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Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc. are set to announce on Wednesday a blockbuster interoperability deal that will reshape the landscape of the fragmented instant messaging market. The companies will connect their IM networks so users on each can communicate with one another using text and voice chat free of charge. The agreement marks the first […]

Microsofts MSN division has begun beta testing the next release of MSN Messenger, version 7.5. The update brings a number of minor feature enhancements such as voice clips and animated conversation window backgrounds, along with interface tweaks including a redesigned sign-on screen and renamed buttons. Voice clips enable users to record short messages that can […]

America Online has released the final version of AOL Explorer, an alternative Internet Explorer-based Web browser that the company has been beta testing since last October. The browser is a stand-alone application that features tabbed browsing, Web thumbnails and a built-in RSS feed aggregator. A customizable side panel enables users to load third-party add-ons into […]

The Mozilla Foundation marketing site SpreadFirefox.com, which is designed to promote adoption of Firefox, was hacked over the weekend, officials said in an e-mail sent to users on Friday. Attackers exploited a security vulnerability and potentially accessed personal information of the sites registered users. The breach was not discovered until July 12, and the Web […]

As Internet users become increasingly threatened with spyware and adware attempting to infect their machines, software vendors and consumers groups have been struggling to answer a critical question: What is spyware? A coalition is now attempting to draw a line between acceptable and invasive advertising. The Anti-Spyware Coalition, headed by the Center for Democracy & […]

Opera Software has released a test version of its flagship Web browser that adds an embedded BitTorrent client for downloading content using the popular file-sharing protocol. Although Opera has not officially announced the beta, which is dubbed a “technology preview,” the release is available from the companys FTP server. The addition makes Opera the first […]

Despite helping to launch the Mozilla Foundation and releasing the code to its AOL Server software, America Online has never been synonymous with open source. But a number of new initiatives could change AOLs proprietary image, as the company strives to reach a broader audience on the open Web. Faced with extending its core business […]

Following confusion surrounding its Windows x64 Advancement Program, which offers a free upgrade from the standard 32-bit version of Windows XP to the recent 64-bit release, Microsoft has clarified the language on its Web site. All users, whether they purchased or built their PCs, are now eligible for the 64-bit upgrade. Microsoft previously had said […]

Microsoft has released an update to Windows XP Service Pack 2 that fortifies the operating systems wireless networking security through the adoption of Wi-Fi Protected Access 2. WPA2 offers more advanced data encryption and conforms to government-mandated regulations for security, including HIPPA and FIPS 140-2. The update also adds support for Wireless Provisioning Services Information […]

Now that its mastered loading search results in fractions of a second, Google has opened up its massive computing power to the masses with one goal in mind: to speed up Web surfing. The company has released the Google Web Accelerator, which routes browser activity through Google machines to make Web pages load faster. Google […]