Microsoft

Microsoft is continuing to make adjustments to its pricing for Windows Azure cloud-computing platform in an attempt to win over smaller developers.

Microsoft has started to talk about the pre-release of its Windows 8 operating system.

Although Microsoft has shown off bits of Windows 8 at CES and at its BUILD conference, it now wants to promote its pre-release of Windows 8. Microsoft learned a lot from the build-up to the Windows 7 launch, with a long public beta period that paid dividends. It seems the firm might be following a similar pattern with Windows 8.

Microsoft has a virtual monopoly on desktop operating systems with Windows and on office productivity with its Office suite.

However, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer may be not matching up to the expectations of people and any Mac freak or Linux user can easily discover the flaws in the Windows operating system.

But it would be imprudent to criticize all Microsoft products. Microsoft has an ample of free software tools just waiting for you to find it. You just have to know where to look

There has been plenty of rumormongering surrounding the final release date of Windows Phone 7 Mango, one of the mobile operating system's first major refreshes. But whether the anticipated September 1 release is truly a rumor or not, interested phone hackers can now get their hands on the final Mango build thanks to an early internal leak.

Microsoft on Tuesday patched the last vulnerability in Internet Explorer (IE) used by a researcher in March to win $15,000 at the annual Pwn2Own hacking contest.

The company had patched IE twice before to quash bugs exploited by Stephen Fewer of Harmony Security to bring down IE8 on Windows 7 at Pwn2Own. For his efforts, Fewer was awarded a cash prize of $15,000 and a Sony notebook.

As part of its monthly Patch Tuesday upgrades, Microsoft on Tuesday released fixes for 22 vulnerabilities discovered in Internet Explorer, Windows, Visio and Visual Studio.

As previously mentioned, Microsoft released 13 security bulletins, two of which are rated critical in severity, nine important and two moderate. The Redmond, Wash.-based company advised customers to install all of the updates as soon as possible, starting with the two rated most critical.

Amazon and Microsoft lost some of their hosted services after a power utility was struck by lightning in Ireland.

Perhaps one particularly important web site operator had been ticked off by his service, or maybe there are just too many metal rods pointing out of facilities over there, we can't say, but what we can say is that the hammer of Thor hit the premises and it took them down.

While still not great, the operating systems behind Apple desktops, laptops and phones are getting more secure, researchers at Black Hat  say.

Microsoft today said it will ship 13 security updates next week to patch 22 vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer, Windows, Visio and Visual Studio.

Next Tuesday's patch lineup is larger than July's on the update count, but matches that month's vulnerability total. That's unusual, since the company usually delivers a heavier load in even-numbered months. "Twenty-two [vulnerabilities] is not a big month, it's more in the medium range, what with the larger numbers we've seen so far in 2011," said Andrew Storms, director of security operations at nCircle Security.

Microsoft has kicked off a contest aimed at turning the tables on hackers by offering big money prizes for innovative tactics to foil cyber attacks. The US software titan launched the premier BlueHat Prize competition at a major Black Hat computer security conference in Las Vegas.

"As the risk of criminal attacks on private and government computer systems continues to increase, Microsoft recognises the need to stimulate research in the area of defensive computer security technology," Microsoft Trustworthy Computer Group general manager, Matt Thomlinson, said.