As many readers will be aware, the most recent revision of DX is 9.0b. And the upcoming implementation is likely simply to be called DirectX 9.0c, our greybeard suggests.

Microsoft revealed this week that its first Microsoft Office 2003 service release, due in late spring, will be a major release that includes new security features and major improvements to the two new Office applications, Microsoft Office InfoPath 2003 and Microsoft Office OneNote 2003. In a post-release meeting late last year, the Office team discussed some of these improvements, and although the representatives I spoke with at the time were unwilling to give specific details about the changes, a list of those improvements is slowly becoming available. Read on at WinNetMag

High-end golf gear maker PING Inc., winter sports equipment manufacturer K2 Sports, and Italy?s centuries-old inspective police force Guardia di Finanza don?t have much in common. But all three are among organizations that report cost savings, reduced risk, faster performance and other benefits since transitioning from a Microsoft Windows NT server environment to a Windows Server 2003 system.

In Microsoft Office Word 2003, when you try to print, quit Word, or save a Word document, you may receive an error message.
This problem may occur if you background save a Word document that contains an OLE object. Get more informations about the bug here

Wie Heise berichtet, hat Microsoft einen neuen Patch für Word 2003 zum Download bereitgestellt.
Danach kann beim Speichern im Hintergrund eines Dokuments mit OLE-Objekt das Programm abstürzen; der Fehler kann dabei etwa beim normalen Speichern, Drucken oder Beenden von Word auftreten. Das Update soll aber auch zahlreiche weitere, weniger bedeutende Mängel in Office 2003 beseitigen. Download
KB Artikel

Get Opportunity to Evaluate Firewall, VPN and Cache Solution's Advanced Capabilities for Protecting Against Internet Security Threats by testing the beta2 version of Microsoft ISA server 2004. Microsoft Announces Broad Availability Of Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2004 Beta 2 here. The beta1 release in december was a closed beta, while this one is made open to public.

VIRUS ALERT Win32.Mydoom.A is a worm spreading via e-mail and P2P file sharing network. The worm has been distributed as 22,528-byte, UPX-packed Win32 executable and may be included in a ZIP archive. Click Read more

This patch fixes the Windows Media Player problem: Some URL script commands do not work after you apply the Windows Media update from Knowledge Base article 828026 and upgrades Windows Media Player 9 to version 9.00.00.3093

With thanks to Mertsch and Juomaru in our forums

Click "Read More" for Microsoft Knowledge Base article link.

SAK 3.0 (Server Appliance Kit) is a tool-set for creating specialized windows servers, like a Windows powered NAS (Network Attached Storage), VON servers, Anti Virus Gateways, print servers, and Call center voice servers.

This Hotfix improves the Windows 2000 Authorization Manager Runtime?s auditing capabilities. After you install this item, you may have to restart your computer.

Microsoft has released a new version of Baseline Security Analyzer that provides a streamlined method of identifying common security misconfigurations.

source: NTCompatible
Direct link: Microsoft

A big Thanks to Creamhackered over at Neowin.net for the heads up!

After applying the hotfix referenced in KB article 828026, some URL script commands do not fire even though they would be expected to do so. In addition to the URL script command issues, this package addresses an issue with the installer that would cause 100% CPU utilization in certain scenarios! For Windows 2000 Service Pack 3, Windows 2000 Service Pack 4, Server 2003, XP, ME

Thanks to HardOCP FYI Microsoft has posted a 45 day trial of Microsoft Virtual PC 2004 . 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. Get more informations and download over at Microsoft

The IA-32 Execution Layer is a software driver designed to improve performance of 32-bit applications running on Windows Server 2003 for 64-bit Itanium-based Systems.

A big thanks to Bink for sending over this cool trick!

XP sp2 will support conncurrent use of XP remote and via console. (before only 1 windows session was possible on XP; via console OR remote desktop)

If you run XP sp2 beta 1, you can enable it now, the setting taken from win2k3 enables it for winXP sp2! Even Microsoft isn't aware of it.

You can sign up now to receive trial software for Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition, for 64-Bit Extended Systems via CD or download. Read about the Customer Preview Program (CPP) and the different options for obtaining the pre-release software, and then use the links on the right to register to order the CD Kit or download product files. Note that in either case, the pre-release software is time limited and will expire in 360 days. Sign up over here
Thanks to ChrisCustom in our forums for the information.

Cnet reports that Smart Display, the technology for remote controlling your computer via WiFi and a portable LCD touchscreen, is being abandoned by microsoft. The reason for this is supposedly that the devices recieved a cold reception as the use of the devices locked up use of the workstation.

Quote from the article:
"The full version of Terminal Server, the underlying technology behind the remote control, has special protection to stop multiple users from updating the registry or overwriting files in ways that interfere with each other, but Microsoft did not include that with its Smart Display software."

CNet

Internet Explorer 6.05 Pre build 0008. This one has a lot of bug fixes and is completly rebuild! It even has a popupblocker included.

MR A writers I've been looking for SP2 since its release and you can now go download the express installer from GeekNewz "For all of you testers that didnt make it to the official list we have the express intall file here for the latest Windows XP SP2 beta 1 that was released to testers yesterday."

MSN Messenger is an instant messaging program that lets you send instant messages with cool emoticons, send pictures and other files to your friends, call a phone anywhere in the world from your computer, see when someone is typing a message to you, page a contact's mobile phone, and much more.