Computer Help Forums - Free PC Help

Severity Rating: Important
Revision Note: V1.2 (June 18, 2013): Bulletin revised to announce a detection change in the security update for 2839229 to address the known issue documented in Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2839229. This is a detection change only. Customers who have already successfully updated their systems do not need to take any action.
Summary: This security update resolves one privately reported vulnerability in Windows Kernel. The vulnerability could allow information disclosure if an attacker logs on to a system and runs a specially crafted application or convinces a local, logged-in user to run a specially crafted application. An attacker must have valid logon credentials and be able to log on locally to exploit this vulnerability. Note that this vulnerability would not allow an attacker to execute code or to elevate their user rights directly, but it could be used to produce information that could be used to try to further compromise an affected system....

Last week at E3, in a private room inside Microsoft's massive, green booth, Marc Whitten spent most of our interview talking about the future. "As we think of the next five to ten years of innovation," he said, "we're going to be able to drive really great new experiences. I'm personally most proud of the Xbox 360, and how different the 360 is from what it was in 2005. And that's all about making really big platform bets and bets about the future of entertainment." Whitten would talk about the launch experience at times, but he was much more interested in finding ways to guide Xbox users to the brave new connected world of gaming and entertainment.
Which made today's abrupt about-face all the more surprising. Microsoft announced that...
Continue reading…...

The Xbox team dials back the crazy

Faced with mounting criticism, Microsoft today quickly reversed course on some of the more draconian aspects of its coming Xbox One entertainment console. The firm will no longer require an always-on Internet connection and using and sharing games will work just as it does today on the Xbox 360.
read more

Continue reading...

A new report says Microsoft may have come very close to owning its own smartphone company. Microsoft nearly reached an oral agreement to purchase Nokia's mobile hardware business earlier this year, but talks have fallen through, according to The Wall Street Journal. The two sides are said to have met in London as recently as this month to discuss a deal, but sources tell the paper that it is unlikely that discussions will continue. No price figure has been revealed, but it's reported that cash held by Microsoft outside of the US would have been used, requiring the company to take a significant tax loss.
The two companies have worked very closely over the past couple years since Nokia agreed to make Windows Phone its "principal...
Continue reading…...

Microsoft is making a major U-turn today by reversing some of its controversial Xbox One policies. In a statement on the company's Xbox blog, Microsoft says it's making policy changes "as a result of feedback from the Xbox community." Microsoft is reversing a 24-hour online check, noting that it will not be required to play offline Xbox One games. "After a one-time system set-up with a new Xbox One, you can play any disc based game without ever connecting online again. There is no 24 hour connection requirement and you can take your Xbox One anywhere you want and play your games, just like on Xbox 360."
Microsoft is also reversing its used game policy, noting there will be no limitations to using and sharing games. "It will work just as...
Continue reading…
...