WinInsider

While Microsoft has been promoting the security focus of Windows Server 2003 since delaying the operating system release in 2002 for a code review, Microsoft uncovered some specific security features in the OS for the first time last week. Newly disclosed security settings and features include details of some of the services that are disabled or running with reduced privilege by default, a Security Configuration Wizard tool that will be available this summer and new documentation for administrators configuring systems and networks for security. Redmond's promise to lock down Windows Server 2003 out of the box has been one of the promised upgrades of the operating system that has resonated most with users.

Vivendi Universal is in talks with Microsoft over the sale of part of its video game business, known for popular titles such as Diablo II and WarCraft, sources close to Vivendi said Wednesday. The U.S. software giant is among several companies interested in either a full or partial stake in Vivendi Universal Games, according to the sources. The sources did not name the other potential bidders. Vivendi declined to comment on what Anita Larsen, a New York-based spokeswoman for the French media conglomerate, described as "rumor and speculation."

Sun Microsystems made a filing to a federal appeals court on Tuesday laying out its objections to Microsoft's request for more time to include Java technology in Windows operating systems. Sun presented the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia , with a 25-page document citing reasons that Microsoft should ship Java technology with Windows as soon as possible. Earlier this month, a lower court gave Microsoft 120 days from Feb. 4 to begin including Java with Windows. Microsoft subsequently appealed that decision, asking for more time, which led to the Tuesday response from Sun.

In the appeal, Microsoft had claimed that Sun did not face any "imminent irreparable harm" if Microsoft did not include Java in Windows. Sun argued that the inclusion of Java with Windows is a time-sensitive issue and that further delays could be harmful to the company and its technology.

Sales of portables running Microsoft's Tablet PC software started strong out of the gate in Europe, according to market researcher Context. The majority of manufacturers use a flat design with 10.4-inch or 12.1-inch display. Toshiba's model is a more typical subnotebook that morphs into a tablet. Users can either input written text or drawings with a stylus or attach a keyboard for input.

Europe suggest potentially stronger numbers than previously forecast. "Normally when a new technology or form factor is launched, these tend to be aimed at early adopters willing to pay premium prices," said Context analyst Jeremy Davies. "Take-up is therefore slow as the product eventually goes mainstream." "What we are seeing here is a substantially innovative development in portable PCs that is coming in at relatively low prices," Davies said. "We'll know quite soon if tablet PCs are striking the right chord with users."

EU privacy watchdogs are expected on Wednesday to prescribe changes to Microsoft's customer authentication system Passport, a decision that will impact all companies conducting business on the Internet. So-called consumer authentication systems are widely used by all manner of companies from retailers to banks that have regular customers. They store personal details on customers in a single location to streamline online transactions. On Wednesday, representatives from the EU's Internet Task-Force plan to offer a series of recommendations on how Passport, the largest authentication system on the Web, can comply with European data protection laws. The views, expressed in a draft opinion to the European Commission, are expected to be adopted on Wednesday without a hitch.

Fred Langa contends that some Linux proponents harm their cause by hiding from the facts--it's just as buggy as Windows. I made a private bet with myself when I ran an item in my newsletter called "Linux Hacks On The Rise". It cited a study of software problems reported by CERT--the Computer Emergency Response Team that impartially tracks computing security threats. (CERT is part of a federally funded research and development center at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.)

Among other things, the article said: "...more than 50% of all [CERT] security advisories ... in the first 10 months of 2002 were for Linux and other open-source software solutions." My only point in bringing up this issue was to show that no operating system is immune to bugs and security issues: As Linux grows in popularity, it will have its own full share of problems. It's hard to imagine a less inflammatory or more obvious assertion--that all operating systems have bugs and security issues--but I won my bet.

Whenever Microsoft does something, people pay attention. The company's .NET initiative, with its brand-new C# programming language thrown in for good measure, is no exception. According to Microsoft, C# promises rapid development of Web services applications. If that sounds familiar, it is. Sun has been promoting Java the same way for years. In fact, many are wondering whether C# is just a rehash of Java that will bind developers even more tightly to Microsoft's platforms -- or whether they might be better off skipping Java and C# altogether and sticking with C or C++ instead.

As one might expect, C# and .NET are Windows-only right now. But that does not mean developers are not interested in expanding the .NET experience beyond Windows. According to Gunnerson, Microsoft has released a runtime and compiler called Rotor for C# that runs on Win32, FreeBSD and Mac OS X. In addition, an open source project called Mono is attempting to create a .NET environment for Unix and Linux systems, and the GNU Project is working on DotGNU, another C# compiler, and related tools.

The U.S. Justice Department on Monday nominated a Silicon Valley engineer and entrepreneur to a technical committee that will oversee Microsoft's compliance with its antitrust settlement. If approved by U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, Edward Stritter would become the final member of the three-person committee that was created last year as part of the deal that ended the government's courtroom pursuit of Microsoft. A representative for the software titan said the company did not object to Stritter's appointment to the panel.

The Justice Department and the state attorneys general who signed the settlement said they performed a "thorough background investigation" before recommending Stritter. "Mr. Stritter is an expert in software design and programming and does not have a conflict of interest that could prevent him from performing his duties under the final judgment in a fair and unbiased manner," the Justice Department said in a court filing.

A federal judge on Monday granted a motion by Microsoft to throw out five of the consumer antitrust lawsuits filed against the company in four states. U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz struck down lawsuits filed in Connecticut, Kentucky, Maryland and Oklahoma, saying laws in those states do not allow consumers to collect damages from Microsoft unless they purchased software directly from the company. Most consumers purchase Microsoft's Windows operating system and the its other software through retailers or get it pre-installed on the computers they buy.

Microsoft on Monday added another year of life to its aging Windows NT 4 operating system as the company struggles to convert customers to newer products. The software giant said it is extending support for Windows NT 4 Server for an additional 12 months. The change means that network administrators will be able to get security patches and "hot fixes" until Dec. 31, 2004. Microsoft had planned to pull the plug on these and other updates later this year. Still, support for many types of updates will end Dec. 31 of this year. The extension applies strictly to hot fixes--patches that typically address bugs--and security fixes, Microsoft confirmed Monday.