Furthering its commitment to the support and development of XML, Microsoft Corp. today announced the official beta release of its newest XML parser, which is available for immediate download from the MSDN^® XML Developer Center (http://msdn.microsoft.com/xml/general/msxmlprev.asp). An XML parser (or processor) is the programming component that implements the core XML standards and provides XML services to applications. This version of the parser, MSXML3, increases XML conformance over previous releases by achieving a pass rate of over 98 percent using the OASIS (Organization for the Advancement of Structural Information Standards) XML Conformance Test Suite. It also extends support for the Simple API for XML (SAX2) programming interface, making SAX2 accessible from the Visual Basic^® development system.

We have posted Microsoft's latest Windows 2000 Hardware Compatibility List; this list is vital to anyone who is planning to purchase Windows 2000 machines and add devices or for those of you who are planning to upgrade older machines. Check it out! In text format, 2.2 MB.

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We have posted Microsoft's extensive list of bugs that have been corrected by Windows 2000 Service Pack 1. They are subdivided by area addressed, as follows: Base Operating System, Directory Services, Internet Information Services & COM +, Mail, Management/Administration, MDAC/Data Access, MSMQ, Networking, Other, Printing, Security, Setup, Shell, and more. There are several hundred fixes corrected - this fix is essential for any network administrator. Check it out!

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We have updated an info page about Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Release 1 which was released over the weekend; The service pack is a rigorously-tested collection of updates that addresses customer-reported concerns with the Windows 2000 operating system. SP1 enhances the overall reliability of Windows 2000 and features easier and more robust mechanisms for applying Service Packs to Windows.

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I've just posted our complete review of Microsoft Encarta Interactive English Learning Professional Deluxe. Here is a snippet of the review:

Who believed a few years ago that Microsoft would become such a great and respectable knowledge software editor? The Microsoft Encarta family is proud to welcome new learning software to help users learning the Shakespeare language. Microsoft Interactive English Learning Professional Deluxe uses the same old good pedagogy methods that in the first Encarta Interactive English Learning title released one year ago in Europe. This new edition is business focused as it concerns in priority businessmen with adapted short training lessons for those who are very busy. English has now begun a kind of worldwide language and speaking it is vital for businessmen in order to treat affairs efficiently all around the world due to the globalization.

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Microsoft has released the final version of Service Pack 1 for Windows 2000. This service pack fixes many known bugs and problems in Windows 2000 as well as adding more driver support.

Microsoft has started shipping its August editions of MSDN which include the long awaited gold version of Windows Me, so far various European subscribers have been the first to get their hands on the new operating system thanks to early shipments of the August pack being sent out over the last few days.

It looks highly likely that Microsoft will finally release its long awaited first service pack for Windows 2000 on Tuesday August 1st. The final version went "rtm" on June 21st and seems set for this release date according to various sources.

Microsoft Corp. Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates today told financial analysts that the company's core businesses - including the Microsoft Windows operating system and Microsoft Office, as well as the company's other applications, server, online and consumer products - had a record year and already are building the foundation for the Microsoft .NET strategy. Microsoft's annual Financial Analyst Meeting showcased a combination of sales and performance momentum for core products and previewed a range of next-generation software technologies.

Microsoft Corp. previewed the next version of MicrosoftÒ Office today at the company's annual Financial Analyst Meeting in Redmond, Wash. Microsoft demonstrated technologies that make it easier for users to learn new features and use existing features more effectively, simplify the process of working with others, and provide new tools that enable users to store, access and analyze relevant business information. Microsoft also demonstrated how the next version of Office will enable users to truly interact with the Web using Web-based services. The new version will extend innovations and benefits to Office users of all types, from business and home users to IT managers.

Microsoft has released a patch that eliminates a security vulnerability in Microsoft® Windows NT® 4.0 and Windows® 2000. Under certain conditions, the vulnerability could enable a malicious user to cause code of his choice to run when another user subsequently logged onto the machine.

Download Now - Q269049_W2K_SP2_x86_en.EXE - 225 Kb

Microsoft has released a patch that eliminates a security vulnerability in a protocol implemented in Microsoft® Windows® systems. It could be used to cause a machine to refuse to respond to requests for service.

Frequently asked questions regarding this vulnerability and the patch can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/fq00-047.asp

Issue

If normal security practices have been followed, and port 137 UDP has been blocked at the firewall, external attacks would not be possible. A patch is available that changes the behavior of Windows systems in order to give administrators additional flexibility in managing their networks. The patch allows administrators to configure a machine to only accept a name conflict datagram in direct response to a name registration attempt, and to configure machines to reject all name release datagrams. This will reduce but not eliminate the threat of spoofing. Customers needing additional protection may wish to consider using IPSec in Windows 2000 to authenticate all sessions on ports 137-139.

Affected Software Versions

We have fixed a problem with our mailing list, this means you can now subscribe/unsubscribe to our mailing lists for both ActiveWin and ActiveDVD. Our mailing list is sent our daily each evening with all of the latest Windows and DVD news depending on which one you subscribe to.

It looks into your eyes, turns on soft lights and mood music, and responds to commands. It teaches piano, helps do the grocery shopping and keeps an eye on the kids. Microsoft Corp.'s home of the future does just about everything but let the cat out and tuck you into bed.

The Microsoft Home is not a real home, at least not yet. It's a wing of the Executive Briefing Center at the company's Redmond campus full of ``smart'' appliances and gadgets wired to the Internet, designed to showcase what the company calls ``better living through technology.''

Momentum for Windows 2000 Active Directory remains strong, as reflected both in the number of Windows 2000 copies sold since launch as well as the number of certified applications developed for Windows 2000 that leverage Active Directory. Microsoft has exceeded its targets on several fronts. In addition, today marks the availability of Microsoft Metadirectory Services 2.2, a powerful tool that makes it easier for enterprise customers to manage multiple directories in a heterogeneous directory environment and has the added benefit of simplifying the deployment of Active Directory.

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When Joe Martin began to feel the effects of paralysis from ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, often called Lou Gehrig’s disease) three years ago, he visited the Carolina Computer Access Center (CCAC) in Charlotte, N.C., to find out whether there might be some way for him to continue using a computer as his disease progressed. At CCAC, Martin found more technology options than he had ever imagined.

"The Perfect Storm" and a slew of other recent movies and video games have done for computer graphics what the Model T did for cars: they have opened the eyes of the general public to the potential of new technology.

But now that technology has achieved such lifelike effects, the role of more traditional approaches to visual expression -- composition and design, shading and detail -- becomes less certain. Will these more subtle forms of art become the horse and buggy of the computer age?

We have posted an interview with Bill Venne the Mechanical Engineering Manager who worked on the recently released Microsoft SideWinder Plug and Play Gamepad. More interviews with various Microsoft employees are on the way...Maybe one day we'll get Bill Gates on here.

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REDMOND, Wash. - July 25, 2000 - Microsoft Corp. today announced that it will release "Microsoft® Train Simulator," a software program designed to simulate the thrills of the railways on the personal computer, in the spring of 2001. Attendees at the National Model Railroad Association's (NMRA) National Train Show next week in San Jose, Calif., will be the first to see an early version of the software and experience the excitement and adventure of "Microsoft Train Simulator."

"Train Simulator" aims to bring the most true-to-life virtual train experience to the PC. Working in cooperation with six of the world's leading railroads, Microsoft is re-creating hundreds of miles of routes with realistic scenery, equipment and operations. Using multiple camera angles, players can take on the role of an engineer, passenger or bystander.

Lifelike engineer's control panels, scenery and weather; and accurate elevations and terrain data mirror real-world train travel. Player activities can include anything from keeping passenger time schedules while managing unforeseen barriers and negotiating freight through mountain passes in winter storms to navigating some of the world's busiest commuter lines.

"Microsoft Train Simulator" comes from the simulations group at Microsoft, distinguished for developing the world's best-selling PC-game software, "Microsoft Flight Simulator." Long synonymous with exacting standards of quality and realism, the simulations group at Microsoft is dedicated to providing both flight and rail fans with experiences that are "as real as it gets."

"Our 18-year commitment to simulations continues with 'Microsoft Train Simulator,'" said Mike Geertsen, product planner in the simulations product unit at Microsoft. "We are excited to create a product that brings the thrill of trains and railroading to the general public and allows train enthusiasts and modelers to extend their hobby onto their personal computers."

Players can operate nine different trains, ranging from steam locomotives and modern diesels to high-speed electric "bullet trains," as they travel any of six famous rail routes from around the globe. These routes include both historic and contemporary rail operations.

The six railroads included in "Microsoft Train Simulator" are listed below:

· Amtrak. Players can race up and down the busy northeastern corridor of the United States as the "bullet train" comes to America with Amtrak's new Acela high-speed train.

· Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway. Users experience the challenges and awesome power of moving today's freight through the spectacular Marias Pass and along the southern border of Glacier National Park in Montana.

· The Flying Scotsman Railways. Enthusiasts chug along some of England's most beautiful countryside in the late 1920s in what is arguably the world's most famous steam locomotive.

· Kyushu Railway Co. Users explore the mountainous Hisatsu line on Japan's southern island of Kyushu.

· Odakyu Electric Railway. Players navigate one of the busiest commuter lines out of Tokyo or take in the breathtaking scenery of Mt. Fuji.

· The Venice-Simplon Orient Express. Participants visit the Austrian Alps in the 1930s for the ultimate in romantic European steam train travel.

As it did with the "Flight Simulator" series, Microsoft developed "Microsoft Train Simulator" with open architecture and tools, and designed it as a train-simulation platform for home entertainment. These features enable enthusiasts and third-party developers to customize and extend the product by creating new trains, routes, scenery, world objects and challenges.

The NMRA National Train Show takes place Aug. 4-6 at the San Jose Convention Center. Attendees can test-drive "Microsoft Train Simulator" at booth 592-594. More information about the train show can be found on the NMRA's Web site at http://www.nmra.org/.

Scheduled for broad availability in spring 2001, "Microsoft Train Simulator" will deliver unparalleled realism, enabling PC users to accurately re-create railroading adventures from a desktop. "Microsoft Train Simulator" is being developed in conjunction with United Kingdom-based Kuju Entertainment. More information on Kuju Entertainment is available on the Web at http://www.kuju.com/.

More information about "Microsoft Train Simulator" and the participating railroads is available on its official Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/games/trainsim/.

Intel has provided us with a nice test system featuring its new top-notch high-end processor: the Pentium III 1Ghz B. For the first time ever a processor reaches the 1Ghz barrier. Who would believe that, a few years ago when the most powerful CPU were only 16mhz ones? So once again the well-known Moore theorem is right. In this review we will see if the latest Intel's baby hold on its promises. When I unpacked the box I was only able to say 'Wahoooooo', because when Intel says that a PIII 1Ghz B bring power they surely mean it! Indeed the processor is surrounded by a big heatsink with two independent power supplied fans! This processor seems to heat enough to cook your eggs! ;-) Buying a new air-conditioning system will be soon imperative to use a computer safely.

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This is the first story in a four-part series about Windows Millennium Edition that will highlight each of the themes around which the new consumer operating system was developed: PC health, digital media, home networking and the online experience. Already released to manufacturing, Windows Me will be available in retail channels on Sept. 14.

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MSN® CarPoint™, the most-visited car-buying site on the Web, today announced the launch of CarPoint Market Update, a new monthly data service newsletter that provides the auto industry, including manufacturers and their suppliers, with regular statistics about the car makes, models and features consumers want to purchase.

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Microsoft Corp. today announced an agreement with professional golfer Annika Sorenstam, LPGA Tour standout and two-time U.S. Women's Open champion, to promote the upcoming release of the Microsoft® "Links 2001™" PC golf simulation game. "Links 2001," the newest version of Microsoft's leading PC golf franchise, is scheduled to appear in retail locations in late October.

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Hapless HP OfficeJet users waiting for Windows 2000 drivers have now had the rug pulled from under them again. Drivers for the older 500, 600 and 700 series all-in-one products had been promised drivers between July 10th and 24th, but now the HP website shows no firm delivery date at all, instead promising a beta driver will be made available 'as soon as possible'.

Microsoft's claims this week that the "MSN network of Internet services" has become the "No 1 worldwide Internet destination for consumers" on "multiple Web sites associated with the MSN brand" got plenty of publicity upfront, but how true were they? Specifically, the company claimed that its own count shows 201 million unique users visiting MSN during June.

On the available evidence, we don't think that the claim is true - although Microsoft may well become number one in the fullness of time, just as it eventually did with IE.

America Online is hiding behind unjustified security and privacy concerns to avoid having to make its AOL Instant Messenger service compatible with competing programs, rival companies have charged.

The white paper is signed by several companies developing or marketing instant messaging services--including Microsoft and CMGI subsidiary Tribal Voice--and it charges AOL with "inappropriately [using] security and privacy concerns as justification for blocking open communication."

Microsoft has issued the first release candidate for its Windows 2000 Data Center edition, a major step toward pushing the delayed operating system out the door.

Data Center is the highest-performance version of Windows 2000 and is designed to run on complex multiprocessor servers that sit at the heart of corporations and e-commerce sites. Versions of Windows 2000 for desktops and midrange servers came out in February.

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