McAfee Delivers Beta of Security Suites
McAfee on Friday released betas of two software suites based on its new security service platform code-named "Falcon," first announced last month and intended to compete with Windows Live OneCare and Symantec's upcoming "Genesis" platform.
Under development for the past year, Falcon combines the company's antivirus, anti-spyware, and "threat watch" technologies. It includes SystemGuard to look for certain behaviors that may indicate virus, spyware or hacker activity, and alert the consumer before the issue does damage. Additionally, X-Ray detects and kills rootkits, as well as malicious programs that attempt to hide themselves.
Bill Gates to Leave Microsoft in 2 Years
Microsoft chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates announced in a press conference Thursday afternoon that he would be shifting priorities, leaving his full-time position at Microsoft in two years to focus his efforts on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Microsoft CTO Ray Ozzie will take over Gates' role as Chief Software Architect starting immediately. "Over the next two years, Ray and I will work side by side to ensure a smooth transition," Gates said. "Over time, he'll take on the central role for architectual leadership at Microsoft.'
Vista Torrent Offline After Legal Threat
The legality of hosting a BitTorrent tracker may be a gray area, but not for Microsoft when it comes to Windows Vista. The company on Wednesday handed down a cease-and-desist order to VistaTorrent.com, which was setup to help users download Vista Beta 2 without waiting on Microsoft's overloaded servers.
Those eager to try out the first public release of Microsoft's next generation operating system have struggled with slow download speeds and timeouts. The company has even recommended that users place an order for a $6 DVD copy rather than wait for the downloads, which have been intentionally capped.
Microsoft: Vista Most Secure OS Ever
Microsoft senior vice president Bob Muglia opened up TechEd 2006 in Boston Sunday evening by proclaiming that Windows Vista was the most secure operating system in the industry. But a bold statement can only go so far, and much of this week's conference has been spent reinforcing that point.
From the network perimeter to deep inside the Windows client, the significance of security has permeated into every facet of technology. Norman Mailer said that 20th century man's default status was anxiety. We have barely dipped our toes into the 21st, and our default status has already been elevated to outright fear.
Video Gives a Face to TechEd 2006
Information technology conferences are traditionally dry affairs, devoid of the pizzazz that exudes from shows like E3. But a group within Microsoft is attempting to change that by delivering an inside look at TechEd 2006 through the use of video.
TechEd is a week-long conference held by Microsoft for IT pros and developers, which is filled with technology sessions, hands on labs and an expo floor occupied by the Redmond company and its partners. In order to add some color and faces to the product announcements, Microsoft has designed Virtual TechEd to complement the event.
AOL Begins Beta Testing AIM Pro
AOL on Wednesday released a public beta of AIM Pro, the company's instant messaging client tailored for businesses. The software is based upon the AIM Triton platform and integrates online meetings and live demonstrations with desktop sharing using technology from WebEx.
AIM Pro has a streamlined interface that's more appropriate for corporate environments. The Pro version will become the recommended client for business users, while Triton remains consumer oriented. AOL hopes to ride the growing wave of instant messaging among business users.
Microsoft to Offer Live.com Addresses
Starting June 20, Microsoft customers will be able to sign up for a new e-mail address from the company under the @live.com and @windowslive.com domain names. The address will be associated with Windows Live ID, formerly known as Passport, and will work with any MSN or Windows Live service.
The new e-mail account will not include current contacts, but Microsoft is working on a migration tool that will allow users to import them from Hotmail and MSN. "If you are excited about the new domains names then definitely sign up and let your contacts know about your new address. This is a great opportunity to make get the account name you have always wanted," says the Windows Live Mail team.
SQL Server Everywhere CTP Released
Following through on a promise made in April, Microsoft at TechEd 2006 released the first Community Technology Preview of SQL Server Everywhere Edition, a new version of the company's database product for client systems and mobile devices.
With a footprint of under 2 megabytes on disk, SQL Server Everywhere features a subset of the full server functionality and is designed to provide an organized data store for clients when offline. Everywhere Edition can synchronize back with a full SQL Server database, or operate independently.
Cingular to Update Windows Mobile Phones
Cingular on June 18 will deliver an update to customers with Windows Mobile 5.0 smartphones, which will enable them to receive e-mail as it comes in through push technology. The Messaging and Security Feature Pack connects to Exchange Server 2003 and additionally supports receiving calendar items, contacts and tasks.
The Direct Push feature will only be available to Cingular's B2B customers and will cost either $29.99 or $44.99 with a qualifying voice plan, depending on the phone. The update will also improve security and device management by bolstering password enforcement and adding remote password wipe, as well as certificate-based authentication and FIPS 140-2 certification.
Vista Beta 2 Offered via BitTorrent
With Microsoft struggling to keep up with the demand for Windows Vista Beta 2, tech personality Chris Pirillo has taken the initiative to publish the 3.2-gigabite download using BitTorent. But Microsoft recommends against using a third party to obtain Vista code.
Those eager to try out the first public release of Microsoft's next generation operating system have been met with slow download speeds and timeouts. The Redmond company has even recommended that users place an order for a DVD copy rather than deal with the download wait times.
Vista Account Protection Being 'Refined'
One of the most important features shipping in Windows Vista has also become the most contentious: User Account Control. While businesses and users alike have asked for improved security, the feature's barrage of pop-up windows has left those running beta builds simply annoyed.
In response, Microsoft says changes are on the way.
Exchange 2007 Beta 2 Set for July
As TechEd 2006 gets underway in Boston Monday, Exchange Server 2007 has taken center stage as a primary enabler for Microsoft's "People Ready" vision for businesses. The upcoming release of Exchange will serve to keep employees connected when on the go, and act as a unified messaging server.
Exchange 2007 will handle e-mail, calendaring, faxes and even voicemail. Through integration with Exchange Server, Outlook 2007 users can access e-mail and even reschedule meetings over the phone. Users can also listen voicemail messages directly from within Outlook.
Microsoft Introduces 'Forefront' Brand
Kicking off TechEd 2006 with a Sunday evening keynote, Microsoft senior vice president Bob Muglia introduced a new brand for the company's upcoming security products: Forefront. At the core of Forefront will be Client Security, along with Microsoft's new Antigen lineup.
Formerly known as Microsoft Client Protection, Forefront Client Security serves as the central management console for managing security across an enterprise. A "State Assessment Scan" has been added to the product for determining machines that need patches or are configured insecurely, while "Single Profile Configuration" creates a standard policy setting.
WinFX Becomes .NET Framework 3.0
Following through on plans reported during PDC 2005 last September, Microsoft at TechEd 2006 in Boston officially renamed WinFX to .NET Framework 3.0. The next-generation programming model extends version 2.0 with Vista-specific additions.
"The .NET Framework has always been at the core of WinFX, but the WinFX brand didn’t convey this," explained Soma Somasegar, corporate vice president of Microsoft's Developer Division. ".NET Framework 3.0 aptly identifies the technology for exactly what it is – the next version of our developer framework."
AOL Opens AIM SDK to Mac OS, Linux
AOL on Monday expanded its Open AIM initiative, adding support for PC-to-PC calling and new operating systems including Mac OS X and Linux. The Open AIM program provides a platform for developers to build plug-ins and custom clients that take advantage of AOL's instant messaging network.
Since its launch in March, the Open AIM effort has attracted 35,000 registered developers and over 100,000 consumers using AIM gadgets. Five custom clients have been built using the SDK. "We had a pretty good start and now we're seeing it really get some legs," AIM chief architect Justin Uberti told BetaNews.
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