Microsoft gave advanced notice Thursday of updates it plans to release next week as part of its monthly Patch Tuesday. The company will issue two security updates, with at least one of them deemed "critical." Microsoft also plans to deliver an update to its Malicious Software Removal Tool on Tuesday as well.

Additionally, Microsoft will issue two non-security high-priority updates through Windows Update and Software Update Services, and three non-security high-priority updates through Microsoft Update and Windows Server Update Services. It is standard Microsoft procedure to not disclose the nature of the updates beforehand for security reasons.

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Yahoo revealed on Wednesday that it had two new VoIP services in the works for its Yahoo Messenger client, which would allow users to place and receive phone calls. Called Phone In and Phone Out, the additions would allow Yahoo to compete with companies like Skype in the growing VoIP market.

The company has remained mum on when it plans to launch the services, although they are expected to debut first in seven countries including Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Singapore, Spain, and the United States.

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Google now offers directions for those tired of sitting in traffic through a new beta service called Google Transit. It hooks into public transportation schedules and routes to enable users to plan trips without needing their cars. Google Transit currently only supports Portland, but more cities are on the way.

"Public transportation offers a unique type of data that people use in very different ways than most of the data Google has worked with before," says Transit product manager Avichal Garg. "We really want to understand how people use Google Transit and the challenges we'll face as we cover additional cities. To that end, we'd love to hear your feedback!"

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Proof of concept exploit code for an unpatched security flaw in the newly released Firefox 1.5 was publicly posted Wednesday by Packetstorm Security. The problem involves Firefox's history database, which cannot handle extremely long page topics. A malicious Web page could cause a buffer overflow that crashes Firefox each time it is started.

The only way to fix the problem is to manually delete the history.dat file before Firefox is started. "This vulnerability has been tested and does work, and no known patches are available at this time," wrote John Bambenek on the SANS Internet Storm Center. "Presumably, if the topic was more tightly crafted than in the proof-of-concept code, a more malicious attack could be crafted that would install malware on the machine."

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Aiming to steal some of the thunder from the video iPod, Creative on Thursday introduced the Zen Vision:M, a device that looks quite a bit like its popular rival. The player sports a 30GB hard drive, 2.5"-inch screen, and will be available in five colors.

The Singapore-based Creative continues to struggle against Apple, even having trouble competing against other Windows-based player manufacturers such as iRiver. According to recent surveys, the company's players regularly come behind competitors Apple, Sony and iRiver in just about every country.

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Google this week rolled out a fix to mitigate the risk from a newly discovered vulnerability in Internet Explorer that puts users of Google Desktop at risk even if they are running a fully updated system. Microsoft developers thanked Google for their work and say they are working on a patch for IE.

Uncovered by Israeli hacker Matan Gillon, the security hole involves a problem with the way IE imports cascading style sheets (CSS) from other Web sites, a technique referred to as cross site scripting (XSS). IE will import any type of file with a bracket, regardless of whether or not it's valid CSS.

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Over one-third of the world's software is pirated, and groups considered legitimate business in some countries are contributing to the problem, a study released Thursday by research firm IDC said. The issue of piracy may also be preventing the industry from growing overall.

The study was a joint effort between the Business Software Alliance (BSA) and IDC.

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Just one day after jointly announcing a patch to correct a security flaw in the SunnComm MediaMax copy protection included on 27 CDs, Sony BMG and the Electronic Frontier Foundation are urging users not to install it. The update includes a vulnerability similar to the one it attempted to fix.

SunnComm's MediaMax version 5 software does not properly protect a directory it installs, opening the door for a privilege escalation attack. Thus, a restricted user account could replace the executables within the MediaMax directory with malicious code, which would then be executed by an administrator upon inserting a CD.

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RIM may be attempting to settle with NTP in order to avoid a potentially damaging shutdown of both BlackBerry sales and service with the United States. Reuters quoted RIM vice president Mark Guibert acknowledging that the two companies were talking through a court-appointed mediator, but he declined to mention what was discussed.

NTP neither directly confirmed nor denied Guibert's comments, stating the last discussions on the lawsuit between the two parties occurred in June. The path seems clear for a shutdown of BlackBerry. On November 30, U.S. District Judge James Spencer ruled that the $450 million settlement between the two companies was not enforceable, giving the green light for enforcement of an injunction against the service.

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Yahoo on Thursday rolled out a beta of a new service intended to complement its search offerings by enabling users to ask questions and receive answers from actual people on a variety of topics.

The company said that once questions are answered, they would be archived and searchable. Users will also be able to subscribe to the RSS feed of a topic in order to receive continuous updates on the latest questions and answers.

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On Thursday, Microsoft plans to retire MSN Virtual Earth after just five months of providing maps and satellite imagery. Its replacement will be Windows Live Local, a service that brings together local search, mapping and business listings under the new Live.com brand.

Microsoft had originally aimed to make the 45-degree satellite views that will be a hallmark of Windows Live Local as part of the original Virtual Earth debut. However, when the service launched in July, the feature was notably absent.

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McDonalds and Microsoft on Wednesday announced a deal to utilize Windows XP Embedded across the fast food giant's stores. Microsoft's componentized version of Windows will take orders and enable Mickey D's to accept new forms of payment such as gift cards, and train employees faster.

Windows XP Embedded has already been deployed across "several thousand" stores in Europe and Asia. Now, McDonalds will roll out the platform worldwide. Microsoft lauded the partnership for bringing an "open technology platform" to the restaurant chain and ensuring "the next generation of customer service innovations."

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Continuing its endeavor to ensure Internet Explorer 7 is safe from the attacks that have plagued its predecessor, Microsoft is making changes to the browser's built-in security zones. Zones are used to classify Web sites into different security levels, but also bring risks themselves.

IE includes four standard zones: Internet, Intranet, Trusted Sites and Restricted Sites. Most browsing is done in the Internet zone, with the Intranet zone reserved for accessing local network sites, often used by businesses. The Intranet zone contains fewer restrictions, and in turn is more vulnerable to attack.

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Microsoft on Wednesday released betas of two add-ins for its MSN Search Toolbar. One add-in allows users to store and access their Windows Live Favorites in a sidebar adjacent to the browser window, while the other offers thumbnail previews of search results before visiting the actual pages.

The Windows Live Favorites add-in enables users to import their current favorites from both Internet and MSN Explorer, and use them right away through the service. New sites can be added with a single click, and favorites can be searched by name, address or keyword.

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With plans to double its workforce in India over the next four years to 3,000, Microsoft on Wednesday said it would pump $1.7 billion into the country to develop new facilities for research and development. A special version of Windows for India will also be released in nine Indian languages.

"The growth in employment for Microsoft will be more in India than the United States," Bill Gates told reporters. Microsoft's pledge follows news that Intel will spend $1 billion in India over the next five years, and an announcement by Cisco that will invest $1.1 billion. Microsoft's efforts will focus on bridging the digital divide and provide technology to the poor and those without computers.

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