DigitMemo.com

Microsoft Corp., facing new competition from Apple Inc., is working with sellers of its Windows Mobile phones to cut prices below $100.

AT&T Inc. began offering the 3125 Windows Mobile model for $49.99. Another phone will go on sale for less than $100 next month, Microsoft said, declining to name the company selling the device.

Microsoft, the world’s largest software maker, competes with Apple and Symbian Ltd. in developing phones that handle e- mail and surf the Internet. More consumers are buying such devices, so-called smart phones, which had been the domain of corporate customers. As competition grows, Microsoft is cutting prices to appeal to a broader range of shoppers.

Click for more on Microsoft, Facing iPhone Challenge, Plans Phones for Under $100 »

If you think Windows at its core is bloated, think again.

Microsoft engineer demonstrates an internal project called “MinWin,” designed to optimize the Windows kernel to a minimum footprint, and for which will be the basis for the Windows 7 kernel.

Click for more on First Details of Windows 7 Emerge »

Of the 61 billion searches in August, more than 35 billion of them were powered by Google, according to the latest statistics.

The data is part of a new monthly survey from Comscore that measures search activity on a worldwide scale, scoping out the top 50 Internet properties.

According to the study, 95% of all connected Internet users globally use search engines.  That is more than 750 million people.  They generated a total of 61 billion search requests in August.  The data was released this week.

Click for more on Google powers more than half of all global searches »

Microsoft is warning of yet another URL-handling bug that can lead to a system hijack.

A mere two days after Patch Tuesday brought a host of remote-code execution vulnerabilities to light, Microsoft issued a security advisory warning of yet another problem: a URL-handling vulnerability that could lead to systems getting hijacked if running Internet Explorer 7 on Windows XP or Windows 2003.

Click for more on Another URL-Handling Bug Hits IE »

Microsoft confirms it has fixed an Excel calculation results bug, but declines to fully explain the cause.

Microsoft says it has fixed an Excel bug, which caused the spreadsheet to display erroneous calculation results, even though it performed the calculation correctly and stored it in Excel’s memory.

Click for more on Microsoft Fixes Excel Calculation Bug »

Microsoft has released the latest monthly security updates for October 2007.

The updates are available for download from the Microsoft Download Center and also from Windows Update/Microsoft Update.

Critical:

• KB923810
  Vulnerability in Kodak Image Viewer Could Allow Remote Code Execution
• KB941202
  Security Update for Outlook Express and Windows Mail
• KB939653
  Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer
• KB942695
  Vulnerability in Microsoft Word Could Allow Remote Code Execution

Important:

• KB933729
  Vulnerability in RPC Could Allow Denial of Service
• KB942017
  Vulnerability in Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 and Office SharePoint Server 2007 Could Result in Elevation of Privilege Within the SharePoint Site

Microsoft has also released the usual update for the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool and the Windows Mail Definition Update (x86) (x64).

Microsoft broaden the private XP SP3 beta on the evening of October 4 to include Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 testers.

Microsoft officials said at the end of August that they planned to release Windows XP Service Pack (SP) 3 to Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) and TechNet testers within a couple weeks.

Click for more on Microsoft releases beta of XP SP3 to selected testers »

Xbox 360 console sales more than doubled; nearly 3 million gamers play online via Xbox LIVE. Microsoft said.

Interactive entertainment will never be the same, with the launch of one title that has changed the way the world thinks about video games. “Halo^® 3” has captured the attention of consumers worldwide and has made history as one of the biggest entertainment launches of all time.

Click for more on "Halo 3" Records More Than $300 Million in First-Week Sales Worldwide »

On October 4, Microsoft finally provided an official gameplan of what it’s readying on the healthcare software and services front.

The open beta of HealthVault, is a client application plus a Live service that will allow consumers to build and maintain a personal health record. One of the inputs into this health record will be results from Microsoft’s health search-engine, also known as HealthVault, which is based on the MedStory search technology Microsoft bought a year ago.

Click for more on Microsoft: We’re good for your health »

Microsoft has issued an updated Internet Explorer (IE) 7 release that no longer requires Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) validation in order to download.

Program Manager Steve Reynolds announced the news on October 4 on Microsoft’s IE Team blog:

Because Microsoft takes its commitment to help protect the entire Windows ecosystem seriously, we’re updating the IE7 installation experience to make it available as broadly as possible to all Windows users. With today’s ‘Installation and Availability Update,’ Internet Explorer 7 installation will no longer require Windows Genuine Advantage validation and will be available to all Windows XP users.

The new download can be found here.

Some minor UI changes:

• The menu bar is now visible by default.
• The Internet Explorer 7 online tour has updated how-to’s. Also, the “first-run” experience includes a new overview.
• We’ve included a new MSI installer that simplifies deployment for IT administrators in enterprises.