But we should expect Microsoft to go on the offensive at its upcoming MIX 2010 developer conference in Las Vegas, where, it has been speculated, the company will demonstrate the first beta builds of Internet Explorer 9 and possibly offer a preview release of the browser to developers. Several clues point to the possibility that the next version of IE will include broad support for HTML5 elements, vector graphics and emerging CSS standards. If Microsoft plays its cards right in Vegas, IE 9 could be the release that helps IE get its groove back in the web browser game.

The biggest clue comes from the scheduled sessions for MIX, which takes place mid-March. There’s a two-part talk scheduled on HTML5, entitled HTML5 Now: The Future of Web Markup Today, by Opera Software’s Molly Holzschlag.

Indeed, Holzschlag tells Webmonkey she expects Microsoft to step up HTML5 support in IE9. “Look especially for Microsoft to be working on browser storage and other HTML5 features,” she said in an e-mail.

There’s also a session on IE and SVG, the vector graphics tools supported by pretty much every other browser. IE Senior Program Manager Patrick Dengler is scheduled to present on the Future of Vector Graphics for the Web.

Read More At Source

REDMOND, Wash. – Dec. 15, 2009 – On Monday, December 14, questions arose over a beta application called Juku developed by a Chinese vendor for our MSN China joint venture. We immediately worked with our MSN China joint venture to investigate the situation.

The vendor has now acknowledged that a portion of the code they provided was indeed copied. This was in clear violation of the vendor’s contract with the MSN China joint venture, and equally inconsistent with Microsoft’s policies respecting intellectual property.

[ad]

When we hire an outside company to do development work, our practice is to include strong language in our contract that clearly states the company must provide work that does not infringe the intellectual property rights of others. We are a company that respects intellectual property and it was never our intent to have a site that was not respectful of the work that others in the industry have done.

We will be suspending access to the Juku beta indefinitely.

We are obviously very disappointed, but we assume responsibility for this situation. We apologize to Plurk and we will be reaching out to them directly to explain what happened and the steps we have taken to resolve the situation.

In the wake of this incident, Microsoft and our MSN China joint venture will be taking a look at our practices around applications code provided by third-party vendors.

 

News Source: Microsoft Press Pass
Image Source: searchrank.com

Getting into the game couldn't be easier…all you need is the Games For Windows — LIVE software, which you can download right here!

Once you're there, check out these featured titles:

Shadowrun (LIMITED TIME: 50% OFF) Shadowrun propels team-based combat into a new dimension with a revolutionary blend of modern weaponry and ancient magic!

Viva Piñata (LIMITED TIME: 50% OFF) A window to another world where wild-roaming, living piñata animals inhabit a growing, changing garden!

Battlestations™: Pacific Intense, action-packed combat and strategic warfare on an extraordinary scale featuring two distinctly different single-player campaigns!

DiRT 2 Melding turbo-charged off-roading with extreme sports attitude, DiRT 2 takes off-road racing to a new level!

Fallout 3 In the Wasteland, every minute is a fight for survival against the terrors of the outside world — radiation, super mutants, and hostile mutated creatures!

Red Faction: Guerrilla Take the role of an insurgent fighter with the Red Faction, and battle for liberation from the oppressive Earth Defense Force.

Resident Evil 5 Just when it seemed that the menace of Resident Evil had been destroyed, along comes a new terror to send shivers down players' spines!

Street Fighter IV Capcom brings the legendary series back to its roots, using next-generation technology to create a truly extraordinary fighting experience!

Microsoft has announced that they will be ending the product life cycle for Windows 2000 client and server support next year. Windows XP SP2 support will also come to an end, and are encouraging users to upgrade to Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista or preferably upgrade to Windows 7.

Microsoft has announced that on July 13, 2010, both Windows XP SP2 and Windows 2000 server and client support will come to an end. Microsoft is offering migration guides for free online to help upgrade from Windows XP and Windows 2000 to Windows 7, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2.

Windows XP currently holds more than 69% of the operating system market, while Vista currently holds 18.55% and Windows 7 with just over 5% and growing.

Users looking to upgrade to Windows Vista should know that Microsoft is set to support it up until 2012, and have not revealed plans to extend support further. Windows XP users will be happy to know Microsoft will be supporting Windows XP SP3 until 2014.

We hope you are as excited as we are about today’s milestone, as we make the Microsoft Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC) broadly available for download to managed Beta program participants, including MSDN and TechNet subscribers. If you are not among those who participated in one of the managed Beta programs, you only have to wait until Tuesday, May 5, when the RC will be available through the Customer Preview Program.

In this bulletin, you will find important links and answers to questions that are always top of mind for partners and customers in a release like this. Please look for our regular U.S. partner newsletter on Monday, May 4, with more details and resources for Microsoft partners, including training recommendations.

Sincerely,

The Microsoft U.S. Partner Team

Today Microsoft announced the availability of Windows Server 2008 Foundation. For small businesses with 15 or fewer users, Windows Server 2008 Foundation puts the reliability, security and manageability of the Windows Server platform within the reach of all businesses at an affordable price. This entry level server gives small businesses access to a core portfolio of IT resources, including file and print sharing, remote access and security. Windows Server 2008 Foundation will be available worldwide beginning in 40 countries in seven languages.

Windows Server Foundation can grow along with your businesses, providing the ability to upgrade to a higher-capability edition of Windows Server as needed. Easy availability of skilled manpower, compatibility with most hardware devices, and the peace of mind gained from running a genuine Windows-based server helps you achieve the highest return on investment.

Source (via Activewin.com)

Nine of out 10 critical bugs reported by Microsoft last year could have been made moot, or at least made less dangerous, if people ran Windows without administrative rights, a developer of enterprise rights management software claimed Tuesday.

BeyondTrust, which touts its Privilege Manager as a way for companies to lock down PCs, tallied the individual vulnerabilities that Microsoft disclosed in 2008, then examined each accompanying security bulletin. If the bulletin’s “Mitigating Factors” section, the part that spells out how to lessen the risk of attack or eliminate it entirely, said that users with fewer rights “could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative rights,” BeyondTrust counted the bug.

The vast majority of critical Microsoft vulnerabilities — 92% of them — could have been mitigated by stripping users of administrative rights, said John Moyer, the CEO of BeyondTrust. “This speaks to what enterprises should be doing,” Moyer said. “Clearly, eliminating administrative rights can close the window of opportunity of attack.”

Of the 154 bugs published and patched by Microsoft in 2008, critical or not, 69% would have been blocked or their impact reduced by configuring users to run without administrative rights, said the company.

Continue At Source

Those users, however will have to do a “clean” installation of Windows 7, meaning that all data on the machine will be lost.

“Regarding XP, customers can purchase upgrade media and an upgrade license to move from Windows XP to Windows 7,” a company spokeswoman said in an e-mail Tuesday morning. “However, they will need to do a clean installation of Windows 7.”

In a follow-up reply to questions, the spokeswoman fleshed out what Microsoft means by upgrade. “The ‘upgrade’ part is referring to the license,” she said. “You will be able to get the discounted ‘upgrade’ license, but it will include full bits.”

Source