Thanks to Neowin.net we have the latest build of MSN Messenger version 6.1 Build 114 and while your there you might want to check out their MSN 9 Beta - Early Look!.

Flirt, banter, gossip, or just catch up without saying a word.

On screen conversations that are more instant than e-mail and more discreet than phone calls.

Thanks to Voodoo at Neowin.net for sending over the Info:

The DirectX® Team is pleased to announce the release of DirectX 9.0 SDK Update (Summer 2003) - RC0.

Microsoft issued another flock of security alerts Wednesday, including notice of a "critical" flaw that affects many of its Office applications. The most serious flaw, in the Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) software, could allow an attacker to gain control of a vulnerable PC. VBA is used to develop desktop applications that tie into other Microsoft products. As detailed in Microsoft's security bulletin, a malicious user could create a document with a VBA application that's designed to overflow the buffer--the chunk of memory that's allocated to a program--and then run other code.

A security issue has been identified in Microsoft Windows that could allow an attacker to see information in your computer?s memory over a network. This vulnerability involves one of the NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NetBT) services, the NetBIOS Name Server (NBNS). With this service, you can find a computer's IP address by using its NetBIOS name, and vice versa. You can help protect your computer by installing this update from Microsoft. After you install this item, you may have to restart your computer.

Unsere Kollegen von WinFuture haben nun das Windows XP Update Pack 1.5 zum Download bereitgestellt.
Diese Pack ist kein offizielles Pack von Microsoft, es ist eine Patchsammlung von WinFuture mit 67 Hotfixes und Updates und enthält damit alles wichtige, was seit dem Erscheinen vom ersten XP Service Pack veröffentlich worden ist. Download

Microsoft released a knowledge base article confirming a new Bug in IE6 SP1...

Microsoft Virtual PC is a powerful software virtualization solution that allows you to run multiple PC-based operating systems simultaneously on one workstation, providing a safety net to maintain compatibility with legacy applications while you migrate to a new operating system. It also saves reconfiguration time, so your support, development, and training staff can work more efficiently.

Microsoft weist auf eine Sicherheitslücke in allen Versionen seiner Multimedia-Schnittstelle DirectX hin. Aus einem Fehler in der Komponente DirectShow kann ein als "kritisch" eingestuftes Problem für Windows-Nutzer resultieren, schreibt der Hersteller. DirectShow prüft unter anderem die Parameter einer MIDI-Datei. Einem Angreifer soll es möglich sein, mit Hilfe eines entsprechenden Sound-Files einen "Buffer Overrun"-Fehler in der Prüfroutine der DirectX-Komponente auszulösen. Microsoft zufolge ist ein Hacker so in der Lage, beliebigen Code auf dem angegriffenen PC mit den Rechten des angemeldeten Nutzers zu starten. Mehr Infos und download des Patches bei Chip

Microsoft is forcing people to upgrade to newer versions of its instant messenger application and is shutting its doors to third-party IM products such as Trillian.

As of Oct. 15, users of Microsoft's free Web-based MSN Messenger and its Windows XP-based Windows Messenger will need to upgrade their software to a newer version or be shut out of the service, the software giant said Wednesday. MSN Messenger users will need to upgrade to version 5.0 of higher; Windows Messengers customers will need to upgrade to version 4.7.2009 or higher; and consumers with MSN Messenger for Mac OS X will have to use version 3.5 or higher. The last MSN Messenger to be released was version 6.

According to Microsoft spokesman Sean Sundwall, "Security issues that could be posed (on older versions) require us to force an upgrade." He declined to detail the security issue, saying disclosure would "put customers at undue risk."

A security issue has been identified in Microsoft® DirectX® that could allow an attacker to run programs on a computer running Microsoft Windows®. The attacker would first have to send you an e-mail message or entice you into visiting a malicious Web site. You can help protect your computer by installing this update from Microsoft. Affected Versions: DirectX® 5.2 on Windows 98 DirectX 6.1 on Windows 98 SE DirectX 7.1 on Windows Millennium Edition DirectX 7.0 on Windows 2000 DirectX 8.0, 8.0a, 8.1, 8.1a, and 8.1b DirectX 9.0a Windows NT 4 Read more

Am 15 Oktober 2003 wird Microsoft aus Sicherheitsgründen den Support für Windows Messenger Versionen, die kleiner als Version 5 sind, einstellen und den Programmen den Login in den Messengerdienst verwehren.
Das berichtet Heise heute morgen.

Anscheinend werden davon auch Trillian Programme betroffen sein, die auf die 4er Technologie aufsetzen. Aktuelle Messengerversionen gibt es hier

A number of security issues have been identified in Microsoft® Internet Explorer that could allow an attacker to compromise your Microsoft Windows®-based systems and then take a variety of actions. For example, an attacker could run programs on a computer used to view the attacker's Web site. This vulnerability affects computers that have Microsoft® Internet Explorer installed. (You do not have to be using Internet Explorer as your Web browser to be affected by this issue.) You can help protect your computer by installing this update from Microsoft. After you install this item, you may have to restart your computer.

Microsoft has released a new build of Windows Media Player 9 - 9.0.0.3054.

When you add multimedia files that have custom file extensions to the Media Library, Windows Media Player 9 Series categorizes these media files as Other Media, instead of as All Music or as All Video.

Computerbase berichtet, das Microsoft als Konsequenz der W32.Blaster Wurm Attacke und diversen anderen Sicherheitslöchern plant, das zukünftige Software eine Autoupdatefunktion integriert bekommen, die ohne explizite Aufforderung des Users Updates auf den heimischen Rechner downloadet.
Damit wolle man solchen Vorfällen, wie z.B. dem W32.Blaster-Wurm, präventiv entgegenwirken, so Mike Nash, Microsoft-Vizepräsident der Abteilung für Computersicherheit.

Today Flexbeta brings it's members and visitors the download of the day, Windows Server 2003 SP1 Build 1039-2. This build was released yesterday to a few beta testers. Special thanx to our very own One of the twelve for making this possible, and Benwalburg for hosting the file. This release weights in at a hefty 123 MB so we don't know how long we can hold the links up.

Microsoft Corp. today announced the completion of the core products in the new Microsoft® Office System and has released all products to manufacturing, marking a critical step in the delivery of the company's most powerful and valuable release of Office.

The Microsoft Office System is composed of industry-leading productivity programs, servers and services, and includes programs such as the Microsoft Office 2003 editions, and the 2003 versions of Microsoft Office programs such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint®, Access, Outlook®, Visio®, FrontPage® and Publisher.

According to the Washington Post, Microsoft is contemplating the use of automatic upgrades to its software in order to reduce the likelihood of people getting hit by worms, viruses and the like.

The difference between that and the scheme currently being used, according to the Post, is that people will be able to opt out of the auto-upgrades.

Late last week, Microsoft posted an interesting document outlining its release plans for various Windows version service packs, prompting reports that Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), originally due late this year, was being delayed until late 2004. That's because the page lists "Q3 2004" as the XP SP2 release date. A little fact checking goes a long way, however, and after conferring with various Microsoft representatives, WinInformant confirmed that the Q3 2004 date is, indeed a typo. That's the good news. The bad news is that the service pack is still shipping a lot later than originally expected: It won't be out until the first half of 2004.

Just saw this at OSBetas.com. MSN Messenger's site os touting about some new features in the to-be-released Messenger 6.1. Some features it highlights are :-
Study online with classmates. Hold group discussions, pass files to each other, and even Whiteboard solutions. Homework is easier and a lot more fun with MSN Messenger! Stay in touch with friends and family. Share photos, play games, and use a Web camera to talk face to face with anyone.

The rumour is that Microsoft has got into such a flap about the Blaster worm that it's readying a small service pack called SP1a for Windows XP, which might emerge within the next two weeks.