The good news is that a Microsoft MVP has created a fix for the bug in XP SP3 that causes endless rebooting for some 
AMD-based PCs. The bad news is that it is designed for individual users, not for enterprise use. The fix is a VBScript and it requires answers to prompts several times for each computer that runs it.
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Even if your users are completely trained to never open Word files with funky extensions, dangerous documents can come disguised with a friendly ".doc" extension. The May Patch Tuesday included an update that fixed a hole in Word relating to malicious RTF and HTML files, says a post in the Microsoft Security Vulnerability Research & Defense blog. However, if your users don't use, or rarely use, Word to open RTF or HTML documents, you may be better off blocking those files from loading in Word altogether.
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Who's at fault for the ongoing, massive SQL injection attack now entering its third wave? Obviously the hackers trying to 
create their botnets. But beyond that, the makers of Web server software (like Microsoft) say that poor programming on the part of the user is what makes so many sites vulnerable. IBM is today reporting a third wave of sites compromised by SQL injection attacks. In April, F-Secure found evidence of another huge round of infected Web sites.
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The Surface table wasn't big enough. Microsoft envisions your walls as computers. Actually Bill Gates said at the CEO Summit in Redmond today that he thinks all flat surfaces "will eventually have an inexpensive screen display capability and software that sees what you are doing there."
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Google Sky was launched in August 2007 and today Microsoft releases its much anticipated Telescope. Telescope is cool to 
use, but please note that you have to download client code (and this applies even to the "Take a tour" promotional site, which you reach after clicking on "Experience it.").
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Want to tick off a mechanical engineer? Tell him he thinks like a programmer. That's one of the many great tidbits from
Michael Manos, Microsoft Sr. Director of Data Center Services in a blog post responding to an article in Computerworld. On Friday, Computerworld published a story by Eric Lai taking Microsoft to task over its unusual scheme to outfit its new Chicago data center. The story says:
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Microsoft today released a preview version of the long-awaited Windows Essential Business Server (EBS) 2008, a bundle geared for SMBs, Network World reports. Plus, it promised that a preview of its revamped Small Business Server (SBS) 2008 is to come in the next few weeks. EBS 2008 is designed for companies with as many as 250 desktops and includes Windows Server 2008, Exchange Server 2007, Forefront Security for Exchange Server, System Center Essentials 2007, and the forthcoming version of Internet Security and Acceleration Server. The premium addition will add SQL Server 2008.
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UPDATED 5/16: Yahoo's board has responded to Icahn's open letter. Nothing earthshattering in the response. They say
that Icahn's statements indicate that he doesn't understand the facts in Yahoo's negotiation with Microsoft. They say that Yahoo's board knows best. They say -- oh, and by the way, there doesn't happen to be an offer from Microsoft on the table anymore. Will Microsoft come back if Icahn wins? What are the odds that Yahoo's shareholders will vote to keep the current board?
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Can anyone say co-opetition?
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Microsoft has released a plug-in for Office that converts Office documents into the DAISY (Digital Accessible Information 
SYstem) XML format, reports Computerworld. DAISY is a XML format designed for the vision impaired that allows files to be easily converted into Braille or large print or audio. Its claim to fame is that it also converts the metadata parts of a document -- noting paragraph breaks, tables and so on -- so that a document's actual formatting is made accessible and searchable -- not just the words.
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IDG News Service has secured documents showing that Microsoft is meddling in PC hardware designs of ultra low-cost PCs
(ULPCs). Microsoft wants PC makers to agree to Microsoft's hardware limitations in exchange for very low prices on XP to ship with the PCs. The company says it will charge PC makers $26 for Windows XP Home Edition for ULPCs sold in emerging markets such as China and India, and $32 for those sold in developed markets, the documents show.
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Microsoft, don't hold your breath that the EU will pat you on the shoulder and forgive the $1.3 fine it imposed in February. It is good for all concerned (including Microsoft itself, your customers and your stock holders), that you have arrived at the modern age and published the protocols for Windows, Office and other applications. This allows Windows to remain viable -- to be a target for open source developers wanting to create great new apps for it, instead of being slowly replaced by Linux (which might still happen).
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Love Microsoft or hate Microsoft, you have to admit that it can often rise to genius level when it comes to marketing.
Whereas Cisco has created a completely dorky videogame and has organized a big cash-prize tournament for the game to promote its latest router, Microsoft's scheme to promote Vista has more panache. It launched a "collaborative" film competition called Ultimate Video Relay.
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Congratulations to Lucia Washaya (pictured, right), LAN and Special Equipment Technician for United Nations Integrated
Office in Sierra Leone! She is the winner of the April New Horizons giveaway. She correctly answered the trivia question by stating that Figure 9.3 depicts the reliability monitor. She already knows the training she plans to take, Course 6425A, Configuring Windows Server 2008 AD Domain services.
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So Microsoft security comes out on top in this heated battle for network access control, security guru Joel Snyder says. But
this does make sense, since one of the main goals of NAC is to enforce security policy (and even remediation) on the clients and who better to control the clients than the company that owns most of them. But Microsoft "winning" seems like a win for everyone, since winning in this case really means interopability. From there, you can layer whatever technology you want on top, to perform any access control you need done for just about any client.
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Microsoft recently released its semi-annual Security Gospel According to Microsoft Report, otherwise known as the Microsoft Security Intelligence Report (MSIR). The report attempts to provide a perspective for the second half of 2007. It is full of statistics and is an otherwise professional-looking report. But Network World Security Phreak" blogger Noah Schiffman says don't let appearances fool you. After reading the report's Key Findings Summary, he says it "appears to have been co-authored by Microsoft Bob and Clippy."
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The virtualized desktop. The marketing message from Redmond can now be heard loud and clear. This is what the folks at
Redmond say the next desktop operating system will be. That could be Windows 7 (likely) or beyond. Now it's true that thin-clients are hardly new. Citrix has been in business for goodness knows how long and before that (and the incarnation of the PC itself) terminal computing was all that existed.
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MARVELOUS MAY GIVEAWAYS
You like to get free stuff. We like to give it away. It's the perfect marriage! So for your happiness, dear reader, your friendly Subnets (Microsoft Subnet and Cisco Subnet) have arranged for five great giveaway contests in May.
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Microsoft Subnet sponsors a monthly giveaway from publisher Pearson Education in conjunction with hosting a one-month guest blog from the author. In May, 2008, we are giving away 15 free copies of the training video, WSS and MOSS 3.0 Development (Video Training): 10 Solutions Every SharePoint Developer Should Know How to Create, from trainer Scot P. Hillier, a $69.99 value. Better yet, we are offering two free video chapters from right here in the Microsoft Subnet blog for your viewing pleasure.
CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE CONTEST TO WIN THE FULL TRAINING VIDEO delivered on a CD ROM.
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Microsoft Subnet sponsors a monthly giveaway from publisher Pearson Education in conjunction with hosting a one-month guest blog from the author. In May, 2008, we are giving away 15 free copies of the training video, WSS and MOSS 3.0 Development (Video Training): 10 Solutions Every SharePoint Developer Should Know How to Create, from trainer Scot P. Hillier, a $69.99 value. Better yet, we are offering two free video chapters right here in the Microsoft Subnet blog for your viewing pleasure.
CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE CONTEST TO WIN THE FULL TRAINING VIDEO delivered on a CD ROM.
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The Microsoft Subnet blog is the official blog of the Network World's Microsoft Subnet community, managed by editor Julie Bort. Microsoft Subnet is the independent voice of Microsoft customers and is your gateway to daily Microsoft news, blogs, opinion, books, prize giveaways and more. Visit the Microsoft Subnet index page daily, and while you are there, subscribe to the Microsoft newsletter. The newsletter includes news generated by the Microsoft Subnet community as well as other Microsoft news stories published by Network World.
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