Microsoft

Microsoft has issued a formal warning that all versions of the Windows operating system (OS) are vulnerable to a new exploit. The vulnerability could allow attackers access to sensitive data (such as passwords) after a user unknowingly clicks on a ... malicious web link. The flaw is related to the way online content is viewed via the web browser Internet Explorer (IE). According to the Wall Street Journal, Microsoft late last week admitted that the vulnerability exists and that it affects every version of Windows, from Windows XP to Vista, Windows 7 and even Windows Server. Malicious Web Link ... (view more)

Microsoft stands accused of redirecting a significant amount of MSN-related searches to Bing, thus increasing Bing search results by a substantial margin and leaving MSN search trends to be grossly misrepresented. The logic behind this decision is ... to present one impressive search figure to would-be advertisers instead of having two mediocre search figures under the same banner. Reports suggest that the number of MSN headlines that lead individuals to Microsoft's Bing search engine has jumped between 20 and 50 per cent this past quarter. (Source: ditii.com ) In a recent statement made to USA ... (view more)

An Italian consumer agency is suing Microsoft because it experienced difficulty getting a refund for an "unwanted" copy of Windows 7 which came pre-bundled with a new PC. If it gets as far as a verdict, it could set a legal precedent. The case ... involves Vincenzo Donvito, a man which resides in Florence, Italy. He bought an ASUS Eee PC netbook that came pre-bundled with the starter edition of Windows 7 already installed. Donvito later decided he did not want to use Windows 7 Starter and instead wanted to replace it with an alternative operating system (OS) for his Eee PC. (Source: ... (view more)

Microsoft is associated with some of the biggest names in technology including Windows, Internet Explorer, Bing and Xbox. When it comes to their advertising department, however, far too many clients are associating Microsoft exclusively with the MSN ... portal. The correlation is said to occur so frequently, that it has become cause for major organizational changes to their advertising department, in an effort to highlight other marketing and media potential. Carolyn Everson, Microsoft's global ad sales leader, believes that positive changes will come with an investment in advertising creativity ... (view more)

Microsoft has refused to do future business with a company responsible for changing users' default web browser search without permission. The firm appears to have been one of the most prolific advertisers on Facebook. The company in question runs a ... website called make-my-baby.com, which includes a tool allowing users to simulate dressing a virtual baby. To use the tool, users had to install a plug-in for their browser. Unless users visited a link to a set of terms and conditions and read through the fine print, they wouldn't have been aware that the installation process also switched their ... (view more)

Ever since Microsoft released Kinect , its hands-free motion control system for the Xbox 360 console, enthusiasts have been trying desperately to use it on the Windows operating system (OS). Given their determination in the matter, it appears ... Microsoft has concluded that if you can't beat 'em, you may as well join 'em. The Kinect system uses what is effectively a robotically-mounted camera to identify humans and track their movements. This allows players to take part in games without the need for any controller: the player simply makes the appropriate movement for the game situation. Using ... (view more)

Just a week after Microsoft's cloud computing leader Bob Muglia announced he would soon be departing, another MS executive has revealed that he too will be leaving for greener pastures. Corporate Vice President of Windows Consumer Marketing Brad ... Brooks will soon be joining Juniper Networks. Not the First MS Exec to Jump to Juniper Juniper is an Internet Protocol products and services company with headquarters in sunny Sunnyvale, California. It's a growing firm that has acquired important Microsoft employees in the past, most notably former head of the Redmond-based company's Platforms and ... (view more)

A Russian Microsoft blog has revealed that the first Service Pack for Windows 7 may be on its way soon. Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) will bundle all of the updates and improvements made to the operating system (OS) since its October 2009 release ... into a single download. Late last week, the headline "Released Service Pack 1 for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2" was found on the Microsoft TechNet blog "Russian Windows Virtualization Discussion". The blog promised more discussion of the Service Pack would follow in the coming days. Windows 7 Service Pack 1 Release Date On Track News of a ... (view more)

Microsoft founder and billionaire Bill Gates has always taken great pride in his philanthropic endeavors. While a great deal of funding has been provided to HIV and AIDS research over the years, it appears as if Microsoft will assume an even more ... active role in combating these and other fatal diseases. Microsoft's Altered Parasitic Organisms Back on July 9, 2009, Microsoft filed for a patent on "Adapting Parasites to Combat Disease" that laid out plans to unleash altered parasitic organisms inside human bodies. Knowledge of Microsoft's ambitions are only now surfacing and the imagery of ... (view more)

Microsoft is reportedly losing one of its most prominent and talented executives. Bob Muglia, who has been with the company nearly a quarter of a century, will be making his exit this coming summer. The news has generated much speculation from ... analysts, as the line of departing Microsoft execs grows longer. Cloud Computing Exec Looks to "New Opportunities" Muglia has been a part of Microsoft for 23 years. He's served a number of roles with the Redmond-based firm over that time, but in recent years has been a key part of Microsoft's shift toward cloud computing. It's not yet clear ... (view more)