
Microsoft has issued an advanced notification for 5 critical updates and 3 important updates which will be available on April 8, 2008. Affected software are Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, and Internet Explorer. The updates fixes several security issues - remote code execution, spoofing, and elevation of privilege. View this month’s Security Bulletin.

Believe it or not, the highly anticipated Avast! Anti-virus v4.8 is already available for download - Home Edition and Professional Edition. Both only having a slight features difference but the Professional Edition has the extra protection from the Script Blocker for the web browser.
What’s new in Avast! Anti-virus v4.8?
- Built-in Anti-spyware
- Built-in Anti-rootkit
Continue reading ‘Avast! Anti-virus v4.8 out out out!’

The popular Firefox 2.0.0.13 web browser is now available for download at Firefox.com. This version fixes several bugs:
- Crashes with evidence of memory corruption (rv:1.8.1.13) - Critical
- JavaScript privilege escalation and arbitrary code execution - Critical
- XUL popup spoofing variant (cross-tab popups) - High
- Java socket connection to any local port via LiveConnect - High
- HTTP Referrer spoofing with malformed URLs - Moderate
- Privacy issue with SSL Client Authentication - Low
Further information about the bugs can be found here.
Words has it that Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) Final will be release on March 24, 2008. The previous Service Pack 2 was released on August 2004 - that’s 3 years plus ago.
We think that we can bet on the release date because on March 21, 2008, Microsoft uploaded a document describing little bits of information on this XP Service Pack 3 at their download section. Take note that the full XP Service Pack 3 is around 580mb which you can deploy onto systems having the SP1 or SP2. SP3 will cover all the updates since then.
A small word of caution though, Service Pack 3 will probably have the Microsoft WGA deployed on your system.

Yes! The long awaited Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) is now available for download through Windows Update. The SP1 is also available in a standalone installer package - around 450mb. Users who choose to update will experience better performance in terms of hardware, software and security.
Windows Vista Service Pack 1 was released on March 18, 2008.
Some of the features of Windows Vista SP1:
- SP1 addresses issues many of the most common causes of crashes and hangs in Windows Vista.
- Adds support for Direct3D® 10.1
- Significantly improves the speed of moving a directory with many files underneath.
- Windows Vista SP1 includes all previously released Security Bulletin fixes which affect Windows Vista.
Continue reading ‘Windows Vista Service Pack 1 finally released’