Microsoft

After the German and French governments cautioned against the use of its browser Internet Explorer (IE), Microsoft has issued a response that not only looks to reduce the amount of fear that has since surfaced because of the Chinese attacks on ... Google , but also hopes to land the company some added revenue in the process. On their Security Research ... (view more)

The German government has issued an official warning that citizens should avoid using Internet Explorer. It's a response to a recently discovered flaw in the browser that is believed to have been exploited by hackers attacking Google in China. ... Germans Expect Flaw to be Widely Exposed Soon The warning comes from the Federal Office for Information Security, known locally as the Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik (BSI). The warning, which was translated via Google Translate, read: "The BSI expects that [the Internet Explorer] vulnerability will be used [very soon] for attacks on ...<a href="/news/5401/avoid-internet-explorer-says-german-government" class="more-link">view more

Microsoft is proving that the old adage "If you can't beat them, join them" still holds true. Earlier this month, the company agreed to add a new software license option for U.S. customers called "Rental Rights" that, in a nutshell, allows companies ... to purchase Windows and Office licenses like never before. More than a few companies have expressed their desire to act as a "middle man" in renting or leasing Microsoft software to their customers. An Internet cafe, for example, would be interested in a deal with Microsoft. In failing to strike a compromise in the past, these ... (view more)

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer says his company will not pull its operations out of China. The issue arose after Google said it could be forced to leave the country after deciding to no longer censor website results. Ballmer did not discuss the ... censorship issue directly, but told CNBC that "We've been quite clear that we're going to operate in China." He added that "I don't understand how [pulling out] helps us and I don't understand how that helps China." (Source: washingtonpost.com ) Questioned about recent hacking attacks on Google that appear to have originated in China and may have prompted ... (view more)

Microsoft has uncharacteristically spoken out against Google over the two firms' free online storage offers. The comments follow Google's announcement that it is extending the size and type of files eligible for free back-up. To date, users of ... Google Docs had been severely limited in the amount of data they could store online. Storage could only be used for specific types of document file, namely: word processing, spreadsheet and presentation files. Free Google Docs Storage Balloons to 1GB The firm now says users will be allowed 1GB of free storage, with extra space available for 25 cents per ... (view more)

If you're still running an old version of Adobe's popular Flash player plug-in, you'd better update, says Microsoft. The software giant, which rarely tells customers to halt their use of another company's wares, has had it with the many bugs and ... security vulnerabilities in Flash Player 6.0, released several years ago. In response to multiple bugs and a slew of security vulnerabilities, Microsoft has through its most recent Security Advisory (#979267) told users that they should either uninstall Flash Player 6.0 or immediately switch to a newer edition of the plugin. Threats Include Remote ... (view more)

After a lengthy court battle that saw Microsoft cut down by tiny Canadian firm i4i, the software giant has agreed to remove the conflicting function from its popular Word program. As of this morning, the XML features at the heart of the great 2009 ... Word legal battle have been cut out. The ordeal began back in August , when a Texas federal judge found Microsoft guilty of infringing on small Toronto-based i4i's copyright of various XML functions found in the software company's Word, a prominent part of the very popular Office suite. Microsoft was given until October 10 to remove Word from store ... (view more)

Thanks to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's address at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Wednesday night and a video interview with Entertainment ... (view more)

Apple's much-hyped tablet computer could be on sale within a few months . But now Microsoft has responded by promoting its own tablet PC in partnership with HP. The Windows 7 Tablet: by HP Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer showed off the device as part of ... his major address to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Wednesday night. The computer is effectively a Windows 7 notebook but in the form of a single touchscreen rather than a separate keyboard and display. Pricing isn't confirmed, though reports are that it will be sold for less than $500. The new device is produced by HP, and not Microsoft. ... (view more)

Microsoft is offering a whopping 50 per cent discount on the Professional edition of Windows 7. It's an attempt to gain ground among smaller businesses, some of whom need more features than the home user but aren't big enough for large-scale ... licensing. The firm has announced that customers of its "Open Value Subscription" licensing scheme will get upgrades to Windows 7 Professional for half-price until the end of June. They'll also qualify for a 50 per cent discount on Office 2010. About: Open Value Subscription "Open Value Subscription" is aimed at small and medium businesses (those with 5 ... (view more)