MCDST Exams, Courses Discounted

<font size="3">MCDST Exams, Courses Discounted</font>

For a limited time, Microsoft is offering a 20-percent discount on the MCDST exams worldwide, available at participating Prometric and Pearson Vue testing centers worldwide. The company is also promoting a discount on MCDST-related training, available only within the U.S. at participating training providers.

The MCDST exams—70-271: Supporting Users and Troubleshooting a Windows XP Operating System and 70-272: Supporting Users and Troubleshooting Desktop Applications on a Windows XP Operating System—each retail for $125 in the U.S.. During the promotion, however, Microsoft is discounting the exams to $100. Candidates must complete exams by August 31, 2004.

Full Story: mcpmag.com

Developer Exams Spotlight Security

<font size="3">Developer Exams Spotlight Security </font>
Microsoft plans to beta test two new security-related developer exams April 21 through May 4.

Having announced a slew of exams on the networking operating systems side in the past three months, Microsoft Corp. is now turning its attention to new security-focused exams for developers. The company recently just posted information on two new exams:

• 71-330 Implementing Security for Applications with Visual Basic .NET
• 71-340 Implementing Security for Applications with Visual C# .NET

Exam 70-330, numbered 71-330 while in beta, carries stringent requirements--Microsoft recommends that candidates have at least three or more years of experience. Exam 70-340 (71-340 in beta) has similar experience recommendations. Both exams are expected to be beta tested April 21 through May 4, according to information posted on the Pearson Vue testing site....

Changes to Functionality in Microsoft Windows XP SP2

<font size="3">Changes to Functionality in Microsoft Windows XP SP2</font>

In Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2, Microsoft is introducing a set of security technologies that will help to improve the ability of Windows XP-based computers to withstand malicious attacks from viruses and worms. The technologies include network protection, memory protection, safer e-mail handling, more secure browsing, and improved computer maintenance.

Together, these security technologies will help to make it more difficult to attack Windows XP, even if the latest updates are not applied. These security technologies together are particularly useful in mitigation against worms and viruses.

This document specifically focuses on the changes between earlier versions of Windows XP and Windows XP Service Pack 2 and reflects Microsoft’s early thinking about Service Pack 2 and its implications for developers. Examples and details are provided for several of the...

Yahoo Begins Rolling Out Its Own Search Technology

<font size="3">Yahoo Begins Rolling Out Its Own Search Technology </font>

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Internet media company Yahoo Inc. (YHOO.O: Quote, Profile, Research) on Wednesday said it was switching to its own Web search technology and dropping its use of competitor Google Inc.

The widely anticipated announcement marks the unwinding of a long-term relationship between Yahoo, operator of the world's most-visited Internet properties, and Google, the No. 1 Web search provider.

The friendly partnership evolved into an intense rivalry as Google's popularity soared and Web-search advertising revenue, which traffic providers like Yahoo share with search companies, boomed.

"The transition has obviously been underway for many months. It doesn't come as a surprise," said Jonathan Rosenberg, vice president of product management at Google, which is expected to go public later this year.

Yahoo recently has made...

Security Implementer Exam Now Available

<font size="3">Security Implementer Exam Now Available </font>

On Friday, February 13, Microsoft released Exam 70-299, Implementing and Administering Security in a Windows Server 2003 Network. The exam counts as core credit toward the MCSE: Security on Windows 2003 and an elective for the MCSA/MCSE on Windows Server 2003 tracks.

Exam 70-299 is aimed at entry-level administrators who have about six months or a year of experience implementing and monitoring security issues on the desktops and on servers in a fairly complex Windows network. According to the exam guide, the exam tests candidates' abilities to configure and troubleshoot access to applications and systems, manage patches and hotfixes, and create and apply security policies through security templates.

Rest of Story: MCPMag

Order the Windows Security Update CD

<font size="3">Order the Windows Security Update CD</font>

The Windows Security Update CD will be shipped to you free of charge. This CD includes Microsoft critical updates released through October 2003 and information to help you protect your PC. In addition, you will also receive free antivirus and firewall trial software.

This CD is only available for Windows XP, Windows Me, Windows 2000, Windows 98, and Windows 98 Second Edition (SE).

View: Order the Windows Security Update CD UK Only | Worldwide

BBC ponders P2P distribution

<font size="3">BBC ponders P2P distribution</font>

The BBC is to make its programme archive available over a peer-to-peer network, it said at the International Broadcasting Convention last weekend.

BT, meanwhile, has confirmed that it is in talks with the BBC to find a way "of ensuring that their plans have a positive impact on broadband Britain".

The BBC plans to develop a "super electronic programme guide", which allows users to record content as they do with a personal video recorder, New Media Age reports.

The announcement comes after confirmation that Auntie* will be making its archive accessible via the Internet, and clarifies the mechanism by which this will happen.

The BBC's new media director, Ashley Highfield, said that a P2P network will allow the BBC to handle the volume of traffic it expects when the Internet Media Player (IMP) goes live. The IMP will enable users to download or stream...

Microsoft to offer rival CDs

<font size="3">Microsoft to offer rival CDs</font>

Microsoft is offering to include CD-ROMs of rival software in an effort to settle its competition case brought by the European Commission.

The EC believes Windows Media Player was unfairly bundled with the Windows operating system. It asked Microsoft to either remove the media player from machines or include rival programmes.

Rest of Story: The Register

A Microsoft certificate at eight

<font size="3">A Microsoft certificate at eight</font>

“I want to build a computer that will respond to brain waves and dispense with the need to use hands,” says Mridul Seth, his fingers almost a whir as he punches the keys of a laptop.

Fresh from Bangalore where he successfully passed Microsoft’s online test on the software programmes devised by the firm, Mridul logs in to a site on Sikkim.

Within seconds, the screen changes to the site’s homepage, then to another on the hill state’s telecommunication.

“There is a lot more to do. Computers are like a gateway to a larger world for me,” says the shy eight-year-old designer of the two portals on the state that is also his home.

Later, as he prances about in the lawn with some other children without a trace of the earlier seriousness, it is difficult to believe he is the youngest Microsoft Certified Software Engineer, one of the most sought-after degrees for software...

MS partner fingered in Windows code leak

<font size="3">MS partner fingered in Windows code leak</font>

Yesterday's Windows source code leak tracks back to long-term Microsoft partner Mainsoft, according to Betanews. An analysis of the code finds numerous references to Mainsoft's MainWin product, while a post-crash core dump file provides a possible smoking pistol pointing to a Linux machine likely to have been used by Mainsoft technology director Eyal Alaluf.

Mainsoft tells the world that "Mainsoft has unprecedented access to Microsoft Windows source code enabling the industry's highest level of Windows compliancy on Unix" - quite.

The company was one of two Unix-Windows interoperability specialists which had access to Windows source code under the WISE (Windows Interface Source Environment) programme, the other being Bristol. This three-cornered relationship and the circumstances which led Bristol to mount an antitrust suit against Microsoft are...