TechnoPhile Blog

Microsoft Forefront expands its offering

Microsoft is strengthening its security strategy and launch 2 new security solutions compatible: Forefront Threat Management Gateway 2010 and Forefront Unified Access Gateway 2010.

Forefront Threat Management Gateway 2010

The recent CRS report shows Microsoft as phishing has grown steadily since early 2009.
To cope with threats, Microsoft launches Forefront Threat Management Gateway 2010, a “Web security gateway” that provides protection against malicious software, dangerous Web sites and vulnerabilities. The news? Filters URLs, malware detection and protection technologies against threats from the web.

One of the main features of this program is its possible connection to Microsoft Reputation Services, which collects billions of web pages to help customers identify and block malicious websites.
Forefront Threat Management Gateway 2010 is available for sale now. You can also download the trial version on the Microsoft site.

Forefront Unified Access Gateway 2010
How to provide employees access to internal resources from the company safe? Microsoft offers Forefront Unified Access Gateway 2010, which allows remote access to corporate network via PC or not managed and mobile devices.

Microsoft will no longer sell Word

The software giant has been sentenced for violating a patent on XML on its 2003 and 2007 versions of Word. Microsoft was also fined 290 million dollars.

The federal appeals court upheld U.S., Tuesday, December 22, condemning Microsoft $ 290 million fine as part of a dispute with a Canadian company for patent infringement. The court also upheld a decision of the trial court that prohibits the software giant to sell some versions of its software for word processing flagship Word, using the patented technology in dispute.
A federal judge in Texas (United States) was held, August 12, some versions of Word violated many patents filed in 1998 by the Society i4i Toronto and on the XML. The founder of i4i Michael Vulpe, welcomed the decision of the appellate court: “we could not be happier with the decision of the Court of Appeal which upheld the trial court in its entirety “.

Only 2003 and 2007 versions of Word are concerned

For its part, Microsoft said it “was studying its legal options, including a new call. The group said it “took prompt action” to bring it into conformity with the injunctions relating to the sale of Word, which take effect January 11.
“These injunctions apply only to copies of Microsoft Word 2007 and Microsoft Office 2007 sold in the United States from January 11, 2010,” he added. “We expect to have copies of Microsoft Word 2007 and Office 2007″ with the elements under investigation abolished available for distribution to United States on the date of the injunction, “Microsoft continues.
Microsoft i4i was accused of violating a patent on the XLM language applications in Word 2003 and Word 2007. Word uses XML to open the documents. XML. DOCX and. COMC.

Brussels scolds, Microsoft bends

We knew this already, between Microsoft and the European Commission, it is not a great love story. Convicted three times in four years by the European Commission fines ranging from 280 million euros to 899 million euros for abuse of dominance, the company has apparently decided to stop it costs. Since 2004 the company was on the grill of the European Commission not to offer its customers, who had a computer running Windows, browsers other than Internet Explorer. Specifically, Windows provides only the browser Microsoft Internet Explorer. The user could subsequently download other browsers, but were not offered as standard in Windows.
Since January 2008, the European Commission seriously interested in the present series of Microsoft’s flagship browser in the Windows operating system, suspecting abuse of dominance. Evidence for its competitors, as Microsoft’s position is strong in the market for operating systems (Windows team today over 90% of computers worldwide).

Towards the arrival of new browsers?
For this dominance has been long criticized by other browsers, some do not hesitate to accuse him of the disappearance of the first browser, Netscape. While some browsers competitors are taking it to hold their own game (Mozilla team now just over 28% of European computers), the European Commission, it considered that Microsoft was guilty of abuse of dominant position and could a fine equal to 10% of its turnover. Not really decided to risk a further fine, the company has proposed to the Commission to include a “screen bundle” when you first start Windows where the user can choose the browser that it wants to use, and this for a period of 5 years. The owners of versions Windows XP to Windows 7 are affected by this announcement, since they can choose their browser through the updates to Windows.

With this measure, the European Commission hopes to boost the creation of new browsers, as said Neelie Kroes, Commissioner for Competition “This decision will benefit millions of European consumers by allowing them to choose their web browser. This choice will not only improve the experience today that users of the Internet, but also encourage designers to innovate and offer better browsers for the future. ”
But dealers should also find themselves, as more and more users are interested in free and ask not to be equipped with Internet Explorer included with Windows …!

Microsoft boosts its mapping service Bing Maps

In the battle of the virtual mapping on the Internet, Microsoft rolls out the heavy artillery to attack Google-cons. The software publisher is to enrich its service Bing Maps in the recruitment of the Silverlight technology and location-based messages posted on Twitter. Following this update interesting fills the gap that separated it from Google Maps and Street View.

Based on technology Silverlight (competitor to Adobe Flash) developed by Microsoft, browsing Bing Maps is now more fluid. The display of aerial photographs and maps has been improved, and viewing “Bird’s Eye” (aerial side) incorporates 3D elements to deliver an even more realistic.

On Streetside, the version of Google Street View Maps Bing, the user has the ability to walk 360 degrees in the city streets. If images, modeling of buildings in 3D and smooth navigation are of quality, service is limited for the moment only to U.S. cities, unlike in Street View, which covers more countries and cities included provinces.

Another new Bing Maps now incorporates a geolocation tool messages posted on Twitter. Through an agreement with the site of micro-blogging, Microsoft offers the opportunity for users to locate the “tweets” from his friends on a map, or find the latest posts published close to home.

Bing Maps offers several integrated applications that allow for example to find a restaurant, hotel, or visit the traffic (U.S. only).

For its part, Google has also expanded its services and Google Maps Street View, making available 19 sites registered as World Heritage by UNESCO. A collaboration between the search and the famous branch for the UN education and culture can now virtually visit the ruins of Pompeii, the gardens of Versailles Palace, the historic city of Prague or the site of Stonehenge

Windows 7 to 35 euros for students

Microsoft France announces the launch of promotions for Christmas. Students can take advantage of the new operating system Windows 7 and costs 35 euros until January 3, 2010. This offer is available exclusively online, is aimed at students with a valid address provided by an educational institution enrolled in the program from Microsoft.

Microsoft Alert on Counterfeit Software

Microsoft is sounding the alarm. According to the American publisher, more than 150,000 voluntary statements from persons who purchased counterfeit software, unwittingly have been recorded over the past two years, twice that in the previous report. “Consumers who are duped by fraudulent software are infected by viruses, lose data, might be identity theft and waste of precious time and money,” said David Finn, co-director of litigation for fight against piracy and counterfeiting at Microsoft. In addition, Microsoft announced the launch of education initiatives and measures implemented in over 70 countries to help protect consumers and raise awareness about the risks of counterfeit software

Microsoft Surface in travel agencies

With the new application developed by TravelTainment for Microsoft Surface, guests travel agencies will soon choose their vacation like Tom Cruise in “Minority Report”?

Earth after ds fingers! TravelTainment, a subsidiary of Amadeus specializes in research and distribution of entertainment products, creates an application dedicated to selling travel on the interactive touch table Microsoft Surface. A world premiere. Microsoft Surface looks like a desk with a large screen, full touch and multi-touch. TravelTainment has developed this interactive table for an application that can revolutionize the sale of travel agency. Thus, through this innovation, clients, guided by their travel consultant, can navigate through the Google world map, zoom in on their destination of choice and view the image database of 400,000 images available to them. Customers then get the information they need through an editorial – on the country, the hotel offers, points of interest … Once the traveler has selected its destination or hotel information can be sent over the job of travel consultant. It automatically retrieves the latest in its booking tool TT-TravelOffice and can finalize the sale.

Microsoft Bans Xbox 360 Hackers

This console has been banned for those who violates the terms of use … “For several days, many Xbox 360 owners have seen this message appear on their screens as they prepared to enter the gaming service Xbox Live at Microsoft. The publisher has recently stepped up efforts to block access to its platform to consoles offense.

When asked by the British television channel Sky News, Chris Lewis, Vice President Europe in charge of the Xbox 360, acknowledged that the publisher was conducting regular checks. “While it is clear that someone is downloading pirated copies or modifies its Xbox in one way or another to retrieve game that has not purchased, then yes, we block their account .

Chris Lewis refuses to specify the number of consoles and banned from Xbox Live, but some sites suggest five hundred thousand to one million units, representing 5% of the membership claimed by Microsoft.

The anti-piracy operation comes as the game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 comes on the market. According to the Information Week site, the appearance of this flagship of the pirate networks, even before its official release, would have prompted Microsoft to act. It would thus hunted to Xbox Live account from which a pirated version of the game was used.

Microsoft does not cease to fight against the trade of modified consoles ( “Chip” or “moddées” in the jargon of experts). An XBox and bogus cost of tens to hundreds of euros more than the normal model. But she is able to run pirated games, downloaded from the Internet. Until she was spotted at a connection on the XBox Live network.

Microsoft does not comment on its approach and it leaves no recourse for those who are caught. “The service is available only with an Xbox or Xbox 360 Original . You agree that you are using only software and hardware authorized to access the service and that it has been altered in any way, “warns the editor in its terms of use.

Those who violate these rules, by opening and physically altering their Xbox 360, exposed to the removal of their XBox Live account. The console will be permanently banned from the service and they will no longer receive updates (games, modified firmware) issued online. But they will continue to play solo, without being disturbed.

Open Office 3.1 – Alternative for MS-Office

OpenOffice.org is a full office suite and its completely free. It is ideal to replace Microsoft Office in fact it is compatible with all versions of Microsoft Office suite. Professional quality, the application provides all the tools necessary for office: word processing, presentation, spreadsheet, and database. This version includes a Quick Start, support OpenXML documents, a new interface: new icons, the zoom control in the status bar, new annotation text, and the spreadsheet can handle up to 1024 columns per leaf, and “Writer” supports the display of multiple pages simultaneously. Among others, it also allows the development or modification of diagrams and illustrations have been improved. The program is compatible with the ODF 1.2 standard (Open Document Format), as well as documents of the 2007 Microsoft Office suite. Despite these very attractive new features, the latest version of OpenOffice has some shortcomings, however, detected by users, such as sorting of rows containing formulas that mix references, this problem affects all OS with the direct effect of blocking with OOo increased consumption of the CPU.

The new version 3.1.0 of OpenOffice is available for download on this site. It includes new features, among others, anti-aliasing in geometric figures, drawing, etc.

Microsoft Windows will open a coffee shop for the release of Windows 7

Microsoft will launch an ephemeral coffee in Paris, October 22 next, the day of the release of the new operating system Windows 7 in France. Called Windows coffee, stay open at 47 Boulevard Sebastopol in the 1st arrondissement of Paris.

The venue will include discovering the new operating system from Microsoft “for a few weeks”. Consumers can also discover “all uses Windows Mobile and Internet, and even test the latest creations for Xbox.

No Microsoft software will be sold on site. However, to play its role of coffee ephemeral, the place will sell drinks and other snacks.

Windows 7 will be launched in France next October 22.