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"If you choose to install XP SP3, Internet Explorer 7 will remain on your system after the install is complete," said Jane Maliouta, an IE program manager, in the blog entry. "Your preferences will be retained. However, you will no longer be able to uninstall IE7. If you go to Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs, the Remove option will be grayed out."

News Source: HardOCP]]> http://www.jcxp.net/news.php?newsid=2303 "Several hours ago Microsoft released the Zune Spring 2008 Update with a new Zune software package (version 2.5). Embedded in the resource files is an interesting image of a new red "Scorpius" (4/8GB) Zune.

Instead of the model available today with a silver backing and red touchpad, this had a black backing and black touchpad.

For any skeptics out there, the two images have notably different positioned logos which confirms these are not the same images colored differently."

News Source and Images: istartedsomething]]> http://www.jcxp.net/news.php?newsid=2302
On the marketing front, Microsoft is really pushing the Zune Pass going forward, and will be launching a new TV commercial to help plug it. Subscribers will particularly benefit from the new Zune Card sharing, which lets you automatically score copies of your pals' favorite songs, artists and recent plays -- non-subscribers can view that Zune Card info, but will have to buy the tracks if they want to have a listen. You can either download the software directly, or you’ll be prompted for an update the next time your open your Zune software.

News Source: Engadget
Download: Zune.Net
List of Features:Zune.Net]]> http://www.jcxp.net/news.php?newsid=2301
Although no major changes have been revealed publicly, it is recommended that everyone upgrades because of its general performance and security improvements. The 'Windows XP Service Pack 3 Overview' is also available.

View: Windows XP Service Pack 3 Overview
Download: Windows Update
News Source: In-House]]> http://www.jcxp.net/news.php?newsid=2300
"As we have stated, we have no plans to introduce a Blu-ray drive for Xbox 360," said a Microsoft official in an email to GamePro on Monday. "Games are what drive consumers to purchase game consoles, and we remain focused on providing the largest library of blockbuster games available."

News Source: HardOCP]]> http://www.jcxp.net/news.php?newsid=2299
Despite releasing a few more facts on Friday about a controversial new tool for police officers, Microsoft has now vowed to stay mum on the "exact methods" used by COFEE (Computer Online Forensic Evidence Extractor), as well as about what kinds of passwords -- OS or network, for example -- COFEE might be able to crack.

"Because COFEE is designed to be used by law enforcement officials in investigations that deal with highly sensitive evidence and information, the exact methods by which the COFEE tool works cannot be disclosed," a Microsoft spokesperson wrote, in an e-mail to BetaNews on Friday.

News Source: BetaNews

On the other hand, Microsoft's expanded statement to BetaNews on Friday did add some new information to the public pool of knowledge about a tool already distributed to 2,000 police around the globe.

For instance, the spokesperson described COFEE on Friday as a customizable framework, "operating from a USB storage device, that law enforcement can use to leverage publicly available forensic tools and access information on a live Windows system."

Microsoft went on to say, "Microsoft's COFEE works by being plugged into a running system where a user has already logged on. It enables law enforcement to expedite the evidence gathering process by automating over one hundred different commands that would otherwise have to be typed by hand. COFEE saves the results for later analysis, preserving information that could be lost if the computer had to be shut down and transported to a lab."

In earlier accounts, COFEE had been variously explained as either a set of software tools or a series of about 150 commands.

As previously reported, COFEE controversy started last week when some bloggers started rumors that Microsoft was handing out "backdoor keys" to Windows security. The blogs got sparked by an article published in the Seattle Times based on an interview with Brad Smith, Microsoft senior VP and general counsel. Last week, Smith gave a talk at a law enforcement conference in Seattle, where he characterized COFEE as a "Swiss army knife for law enforcement officers."

In the Times article, reporter Benjamin J. Romano wrote that COFEE can "decrypt passwords and analyze a computer's Internet activity as data stored in the computer" -- words that soon touched off tirades among several incensed bloggers.

In an update to his article, Romano said a Microsoft spokesperson had later written to him describing COFEE as "a compilation of publicly available forensics tools, such as password security auditing technologies."

Although an initial statement to BetaNews contained no mention of the password tools, a second e-mail from Microsoft provided the information that COFEE does "include password security auditing tools." Subsequently, last Thursday, BetaNews asked Microsoft to identify the kinds of passwords that might be audited or recovered by police using COFEE -- Windows OS passwords, network passwords, or application passwords, for example.

We also asked Microsoft whether the password security auditing tools mentioned by Microsoft are being premiered with COFEE, or whether they are tools which are already readily available elsewhere. Although Microsoft declined to provide more answers to this inquiry specifically, the company's response did shed a little bit more light on what COFEE is, who uses it, and how it was created.
]]> http://www.jcxp.net/news.php?newsid=2298 Blu-ray support has been one of the Playstation 3's strong advantages over Xbox 360 in the current console wars. It is estimated that 85% of Blu-ray players in use are PS3s.
Shipments of the Blu-ray enabled Xbox 360 are to begin in the third quarter of 2008.
News Source: Tom's Hardware]]> http://www.jcxp.net/news.php?newsid=2297
Microsoft hiked its offer to $33 a share, but Yahoo was holding out for $37 a share, the source said. The two sides met face to face again Saturday, but remained far apart.

Although price was a key issue, Microsoft also had strategic concerns and saw it as unlikely to achieve a friendly integration process. According to a source close to Microsoft, Yahoo founder and CEO Jerry Yang had "unrealistic expectations."

News Source: CNET News.com]]> http://www.jcxp.net/news.php?newsid=2296
Although Microsoft did not confirm independently to BetaNews at press time, news reports indicate that Hamburg's likely new job is the "Future of OS User Experience" group at the company.

His last day at Adobe was April 23, and there is no word as to when his work would begin at Microsoft.

This likely means he will work on developing the user experience of Windows, which he seems none too happy with. Microsoft also apparently heavily recruited him, and he believed he had done what he wanted to do with Adobe.



News Source: BetaNews

"Now, given that I find the current Windows experience really annoying and yet I keep having to deal with it, this opportunity was a little too interesting to turn down," Hamburg is quoted as saying. "I can't imagine doing serious imaging anywhere other than Adobe, but, I needed to do something other than imaging for a while."

Such comments strike down speculation on other news outlets that he may be working on Microsoft's upcoming answer to Lightroom, code-named "SmartFlow." In all likelihood, his work will be more on the future of the Windows UI itself, and possibly in Windows 7.

Photoshop senior manager John Nack seemed to suggest that while losing Hamburg was hard, Lightroom will move on. "The cool thing is that having recently launched the Lightroom 2.0 beta, Mark leaves the product in excellent shape & excellent hands," he said. "We're really just getting warmed up."]]> http://www.jcxp.net/news.php?newsid=2295
In the last few days, we have uncovered a compatibility issue between Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System (RMS) and both Windows XP SP3 and Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1). In order to make sure customers have the best possible experience, we have decided to delay releasing Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) to the web. To help protect customers, we plan to put filtering in place shortly to prevent Windows Update from offering both service packs to systems running Microsoft Dynamics RMS. Once filtering is in place, we expect to release Windows XP SP3 to the web.

News Source: HardOCP]]>