At Hot Chips today, Microsoft's Xbox team unveiled details of the system-on-a-chip (SoC) that powers the newer, slimmer Xbox 360 250GB model. Produced on the IBM/GlobalFoundries 45nm process, it's fair to say that the new SoC (pictured above) is the first mass-market, desktop-class processor to combine a CPU, GPU, memory, and I/O logic onto a single piece of silicon. The goal of the consolidation was, of course, to lower the cost of making the console by reducing the number of different chips ne

Metasploit’s HD Moore was in the midst of researching the recently patched LNK (Windows shortcut) vulnerability when he stumbled upon a serious problem that exposes more than 40 different Windows software programs to remote code execution attacks.   Moore issued a brief warning about the issue via Twitter and linked to a critical bulletin from Acros, a Slovenian security research outfit, that references a remote code execution bug patched in Apple’s latest iTunes update.   From Acros:   A

There are reports that a new early build of Microsoft’s Office 15 have escaped the Redmond halls. More interesting than the mere existence of these pre-alpha build, however, is another mention of a new application that will become part of Microsoft’s next-generation Office suite.   Despite the fact Microsoft only began shipping Office 14 (a k a, Office 2010) a couple of months ago, an August 20 Softpedia report (via the Russian website Wzor) claims there’s a new Office 15 build floating around

Last year at this time, Microsoft was in the final stages of preparing Windows 7 for its worldwide launch. The new OS was finally available to the public—well, at least that segment of the public with a TechNet or MSDN subscription. Those early adopters had to wait a few weeks after the official release to manufacturing date but still got a head start on the general public.   Those demanding and skeptical Windows users have now had a full year to stress-test Windows 7 and decide whether it’s g

Microsoft's web browser, Internet Explorer, today celebrates its fifteenth birthday as the Redmond-based giant prepares to unveil the next version, Internet Explorer 9.   The web browser, the world's most used (but arguably most hated) according to recent NetApplications figures, was born on the 16th of August, 1995 when version 1.0 was made available to the public. The first version of IE was based off Spyglass's Mosaic application -- which Microsoft originally licensed but was eventually use

Ah! Patents, nothing like them to update my blog.   That big Windows 8 leak and some patent applications show what Microsoft planned for Windows 8, my recent finding is titled ‘Direct Computing Experience’. The patent goes describes that how sometimes a laptop is used for watching movies on DVD but since the laptop is more than the DVD players available in the market, the experience is different.   Microsoft plans to make the computer go into reduced functionality mode or in a sand boxed mod

By way of introduction, I’m Eric Foster and have recently joined my colleagues on The Windows Blog to write on ‘all things’ security. I thought it only fitting that my first blog be about one of my favorite personal product recommendations, Microsoft Security Essentials.   Not sure how many of you know about the VB100 award but it’s a public test conducted by Virus Bulletin, a highly reputable testing organization in the industry, designed to measure the detection effectiveness and quality of

The IE team seems to be gearing up for presenting their next generation web browser and they seem to be doing it in style.     Veteran Microsoft observer, Ed Bott shared on twitter that he got a bunch of crayons with some indication that it came from the IE team. A few days back, they sent an IE3 t-shirt to a commenter. They’ve been sporting enough to send flowers for the IE6 funeral as well. Here are the contents of the package sent:     In a blog post, the IE team has announced that