Zero-Day Exploit Not Fixed on Day One
On Tuesday we wrote about a zero-day exploit that attacks the Windows graphics
handler. Well, help is on the way -- next week! That’s right, Microsoft
will patch this monster of a hole
next
week. In the meantime, Microsoft suggests unregistering the Windows Fax
and Picture viewers. Or we could all turn our PCs off for a week.
Redmond Wakes from Google PR Nightmare
Researcher Kai-Fu Lee defected from Microsoft to Google prompting a Microsoft
lawsuit for violating his non-compete contract. It got messy for Microsoft as
stories of Redmond temper tantrums started to circulate. Now, all parties have
settled their
differences and Lee is free to devote his abundant skills to Google.
Mary Jo's 10 Surprises
Last week I told you about Directions on Microsoft's list of top Microsoft challenges
for 2006. This week I'm suggesting you check out Mary Jo Foley's list of top
10 Microsoft surprises from last year. Foley was surprised that IE is no
longer 100 percent tied to Windows and that Microsoft is writing a standalone
version, that Ray Ozzie is truly devoted to the Microsoft cause, and that Microsoft
security is still an oxymoron.
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Microsoft Nabs Human-Computer Interaction Guru
For those that say Microsoft doesn't care about innovation, I'd point to the
more than $6 billion Redmond spends on research every year. There's a lot of
pretty wild stuff $6 billion a year will eventually buy. A lot of those dollars
go towards hiring true computer geniuses. The latest case in point is Bill
Buxton, whose expertise is how humans can interact more effectively with
computers, as well as advancing Microsoft's knowledge of film, music and design.
Here Buxton has particularly good chops: He was chief scientist at Alias/Wavefront,
a premiere animation/graphics/rendering provider for the film industry.
About the Author
Doug Barney is editor in chief of Redmond magazine and the VP, editorial director of Redmond Media Group.