Microsoft

Microsoft started way behind in the Netscape -- dominated browser market some 14 years ago. But by virtue of it being free -- and coming with every client operating system from Windows 95 to Windows 7-Internet Explorer quickly gained dominant market share. The Netscape crew was loath to give in, however. Turning the browser code over to open source developers resulted in the increasingly popular Firefox. More recently, Google Inc. unveiled the more-or-less built-from-scratch Chrome.

Microsoft has begun pushing out Internet Explorer 8, the latest version of its Web browser, to Windows users who are signed up for automatic software updates.

If your system has Automatic Updates turned on, you may have already been prompted to install the software. Whether you use IE on a regular basis or not, it's probably a good idea to accept this update, for a couple of reasons.

It’s the most secure distribution version of Windows XP ever produced by Microsoft: More than 600 settings are locked down tight, and critical security patches can be installed in an average of 72 hours instead of 57 days. The only problem is, you have to join the Air Force to get it.

Microsoft made the first release candidate of Windows 7 available for free download on Thursday. In an unprecedented move for the company, the software will run on a user's PC for more than a year.

Microsoft is effectively giving away Windows 7 free for a year with the launch of the Release Candidate. The Release Candidate is now available to MSDN and TechNet subscribers, and will go on unlimited, general release on 5 May.

Trusted Platform Modules and BitLocker Drive Encryption can protect Windows 7 computers against a bootkit attack unveiled last week but these technologies won't be available on a large portion of computers, leaving millions of users unprotected when Microsoft releases its next version of Windows.

Edward Gibson, Microsoft’s chief security advisor in the UK, is more qualified than most to talk about the computer threats that we face today.

Having held special positions as a FBI Special Agent for 20 years, he was also at one time assigned to the US embassy in London, in charge of the FBI’s hi-tech cyber terrorism work in the UK.

Microsoft has wrapped up work on the second service pack update to Windows Vista, the company announced late Tuesday. The update provides, among other things support for Bluetooth 2.1, an updated Windows search technology and the ability to natively record data to Blu-ray discs.

In a blog posting, the company said the update should be publicly available later this quarter. Microsoft is also ending a blocker tool that prevented computers from downloading Vista Service Pack 1, so those customers who had been using the tool will now see Vista SP1 offered via Windows Update.

Hackers beware: Microsoft has begun deleting the Gamerscores of those found to be found to be hacking Gears of War 2.

"As part of our regular safety monitoring we have pinpointed a group of players who have unlocked specific Gears of War 2 Achievements through an unauthorized hack," writes Xbox spokesman Major Nelson in a recent blog post.

MICROSOFT plans to spend its way out of the recession by developing new products and services but has ruled out buying a Linux company or increasing its stake in Facebook, a senior executive said.

Microsoft global chief operating officer Kevin Turner said he was not surprised by Oracle's $US7.4 billion ($10.38 billion) acquisition of Sun Microsystems.