Microsoft issues patch for PowerPoint vulnerabilities

Microsoft released a security patch today that addresses fourteen vulnerabilities in PowerPoint. Eleven of those flaws were rated as critical. At the same time, the company stopped support for PowerPoint 4.0 in PowerPoint 2000, which they had already done for later versions of the software.

Although the patch addresses a large number of vulnerabilities, it is still a single patch available via Microsoft's update service. It affects all Windows versions of PowerPoint. The patch for the Mac OS will be released next month, even though the vulnerability does not target the Mac.

Here is more information about this release from ComputerWorld.

Wireless gaining ground in Healthcare

Wireless technologies have become almost ubiquitous in our society. Just about every commercial enterprise has fairly mature wireless connectivity for its staff and authorized guests. Healthcare is one glaring exception. Some are seeing that change, however.

In article published today at ComputerWorld, the chief academic officer at Scripps Health, Dr. Eric Topol, expressed his optimism that wireless will finally make some significant headway in the healthcare arena.

Topol cited three reasons for the increasing interest in wireless technologies: bandwidth improvements that enable the transmission of images and other rich medical data, an influx of applications from software vendors, and what he called the "grand success" of recent efforts to improve the quality of patient care through wireless projects.

I agree with Dr. Topol's optimism. However, he left out one critically important driver in this potential market development. The Federal Government is pouring billions into healthcare IT. While those dollars are nominally earmarked for Electronic Medical Records, it is a significant infusion of resources into the market. As more facilities take greater advantage of technology advances, wireless networking will have to keep up. Productivity, convenience and usability will demand it.

Credit where credit is due:
Has the time come for wireless IT in health care?, by Matt Hamblen

Windows 7 RC date - May 5th

Microsoft confirmed that the next Release Candidate of Windows 7 will be available starting May 5th. Microsoft spokesman Brandon LeBlanc also announced that the RC will be made available to subscribers developers and IT professionals later this week: "The RC is on track for April 30 for download by MSDN and TechNet subscribers. Broader, public availability will begin on May 5.".

Clearly, Microsoft is pushing hard to put the Vista mess behind them. And I believe that PC manufacturers are pushing Microsoft on this as well. H-P, Dell, Acer, and Lenovo have all seen demand affected by a number of factors, not the least of which is the current economy. But you certainly can't ignore the negative impact that Vista has had on their sales. If forecasts of a modest rebound later this year turn out to be accurate, then that, along with the release of Win7 will -- in my opinion -- propel the Windows cartel (including Intel & AMD) to pretty decent results in Q42009 and Q12010.

ComputerWorld.com has more info ... Microsoft sets date for Win 7 RC

Firefox security patch released

A new version of Firefox was released on Tuesday, according to a security advisory that was posted on April 21, 2009. The advisory indicates that the release, version 3.0.9, resolves twelve known vulnerabilities in the popular browser. Several of these vulnerabilities are categorized as "critical" by the company.

Along with this patch release, Mozilla is in final preparations for a fourth beta test of Firefox 3.5. The upcoming major version upgrade, which I discussed in an earlier posting, is expected to be released for general use later this year. This release also continues to demonstrate Mozilla's rapid response to vulnerabilities. Although the open-source nature of the software means that it may be an easier target for miscreants, the patches come out so quickly that it's exceedingly rare for a widescale attack to have any success.

If you are a Firefox user and haven't applied the v3.0.9 patch, then from the Help menu, choose Check for Updates. This will ensure that your browser has the best possible protection from attack.

For more information ... CNet News article: Firefox 3.0.9 targets 12 security vulnerabilities