Week in review: Glitches, gadgets rule

The short but eventful first week of the year kicked off with news of a serious Microsoft Windows flaw that has spawned dozens of attacks and can be exploited just by viewing a Web site that contains a malicious image.

But PC users and those involved in patching the flaw weren't the only ones concerned with images this week. Thousands of technophiles have descended upon the star-studded Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas to boost their own images and to show off or catch up on the latest and greatest in gadgetry.

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And many of those new technologies do in fact have to do with images--improving their quality, displaying them via Internet connections in the touted digital living room, or taking them on the road in mobile devices.

The Windows flaw lies in the way the operating system renders Windows Meta File images. Microsoft initially said it wouldn't deliver a fix until next week, which security experts said would leave businesses and consumers unprotected for too long.

That led some security experts to advise downloading an unauthorized security patch created by little-known Russian software developer Ilfak Guilfanov. Also during the wait, some consumers turned to antivirus products, which had mixed records in protecting against the flaw.

But breaking with its monthly patch cycle, Microsoft on Thursday ended up releasing a fix for the WMF flaw. The company said it had completed testing of the security update earlier than expected, and was responding to strong customer sentiment that the release should be made available as soon as possible.

"It's so easy to blame Microsoft and want things to be fixed yesterday but that doesn't change the fact I don't have a clue what's going on inside the Redmond campus right now. Are they playing tiddly-winks, or wearing their finger nails down typing like mad?."
--Drew K.

CNET News.com readers had much to say about the flaw and Microsoft's delay in releasing the patch. Many, like "Smart Itguy," talked of Redmond profiting from such vulnerabilities.

"Microsoft will use this flaw to leverage users into buying new software. They will only patch Windows XP, and anyone using Windows 2000 or older, who wants their systems fixed or made more secure will be forced to buy Windows XP," the reader wrote. "Microsoft should not be rewarded for poor programming. What's to stop them from deliberately creating flaws and vulnerabilities to increase sales."

Reader Drew K., however, said people, especially Mac fans, are too quick to criticize Redmond for not rushing out a patch.

"It's so easy to blame Microsoft and want things to be fixed yesterday but that doesn't change the fact I don't have a clue what's going on inside the Redmond campus right now," he wrote. "Are they playing tiddly-winks, or wearing their finger nails down typing like mad?"

Showtime
CES, the tech industry's biggest annual schmooze fest, officially opened Thursday in true Vegas style. Although the gadgets are taking center stage, so, too, are industry and Hollywood stars with a focus on entertainment, both in the home and on the go.

For one thing, it's finally prime time for video on the PC--the long-promised coming together of entertainment and computing. Executives from Silicon Valley, Hollywood and elsewhere sketched out a vision of the future in which consumers tap into huge libraries of videos--first-run films, news footage from remote corners of the world, home movies, old episodes of "Kojak"--and then play them on their computers, televisions and cell phones.

For example, Intel and Microsoft, who--after years of carving similar, but largely separate paths toward the digital living room--are finally uniting their efforts.

The partnership, which has been building over the past couple of years, is a recognition by the two companies that it is hard work allowing consumers to easily get the kind of programs they want.

Also feeding into consumers' home entertainment appetite, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, in his CES keynote speech, highlighted features in Windows Vista, such as new photo-editing tools and a revamped media player designed to improve the way that Windows tackles the most commonly used media files. Gates also showed the improved remote-control experience that will be part of the Media Center edition of Vista.

Microsoft's Peter Moore, corporate vice president for interactive entertainment, said the company's new game console is selling at least as well as the company predicted. The company is on track to sell between 4.5 million and 5.5 million of the consoles by the end of its fiscal year, June 30. The Xbox 360 was launched on Nov. 22. Oh, yes--Gates also told News.com that he spent more than 100 hours playing with one of the game machines over the Christmas holiday.

The video format wars kicked into high gear on Wednesday when the companies backing HD DVD said that nearly 200 titles would be available for the format by the end of the year. Meanwhile, Sony announced plans Wednesday for its first high-definition Blu-ray DVD players and recorders aimed at the international market. The company also provided a look at its broader 2006 electronics lineup, including the PlayStation 3, which is still expected to be released this spring, at least in Japan.

Sony CEO Howard Stringer was joined by "The Da Vinci Code" author Dan Brown and actor Tom Hanks in delivering a star-powered CES keynote address Thursday morning that didn't mention much in the way of future products.

[megazone]

And don't forget the TiVo Series3 HDTV DVR

http://www.tivolovers.com/252572.html

[wbenton]

Get Serious...

>>>"It's so easy to blame Microsoft and want things to be fixed yesterday but that doesn't change the fact I don't have a clue what's going on inside the Redmond campus right now," he wrote. "Are they playing tiddly-winks, or wearing their finger nails down typing like mad?"<<<

Average operating system vendors come out with critical patches within 24 hours on average and 72 hours at about a max... there are a few which go over 72 hours... but ONLY Microsoft continues to have 2 year, 3 year and 4 year flaws.

So as for how easy it is to blame Microsoft... sure it's easy... because they're blameable!!!

Are you on the Microsoft payroll? If not... stop pushing them as a credible source and let them fend for themselves for their lack of support for their own products!

Until such time as Microsoft takes the responsibility which they SHOULD but HAVE YET TO take... there's no need to stand in their corner...

Unless of course... you're on their payroll!!!

And with the recent few articles that I've seen this year... I'm seriously considering changing news sources!!!

So it's not only Microsoft's credibility... but also CNet's recent credibility which I call into question!!!

Walt