Microsoft Patches 7 Critical Vulnerabilities
As part of its Patch Tuesday updates this week, Microsoft corrected 10 vulnerabilities in Windows and Office, 7 of which were deemed "critical." Three critical flaws were fixed in Excel that could allow for remote code execution, while one was fixed in Windows 2000 and Server 2003.
The final critical patch was for the .NET Framework, correcting three vulnerabilities - two of which affect client systems and one affecting Web servers running ASP.NET. Lastly, one "important" vulnerability was patched in Office and another in Windows XP; and one moderate flaw was fixed in Vista. Vista's firewall could allow incoming unsolicited network traffic to access a network interface and gather information.
Microsoft Announces Game Lineup, Halo 3 Xbox
At the diminutive E3 in Santa Monica Tuesday, Microsoft unveiled a special edition Xbox design for Halo 3 that will debut alongside the long-awaited third installment, along with announcing a slew of upcoming games. Microsoft says the Xbox 360 is responsible for more game sales than Sony's PS3 and Nintendo's Wii combined.
On the Xbox side, Microsoft showcased "Call of Duty 4," "Assassin's Creed," "Rock Band" - EA's competitor to the popular Guitar Hero series, "Mass Effect" and "BioShock." Over 30 new titles were also announced under the Games for Windows brand, including "Age of Empires: III" and "Gears of War."
Xbox 360 Elite Coming to Europe Aug 24
Microsoft announced at its E3 press conference late Tuesday that the Xbox 360 Elite will be coming to Europe on August 24. The souped up game console features a 120GB hard drive and HDMI connector for high-definition televisions. Pricing was not announced, however.
Both European and Canadian customers will be able to partake in all Xbox Live offerings, the company added, including its new Disney movie downloads. Microsoft also said it had no plans to drop the price of the Xbox 360 in response to a $100 price cut for Sony's PlayStation 3. The Xbox 360 Elite is still cheaper than Sony's 80GB console, but does lack some features such as a Blu-ray drive.
Thousands in WVA Still Without Phone Service
After an outage Tuesday morning knocked out phone service to an estimated 20,000 locations in West Virginia, FiberNet -- the company whose systems failed -- is still working on the problem over 24 hours later. Hospitals and police departments have been given priority, however, and most had phone service restored early Wednesday.
The catastrophic failure occurred when both primary and backup equipment failed. A multiplexer that routes calls, which was 8 years old, was supposed to switch to a redundant path but did not, FiberNet says.
Xbox Live to Offer Disney Films in HD
Microsoft has forged an agreement with Disney to offer the studio's movies for rental via Xbox Live. High-definition films will cost 480 Microsoft points, while those in standard-definition run 320 points. Older films are priced at 360 points and 240 points. All films can be watched for 24 hours after downloading before they expire.
The Walt Disney Studios catalog includes titles from Walk Disney Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures and Miramax Films. New movies will become available on Xbox Live as they are released, much like Disney does through Apple's iTunes. Microsoft did not say whether the deal would include Disney-owned ABC television programs.
After Four Years, AOL 9.1 Enters Beta
After a four year hiatus, AOL has restarted development of its client software, seemingly to appease those customers who have moved onto broadband, but are comfortable with the AOL interface. AOL 9.1 entered beta testing Tuesday, and is available for download.
Although it's only a notch above AOL 9.0, which was released in July 2003, the update brings a number of major changes to the company's software that once dominated an industry. The majority relate to AOL's shift from Internet service provider to Web portal and its newfound reliance on advertising.
Microsoft Updates Vista Assessment Tool
Those still considering whether to make the jump to Windows Vista will have additional help with today's 2.0 release of Microsoft's Vista Hardware Assessment Tool. The application takes inventory of a computer system and makes recommendations if upgrades are required.
Version 2.0 of the Assessment Tool is primarily designed for businesses with a large number of systems networked together. It automatically connects to each PC and acquires the necessary information through Microsoft's WMI protocol, and can handle up to 25,000 systems per domain. The tool also prepares reports displaying how many systems are Vista-ready, and assesses compatibility with Office 2007 as well. The download, when it goes live, will be available here.
80GB PS3 Less Backward Compatible
The chip in Sony's initial PS3 versions that enables backward compatibility with older PlayStation games, called the "Emotion Engine," will be eliminated from the structure of new 80GB units, which go on sale in August. Sony warns that this means the 80GB PS3 will offer less compatibility.
Similar to Microsoft's Xbox 360, and Sony's own PAL-formatted systems in Europe, backward compatibility will likely be achieved through a periodic system update. The 60GB PS3 model continues to include the chip in order for users to play their PS One and PlayStation 2 games.
Lawsuit Over Scratched Xbox 360 Discs
An Xbox 360 user in Fort Lauderdale, Florida has filed a class-action lawsuit against Microsoft for damage done by the console to individual game discs. His lawyer has stated that his client wants all his damaged games replaced or equal monetary compensation for them.
The individual's claim is that the laser used to read the discs causes permanent damage to them, and that the documentation included with the system does not advise against moving the Xbox 360 while it is turned on.
Dell Introduces New Computer Lineup
Dell on Tuesday added a completely new lineup to both its desktop and notebook offerings, which is aimed at small businesses with between 1 and 25 employees. Called Vostro, the systems include software designed for easing IT management tasks.
Listening to customer feedback about bloatware, Vostro systems won't include any trial software. Dell will also provide a dedicated sales and support team to work with small businesses. Vostro laptops start at $449 USD and are priced up to $799 USD for the high-end 17-inch model. The Vostro 200 desktop comes in mini-tower and slim tower form factors and starts at $319 USD.
Microsoft Finalizes Malware Portal
Microsoft on Tuesday took the wraps off what it calls version 1 of its new Malware Protection Center Portal. The site offers a malware encyclopedia for investigating threats, downloads of Microsoft's latest antivirus and anti-spyware signatures, listings of the top threats and other tools.
In addition, Microsoft has begun publishing a Security Intelligence Report that provides an in-depth look at software vulnerabilities. The effort to create the site comes as part of Microsoft's initiative to make its security division more open and public-facing. In addition, the company is encouraging customers to upload samples of files they think are infected, which could aid in protecting others. Feedback on the site can be sent to Microsoft here.
'Highly Critical' Flaw in Firefox 2.0
Security firm Secunia has issued an advisory regarding a newly discovered "highly critical" security flaw in Firefox 2.0 and later, which involves a special URI handler. Although the problem was initially attributed to Internet Explorer by researcher Thor Larholm, Firefox is the culprit.
According to Secunia, "Firefox registers the "firefoxurl://" URI handler and allows invoking Firefox with arbitrary command line arguments." This means that a malicious site visited in Internet Explorer could pass parameters using that URI handler that would be run automatically in Firefox, without any sort of validation. The firm suggests not visiting untrusted sites until the problem is resolved.
EarthLink Launches 'Freestanding' DSL
Consumers who wish to subscribe to DSL Internet service without paying for telephone service have a new option, at least in certain areas. EarthLink's Freestanding DSL runs $14.95 for 1.5Mbps of bandwidth and $19.95 for 3.0Mbps. These prices jump to $39.95 and $44.95, respectively, after 6 months. A 12-month contract is required.
Although phone companies such as Verizon has been offering what they call "naked DSL" service for some time, resellers such as EarthLink had to secure new deals with owners of the phone networks. Earthlink's Freestanding DSL will be offered in Verizon territory, which includes parts of California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Washington state, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, D.C., West Virginia and Wisconsin.
New Windows Server, Visual Studio, SQL Server to Launch in February
On February 27, 2008, Microsoft will jointly release Windows Server 2008, Visual Studio 2008 and SQL Server 2008, kicking off what it calls a "launch wave" with hundreds of events worldwide. Microsoft will pitch the products as a platform for next-generation Web service applications.
Windows Server 2008 is still expected to be released to manufacturing before the end of the year, with November as the rumored timeframe. Microsoft took a similar tack with Windows Vista, making it available to businesses in November before its public launch in late January.
WVA Phone Outage Hits Hospitals, 911 Centers
A massive telephone service outage is affecting thousands in West Virginia, after FiberNet had a network failure that affected both its primary and backup systems. The problem began at 5:30am and continues to persist five hours later. Hospitals, fire departments, businesses and homes are affected.
According to individuals in the area, West Virginia's capital of Charleston is affected including the city's main hospital, along with Wirt, Wood, Mingo and Mercer counties. 911 call centers in Brooke and Hancock counties are also having problems. "Although no estimated time to repair is available at this point, FiberNet is working diligently to resolve this problem just as quickly as possible," the company said in a statement on its Web site.
Most Commented Stories
BetaNews, your source for breaking tech news, reviews, and in-depth reporting since 1998.
Regional iGaming Content
© 1998-2025 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. About Us - Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy - Sitemap.