Microsoft To Charge For Office 2007 Beta Downloads!

When one thinks of beta software, he usually thinks of a product that is given to the public for free with the intentions of having a wide variety of users test it and provide a substantial amount of feedback. Rarely, if ever, do we think of beta software as having a price tag. When was the last time you checked to see how much a piece of beta software cost? Probably not recently. Well, Microsoft is about to change all of that starting next Wednesday.

According to ZDNet, Microsoft will begin charging US$1.50 per download for Microsoft Office 2007 Beta 2. For most people, that's a $1.50 more than what beta software is expected to cost. So why does Microsoft feel that it needs to charge for a beta? A company spokeswoman lays it out for us.
Since the end of May, Beta 2 has been downloaded more than 3 million times...That's 500 percent more than what was expected. The fee helps offset the cost of downloading from the servers.

Full Story: http://arstechnica.com/journals/microsoft.ars/2006/7/28/4808

Microsoft Releases New Preview of Microsoft.com

This week Microsoft released a beta preview of its upcoming website redesign. The new look and feel is much different than what's currently on the Redmond giant's homepage. What are the significant changes, and will they improve Microsoft's site?

Users who are familiar with Microsoft.com will notice that the new site sports a right-hand navigation menu. Microsoft obviously doesn't believe the left-hand navigation myth. Another change that is readily apparent is the use of images when browsing. For instance, clicking on the "Software & Services" link produces a new layer with images of products such as Windows, Office, and Games & Xbox. From there, one can drill down on an image to get a refined result set; Developer Tools leads to images for MSDN, Visual Studio, and so on. Microsoft has also used its in-house tools wisely, enabling AJAX-style navigation so that we don't have to wait during postbacks.

Full Story: http://arstechnica.com/journals/microsoft.ars/2006/7/24/4750
The new preview site can be found here: http://preview.microsoft.com/en/us/default.aspx
Though Firefox users will not be able to access the site!

Huge Windows Vista Preview Information Page

I have just found this while searching Google News it is a huge article talking about the new Windows Vista. The article talks about Vista's minimum requirements to run on a computer, Setting it up, Looking at security, & Other general features the new OS will have.

The page is worth reading if you have not had a chance to use or see Windows Vista or if you just want more info.

Link: http://www.techtree.com/tec
htree/jsp/article.jsp?article_id=74768&cat_id=610&page=1

Will Windows Vista be Less Secure than XP?

Despite all the interim releases of Windows Vista, Symantec has come out and said in a report that Windows Vista is very likely to be less secure when it ships than Windows XP is today. According to Symantec, it already has discovered many security flaws within Vista that have to do with networking. Symantec says that it's Vista's large chunk of new code that is the problem.

According to the Symantec report, "Microsoft has removed a large body of tried and tested code and replaced it with freshly written code, complete with new corner cases and defects. This may provide for a more stable networking stack in the long term, but stability will suffer in the short term."

Full Story: http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=3389

AOL To Challenge Microsoft In The Instant Messaging Market

AOL has launched an upmarket version of its popular instant messaging service aimed squarely at small businesses, and at Microsoft's forthcoming Office Live service.

The AIM Pro client supports integration with Microsoft Outlook and gives users one-click access to WebEx Communications' voice and video conferencing and Web collaboration services. Unlike the consumer version, AIM Pro offers "business-grade security" and SSL encryption, and automatic anti-virus file scanning user name. Users can make their business email address their AIM screen name.

Full Story: http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/5021/127/

No More Windows Private Folder Application!

Following a barrage of criticism from security experts and IT administrators, Microsoft has withdrawn its new Private Folder application. The program was introduced last week as a free download for those who verify their operating system as genuine through Microsoft's Windows Genuine Advantage Program.

Full Story: http://www.beta
news.com/article/Microsoft_Withdraws_Private_Folder_App/1152917352

Yahoo & Microsoft's Instant Messengers Will Be Able To Communicate With Each other!

Yahoo! and Microsoft are making their instant messaging systems capable of communicating with each other to create a communications platform with some 350 million user accounts.
The interoperability — the first of its kind between two distinct, global consumer IM providers — will form the world’s largest consumer IM community and be three times the size of Skype, the current leading VoIP application online.

Full Story: http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk/news.php?newsId=3945

Firefox 2.0

Firefox, the free browser from Mozilla, is releasing a beta of version 2.0 on 11 July.
Early testers have highlighted several changes to the software; it now features an integrated spell checker designed for bloggers and forum posters, and a phishing filter.
The phishing filter uses a list of suspected malware sites as well as Google's site listings to flag potentially hazardous websites.

The beta version which is a free download from Mozilla will be strong competition for Microsoft's Internet Explorer Web browsing software.

Full Story: http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk/news.php?newsId=3917

Windows 98 & Me Support To End Today

Microsoft is urging an estimated 70 million users of Windows 98 to upgrade as it ends support for the software.
From 11 July, Microsoft will no longer help users over the phone with any problems they have with the ageing operating system.
The firm will also stop providing security updates for Windows 98 from the same date.
Support for the software was originally due to end in 2003, but was extended following customer protests.

The Operating Systems that will be affected will include Windows 98, Windows 98 SE (Second Edition) & Windows Me (Millennium Edition)

Full Story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/5164450.stm

Microsoft's Portable Media Player Has A Name!

Whoever is leaking news about the Microsoft media player rumoured to be released at Christmas is having a hard time keeping his or her mouth closed.
The Seattle Times has pieced together some more information about the device, which looks to be part of a bigger project involving Xbox-branded products.
According to the report by Brier Dudley, the project is called Argo and is being developed within the Xbox group, hence the involvement of J Allard that Pocket-lint reported on earlier.

Full Story From: http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk/news.php?newsId=3919

Windows Genuine Advantage Piracy vs. Privacy

Microsoft's efforts to solve its multibillion-dollar software-piracy problem have landed it in the cross hairs of computer privacy advocates and attorneys in recent weeks.

Two class-action lawsuits are pending, unsubstantiated Big Brother rumors have swirled on tech blogs and consumers are bristling under accusations of piracy — especially those who shelled out hundreds of bucks for what they thought was legitimate software.

At issue, critics say, is not that Microsoft is trying to curb the unlicensed use of its products, but how the software giant is going about it.

Full Story: http://seattletim
es.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2003116557_btwi
ndows10.html

PayPal Phone Phishing Scam

Sophos has warned of a new phishing email that tries to trick PayPal users into calling a phone number and revealing their credit card details.

The email purports to come from PayPal, and claims that the recipient's account has been the subject of fraudulent activity.

Unlike normal phishing emails, the message contains no internet link or response address. Instead, the recipient is urged to call a US phone number and verify their details.

Full Story: http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2159940/sophos-warns-paypal-phone

WGA Under Fire

Thousands of computer users say they are being wrongly accused by Microsoft of owning pirated software, it has emerged.
Surfers have said that a program used by Microsoft to alert customers to illegal copies of its Windows XP system has been falsely targeting them. Many say they are being forced to pay for replacement versions, despite having already spent hundreds of pounds on official products.

The download, called Windows Genuine Advantage, tracks the unique identification numbers packaged with each legitimate copy of Windows. Users found to have fake codes - or a code that has already been registered elsewhere - are encouraged to buy an official licence. Some have also claimed their computer performance becomes impaired if they do not upgrade.

Full Story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/microsoft/Story/0,,1815758,00.html

Microsoft To Release Ipod Killer By Christmas

Microsoft is planning to have a portable music and video player out by Christmas in a challenge to Apple Computer's iPod.

The digital player will have a wireless Internet connection, enabling users to download music without being linked to a computer, a feature the iPod doesn't offer, according to people briefed on the company's plans.

Microsoft is seeking to take away market share from Apple's iPod, which commands 77 percent of the $4 billion U.S. market for digital music players, based on figures from market researcher NPD Group. Apple's iTunes music store is used for 72 percent of music downloads. Since Apple Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs introduced the iPod in October 2001, the company has sold more than 50.8 million players.

Full Stroy: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/
businesstechnology/2003107492_microsoftipod06.html

Microsoft Creating New Non-Windows OS

Admitting that the current Windows architecture is getting long in the tooth, Microsoft is now finally in the early stages of creating a new OS based on an entirely new foundation. This new OS would eventually replace Windows. This news shouldn't come as a surprise, per se. But what's interesting is that Microsoft is actually talking about it for the first time. A future OS with a new foundation would better leverage the power of multicore microprocessors, the company says, but would require software-development tools that don't yet exist. Replacing Windows won't be easy, of course, and Microsoft is only at the first, tentative stages. But given how deftly the company handled the transitions to technologies such as the Intel 286, Windows NT, and x64 architecture, I can state with some certainty that we should be free of Windows by 2050, at the latest.

Full Story: http://www.windowsitpro.com/Article/ArticleID/53913/53913.html?Ad=1

Bugs To Delay Office 2007

The release of the 2007 Microsoft Office Beta has led to the discovery of major problems with two of the products main applications Outlook and Powerpoint. Microsoft insiders have told me that early testing has revealed "A lot more bugs than was expected" and that code is again being re written.

The Full Story Can Be Found Here: http://www.smarthouse.com.au/Computing/Software?Article=/Computing/Software/D4G3D3E7

Windows Genuine Advantage Will Not Kill Your Computer

Microsoft has gone on record to deny speculation that it plans to cripple copies of Windows XP for users who refuse to install its controversial antipiracy tool. This supposed “Killswitch” was first reported by Zdnet and was widely picked up by the media. It added to Microsoft’s woes as already WGA has been under fire and been likened to spyware. Not only that Microsoft been sued in a class action lawsuit on this issue.

While WGA will probably not kill your computer Vista just might. The software company has confirmed that for its upcoming Windows Vista operating system. Large companies will be required to activate their software differently than they do today in order to prevent the leakage of volume licenses that are the source of most Windows piracy.

Full Story: http://tech.moneycontrol.com/news/windows-wga-will-not-kill-your-pc/1801/india/

Worm poses As Microsoft Windows Genuine Advantage

Security vendors, Sophos, have warned of a worm that disguises itself as Microsoft’s anti-piracy program.
The Cuebot-K worm poses as the genuine Microsoft Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) program which was recently the subject of controversy, following allegations that it has been spying on Windows users by collecting hardware and software data from PCs.
The Cuebot-K worm spreads via instant messenger, registering itself as a new system driver service called ‘wgavn’, with a display name of ‘Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Notification’, and automatically runs during system start-up.

Full Story: http://www.mumbaimirror.com/nmirror/mmpaper.asp?sectid=16&articleid=732006224958406732006224957312

Windows 98 & Millennium Updates To Stop Very Soon!

Software giant Microsoft has named the day that Windows 98 and Millennium users will no longer have support.
On July 11, the two operating systems will have their final breakfast before being wiped from Vole's support brain. Although many expected Microsoft to stop supporting the quaintly antique software, the date for liquidation was uncertain.

Full Story: http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=32796

New Console News!

Firstly Nintendo has released more info about there new console the Nintendo Wii Sadly unlike Sony they have not released any info on the release date or info on the pricing of the console (Sony have confirmed that the PS3 will be released on the 17th November in Japan & will cost the MAHOOSIVE! cost of £425) Such new features the Wii will boast are of a motion sensitive controller. They have also confirmed that the controller can be operated using only one hand and that unlike the PS3 the controller will be wired. Also Nintendo have hinted that the new Wii console may be cheaper than it's competitors.

New Office is it worth waiting for?

Just a bit later than intended. The company this week said it will delay offering its Office 2007 business productivity software from October until after the end of this year. The extra wait may be worth it. In the process of giving the software package a new look and easier ways to use its
voluminous features, Microsoft is accomplishing the unusual: generating early interest in an upgrade of a product that has seemingly been around forever. That's no small accomplishment, considering that many people still are perfectly happy with Office 97, including their word processor, spreadsheet, database, e-mail and presentation programs. And they will wonder why they should spend hundreds of dollars to upgrade.

Full Story: http://www.sptimes.com/2006/0
7/01/Columns/Microsoft_Office_upgr.shtml

New Office Test Version

I have just found this while searching Google News:

The new test version, which is available for download now, will give customers the chance to evaluate and experience the new features of the 2007 Microsoft Office system and to provide feedback to Microsoft ahead of the full launch. The 2007 Microsoft Office system is a complete set of desktop and server software designed to help streamline the way organizations and their people do business. This latest release offers significant new capabilities to help increase
personal productivity, simplify how people work together, make processes and content management more efficient, and improve the quality of business intelligence across an organization. 'The launch of the second beta for the 2007 Microsoft Office system marks an important milestone in the development of Microsoft's productivity solutions. We are introducing many new functions to the next version of Office system, and have revamped many of the existing features, and giving a preview of these to our user community, to get their feedback, is an essential part of the development process,' explained Sabah Corm, Information Worker Group Manager, Microsoft Gulf.

Full Story: http://www.ameinfo.com/90285.html

Ofiice 2007 Late!!!

In the most recent delay plaguing its flagship products, Microsoft will deliver Office 2007 later than planned, potentially compounding damage to the company's credibility.
The next version of Office, including popular word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software, as well as components of several business tools, will be available for large-volume customers by the end of 2006 rather than in October, Microsoft said through its public-relations agency Thursday.

Full Story: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/20030
95228_microsoftoffice30.html

Windows Genuine Disadvantage!!!

A computer user is suing Microsoft Corp. over the company's Windows Genuine Advantage anti-piracy tool, alleging that it violates laws against spyware. The suit by Los Angeles resident Brian Johnson, filed this week in U.S. District Court in Seattle, seeks class-action status for claims that Microsoft didn't adequately disclose details of the tool when it was delivered to PC users through the company's Automatic Update system. Windows Genuine Advantage is designed to check the validity of a computer user's copy of the operating system. But the tool became a subject of heightened controversy earlier this month, after PC users began noticing that it was making daily contact with Microsoft's servers without their knowledge, even if their software was valid.

Full Story: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/275780_msftsuit29.html

The Death of Win:FS

It would be tempting to write off the news of the news of the shelving of Microsoft's much vaunted next generation filing system WinFS, which was first supposed to ship with Vista, then later as a standalone application, as a ho-hum, so what event. However, the way the product was quietly canned without any public explanation has caused some disquiet among market watchers.One or two pundits have raised eyebrows because of the fact that the WinFS news was leaked in an off-handed manner in a developer's blog rather than an offical company announcement, in an apparent effort to bury the news. However, more significant than the PR strategy of using a blog instead of a media release is the growing body of evidence that Microsoft has difficulty in delivering the goods it promises years in advance.

Full Story: http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/4769/53/

A Windows whose file system is a powerful, object-oriented database that can wrangle content of all kinds with aplomb? It's one of the best ideas that Microsoft ever came up with--and maybe the most vaporous. And it died again this week when a posting at a
Microsoft blog said that WinFS won't appear in a beta 2 version...or, actually, at all as the Windows Vista add-on it was most recently going to be. (Instead, aspects of its technologies will get rolled into other Microsoft products like SQL Server and ADO.NET, says the blog.)

Full Story: http://blogs.pcworld.com/techlog/archives/002323.html