Andy Patrizio

Just as Internet surfers have gotten wise to the fine art of phishing, along comes a new scam utilizing a new technology. Creative thieves are now switching their efforts to “vishing,” which uses Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phones instead of a misdirected Web link to steal user information. Phishing  is the sneaky art of […]

Microsoft’s decision to end support for Windows 98 and Windows ME got plenty of attention. But another, newer operating system is about to sunset and it could have far more impact. Microsoft  will end technical support for Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1) and Service Pack 1a (SP1a) on October 10, 2006, nor will the […]

Microsoft plans to issue “critical” patches for both Windows and Office as part of its monthly patch release schedule, due next Tuesday, July 11. The company issued an advisory on Thursday that it will issue four bulletins for Windows flaws and three for Office, at least one for both Office and Windows will be labeled […]

The Macintosh computer has long been viewed/touted/sold as an alternative, not so much to PC hardware, but to all things Microsoft. You won’t have to deal with Windows crashes, Windows bugs, Windows security problems, Windows phoning home… er, scratch that last part. A blogger and Macintosh developer has found that a component in the latest […]

UPDATED: Java Platform, Enterprise Edition is such an unwieldy beast that developers are moving away from it, cherry picking the few pieces they need or looking at open source alternatives. And if the trend continues, Java EE could die on the vine. That’s the conclusion of a report from The Burton Group, written by an […]

Microsoft has been slapped with a second lawsuit over the Windows Genuine Advantage program, a mandatory utility in Windows XP designed to catch pirated copies of Windows. The suit was filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Seattle on behalf of companies Engineered Process Controls, LLC, and Univex, Inc., and three individuals: Edward Mifsud, David […]

Goodbye 32-bits. Sometime next year, Microsoft will release a 64-bit only version of its popular Exchange messaging server software, but has no plans to upgrade the current 32-bit version which will continue to be supported. It’s a bit of a risk for the software giant, given the 64-bit x86 market is only around two years […]

Microsoft introduced the Windows Marketplace Labs Web site, featuring a beta version of its digital locker technology that enables digital downloads of software from Microsoft  and third-party vendors. The digital locker is designed to offer more secure online buying and offer consumers a single source for storing personal information, including their purchase history and licenses. […]

Microsoft has announced yet another delay in the release of Office 2007 based on feedback from beta testing, but has not said just when the application suite will be released. The company’s statement was brief and to the point: “Based on internal testing and beta 2 feedback around product performance, we are revising our development schedule […]

Microsoft on Wednesday released the first Beta of Service Pack 2 for Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP x64 Professional to private testers. Would-be participants have to apply for the beta via Microsoft’s Connect Web site. Participation requires installation of the software, application testing, answering surveys, reporting bugs, and providing feedback. Microsoft expects this to […]

Sun was quick to deny published reports today that it plans to open source Java in the next few months. The company is working on the project, but any transition to open source is closer to a year away. Simon Phipps, chief open-source officer for Sun , made a comment he said was misconstrued at […]

Microsoft blinked in its battle against pirates. The company updated its Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) Notification software by removing the daily check-in feature. The new version of WGA Notification now checks users’ computers every 14 days to determine whether the version of Windows they’re running is pirated or legitimate. But they won’t have the FBI […]