John Lister

A Microsoft executive has hinted that Windows 8 could be released next fall. But it's not clear if the comments are based on genuine insider information or if they merely represent speculation. The comments came from Dan'l Lewin, a corporate vice ... president responsible for Microsoft's relationships with other businesses, both major firms and start-up companies. Regarding the Windows timescale he said, " ... if you look at the crystal ball and just say what happened in the past is a reasonable indicator of what our forward looking timelines will be .... we've made the point about having a ... (view more)

It's not unusual these days for the computer systems of major banks to come under attack. But the latest high-profile attempted breach has gone a step further by targeting the International Monetary Fund (IMF), prompting speculation that a national ... government may be the offender. The Washington DC-based IMF is an organization that provides loans to governments in financial difficulties. It also helps coordinate the collection and publication of financial data by governments. Although the International Monetary Fund is releasing few details, it has confirmed there has been a "very major breach ... (view more)

Microsoft has failed in a Supreme Court bid to overturn a $290 million patent violation ruling. Not only is it the largest such award ever upheld, but this final ruling has significant consequences for patent law. The case involves XML documents, an ... advanced version of the HTML webpage code that allows data to be tagged to designate its content rather than just the way it appears on screen. The code makes it much easier to organize document content (for example, in a database). Microsoft Office XML Support Began with Office 2003 Microsoft built support for reading XML documents into the 2003 ... (view more)

It's rumored Microsoft may soon launch its own iPad-style tablet device. The gadget would run Windows 8 and be specifically marketed as a Microsoft machine. Such a measure would be a major change in Microsoft's business strategy. In the past it has ... steered clear of producing its own computers, the polar opposite of Apple's strategy of having a monopoly on its hardware and software. According to Digitimes, a Taiwan-based technology newspaper, the device would be made in association with Texas Instruments and hardware manufacturers based in Taiwan. Their report is based on sources from the " ... (view more)

Microsoft sources have confirmed that the online edition of Microsoft Office, dubbed "Office 365," will officially launch June 28, 2011. The software package is designed to rival online services such as Google Apps. The cost of using the service is ... rumored to be $72 per year for basic access, with a more featured business package at a currently unconfirmed higher price. (Source: thetechherald.com ) Cheaper Microsoft Office, Automatic Updates To put that into context, the most basic version of Office (Home and Student) currently retails for $149.99 while a Home and Business Package ( ... (view more)

The United States government has offered help after defense contractor Lockheed-Martin suffered a "tenacious" cyber-attack. It appears to be linked to problems with a system used for authorizing access from external locations. Lockheed-Martin, which ... is the leading supplier of IT services to the government, says the attack was the latest in a line of frequent attempts to breach its security, which certainly makes sense given the confidential nature of some of the material it handles. But it has described the latest attack as "significant." As a result, the company has reset all user passwords ... (view more)

Alaska Airlines will soon issue its pilots with iPads as a replacement for paper documentation. The main reason for the switch is that the 1.5 pound iPad is lighter. Compared to flight manuals that are roughly 25 pounds, the iPad 2 offers a ... significant savings in weight. Often the paper bundles are so large that it must be carried in a special bag. Among the documents are manuals for specific flights and the systems used on particular aircraft. There are also documents about the procedures that flight crew must follow during a flight. Heft Printing Costs Wiped Out Although buying the iPads ... (view more)

On Thursday, Microsoft gave its first major public demonstration of Windows 8, and showed how it would be used to bridge the gap between PCs and mobile devices. To the surprise of many guests attending the event, Microsoft says that the new ... operating system's hardware requirements will actually be less than the requirements to run Windows 7. Windows 8 Optimized for Varying Screen Sizes and Processors Microsoft recently confirmed that Windows 8 would run on the ARM processor : a low-powered CPU (central processing unit) commonly used on mobile devices such as tablets, and mobile phones. In ... (view more)

There's a new malware attack on Facebook and it's significant for multiple reasons. This attack in particular spreads through bogus links, and it appears to change form in line with news events. While there have been several similar scams in the ... past, they've usually involved tricking users into handing over personal data or outright hijacking accounts. Malicious Drive-by Downloads Initiated on Click The new Facebook attacks tricks users into clicking on a link to a supposed online video. Once the link has been clicked, a Trojan virus is automatically downloaded to the users' computer without ... (view more)

A proposed new law under debate in the California senate would make drastic changes to the way social networks handle user privacy. It would mean sites like Facebook would have to maximize their privacy settings as a default. Under the proposals, ... social networking sites would have to allow users to set privacy levels at the time of registration, explaining the various options "in plain language." This would have to include a clear explanation of exactly which categories of people and businesses would be able to see information. (Source: ca.gov ) Full Control Over Information By default, a new ... (view more)