software giant

Microsoft showed off its Windows Phone 7 Series development platform Monday at the MIX10 conference in Las Vegas. Among other things, the new platform promises to give developers and designers the ability to use established technologies such as Silverlight and the XNA Framework to build new mobile apps as well as deliver compelling user experiences across a broad set of devices, according to Microsoft Vice President Scott Guthrie.

With its mind in the clouds and an eye on rival Microsoft, Google on Tuesday launched an online application store for third-party programs that can be integrated with its online Google Apps office suite, with a single log-in and Google's universal navigation. The programs can sync with Gmail and Google's calendar, and use document-sharing features.

Microsoft is cracking down on botnets through the legal system -- and winning. The software giant launched a legal assault this week against networks of compromised computers controlled by hackers, and a federal judge in Alexandria, Va., agreed to its request to deactivate 277 infringing domain names.

Microsoft said Friday that it will soon supply European users of Internet Explorer with a choice screen to select an alternative web browser such as Chrome, Firefox, Opera or Safari. The so-called browser ballot was an essential requirement of the antitrust settlement reached between the software giant and the European Commission in December, and to which Microsoft will be bound for the next five years.

When Microsoft showcased its latest smartphone operating system in Barcelona, Spain, on Monday with innovative features and a new name, CEO Steve Ballmer noted that one thing that won't be updated is its business model. That means original equipment manufacturers who want to feature Windows Phone 7 Series will still pay a fee for each device, estimated in the past by Strategic Analytics at between $8 and $15 per phone.

Microsoft will release a patch for Internet Explorer 6 on Thursday morning that addresses the so-called Aurora exploit used in the China-based cyberattacks against Google and other companies.

"Given the significant level of attention this issue has generated, confusion about what customers can do to protect themselves, and the escalating threat environment, Microsoft will release a security update out of band for this vulnerability," Microsoft's George Stathakopoulos said Wednesday.

The latest twist in the search-engine wars is revisiting privacy policies. Pressure from the European Commission is behind the latest industry move as Microsoft agreed to rework Bing to discard user data after six months.

Microsoft's Chief Privacy Strategist Peter Cullen framed the change as an ongoing evaluation of the company's Internet search privacy practices. That evaluation, he said, led to the change in Microsoft's data-retention policy that will see the company delete the entire Internet Protocol address associated with search queries at six months.

For months, mobile-phone users have heard rumors that Windows Mobile 7 might be delayed. However, Microsoft's mobile operating system may be in the hands of users sooner than expected.

Industry observers expect the software giant to introduce the updated platform next month at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, which is where the company launched its latest version, Windows Mobile 6.5.

On Saturday, Microsoft complied with a court order to issue a patch for Word 2003. Microsoft previously issued a patch for Word 2007 in December related to the same legal issue. The patch removes custom XML capabilities from the popular software.

"You must install this update if you have been instructed to do so in a separate communication from Microsoft," the software giant said on its download site. The patches are available on Microsoft's OEM Partner and Download Centers.

Whatever other news comes out of the big Consumer Electronics Show opening this week in Las Vegas, the headlines are going to include tablet computers. According to a report Tuesday in The New York Times, one of the most visible ones will be unveiled Wednesday night when Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announces a tablet computer during his keynote address.