Cisco, Microsoft Reveal Long-Awaited Network Access Control Plans

Cisco and Microsoft released closely held details about their twoyearold partnership to deliver integrated controls that prevent malwareinfested computers from connecting into networks. Cisco's Network Admission Control or NAC technology will work with the Microsoft Network Access Protection or NAP capabilities available with the upcoming Windows Vista and Longhorn operating systems.

The result should be a breakthrough in integrated IT security when the whole package arrives in the second half of next year the target date for Longhorn's release. But the need for

HP Unveils Vista Ready PCs

The new systems were designed for improved security mobility and management.

Maybe the PC isn't a commodity after all. HewlettPackard today introduced new desktops laptops and workstations that aim to solve its customers' mobility security and management challenges and stimulate a new wave of hardware spending. HP is also priming the pump with "Vistacapable" computers that hit the market as Microsoft puts the finishing touches on its most significant operating system launch in a more than a decade.

The HP Compaq dc

Microsoft Software Aims At 'Safe' Family Web Browsing

Microsoft on Wednesday released in beta a Windows Live service meant to give parents control over their children's Web surfing.
OneCare Family Safety available in the United States and formerly known as Family Safety Settings provides Web filtering and activity reports. The service requires a software download from http://ideas.live.com/ .

The filtering feature lets parents chose "allow block or warn" settings for a range of content categories. Unique settings can be applied to each member of the household. Parents

Verizon To Offer Windows Live Services To Broadband Subscribers

Verizon Communications Inc. on Tuesday said it will offer to broadband subscribers a cobranded suite of Windows Live services from Microsoft.

The agreement an expansion of the existing partnership between the two companies will cover customers of Verizon's DSL and FiOS Internet services. The Windows Live products will be accessible through a cobranded Live.com homepage and will include a browser toolbar email instant messaging and security tools.

Verizon which has partnered with Microsoft since is working with the software maker to develop

Microsoft Hosts Project to Run PHP on .Net

Extending its support for scripting and dynamic languages Microsoft is hosting a project on its CodePlex site to deliver a PHP language compiler for the .Net Framework.

Known as Phalanger the project reached Version . Beta on July .

The primary goal of the project released under Microsoft Shared Source Permissive License is to enable full functionality of existing PHP scripts on .Net without any modification Microsoft said.

Unlike the original PHP interpreter Phalanger compiles scripts into MSIL (Microsoft Intermediate Language).

Phalanger

Microsoft Dumps Virtual PC For The Mac

Microsoft Corp. said that it is dropping any plans to update its Virtual PC virtualization software to enable it to work on Apple's new Intelbased Macs.
 
The news came on the heel of the announcement by VMware that it's releasing virtual machine software for the Mac.

At Microsoft the company's Mac Business Unit (MacBU) is giving Virtual PC the pink slip because a spokesperson said in email to TechWeb: "Developing a highquality virtualization solution such as Virtual PC for the

Internet Explorer Loses More Ground to Firefox

While Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser has lost further market share this year there has been a significant slowdown in the acceptance of its largest competitor the open source Firefox browser according to a white paper released by Janco Associates on Aug. .
 
Internet Explorer has continued to lose market share this year to . percent share in July from . percent in January and . percent in July . That comes off its January peak of .

Microsoft Sets Upgraded 'Live Spaces' Live

Microsoft today officially opened Windows Live Spaces an online community site for creating and sharing messages blogs music and photos among friends. It represents an upgrade of the existing MSN Spaces offering from the software giant that needs to keep pace with the likes of MySpace and Facebook in helping people connect in social networking settings.
 
The new service links the members of contact lists on Windows Live Messenger and Windows Live Mail among other communications services with measures to

Security Software Expands Protection

A new generation of security software embodying a holistic vision of PC health is right around the corner. Besides offering updated security features new software from AOL McAfee Microsoft and Symantec promises backup services and PC tuning utilities with a different yearly service type of pricing.
 
Microsoft kicked off the new trend at the end of May with its launch of Windows Live OneCare which combines antivirus antispyware and firewall tools with Windows' defragging and cleanup utilities in one easytouse interface.

Microsoft: Windows mobile taking share from Blackberry

Microsoft's 'Zune' To Challenge Apple iPod

Microsoft Corp. said on Friday it plans to release a new music and entertainment player and accompanying software under the "Zune" brand this year in a belated attempt to challenge the dominance of Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod player.
 
The announcement comes after weeks of rumors and speculation about such an offering. Microsoft has already touted the products to record companies.

"Under the Zune brand we will deliver a family of hardware and software products the first of which will be

Nortel, Microsoft form 'strategic alliance' to grow Internet talk

Nortel and Microsoft Corp. have announced a new partnership to sell new combined technologies to facilitate email instant messaging telephone calls and more via the Internet.
 
Their alliance will "accelerate the availability of unified communications" Nortel the Canadian telecom equipment giant said in a statement Tuesday.

Further the two technology heavyweights will transition traditional business phone hardware systems into software based on a Microsoft platform and Nortel software products to provide "advanced telephony functionality."

"Nortel and Microsoft have each led

Microsoft Touts Tool Against Blog Spam

Anyone with a blog or Web site can attest to the fact that spam has increasingly become the bane of the blogosphere and search engines. As a result researchers at Microsoft Labs have developed a tool to seek out and stymie the efforts of the spammers.

The tool dubbed Strider Search Defender designed by Microsoft's Cybersecurity and Systems Mangement Research Group is an amalgamation of two previous Research Lab projects Strider Honey Monkey and Strider URL Tracer. The combined technology is designed to

Microsoft Developing Wireless Keyboard for Vista, Windows Live

Microsoft's hardware division is developing a slim wireless keyboard that will make it easier for users to access Windows Live services and features in its forthcoming Windows Vista operating system.
 
Dubbed the Ultimate Keyboard it will be announced later this year as part of a desktop package said a source familiar with Microsoft's plans. The system will come with a wireless laser mouse the source said. View an online teaser about the keyboard here.

A Windows Live Call button

Microsoft reportedly readying iPod rival for holidays

Microsoft is reportedly readying an iPod killer set to hit retail shelves in time for the endofyear holiday shopping season.
 
Microsoft&;s portable music and video player is rumored to include wireless connectivity enabling users to download songs without being tethered to a PC according to a report Thursday from The New York Times.

Microsoft faces an uphill battle in its efforts to take on Apple which shipped . million iPods in the second quarter of alone marking a