MTV Networks and Microsoft will work together to design and develop a new digital music service. The service, to be called Urge, is due to launch in 2006 and will be integrated into a new version of Microsoft's Windows Media Player.
Microsoft has started beta testing of Windows Live Messenger, which will succeed MSN Messenger as the company's primary communications client for consumers. Microsoft has send invitations to a handful of testers, who can invite their friends later.
The Mozilla Foundation has issued a security advisory, acknowledging concerns about a potential flaw in its Firefox 1.5 browser that could cause a buffer overflow error.
According to PC World, Microsoft Office has a big learning curve. The interface has changes significantly, here are a few highlights; has replaced drop-down menus and toolbars with a set of tabs in what Microsoft calls the "ribbon," an inch-high toolbar that displays key functions relevant to the selected tab.
Create dazzling multimedia presentations, slideshows and banners with Active Slideshow Pro. This extension builds on the success of Active Slideshow and gives you new spectacular effects and optimal control over your slides, text, transistions and sounds.
Microsoft Corp. announced the release to manufacturing of Windows Server 2003 R2. Based on Microsoft® Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1, Windows Server 2003 R2 delivers new capabilities and value for customers in the areas of branch-office management, identity and access management, virtualization, data storage and Web platform technologies. The product will be generally available to customers within 60 days.
Adobe is working on creating a new product codenamed "Adobe Apollo" that integrates the Macromedia Flash Player with the Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader. Adobe Apollo software will provide Macromedia Flash and HTML functionality and will run independent from the web browser. Kevin Lynch disclosed this in a Macromedia MAX 2005 keynote address.
Security experts warn that a new outbreak of Sober may be coming, even as e-mail systems worldwide work to get rid of the last infestation of the mass-mailing worm.
According to iDefense the next attack is hard-coded in the version of Sober that hit the Net on Nov. 22. Infected computers are set to download instructions and potentially mail out a new wave of Sober e-mails on 5 January.
Adobe announced the completion of its acquisition of Macromedia, Inc. The transaction was finalized on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2005. The combination of Adobe and Macromedia creates one of the world's largest software companies. The move accelerates Adobe's strategic initiative to advance a powerful software platform, based on PDF and Macromedia® Flash® technologies, that scales from mobile devices to high-end servers.
According to Microsoft, a Sober worm has disrupted e-mail traffic between Comcast account holders and users of Microsoft-based e-mail. A variant of Sober known as Win32/Sober.Z@mm is harassing servers at Hotmail and MSN with an "unusually high mail load," causing delays in e-mail delivery to Hotmail and MSN customers.
