy Capgemini will begin recommending Google Inc.'s online suite of office software to its corporate customers, bolstering the Internet search leader's effort to drum up more sales to big businesses.

Anti-Spam Law Challenged

Virginia's law banning the massive distribution of junk e-mail is an unconstitutional barrier to free speech, a lawyer for a former spammer told the state's highest court Wednesday.

Feds: 'Iceman' Was Internet ID Thief

A man who used the Internet alias "Iceman" stole credit card and identity information from tens of thousands of people by hacking into the computers of financial institutions and credit card processing centers, federal authorities said Tuesday.

Cisco CFO Reaffirms Financial Outlook

Cisco Systems Inc. is still on track to meet its financial targets for the coming years as demand for bandwidth continues to drive network equipment sales, the company's chief financial officer said.

Google Unveils PowerPoint Competitor

Google Docs, which is trying to muscle in on Microsoft's Office suite, has released its PowerPoint counterpart, known as "Google Presentations."

Adobe Shares Rise in Wake of 3Q Results

Shares of software maker Adobe Systems Inc. rose Tuesday, a day after reporting its third-quarter profit more than doubled on a 41 percent revenue increase.

Yahoo To Buy Zimbra for $350M

Yahoo Inc. is buying e-mail service Zimbra Inc. for $350 million in an all-cash deal that may open a new revenue channel for the slumping Internet icon.

Google Launches Global Privacy Crusade

Drawing upon its clout as the Internet's most powerful company, Google Inc. is calling on businesses and regulators throughout the world to adopt international standards for protecting consumer privacy online and offline.

Search Startup Ready To Challenge Google

The dozens of entrepreneurs gathered for an exclusive high-tech conference here Monday all hope to dazzle the crowd with their ingenuity.

Microsoft Loses European Court Appeal

A European court upheld earlier ruling that Microsoft abused its monopoly position on several fronts.

IBM Goes After Office With Free Desktop Suite

The no-cost alternatives for Microsoft Office just keep growing: IBM announced yesterday that it is now offering Lotus Symphony, a free suite of "enterprise-grade" software featuring word processing, spreadsheet and presentation applications for Windows and Linux.

Symantec CEO Urges Cookie Notification

The head of a leading security software vendor denounced the use of data files commonly used by Google Inc. and other Web sites to track user activity, saying such sites should seek permission ahead of time.

SAP Aims To Ride SaaS Wave

Although technology companies like to say they can revolutionize any business, many blue-chip vendors have concentrated on selling only to certain businesses: the biggest ones.

NJ Man Admits Planting Computer 'Bomb'

A computer administrator at one of the nation's largest prescription drug management companies admitted Wednesday he planted an electronic "bomb" in the company's computer system.

DMTF Hammers Out SMASH 2.0

The Distributed Management Task Force, an industry organization advocating the development of interoperable server management, has released Systems Management Architecture for Server Hardware 2.0.

Microsoft Adds 20 Advertising Clients

Microsoft Corp. said Sunday it has added 20 new advertising clients since the acquisition of online ad company aQuantive closed six weeks ago.

Report: Microsoft May Buy Facebook Stake

Setting the stage for a possible bidding battle, Microsoft Corp. is mulling an investment in Facebook Inc. that would value the rapidly growing online hangout at $10 billion or more, according to a report published Monday.

EU To Review Google Bid for DoubleClick

European Union regulators will decide before November whether to clear Google Inc.'s $3.1 billion takeover bid for online ad tracker DoubleClick or study the issue further.

Microsoft Changes Video Ad Tactic

Microsoft Corp. is testing a way to present video advertising that's less annoying to Web surfers.

Microsoft Rolls Out Search Improvements

Microsoft is rolling out changes to its search engine aimed at narrowing the gap between it and market leader Google Inc.

Enterprise Web 2.0: More Than a Facelift

There are important differences between consumer Web 2.0 applications and next-gen Web apps in the enterprise, said Oracle's Chief Architect Ted Farrell, and developers who want their applications to succeed in the latter environment need to appreciate those differences.

Senate Panel Probes Google's Acquisition

Senators expressed no outright opposition to Google's $3.1 billion purchase of online advertising firm DoubleClick at a hearing focused on the deal's potential threats to competition and consumer privacy.

SaaS Spells Disruption for Partners, Report Says

Change is a painful thing, and there's nothing like software as a service (SaaS) to inspire dread, especially among the IT partner community. A new study from IDC takes a look at trends happening now that likely will have a "disruptive effect" on the traditional channel partner model as SaaS begins to mature.

Microsoft Opens Its Office to the Internet

Microsoft today rolled out a new service for its Office suite that adds online collaboration features but still requires documents to be created and edited on the desktop.

Microsoft Launches Health Records Site

Microsoft Corp. launched a Web site Thursday for managing personal health and medical information, jumping into an industry whose digital future is clouded by privacy worries.

Sample Non-English Domains Coming Soon

Sample addresses in nearly a dozen languages will be added to the Internet's central directories as early as next week, paving the way for Web surfers around the world to get online without knowing any English.

Yahoo Upgrades Online Search Engine

Yahoo Inc. has retooled its online search engine to make it more helpful and engaging, joining an industrywide wave of improvements that so far haven't dented Google Inc.'s dominance.

Online Videos May Be Conduits for Viruses

Online videos aren't just for bloopers and rants -- some might also be conduits for malicious code that can infect your computer.

Google Boosts Corporate E-Mail Service

Google Inc. is sprucing up its corporate e-mail service by adding new security tools and more than doubling the storage capacity of e-mailboxes, underscoring the online search leader's ambition to enlarge its role in the business software market.

Distributed Computing Studies Get Google, IBM Support

Google and IBM are providing resources to universities focusing on Internet-scale application studies.

After 3Q Loss, EBay Reorganizes Skype

EBay Inc.'s Skype division has let down eBay executives, but they're confident they can reorganize the troubled Internet phone unit and make it more useful to people outside of the online marketplace.

Microsoft Pulls One Fix From 'Patch Tuesday'

Microsoft rolled out six security bulletins on its "Patch Tuesday" today, one fewer than expected.

Study: Google Gets Bulk of World Search

Around the world, Internet users are conducting about 1.4 million searches every minute _ most of them through Google Inc., a new comScore study estimates.

HP Unveils Its SaaS Strategy

HP is offering its Business Technology Optimization solutions as both an on-premises installed solution and as a hosted solution delivered via software-as-a-service (SaaS). The SaaS option is not well known, perhaps, but it's a growing part of HP's general software strategy.

Microsoft Adds Web Invitation Tool

Microsoft Corp. has added a digital party-invitation service to its suite of Windows Live Web services.

Agency Seeks To Quell Cell Phone Rumors

An e-mail warning consumers that cell phone numbers will soon be released to telemarketers is making the rounds again, and government officials have a key detail they'd like to add: it's totally bogus.

Rights Group Condemns China Net Controls

An international media rights group called on China to loosen controls on news and personal expression on the Internet, saying the country's system of censorship is an insult to the spirit of online freedom.

China Jails Woman for Internet Lies

Police in central China have jailed a 50-year-old woman for posing as a teenage rape victim on the Internet, an official and state media said Wednesday.

EU Examining Google-DoubleClick Bid

The European Commission said Monday it would take until Nov. 13 to examine Google Inc.'s $3.1 billion bid for online ad tracker DoubleClick to review its proposals meant to eliminate antitrust concerns.

YouTube Opens Taiwan Site

Google Inc.'s YouTube said Thursday it has launched a version of the video-sharing site in Taiwan in its latest push to expand in foreign markets.

IT Must Tackle 5 Trends, Analyst Group Says

The points of change cited by the research firm include Web 2.0-style apps, SaaS, global-class computing, "consumerization" of IT and open source.

Ballmer: Search Like 'Precocious' Tot

Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer compared the company's search technology to a precocious toddler -- one who would eventually grow up to rival nemesis Google Inc.

Microsoft Adds Mobile Device Management to Lineup

Microsoft added a new server to its lineup today, this one aimed at the growing mobile technology market.

Cisco To Buy Navini for $330 Million

Cisco Systems Inc. is snapping up privately held Navini Networks Inc. for $330 million, extending the networking equipment maker's acquisition streak and providing the latest validation for the new wireless network technology called WiMax.

Latest Microsoft Patent Protection Deal: Turbolinux

Microsoft has signed its first patent protection deal with a Linux vendor based in Asia.

Whois May Be Scrapped To Break Deadlock

Tech industry lawyer Mark Bohannon frequently taps a group of searchable databases called Whois to figure out who may be behind a Web site that distributes pirated software or tricks visitors into revealing passwords.

Is U.S. Stuck in Internet's Slow Lane?

The United States is starting to look like a slowpoke on the Internet. Examples abound of countries that have faster and cheaper broadband connections, and more of their population connected to them.

Google Gets More Social With New Network

Google Inc. is setting up a distribution network for social networking applications, adding a new twist in the Internet search leader's brewing rivalry with rapidly maturing startup Facebook Inc.

Internet Tax Moratorium Goes to Bush

A bill to extend a moratorium on Internet access taxes for seven years was approved 402-0 by the House Tuesday, less than two days before it was set to expire.

Microsoft Deal Values Facebook at $15B

It's hard to determine what's more surprising about Microsoft Corp.'s investment in Facebook Inc. -- the appraisal that valued a 3 1/2-year-old Internet hangout at $15 billion or the rare snub of online search leader Google Inc.

Google Stock Barrels Through $700

Google Inc.'s stock price barreled through $700 for the first time Wednesday, propelled by a belief that the Internet search leader will become even more profitable as it plants its products and services in new markets.

Microsoft Gives Away Search Server 2008

Microsoft said that it's giving away Search Server 2008 Express in release candidate form to anyone who wants it, just by downloading it directly from Microsoft's Web site.

New Google-Microsoft Squabble Seen on Social Networking Front

Google's attempt to take a leading role in social networking has some pundits saying yet another Google vs. Microsoft battle scenario is playing out.

Google Seeks Social Networking High Ground

Google's attempt to grab moral high ground in the social networking development is a step in the right direction, according to industry analysts.

Privacy Groups Target Online Advertising

A coalition of privacy groups Wednesday called for creation of a "Do Not Track List," that would prohibit advertisers from tracking online movements of consumers.

Whois Studies Approved, Privacy Deferred

A panel on Internet names voted Wednesday to defer long-simmering questions on whether names, phone numbers and other private information on domain name owners should remain public in open, searchable databases called Whois.

Windows Live Emerges From Beta

After a trickle of updates and "betas" bearing the Windows Live moniker, Microsoft Corp. is ready to start promoting its official package of free desktop programs for e-mail, instant messaging, blogging and sharing photos.

Brazil Web Forum Takes on Cybercrime

The Internet is a powerful tool for free expression and dissent, but those freedoms have also helped child pornographers, predators, terrorists and other cybercriminals.

TV Spectrum Opening for Wireless Devices

A U.N. telecoms meeting decided Thursday to give mobile service providers access to bandwidth currently reserved for terrestrial television broadcasts, offering the promise of high-speed Internet access on-the-move anywhere in the world by 2015.

U.S. Control of Internet Remains Issue

A U.N.-sponsored Internet conference ended Thursday with little to show in closing the issue of U.S. control over how people around the world access e-mail and Web sites.

Cisco Shares Fall on Sluggish U.S. Orders

Cisco Systems Inc. shares fell more than 6 percent Thursday amid worry that fluctuations in U.S. business orders are hampering its growth.

Microsoft CEO Plays Down Google Threat

Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer, in Tokyo to launch new Windows Live services, played down the threat of Google on Thursday, denying the rival was ahead in any way but in online searches.

Two Hotfixes for Patch Tuesday

In one of the least stress-inducing Patch Tuesdays in memory, Microsoft released just two security bulletins today, one "Critical" and one "Important."

EU To Deepen Google-DoubleClick Inquiry

European Union antitrust regulators launched an in-depth probe Tuesday into Google Inc.'s $3.1 billion bid for online ad broker DoubleClick, saying an initial investigation showed the deal would raise competition concerns.

Philly Wi-Fi Network Hits Snags, Delays

Alfred Zaccaria was finally going to leave the world of dial-up for high-speed access to the Internet without having to pay a lot more for service.

News Web Sites Seek More Search Control

The desire for greater control over how search engines index and display Web sites is driving an effort by leading news organizations and other publishers to revise a 13-year-old technology for restricting access.

Adobe, Yahoo Partner on Ads

Adobe Systems Inc. and Yahoo Inc. plan to launch a service Thursday allowing publishers to insert advertisements into many online newsletters or other electronic documents.

Microsoft Not Giving Thanks for Vulnerabilities

Microsoft finds itself continuing to fend off two security threats, both coming about during the Thanksgiving holiday.

Justices Turn Down Online Piracy Case

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to consider an appeal by an online publisher that claims credit-card companies are enabling the piracy of its pictures of nude models.

Web the Perfect Medium for Ad Targeting

Golf club manufacturers have long placed ads in printed golf magazines. Movie studios tend to run television spots before a weekend rather than after. Targeting got even more precise as advertising moved to the Internet.

7 Fixes for Final Patch Tuesday of 2007

Microsoft's last Patch Tuesday release of 2007 is a big one -- seven fixes, with three of them deemed "Critical" and four labeled "Important."

Centric CRM Releases Suite, Becomes 'Concursive'

Norfolk, Va.-based Centric CRM has changed its name to Concursive Corporation to reflect the evolution of the company's product line to beyond customer relationship management (CRM) functionality.

New Exploit Targets Internet Explorer

Researcher in New Zealand discovered holes in Microsoft's Web Proxy Automatic Discovery (WPAD) program.

Microsoft To Serve Ads for CNBC.com

Microsoft Corp. said Monday it will provide online advertising for CNBC's financial news Web site.

No Surprises in Last Patch Tuesday for 2007

As expected, the last Patch Tuesday offers fixes for seven vulnerabilities -- three of them critical -- and sets the tone for 2008 as the "year of the Vista Patch."

House Member Questions Google

A House Republican on Wednesday sent a letter to Google Inc., asking the Internet search company to provide more information about its search practices and targeted advertising.

Microsoft Posts Office Live Workspace Beta

Microsoft posted a "public" beta of Office Live Workspace, cloud-based functions that it says complement its on-premise Office franchise.

Internet Explorer Problems Explode

With hundreds of millions of lines of code contained in Web browser applications, even the most informed and seasoned developers are bound to overlook a couple of things.

Microsoft To Serve Ads on Viacom Sites

The media company that owns MTV, Nickelodeon and Paramount Pictures said Wednesday that it will now advertise online through Microsoft Corp. as part of a larger deal.

Adobe 4th Quarter Profit Climbs

After a year of record revenue and the departure of a longtime CEO, executives at Adobe Systems Inc. say 2008 will bring additional product releases and the completion of an aggressive stock buyback program.

Patch Locks Out Some IE Users

Harold Decker usually installs Microsoft's security patches the day after the release, one Wednesday a month with no fanfare.

EU Worries About Privacy in Google Deal

European lawmakers plan to take the unusual step of pressing antitrust regulators next month to look at privacy concerns raised by Google Inc.'s intended takeover of online ad tracker DoubleClick.

Regulators Clear Google-DoubleClick Deal

U.S. antitrust regulators approved Google Inc.'s $3.1 billion purchase of DoubleClick Inc., clearing the way for a formidable combination in the burgeoning online advertising sector.

Microsoft Buys Web Map Company

Microsoft Corp. said Wednesday it has acquired a United Kingdom online mapping company to enhance its existing Windows Live Web-based services.

Opera Levies Antitrust Suit vs. Microsoft

Browser maker Opera Software has cried foul, charging Microsoft with antitrust behavior in a complaint to the European Commission.

Browser Wars Resume as Microsoft, Firefox Prep Updates

Firefox 3 Beta 2 hits in time for the holidays; Microsoft queues up IE 8 beta for first half '08.

AOL Pulls Plug on Netscape Web Browser

Netscape Navigator, the world's first commercial Web browser and the launch pad of the Internet boom, will be pulled off life support Feb. 1 after a 13-year run.

Microsoft Launches New Security Blog

Patch Tuesday releases promise be a lot more interesting in 2008.

Group Says Yahoo China Loses Piracy Suit

An industry group says it has won a new round in a court battle with Yahoo Inc.'s China arm, which is accused of helping online music pirates.

Microsoft Releases Stopgap Fix for Flawed IE Patch

Automated workaround replaces manual Windows Registry reset, which elicits mixed response from security experts.

Internet Explorer 8 Passes Acid2 Test

Internet Explorer has been a source of chagrin to many Web developers over the years due to less-than-perfect W3C standards support. This problem was pervasive with Internet Explorer 6, considering how badly the aging 2001-era browser renders modern CSS-driven layouts.

NetSuite Shares Surge 36 Pct in Debut

NetSuite Inc.'s shares surged more than 36 percent in their stock market debut Thursday as investors latched on to the online business software service backed by billionaire Larry Ellison.

Google Launches Calendar App

Google Inc., the top online search engine, is unveiling a calendar service that allows users to store appointments online, receive reminders about them and share those plans with others.

Microsoft Seeks Edge in Online Advertising

No one can quite agree on whether Microsoft Corp. held its first online advertising summit in a conference room or a cafeteria, but what everyone does remember is how little attention was paid to the field just seven years ago.

Google Complains IE7 May Violate Antitrust Rules

Google Inc. is hoping to pressure Microsoft Corp. into changing a new Internet Explorer browser feature that could direct more people to Microsoft's online search engine instead of Google's far more popular offering.

Firefox Use Rises as IE Falls

While the stock market sits on pins and needles worried over any further delays in major Microsoft products, some users apparently are tired of waiting -- at least when it comes to browsers.

Google 2Q Earnings More Than Double

Google's second-quarter profit more than doubled, maintaining the Internet search leader's penchant for topping analysts' high expectations and further underscoring the advantage the company has built over its chief rivals.

Microsoft To Update Hosting Solution

Microsoft will ship early next month an update to its Web hosting package that takes advantage of recently released products and technologies.

AOL May Forego Subscriptions for Advertising Revenue

The company responsible for introducing millions of people to the Internet is poised to undergo a transformation that would likely accelerate its decline as a gatekeeper of access to the information superhighway.

China Cracks Down on Foreign Internet Investors

China is trying to tighten control over foreign investors in Internet ventures in a crackdown that a state newspaper said Friday could see some companies stripped of operating licenses.

Microsoft: IE7 To Be High Priority Automatic Update

Microsoft quietly announced this week that it will distribute Internet Explorer 7 for Windows XP as a high priority update via Automatic Updates when the new browser version is complete.

AOL Co-Founder Offers Merger Apology

AOL co-founder Steve Case has offered a qualified apology for his role in architecting the online company's disastrous combination with Time Warner Inc. "Yes, I'm sorry I did it," Case said on PBS's "The Charlie Rose Show" last Friday.

AOL Content, E-Mail Now Free

Taking its most expansive efforts yet to deal with its long, steady decline in subscribers, AOL is giving away e-mail accounts along with software previously available only to customers who paid as much as $26 a month.

Speech Added to Office Communications Server

Microsoft announced this week at the SpeechTEK 2006 conference in New York that it will integrate the full capabilities of its Speech Server 2007 into Office Communications Server 2007.

Consortium Launches IT Service Modeling Spec

A group of industry leaders this week announced a new draft specification aimed at simplifying IT administration across heterogeneous networked environments.

Microsoft Reorg Continues

Microsoft continued its management reorganization this week as it moved to realign responsibilities within its operating systems group to reflect newly minted Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie's growing influence.

St. Bernard Software Wants Bigger Bite of Security Mart

An unusual merger is adding loads of cash to St. Bernard Software's coffer, which will be used to build new products and buy up security vendors, said company CEO John Jones in an interview this week.

Microsoft's Piracy Check Draws Complaints, Lawsuits

When Microsoft Corp. said it planned to begin checking for pirated copies of its Windows operating system using the method it set up to send people security fixes, even some of the company's traditional critics could sympathize.

Google To Keep Storing Search Requests

Although he was alarmed by AOL's haphazard release of its subscribers' online search requests, Google Inc. CEO Eric Schmidt said Wednesday the privacy concerns raised by that breach won't change his company's practice of storing the inquiries made by its users.

High-Profile Developer Jumps the Windows Live Ship

A recent high-profile Microsoft hire, brought onboard to work on Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie's Windows Live vision, has suddenly announced his pending departure, citing a pullback on plans he had signed on to implement.

Google Sponsors Spyware Warning Project

Google is issuing this warning to people who try to click on links to sites with spyware and other malicious code: "The site you are about to visit may harm your computer!"

IBM Acquisition Aimed at Microsoft?

As the competition for information management and control platforms heats up, IBM announced late this week that it will acquire content management vendor FileNet in a deal valued at $1.6 billion in cash.

Dell Earnings Slump Amid SEC Probe

Dell Inc. on Thursday posted disappointing second-quarter earnings amid a regulatory probe.

Ex-CEO Gets Some Credit for HP Surge

Although Carly Fiorina was sacked in one of the most humbling ousters in corporate America, her initial moves to reinvigorate Hewlett-Packard Co. are now paying off in HP's healthy profit and recent stock surge.

Microsoft Begins Beta of Blog Editor

Microsoft has released the first beta test version of its coming entry into the realm of blog publishing tools based on a familiar theme: "What you see is what you get" or WYSIWYG.

Microsoft: Toshiba to Build iPod Rival

Microsoft Corp.'s answer to Apple's iPod will be built by Toshiba Corp., the software company confirmed Friday.

Sun Buys Hewlett and Packard Painting

Wall Street values Hewlett-Packard Co. at $98 billion. Its rival, Sun Microsystems Inc., values Hewlett and Packard at a mere $6,000.

Salesforce.com Acquires Google-Focused Startup

Salesforce.com has acquired a four-person startup specializing in paid search technology that will be tailored to work with the online business applications of Salesforce.

Microsoft Offers to Help Firefox Devs Port Code to Vista

Microsoft executives may have a hard time talking about open source software without getting their blood up, but the company appears to be taking a pragmatic approach when it comes to Windows Vista and the growing popularity of the Firefox browser.

Microsoft Ships Internet Explorer 7 for XP 'Release Candidate'

Microsoft has begun shipping the first release candidate of Internet Explorer 7 for Windows XP, putting the first major update of the company's browser in years on track for final release on schedule.

Where Did Microsoft Put 10,000 New Employees?

Microsoft hired 10,000 new employees in fiscal 2006, which ended on June 30 -- the most ever in a single year in the company's more than 31-year history.

Google CEO To Join Apple Computer Board

Apple Computer Inc. said Tuesday that Google Inc. CEO Eric Schmidt is joining its board, adding another well-known name to the list of high-profile directors who oversee the management of the company behind the iPod portable player and Macintosh computer.

Wi-Fi's 'N' To Get Industry Group Nod

An industry group of wireless networking companies said Tuesday it will start certifying next-generation routers and network cards in 2007, a year before official standards are expected.

Windows Vista Pricing Slips Out

Whoops. In an apparent repeat of the revelation of Office 2007 pricing earlier this year, Amazon.com and Microsoft Canada seem to have lowered the veil on prices for Windows Vista's various incarnations a bit early.

Executive: Google Growth Driven by Users

Television should consider Google a friend, not foe, a senior company executive says.

Microsoft Ships PDF Add-In for Office 2007

Users who have wanted to save Microsoft Office documents in Adobe's PDF (Portable Document Format) were frustrated earlier this year when Redmond announced it would not include the capability as a native function in Office 2007 as it had previously announced.

Microsoft Promises Not To Sue Over XML Specs

To encourage adoption of Web services by developers, including open source projects, Microsoft has announced a promise not to sue for use of its proprietary XML specifications.

Windows Live Search: Ready for Prime Time?

Microsoft's announcement on Monday that its long-awaited Windows Live Search service is officially out of beta test and ready for use signals its biggest move to date to challenge search giant Google for both consumers and businesses.

IBM Ships Web Content Management Update

IBM announced it is shipping version 6 of its Workplace Web Content Management package, which aims to provide a tightly integrated Web content management and portal solution to, among other things, compete with Microsoft's SharePoint technologies.

U.S. Will Extend ICAAN Agreement

The U.S. Commerce Department said Wednesday it will extend its oversight of the California organization that handles domain name policies, while finding ways to improve the group's accountability and transparency.

Microsoft Launching Online Video Service

Microsoft Corp. is hoping to tap the explosive popularity of online video sharing by joining startups and major Internet rivals with its own video service.

Gonzales Calls for ISP Customer Data Retention Law

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Tuesday that Congress should require Internet service providers to preserve customer records, asserting that prosecutors need them to fight child pornography.

Group Says Worldwide DSL Use Jumps

Worldwide use of DSL technology for broadband access rose 38 percent to around 164 million users in the year to June 30, 2006 boosted by strong growth in the European Union, industry trade group said Tuesday.

Beta Begins of Forefront Security for SharePoint

Microsoft announced Wednesday that it has released the first beta of its Forefront Security package for SharePoint, the company's portal technologies.

Visual Studio Service Pack Not Totally Compatible with Vista

A key Microsoft executive disclosed this week that the coming Service Pack 1 for Visual Studio 2005 may not be totally compatible with Windows Vista -- though it remains unclear what his statements mean.

Microsoft Broadens EMC Alliance to Content Management

Microsoft and EMC Corp. announced this week they are further expanding their cooperative marketing relationship by working to integrate Office SharePoint Server 2007 with the storage company's Documentum content management product.

Borland Readies Lifecycle Quality Management Bundle

Borland says it is readying a new application lifecycle quality management (LQM) solution that is based on its existing Caliber products as well as two sets of products it recently acquired.

U.S. Extends ICAAN Agreement 3 Years

The U.S. Commerce Department promised Friday to take more of a hands-off approach to the Internet as it extended for three years its oversight of a California organization that handles network-address issues.

Yahoo Teams Up with HP on Search

Yahoo Inc. said Thursday it has struck a deal with Hewlett-Packard Co. to plant its Internet search engine on millions of computers, the latest volley in a high-stakes battle with Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp.

IE's Share Slips Further as Browser Updates Loom

Call them the M & Ms -- Microsoft and Mozilla, that is. Both are readying major new versions of their browsers --Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox 2.0 -- for release in the next few weeks.

Google Buys YouTube for $1.65B

Google Inc. snapped up YouTube Inc. for $1.65 billion Monday in deal that catapults the Internet search leader to a leading role in the online video revolution.

IE7 Off and Running, but Firefox 2.0 Close Behind

While the big news is that Microsoft finally began shipping Internet Explorer 7 for Windows XP on Wednesday, IE's main browser competitor hit a major milestone of its own just two days before.

Spamhaus Project To Appeal $12M Judgment

An anti-spam group plans to appeal a federal court ruling that could jeopardize its domain name after ignoring a lawsuit earlier on jurisdictional grounds.

Anti-Spam Group Appeals U.S. Judgment

Anti-spam group facing possible loss of domain name plans to appeal $12M judgment.

Microsoft Ships IE7 for XP

Just hours after Yahoo posted the golden code for its customized version of Internet Explorer 7 for Windows XP on the Web, Microsoft has announced that IE7 is immediately available for download.

Yahoo Ships IE7 a Day Early

Microsoft hasn’t yet officially announced final shipping code for Internet Explorer 7, but Yahoo says it already posted its customized version of the final code today.

Yahoo Profit Falls 38 Percent

Yahoo Inc. shares fell Wednesday after reporting a drop in its third-quarter profit and saying it will end a disappointing year with a financial letdown in the fourth quarter.

IBM Sues Amazon over Web Patents

Key aspects of Amazon.com Inc.'s retailing Web site are improperly built on technologies developed at IBM Corp., Big Blue alleged Monday in two lawsuits against Amazon.

Google Unveils Tools for Search Engines

In return for allowing Google to display site-related ad links, site can now customize Google searches.

Judge Won't Suspend Anti-Spam Group Name

e360 Insight's request to have Spamhaus domain name suspended rejected by U.S. judge.

Amazon.com Won't Provide Search Details

Google and others say they want search info to help combat copyright infringement, but are denied by the online retailer due to "trade secrets" concerns.

BT Buys Security Specialist Counterpane

Counterpane co-founded by cryptologist Bruce Schneier

Google Unveils Tools for Search Engines

Hoping to leave an even bigger imprint on the Internet, Google Inc. is opening up its vast online index so other Web sites can build their own specialty search engines.

Fraud Scheme Costs Ameritrade, E-Trade $22 Million

Hacking into client accounts being investigated by FBI; other brokerage houses also affected.

Firefox 2.0 Ships

Less than a week after Microsoft shipped the long awaited Internet Explorer 7, it's Mozilla's turn. Final code for Firefox 2 officially became available for download on Tuesday afternoon.

Mozilla Releases New Version of Firefox

Newest version of IE challenger improves on search and spyware catching.

Google Exec Meets With EU on Microsoft

Company wants Vista to include variety of search engines, but refuses to call Microsoft to the carpet officially.

Internet Monitoring Tech Provider Gets $30 Mil Infusion

Narus Inc., a maker of network technology to monitor phone and Internet traffic, or even help block certain communications like a Skype call, said Monday it has raised $30 million in new capital to fund development of next-generation products and expand overseas sales.

Microsoft Acknowledges One IE7 Flaw, Denies Another

Microsoft today acknowledged that one of two IE7 security flaws alleged by Denmark-based security firm Secunia could leave systems vulnerable.

Google Exec Meets With EU on Microsoft

Google Inc. said Monday that it wants Microsoft Corp. to make sure users can easily choose Internet search engines in future products -- but Google refused to say if changes Microsoft has already made to its upcoming operating system, Vista, have gone far enough.

Microsoft Office Live Service Debuts Nov. 15

Online small biz software service will launch simultaneously in France, Germany, Japan and UK.

Software as a Service: You're Not in This Alone

As SaaS picks up steam, more resources are coming online to help with the transition to on-demand delivery.

Google, Others Defend Offerings in China

Internet search leader Google and other major U.S. technology companies insisted Tuesday that their products benefit Chinese citizens despite government restrictions and warnings that online censorship is spreading.

Microsoft and Zend Collaborate To Improve PHP on Windows

Microsoft and Zend Technologies are joining forces to improve the performance of PHP-based applications running on Windows Server 2003, the two companies disclosed on Tuesday.

Office Live Coming Nov. 15

Microsoft Corp. is preparing to officially release software that helps small companies do things like build a Web site and maintain business contacts, and plans to link the product to its platform for selling online advertising.

Microsoft Looks To Upstage Google with 3-D Maps

Microsoft Corp. has upgraded its online mapping service to include three-dimensional tours of 15 U.S. cities, marking another step in its dogged pursuit of Internet search leader Google Inc.

Chile Arrests 4 'Byond' Hackers

Police in Chile arrested four suspected computer hackers for allegedly belonging to a group accused of breaking into thousands of government Web sites around the globe, including NASA's.

Security Software Moves Toward Blocking Sites

For years, computer security software lurked in the background and tried to stop viruses and other malicious programs as they attack your computer. Newer products are trying to keep users from reaching Web sites before the programs can even launch an attack, essentially stopping threats at the source.

Adobe Donates Code To Mozilla

Adobe Systems Inc. is contributing some of the computer code behind its widely used Flash player to the Mozilla Foundation so that it can be improved upon and blended into an upcoming version of Mozilla's Firefox Web browser.

McAfee Aims to Block Problem Problem Sites

Security vendor, as well as competitors, will offer ways to defend against phishing sites and other Internet attacks.

FTC Fines Adware Firm $3M

An online media and advertising company accused of unfairly and deceptively downloading its software onto consumers' computers has agreed to pay a $3 million fine to the Federal Trade Commission.

Microsoft to Offer Live Search in India

In January, Indian mobile users will have access to Microsoft's search engine; service announced as part of Microsoft $1.7 billion investment in the country.

Intel To Package Web Tools

Think of it as Wikipedia for the workplace. Intel Corp., the world's largest computer chip maker, now wants to provide businesses with software to create blogging, wiki and news feed services to connect employees on collaborative projects.

November Patch Tuesday To Come with 6 Fixes

Advanced security bulletin refers to an XML flaw and five other Windows flaws deemed "critical"; unknown whether security rollup addresses recent Visual Studio flaw.

Microsoft Issues 'Zero-Day' XML Core Patch, 5 Others

As expected, Microsoft today issued six patches for a variety of security issues, including an XML vulnerability considered to be "zero day."

Teen Faces Jail for Tapping Wireless

Singapore teen faces 3 years' jail for tapping into another's wireless Internet.

Java Goes Open Source

Computer server and software maker Sun Microsystems Inc. said Monday that it had begun to make its Java technology an open-source software project available for free on the Internet.

Sun Sets Java Code Free

Sun Microsystems releases its Java technology as open-source project.

MSDN Subscribers Can Download Vista Friday

Tired of waiting for Windows Vista? Got an MSDN Premium subscription? Well, there you go.

Free Software Bypasses E-Mail Attachment Limits

There's a new way to send large movie, music and other files without worrying about whether the e-mail systems can handle large attachments.

Gates Foundation Plans Web Access Grants

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation says it will expand its program to give people access to the Internet in libraries and other public places to two Eastern European countries and the African nation of Botswana.

Windows Live Search: Where Have All the Users Gone?

Three Net tracking firms have released their October figures for search engine popularity and they all show Microsoft continuing to lose ground with users while Google continues to gain, according to SearchEngineWatch.com.

Get Ready for Live

Microsoft Office Live has gone live. Are you ready to capitalize?

Start Your Search Engines

Search-engine optimization is serious business. If you're doing it wrong, you're probably leaving money on the table.

Google Advances Free Software in Education

Google Inc., a company synonymous with searching the Internet, hopes to define far more of the world's computing experience with a helping hand from schoolchildren.

IBM and Yahoo Join Up on Free Search

IBM Corp. and Yahoo Inc. are teaming up to offer a free data-search tool for businesses, a quirky move challenging Google Inc. and other corporate-search specialists in a blossoming market.

Next Rev of Firefox Already in Alpha

Firefox 2.0 has been out for less than two months but Mozilla.org developers have already released alpha code for the next major version.

VoIP Subscribers Grow 18 Percent in 3Q

U.S. subscribers to Internet-based telephone services grew 18 percent to 8.2 million in the third quarter, but the growth rate slowed for a second straight quarter, according to the research firm TeleGeography.

Microsoft Releases 7 Patches for Windows, IE, Visual Studio Flaws

Microsoft Corp. today announced a bevy of patches -- seven, in all -- that address vulnerabilities in its Visual Studio IDE and Windows operating environments.

How Much Will Windows Security Matter?

As Windows Vista becomes more secure against known threats, it's what hackers and cybercriminals devise in the next generation of attacks that keeps Microsoft on its toes.

Phone, Cable Companies To Battle in 2007

Vonage tanked after its IPO. It's not entirely clear anymore why eBay paid $2.6 billion for Skype. And the long-awaited rollout of advanced TV services based on Internet technologies has resembled the drip of a faucet.

Amazon Countersues IBM Over Patents

Amazon.com Inc. denies it violated IBM Corp. patents in building its massive retail Web site, and alleges instead that IBM infringed on Amazon's technology to beef up its own offerings.

Google Book-Scanning Debate Heats Up

Already facing a legal challenge for alleged copyright infringement, Google Inc.'s crusade to build a digital library has triggered a philosophical debate with an alternative project promising better online access to the world's books, art and historical documents.

Microsoft: No Sweeping Claim to RSS Tech

The company is interested in improving users' RSS experience, but not in claiming the technology as a whole, a Microsoft official said.

Internet Explorer To Flag Verified 'Safe' Sites

E-commerce and online banking sites will be required to undergo extensive verification checks.

Open Relay Database Ceases As Spammers Evolve

Spammers' focus has shifted from open relays to infected "zombie" computers.

Internet Explorer To Flag Verified 'Safe' Sites

Beginning next month, version 7 of Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Explorer browser will start flagging certain e-commerce and banking sites as green for "safe."

Microsoft Adds Behavioral Targeting

Microsoft Corp. has started linking users' search habits with other personal information as it prepares to show more personalized advertisements.

Microsoft: No Sweeping Claim to RSS Tech

Despite patent filings, Microsoft Corp. isn't trying to claim all rights to the Really Simple Syndication technology for notifying users of new entries on their favorite news sites and Web journals, a lead product manager says.

Get Serious About Securing IE

Internet Explorer is one of the most used products in nearly every environment, but most administrators know little about how to tune it for best performance and safety.

Separation, No Anxiety

Separation of duties is a good idea in the business world. It’s also a good one in the IT world.

If Cars Were Like Windows…

New frontiers for certification

Take Control of Your Security

Here are five things you can do right now— this minute—that will increase security on your networks.

Psychologically Acceptable Security

Getting user buy-in for security is critical. Using certificate autoenrollment is a way to make it pain-free.

Free Thinker

Is it time to set your own code of ethics?

The Prime of Life

If you think today’s PC hardware is astounding, stick around for a decade.

Divide and Conquer

Are you role-playing with your network? If not, you’re missing a powerful way to make it more secure.

First National Bank of Bill

What business is Microsoft in, anyhow?

How PowerPoint Is Like Melvin

Why some things--and people--are just unlikable.

14 Reasons To Reconsider Software Restrictions

Software Restriction Policies is a terrific new security tool—if you know what it can’t do, as well as what it can.

Reality Bites

How does outsourcing--or how will it--affect you?

Outsourced Worker: How Do You Stack Up?

Chances are, you work for a company that’s involved in outsourcing in some form. The question you need to answer for yourself is whether that’s such a bad thing.

The Hidden Risks of Process Controls

These networks aren’t well known by many, yet they’re responsible for controlling much in our lives. And they’re not very secure.

Renewal Notice

Are you past due?

What's Your Level?

Maturity in management comes at different stages.

Old NT Guys

Where do we go from here?

Boot-Time Security

Boot-up is a dangerous time for your systems, a time before security policies to protect them may be active. Avoid danger with persistent policies.

The Pinocchio Factor

How Microsoft is like the fairy tale.

Certified Mail: Jan. 2003

DBA vs. programmer; thumbs down on the new look; one-page résumés.

Palladium: Blessing or Curse?

Microsoft is touting its next-generation secure computing infrastructure as a giant leap for mankind. Not everyone agrees.

Certified Mail: February 2003

Scripting tools; upgrading to .NET; .NET by any other name.

Of Profit and Pickles

OK, so maybe Licensing 6.0 wasn't such a stupid idea after all.

Protect Your PDAs, PDQ!

You know about security for networks and laptops. But what about security for hand-helds? What? You don't have a plan?

Vertical Limit

Tech workers span the spectrum of industry, from fast food to furniture.

Certified Mail: March 2003

.NET track changes trigger waves of response; how paper MCSEs are a benefit to IT; and more reasons to like Microsoft.

Guilty as Charged

Quick test: Have you ever used a "braindump" for exam preparation? The answer to that question may not be as simple as a "yes" or "no."

Windows and Common Criteria

Microsoft heavily touted its Common Criteria certification for Windows 2000. But what does that mean?

Auditing Patch Management

John needed a way to track and produce management-style reports on patches across his enterprise. Roberta to the rescue!

Walk, Don't Run

How fast will your company move to Windows Server 2003?

Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam

Put your "Make Money Fast" where your mouth is, Microsoft!

Revisionist Future

“You never leave a recession on the same technology that you entered it." —Gordon Moore, circa 1984

Securing Windows 2003 the First Time

There are special considerations when bringing up the first domain controller in the first domain of your new Windows 2003 forest.

Locking up the Office

Office XP is a big product, one that requires close scrutiny to properly lock down.

The Dating Game

Will you accept or decline the latest offer?

The Pricing Problem

Your faithful correspondent contemplates exam economics.

A 12-Step Plan for File Server Security

Securely bringing a Windows file server on the network may not sound difficult. But when it's running Windows Server 2003, there's a lot you need to know to do it right.

A Simple Plan

Microsoft sets new securityspecializations for MCSE and MCSA titles.

That Pesky Convergence Stuff

“One thing we’ll be talking a fair bit about today is the relationship between the PC and the phone. That’s something that will be changing. When you get value added on your PC without having to switch the phone that you use simply by having the PC be aware of what’s going on, that integration, we think, is a very critical one and one that’s influencing the PC hardware.” —Bill Gates at WinHEC 2003

Security By Aggravation

How much can you handle to get secure?

Windows Services Ă  la Carte

Windows Server 2003 installs fewer services by default, and installs others in a disabled state. Here’s a guide to what they do, and whether you might need them or not.

Playing the PR Game

And just what do we go through on a daily basis, anyway?

Wise Counsel

There is another side of the coin for IT employment.

Trust in Windows Server 2003

Trusts have changed significantly on Windows Server 2003, including the concept of forest trusts. Here's a primer.

Lab Experiments

What credentials could offer in the future.

Locking the Barn Door

Of bowling and certifications.

Exercises in Trust

Setting up forest trusts can be tricky. Here’s a step-by-step instruction guide.

Cross Certification Trusts

Windows Server 2003 provides a way to implement trusts among Certification Authority hierarchies selectively. Here’s how it works.

Did You Hear the One…

Sometimes things are not what they appear.

It’s Still Not Done

What to do about the ongoing to-do list.

He Shoots, He Scores

How we're being tested—now and in the future.

Unifying the Storm

Could WinFS be the salvation?

2001: Year of the Worm

In releasing its annual Dirty Dozen list of the 12 most common viruses, antivirus and security vendor Central Command called 2001 the "Year of the Internet Worm."

.NET? .Not!

Remember the wave of dot-bomb failures? You ain’t seen nothing yet.

Securing Remote Management with WMI

Writing scripts for remote computer management can save man-hours and shoe leather. But like any part of Windows, it has to be properly secured, or you risk opening up your network to the bad guys.

What’s New with the Directory

Changes are afoot to make Active Directory more flexible.

Certified Mail: March 2002

The value of bootcamps; what MCPs wear; Microsoft's certification retirement policy.

Cowboys and Indians

Redmond’s not-so-secret plan to shoo those pesky Apaches away.

Get Ready for Your Audit

Time spent with network security auditors pointed out to Roberta the most common weaknesses in companies. How does yours stack up to her list?

Biometric Security Products

Wouldn't it be nice if your computer just knew you! Security Advisor's Roberta Bragg evaluates several solutions.

10 Things I Like about XP Security

Suspicious of XP’s security features? As you spend quality time together, you’ll get to see its good points—maybe even become friends.

Certified Mail: May 2002

Blocking e-mail attachments, boot camp training, and MCSA early achievers.

The Next 10 Years

Just what does the ol' crystal ball say about the next decade?

A Cry for Help

Public Key Infrastructure is at the core of most e-commerce and, therefore, must be done properly. You can do it yourself—or turn to some outside pros. Which option is for you?

Here in Windowsville

How much harm comes of the anti-Windows bias in the world of security?

The Influencer

Just because you don't have a "C" at the beginning of your title doesn't mean you're not influential.

Whom Do You Trust?

Active Directory’s trust model makes administration easier than NT, but also introduces the potential to do more damage. Make sure your administrators are trustworthy.

How Many Microsofts?

Maybe they already broke up the company and we didn’t notice.

Income Conundrum

Sometimes you really have to ponder the meaning behind the numbers.

How To Be a Security Babe

If you want to do IT security because it’s “hot” right now, or because you think that’s where the money is, forget it. If you truly love the field, read on.

Certified Mail: August 2002

"Windowsville" residents chime in on the "which OS is more secure" argument; readers debate Microsoft's longevity.

Fake Out

A controlled security challenge still provides valuable lessons.

Security, List By List

Security checklists are valuable—but only if you use them. Follow along on Microsoft’s list and harden a server.

Marble Drop

Securing your servers by using templates isn't child's play. In her second installment on this topic, Roberta finds a parallel to a game.

Exchange 2000 Upgrade, Times Two

It took three separate attempts to finally upgrade my company to Exchange 2000—this after doing the upgrade in a lab environment and upgrading a pilot box with the IT department on it...

Power in the Details

How do you like our new look?

Certified Mail

Readers chime in on salary surveys; exam-testing skills; licensing; and exerting buying influence.

Trust Us, We’re Microsoft

Have you read your EULAs lately?

Domain Controller Lockdown

Implement Group Policy to automate the process of locking down domain controllers.

Certified Mail

Licensing confusion, and more salary survey feedback.

Unified Storage Mirage

Each new version of Windows seems to introduce a new file system. Is Longhorn the end of it?

Real World

Helping others get more than a foot in the IT door.

A Few of My Favorite Things

So many security toys, so little time.

December 2002

Fashion plate; reading the fine print; demystifying printing for users.

AD for the Novice

Mission-Critical Active Directory addresses the intricacies of this complex topic.

A Practical Approach

Getting the job done often means accomplishing what you can within the constraints of real-world resources and budgets.

Editor's Choice: Security

<b>Winner: </b>@stake LC4<br> <br> <b>Honorable Mention:</b> <a href="#msdn">Microsoft Corp. MSDN Universal Subscription</a>

Netscape, Qwest Team to Build Netscape Contact

Information Advantage Brings Web Portal to BI

4 Ways to Facebook

Pros and cons, and thoughts on intermixing business and personal on the popular social network.

Microsoft's IE Chief Takes New Role, Windows Phone's Belfiore Picks Up Slack

The Microsoft corporate vice president who oversaw the development of the company's Internet Explorer browser for nine years is taking on a new role in the company.

Report: Corporate Windows 7 Use Has Doubled in Past Year

According to a recent study by Forrester Research, use of Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system at companies has more than doubled over the past year. However, the good news does not extend to Internet Explorer's browser market share.

Analyst: Windows 8 Coming in 2013

According to one Directions on Microsoft analyst, Windows 8 -- or whatever Microsoft calls its next operating system -- might be released in 2013.

Report: IE 11 Will Get 'Enterprise Mode' in Windows 8.1 Update 1

Microsoft is planning to add an "enterprise mode" feature to its Internet Explorer 11 browser, according to a report Monday from ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley.

Firefox Dumps Windows 8's 'Metro' UI Over Lack of Use

Mozilla, the company behind Firefox, will no longer support its browser for Windows 8, citing low usage rates.

Microsoft Details Browser Improvements in Windows Phone 8.1

Microsoft is adding new features to the Windows Phone 8.1 version of Internet Explorer 11, the company said in a blog post Thursday.

Windows Phone 8.1 Update Will Feature IE 11 Improvements

The version of Internet Explorer 11 that will appear in the next release of Windows Phone 8.1 will include fixes for Web site compatibility issues, Microsoft announced last week.

Microsoft Killing Support for Older IE Versions

Microsoft will implement a new browser support policy at the beginning of next year that will significantly limit what versions of Internet Explorer the company supports.

Microsoft Feature Phones To Run Opera Browser by Default

Opera Software has entered a deal with Microsoft in which its Opera Mini browser will come preinstalled on new Microsoft feature phones, the company announced on Thursday.

Microsoft Unveils 'Internet Explorer as a Service'

Microsoft on Sunday launched a preview of "RemoteIE," a free service that delivers the latest version of the Internet Explorer (IE) browser across Windows, Apple and Android platforms.

Internet Explorer Chief Dean Hachamovitch Leaving Microsoft

Dean Hachamovitch, a 24-year Microsoft veteran and former corporate vice president of Internet Explorer, is leaving the company.

Windows 10 Will Reportedly Have New 'Spartan' Browser

The next version of Microsoft's desktop operating system will not run Internet Explorer, but will instead have a new Web browser that's currently in development.

Microsoft Tweaks Its Browser Strategy for Windows 10

Microsoft this week explained the roles Internet Explorer and the new "Spartan" browser will have in Windows 10, including some changes from its previously outlined browser strategy.

Spartan Browser Makes Debut on Windows 10 Technical Preview

The newest Windows 10 technical preview build features the public debut of Project Spartan, Microsoft's next-generation browser, and its new EdgeHTML rendering engine.

Google Gets Hit with Antitrust Charges by EU

The European Union (EU) on Wednesday formally accused Google of violating antitrust laws by using its dominance in search to favor its own comparison-shopping service over those of competitors.

Build: Windows 10's Browser Will Officially Be Called 'Edge'

Microsoft's new browser for Windows 10, previously code-named "Project Spartan," will be officially called "Edge," Microsoft said on Wednesday during the opening keynote of its Build event in San Francisco.

Reports: Windows 10's Edge Browser Won't Be Available for Some Orgs

Microsoft's new Edge browser, which will run alongside Internet Explorer 11 in Windows 10, will not be available to organizations on the "long-term servicing branch" option for maintaining Windows 10, according to multiple reports.

Google Announces Restructuring Under Parent Company 'Alphabet'

Google on Monday unveiled its new parent company, the publicly traded "Alphabet," as part of a groundbreaking restructuring effort.

Microsoft Gives Windows 10's Browser-Management Tools a Boost

Microsoft on Wednesday announced some improvements to Windows 10's browser-management controls, including support for the new Edge browser in Enterprise Mode.

Microsoft Ending Support for Multiple IE Versions in 2016

Several Microsoft products, including SQL Server 2005 and some versions of Internet Explorer and .NET Framework 4, will hit their "extended support" deadline this year.

As IE Support Deadline Arrives, Microsoft Pushes Upgrades

With older Internet Explorer browsers set to lose support this week, Microsoft is recommending that users upgrade to IE 11 to avoid potential security risks.

Microsoft Releases Windows 10 Preview Build with Edge Extensions

A new preview build of Windows 10 introduces the long-anticipated extensions capability for Microsoft's Edge Web browser.

Microsoft's Edge Browser Running on 150 Million Devices

Eight months after its release, Microsoft's Edge browser is currently activated on 150 million devices, Microsoft said Monday at its Edge Web Summit event in San Francisco.

Microsoft Sheds Light on Windows Hello Integration with Edge

The team behind Microsoft Edge recently explained how the browser works with Windows 10's "Windows Hello" feature to let users access Web sites without passwords.

Microsoft Enables Browser-Based Skype Calls Without Plug-Ins

Microsoft recently launched a preview of a new Skype capability that would enable voice and video calls via the Edge browser without the use of browser plug-ins.

'Microsoft Stream' Video Service Launches in Preview

Microsoft on Monday launched a new video sharing portal called "Microsoft Stream" aimed at organizations.

Microsoft Touts Edge Improvements in Windows 10 Update

Microsoft refreshed its Edge browser last week when it released the Windows 10 "anniversary update," also known as version 1607 (build 14393.10).

In Massive Breach, Yahoo Confirms Theft of 500 Million Accounts

Information from "at least 500 million user accounts" has been stolen from Yahoo's network over the span of two years, the company confirmed on Thursday.

Report: Yahoo Scanned User E-Mails Per Government Requests

Yahoo allegedly cooperated with U.S. intelligence officials to scan all incoming Yahoo e-mail traffic last year, according to a report by Reuters on Tuesday.

One Billion Yahoo Accounts Exposed in Massive Hack

A security breach at Yahoo has exposed the "more than one billion user accounts," the company disclosed this week.

Windows 10 Creators Update To Let Users Block Flash

Future versions of Windows 10 will give users the means to block the Flash browser plug-in, Microsoft said this week.

Windows 10 'Creators Update' Getting Edge Improvements

Microsoft this week detailed some improvements coming to its Edge browser with this spring's Windows 10 "Creators Update."

Why IoT Sucks (And Why That's Good for Partners)

As promising as it is, IoT has problems -- from security to reliability to management. And problems, of course, are good for Microsoft partners who can offer solutions.

Microsoft Touts Windows 10's Edge Management Capabilities

The Windows 10 Creators Update (version 1703) comes with several new browser management policies, as Microsoft explained this week.

Verizon's Acquisition of Yahoo Is Now Official

Verizon Communications on Tuesday completed its purchase of Yahoo, a pioneer in search advertising that was once eyed by Microsoft as a potential buy.

Microsoft Launches Rural Broadband Plan, But Critics Call 'Nonsense'

Microsoft's recently unveiled plan to expand rural broadband access in the United States using white space has been criticized by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) as being "the height of arrogance."

Adobe, Browser Makers Pulling Plug on Flash by 2020

The Flash Player plug-in will be phased out by the end of 2020, according to its maker, Adobe, as well as a chorus of browser providers on Tuesday.

Two Years After IE Switch, Microsoft Talks Edge Browser Progress

Microsoft gave a progress report of its Edge browser, including new security and development improvements, at its third-annual Edge Web Summit event in Seattle this week.

Microsoft Edge Apps for iOS and Android Hit Preview

Microsoft on Thursday announced previews of its Edge browser for iOS- and Android-based devices, as well as a preview of Microsoft Launcher for Android.

Microsoft Brings Edge Browser to iOS and Android Devices

Microsoft this week announced the general availability of Edge browser apps for Android and iOS devices.

Microsoft Making Room in Windows 10 for Progressive Web Apps

Microsoft this week announced it is readying its app marketplace for progressive Web apps (PWAs), which are Web pages designed to work like applications, with the ability to work offline.

Microsoft's Edge Browser Debuts Password Alternative

The Microsoft Edge browser now supports the Web Authentication spec at the preview stage, Microsoft announced on Monday.

Microsoft's Rural Broadband Plans Chugging Along

Microsoft President Brad Smith recently described the company's progress with its plan to improve broadband Internet access in underserved and rural areas of the United States.

Microsoft Turns to Open Source Chromium To Boost Edge Browser

Microsoft's Edge browser will soon share the same backbone as Google's more dominant Chrome browser.

Support for IE 10 on Windows Server 2012 Winding Down

Support for Internet Explorer 10 will expire in 2020 for users of Windows Server 2012 and Windows Embedded 8 Standard, Microsoft warned this week.

Microsoft's 'Ultimate Browser Strategy' Demotes IE

Organizations shouldn't use Internet Explorer as their default browser for every activity, Microsoft argued this week.

Chromium-Based Microsoft Edge Now at Testing Phase

Early versions of the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser for Windows 10 are now available to test for subscribers to the Microsoft Edge Insider testing program.

Microsoft Brings Chromium-Based Edge Browser to Older Windows OSes

Microsoft has released Edge previews for Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1, which previously didn't support Microsoft browsers beyond Internet Explorer 11.

Microsoft Gives Its Chromium-Based Edge Browser an Enterprise Boost

The upcoming Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser is getting a few feature tweaks aimed at enterprise and business users.

Microsoft's Chromium-Based Edge Revamp Hits Beta Release Stage

The first beta release of Microsoft's Chromium-based Edge Web browser is now available to testers.

Satellite Partners Now Connect to Azure ExpressRoute Service

Satellite partners are working with Microsoft to extend Azure ExpressRoute's private Internet connections to organizations in isolated regions.

Microsoft's Chromium-Based Edge Browser Launching Next Month

Microsoft is set to launch its new Chromium-based Edge browser, based on the Google-backed Chromium Projects technology, on Jan. 15, 2020.

Chromium-Based Microsoft Edge Hits a Release Milestone

The first "stable" release of Microsoft's Chromium-based Edge browser is now commercially available, Microsoft announced on Wednesday.

IE 10 Support Deadline Looms for Some Windows Platforms

Support for the Internet Explorer 10 browser on both Windows Server 2012 and Windows Embedded 8 Standard is poised to end on Feb. 11, 2020.

Amid Outcry, Microsoft Amends Plan To Push Bing on Office 365 ProPlus

In response to "your feedback," Microsoft has changed course from its plan to deliver an extension to Office 365 ProPlus users that would switch their browser search engines to Bing.

Microsoft Pilots Encrypted DNS in Windows 10 Preview

Windows 10 testers can now try Domain Name System (DNS) over HTTPS encryption, known as "DoH," which promises enhanced Internet privacy.

Microsoft In Talks To Acquire TikTok

A deal between Microsoft and Beijing-based ByteDance is in the works that would have Microsoft acquiring some of ByteDance's holdings in the TikTok social media service.

IE 11, EdgeHTML Browsers Approaching End-of-Support Milestones

Microsoft this week announced key dates related to its support for the Internet Explorer 11 browser and the "legacy" (EdgeHTML) version of the Microsoft Edge browser.

Oracle, Not Microsoft, Wins TikTok Buyout Bid

Oracle's proposal to acquire TikTok's U.S. social media operations emerged victorious over the weekend, putting an end to Microsoft's competing buyout bid.

Microsoft Lets Orgs Slow Pace of Edge Browser Updates

Organizations that need more time to test Microsoft Edge browser updates will be able to switch to a longer feature release cycle this year.

Microsoft Is Retiring Internet Explorer on Windows 10 Next Year

Internet Explorer 11, the final version of Microsoft's venerable Internet browser, will fall out of support next year for select Windows 10 editions.

Legal Actions for Some Companies Over Log4j Data Breaches

Companies that disclosed customer data because they failed to address an exploited vulnerability in a Log4j software component may be in legal hot water from the FTC.

Report: U.S. Web Sites Not Protecting Your Private Data

According to a study announced Friday by privacy compliance solutions vendor Zendata, many Web sites were found to have woeful data protection practices in place.

Microsoft Releases Internet Explorer 10 Platform Preview 4

Microsoft released the fourth version of its Internet Explorer (IE) 10 platform preview Web browser prototype on Tuesday.

'IE Mode' for Internet Explorer 11 Coming Soon

June 15, 2022 marks the end for Internet Explorer 11.

W3C Announces Plans To Launch as Nonprofit Org

Starting in January 2023 the Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C) will be shifting gears and launching as a nonprofit organization.

Biden's Trans-Continental Data Policy Enters European Review

Looking to address privacy and legal due process complaints regarding data sharing, the Biden administration on Friday announced an executive order implementing a "European Union-U.S. Data Privacy Framework."

Microsoft Windows and Devices Exec Vet Belfiore To Leave Company

Long-time Microsoft veteran Joe Belfiore, a key executive on Windows, the Edge browser, Cortana and Windows Phone efforts, announced his retirement last week.

Microsoft Edge To Get New Adobe Acrobat PDF Engine

Microsoft and Adobe have collaborated on "natively embedding" new Adobe Acrobat PDF technology into the Microsoft Edge browser for Windows 10 and Windows 11 systems, according to a Wednesday Microsoft announcement.

Microsoft Brings AI Enhancements to Bing and Edge

Microsoft has launched a new version of its Bing search engine, powered by OpenAI's ChatGPT-4 AI.

Microsoft Edge Getting Copilot AI, plus Dev and Management Perks

The Microsoft Edge browser is getting lots of enhancements, as announced this week at Microsoft Build.

Microsoft To Deliver Edge for Business this Month

Microsoft announced that its Edge for Business capability will be arriving during the week of Aug. 17.

Microsoft Activates Edge for Business

Edge for Business has been released for "all supported platforms, including mobile," per a Tuesday Microsoft announcement.

Microsoft Edge API To Support Ads Without Tracking

Microsoft is working on an Ad Selection API to address the impending disuse of third-party cookies in its Edge browser.

AI Search Comes to Microsoft Bing

Microsoft is joining the AI search wars alongside Google and, most recently, OpenAI.

A gavel with a circuit board background

U.S. Finds Google a Search and Advertising Monopoly

After years of litigation, a federal court on Monday determined that Google used anti-competitive practices to secure and maintain its market dominance in Internet search and advertising.

Microsoft Launches Preview of Scam-Hunting 'Scareware Blocker' Tool

First announced at last November's Ignite event, Microsoft's new so-called Scareware Blocker is now available as a public preview.