Microsoft

CinemaNow Inc., the Internet-based movie service, is a rarity in Hollywood -- a company that eagerly embraces Microsoft Corp. technology and relies on it exclusively to transmit, protect and display the movies it rents to customers.

Then again, Microsoft is a major investor in the company, which is also owned by independent studio Lions Gate.

The majority of entertainment companies, unsure of Microsoft's motives and wary of its cutthroat tactics in the battle for the computer desktop, have preferred to maintain an arm's-length relationship with the software Goliath.

If you ask 100 Windows users what they think of Microsoft when it comes to security, you are likely to get a few negative responses. Microsoft has replaced the old internet connection firewall with the new Windows Firewall which is turned on by default. It should be noted that Windows Firewall is not as secure as MS would want you to believe since it does half the job a commercial firewall would do; which is to block both incoming and outgoing traffic. Windows Firewall only blocks or patrols incoming traffic and it can be easily turned off by another application, possibly a worm.

Microsoft announced Wednesday it would offer a low-cost starter edition of its Windows XP operating system in Asia starting in October, as it strives to hold onto market share facing erosion from the open-source Linux system and software piracy.

Although U.S. software giant Microsoft still holds a commanding share of the desktop PC market worldwide, several major computer retailers in Asia in the past year have begun offering hardware with Linux installed.

Amid growing worries that Windows-based medical systems will endanger patients if Microsoft-issued security patches are not applied, hospitals are rebelling against restrictions from device manufacturers that have delayed or prevented such updates. Moreover, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is encouraging the aggrieved hospitals to file written complaints against the manufacturers, which could result in devices losing their government seal of approval.

A patch for a security hole dubbed 'moderate' has been issued by the software firm

Microsoft published a patch on Tuesday for its Exchange 5.5 email and collaboration server software, fixing a flaw graded as "moderate," the second-lowest of four ratings.

While developers at Microsoft Corp. may be celebrating that they finished work on Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP, IT departments around the world now face the question on whether they should update their systems, or not.

IBM Corp., for one, is holding off on installing the security-focused update for Windows XP. In a note headlined "To patch -- or not to patch" posted Friday on its corporate intranet, IBM tells its employees not to download SP2 when it becomes available because of compatibility issues. A copy of the note was obtained by IDG News Service.

With Microsoft having released Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) to manufacturing, the technology that some have nicknamed "Security Pack 2," coupled with recent rumblings from Microsoft, are spinning the spotlight towards the personal firewall and anti-virus sectors.

Windows XP SP2, which has finally been released for manufacturing, is designed to make the Windows operating more secure by offering a host of new features and functionality. Part of that increased security is protection against buffer overflows, which are a vulnerability that has been exploited to great effect by high-profile worm attacks such as Sasser, Slammer, and Blaster.

Security company F-Secure has reverse-engineered SP2, a process the company compares to taking apart a virus or worm to see how it functions, and the company's initial reaction is very positive.

Microsoft releases Windows XP SP2 to OEMs today after a two day delay. By October consumers will be able to buy boxed versions off the shelf. "Microsoft specifically recommends that users visit www.microsoft.com/protect and follow the protection steps there to ensure smooth receipt of the code."

"The package will not appear immediately on www.windowsupdate.com. When it does, the site will include an option to order a free CD-ROM with the update."

Faced with a new kind of browser war, Microsoft has kick-started renewed development around its flagship Internet Explorer (IE), prompting speculation that IE 7.0 could be coming down the pike. With online security fears pushing users away from IE, the software giant has stepped up its effort to restore users' faith in the browser. It has reassigned a high-profile Longhorn evangelist to the IE team, advertised for browser developers and launched a widespread online offensive to solicit feedback from users.