Fun with Windows, PowerPoint insecure

If you're drinking coffee right now, I suggest you put it down. Mr. Hall sent me this link with the subject, "funny Windows stuff". It's more than funny. The page says it was created with The GIMP, which is basically Adobe Photoshop for Linux (although there is a Win32 version, which is less popular), so most likely means a Linux user created it. As I've always said, Linux users are more vigorous and dynamic than us Windows users. It's sad but true!

In the past few days I've received several e-mails concerning Whistler Beta 2 already being released. Well, it hasn't. I snooped around a bit this afternoon, and although build 2416 is under the "Beta 2 folder" it doesn't mean it is Beta 2, but rather builds leading up to it. I also looked over the Release Notes for build 2416 and nowhere does it say it's Beta 2. Also, if you've been reading the articles here on The Register, you should know that Beta 2 should go on widespread release in about 60-90 days. So hold your horses, and don't let your pants fall down too soon.

Microsoft has announced that FrontPage surpassed five million users, plus two million illegally pirated. OK, so the last part is my bit, but I know that at least one of you has a copy a buddy got for you. To tell you the truth, this isn't a very exciting story, but what I found interesting is that FrontPage wasn't "officially" created by Microsoft, but rather Vermeer Technologies. Vermeer Technologies was one of the many acquisitions Microsoft has made in its quest to become the smallest software company ever! I never got a look of the original FrontPage, but I personally don't use the M$ version because it adds so many useless HTML tags that it makes the actual code several kilobytes bigger, slowing the speed the page loads.

Remember PowerPoint? That application that helps you create dynamic presentations comes with Office. Well, it seems someone has found a "file parsing vulnerability". Microsoft released a security bulletin announcing this bug which could allow "an attacker" to insert a file that will not allow the user to open a file previously created in PowerPoint. To get more information follow this link.