IDG News Service —
1. "Microsoft Details Plans for Vista SP1—Beta 'In a Few Weeks' "
Aug. 29, PC World
Screen shots of the first service pack for Vista have been popping up on Windows watchdog sites, so it wasn't much of a surprise when Microsoft said a beta will go out to a limited group of testers soon, with a full release to the rest of us due in the first quarter of next year. XP SP3 is also expected out, though the release time frame was given as the first half of next year. A lot of companies hold off on installing new versions of Windows until the first service pack is available because those typically take care of problems that early adopters contend with, so the release is expected to be accompanied by a deployment boost. Vista SP1 will feature security, reliability, performance and compatibility fixes, including all of the ones put out under Windows Update so far. It also will improve on administrative features and add support for new hardware and standards, Microsoft pledged. The company says it might expand the initial beta to a wider group, and applications for those who want to participate are being taken at the Microsoft's Windows beta site.
2. "Microsoft Admits Swedish Employee Promised Incentives for Open XML Support"
Aug. 30, Computerworld
"Microsoft's OOXML Vote Gambit Backfires"
Aug. 31, Computer Sweden
Microsoft fessed up midweek that a Swedish subsidiary employee offered compensation to partners who vote in favor of the Open Office XML document format being approved as an ISO standard. Votes are due in to the ISO by Sunday. Microsoft made sure the offer was taken back once it heard what happened, and managers in Sweden notified the Swedish Standards Institute, or SIS, which represents the nation in the ISO, based in Geneva. The SIS had voted in favor of making Open Office XML a standard. But by week's end, the organization declared that vote invalid, not because of the wheeling and dealing that had gone on. The SIS said proper procedures hadn't been followed. So, a new vote has to be held, but it's doubtful that will take place before the Sunday deadline, meaning that Sweden could wind up not participating in the ISO vote.
3. "Hacker Cracks Embassy Systems"
Aug. 31, Techworld
User names and passwords of more than 100 e-mail accounts of employees at embassies and governments in various countries were posted online as way to get attention that better safeguards are needed. Computer Sweden verified with some of the embassies in question that the data breaches had occurred and also spoke to the freelance security consultant who posted the information, which he said he stumbled upon accidentally and did not use to access accounts. Dan Egerstad, the security consultant, said that usually he would contact those whose data was obtained, but in this case with multiple countries involved, that task would have been too big. So, he posted the information hoping that would lead the embassies and governments to make sure that passwords are changed.
