Microsoft on Monday released Windows Vista Beta Build 5472 to technical beta testers, TAP customers and MSDN subscribers. The interim update is intended to give testers a more recent build, and encourage application and device driver developers to accelerate deployment on Vista.

Quality and performance enhancements are the primary changes in 5472, along with further tweaks to User Account Control. The new build is the second to follow Beta 2, and will not be released to Customer Preview Program participants. Microsoft expects to deliver the next public release of Windows Vista, Release Candidate 1, later this quarter.

Speaking at a forum in South Africa regarding a plan for Microsoft to make major technology investments in the country, Bill Gates said there was an "80 percent chance" Windows Vista would by ready for its planned January launch. He also had no qualms about delaying the OS further if necessary.

During his presentation in Cape Town, Gates explained that Microsoft was spending between $8 billion and $9 billion to build both Windows Vista and Office 2007, both of which are slated to debut early next year. More than 1,000 partners will spend 20 times that amount building products for Vista, he added.

While Microsoft has always shown off Windows Vista with its new Aero user interface and "Glass" theme, not all customers will have the required hardware to power the advanced graphics. In turn, Microsoft has spruced up its Standard theme, which had been the subject of many complaints.

Vista beta testers have long voiced their distaste for the Standard theme, even giving it the nickname "scrap metal" due to its lackluster gray appearance. "We heard you loud and clear," wrote Vista community leader Nick White. "In fact, we too wanted something better, and we’ve overhauled this theme with an all new version."

To accompany the release of Windows Vista, Microsoft is preparing what it calls the "Ultimate Keyboard," which blends a modern design with advanced features such as proximity sensing and a 30-foot range. Microsoft has also moved the Windows key to below the spacebar and added a Media Center button.

Like Apple's laptops, the Ultimate Keyboard detects the amount of light in the room and turns on backlighting when needed. It can additionally detect when the user leaves the room. Both the keyboard and its partner mouse utilize Bluetooth for connecting to a PC. Microsoft has given no timeframe for release or pricing for the new hardware.

Microsoft UK .NET platform product manager Ian Moulster wrote in a post to his personal Web log that the company will cut access to Windows Vista Beta 2 on Friday, as the company has reached the number of testers it was looking to give access to through its Customer Preview Program.

Moulster gave some tips to those who want to beat the cutoff and ensure they have access to a copy of the Vista beta and Release Candidate builds. Users should start their downloads today, as Microsoft plans to maintain download servers until July 14, which means the download could be stopped and restarted later.

Microsoft late Friday delivered the first build of Windows Vista to follow the release of Beta 2 at WinHEC in May. Build 5456 is available to technical beta testers, and includes better user interface performance along with User Account Control tweaks to lessen the number of authentication notices.

UAC is designed to keep applications running in a reduced privilege mode, so malicious programs cannot do extensive damage to the operating system. However, many Vista beta users have found the feature frustrating, as seemingly basic operations require multiple confirmations. Microsoft will not make interim Vista beta builds available to Customer Preview Program customers, who must wait until RC1 for a new release.

Microsoft this week provided greater detail on hardware requirements for its Windows Vista Basic and Premium logo programs. The Redmond company said that in order to be certified as "Vista Ready," a device must meet all of the requirements.

"To qualify for a basic system logo, the devices of a basic system that includes embedded or add-in devices must comply with the basic requirements (if a logo program exists for the device categories)," Microsoft explained.

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 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.

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.

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.

In the seemingly never-ending list of features to be stripped from Windows Vista, yet another has fallen by the wayside. Microsoft made a decision to remove PC-to-PC synchronization from Windows Vista, Microsoft Watch reported on Wednesday.

The feature, which would have allowed a user to synchronize files between two Vista computers, was removed from Beta 2 in late May when it was first shipped to industry partners and developers.

Taking a page from Linux, Microsoft on Wednesday took the lid off its Vista Customer Preview Program, which could provide the company with millions of eager testers. Users are able to download a copy of Beta 2, released to a limited number of technical beta testers last month.

Excitement over the program was evident late Wednesday, with readers reporting to BetaNews that connections were frequently timing out as customers rushed to get the code.

Windows Vista will be one of the most accessible operating systems that Microsoft has ever released, the company said Monday. New features for those with disabilities take into account three years of research by Microsoft, and is being led by Rob Sinclair.

Sinclair is the new director of Microsoft's Accessible Technology Group. "Developing new ways to make technology easier for people to use has always been one of my passions," he says. "I've really been pursuing the same goals throughout my career."

Security firm Secunia warned Thursday of a new flaw within Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 that could cause a denial of service issue. The vulnerability can be exploited to cause a buffer overflow, which in turn would cause Windows to crash. Labeled as a "less critical" vulnerability, the flaw could be used to execute arbitrary code, but Secunia was unable to prove that in tests.

Microsoft said that it was investigating the issue, however was not aware of any attack vectors that attempt to exploit the problem. "The vulnerability has been confirmed on a fully patched system with Microsoft Windows XP SP2 and Microsoft Windows 2003 Server," Secunia wrote in its advisory. It is unclear if Microsoft plans to address the flaw on its next Patch Tuesday, scheduled for June 13.