Microsoft will push the first Windows 8 patches on Tuesday, November 12, as part of its monthly security update.
November’s Patch Tuesday will include critical vulnerability fixes for Windows, Internet Explorer (IE), Office and the .NET framework.
Microsoft posted a note in advance that said its Windows XP to Windows 8 operating systems as well as supported versions of Windows Server and IE 9 will receive fixes. All four critical fixes will repair vulnerabilities related to remote code …

Some employees of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) face disciplinary action after they brought computers with unprotected data to the Black Hat conference.
According to a report from Reuters, the SEC has already “initiated disciplinary actions against the people involved”.
Citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, Reuters says that several employees of the SEC’s Trading and Markets Division brought their work-issued computers with hard drives containing …

HTC and Apple have signed a settlement to drop all existing lawsuits against each other and a ten-year licensing agreement to use each other’s patents. The licensing agreement includes current and future patents held by the Taiwanese and the American tech giants. Terms of the settlement are undisclosed.
“HTC is pleased to have resolved its dispute with Apple, so HTC can focus on innovation instead of litigation,” said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC.
“We are glad to have reached a settlement …

Google has updated Chrome to allow accelerated video decoding through the graphics processing unit (GPU) for users running its web browser on Microsoft Windows operating systems.
For a while now, Google has been experimenting and testing GPU video acceleration on its Chrome web browser. Chrome 23, the latest version, is the first one to bring accelerated H.264 video decoding among its stable releases.
Google said Chrome 23 (my Windows 7 laptop shows Version 23.0.1271.64 m) will provide longer …

Skype launched today a new online platform that promotes the products and services of small businesses to new networks and connections worldwide, including potential customers, partners and suppliers.
Dubbed as Skype in the workspace (SITW), the complimentary tool takes advantage of the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and chat service’s huge network. For small businesses, it improves existing connections and creates new ones through instant messages (IMs) and talking to or meeting …

Angry Birds Star Wars, the new blockbuster game from Rovio Entertainment and Lucasfilm, is now available on iOS, Android, Amazon Kindle Fire, Mac, PC, Windows Phone, and Windows 8. The entertainment franchise collaboration also debuted in a new cinematic trailer released yesterday, and in merchandise already available in select retailers worldwide.
“It’s a banner day for us,” said Peter Vesterbacka, CMO of Rovio Entertainment. “This is our best Angry Birds game yet, and we’re excited …

Following the release of Xbox SmartGlass on its own Windows Phone 8 and Google’s Android platforms, Microsoft has finally extended its reach to Apple’s iOS operating system.
Xbox Smartglass is an app that turns smartphones and tablets into companion devices or remote controllers. It pulls statistics and game information directly from Xbox 360 servers to keep players of the console updated.
The Xbox SmartGlass for iOS allows iPhone and iPad owners to monitor their Xbox games, remotely swipe …

LG Electronics (LG) announced today the launch of the world’s first 21:9 aspect ratio monitor.
The LG EA93 UltraWide Monitor is a 29-inch screen that offers ample screen real estate, a 4-Screen Split feature, 100 percent sRGB color space expression and an IPS display.
“LG is always working to expand the definition of what technology is and how it can contribute to productivity and convenience. Whether it’s for work, watching movies, playing games or anything else in between, the UltraWide …

The rumors have come true after Microsoft announced on Tuesday, November 6, the impending retirement of Windows Live Messenger early next year. Skype, the company’s Voice over IP (VoIP) and chat service, will replace it.
The software giant is advising all users of Windows Live Messenger to start migrating to Skype, which recently released version 6.0 with the abilities to log in using a Microsoft account and to import automatically user contacts from Windows Live Messenger.
“We want to …

The first clues about the launch of Microsoft Office Mobile Suite for Android and iOS platforms dating back more than a year and a half period since being littered with rumors, allegations latterly denied and several hardly conclusive images.
According to The Verge, however, the Office mobile suite for the two dominant mobile platforms is under development and will see the light of day in the first half of next year. This information was provided by internal sources within the company, it …