Office Software

There may be a category of business apps on the iPad, but most people I've spoken with struggle to see how a tablet is currently relevant as a standalone business device the way that a laptop or even a smartphone is. Fuze Box (operated by CallWave) is attempting to bridge the gap with Fuze Meeting HD, a free audio conferencing app for the iPad that joins the company's other mobile apps for iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry.

As with most Web conferencing tools, Fuze Meeting HD has audio and visual components. You can both host and participate in meetings, … Read more

Microsoft will issue nine bulletins fixing 13 vulnerabilities on Tuesday that affect Windows, Internet Information Services, and Microsoft Office, the company said on Thursday.

Four of the bulletins are rated "critical" and the rest are rated "important," according to the Microsoft Security Response Center blog.

Affected software includes Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7; Windows Server 2003 and 2008; and Office XP, 2003, and 2007, with the older versions affected by the critical bulletins, according to the security advisory announcing the plans for September's Patch Tuesday.

"Organizations running Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 … Read more

Microsoft will issue 14 security bulletins on Tuesday to plug 34 holes, including eight that are critical, in Windows, Office, Internet Explorer, SQL and Silverlight, the company said on Thursday.

"This will be the most bulletins we have ever released in a month; we have released 13 bulletins on a couple of occasions," Angela Gunn, security response communications manager at Microsoft, wrote in a blog post. "However, in total CVE [common vulnerabilities and exposures] count, this release ties with June 2010, so there's no new record there."

Affected software includes: Windows 7; Windows XP; Vista; … Read more

Microsoft on Monday announced pricing and availability for its Office for Mac 2011 software suite.

The version of the Office suite for users of Apple's Mac computers is scheduled for release via retail outlets at the end of October, in two editions: Office for Mac Home and Business 2011, and Office for Mac Home and Student 2011.

"For better alignment across platforms," Microsoft said in a statement, "the Office 2011 pricing and edition options map closer with Office for the Windows operating system."

The software titan also said that anyone buying Office 2008 for Mac … Read more

In a Q3 earnings call on Tuesday, Apple said third-quarter profits rose more than 77 percent largely from the success of the iPad and iPhone 4--probably not a big surprise for anyone. But the more shocking announcement (in my eyes) is that Apple set a record for the most Macs they've ever sold in a quarter with 3.47 million.

Obviously, I've always been a big fan of Mac computers, but I guess with the emergence of handheld devices like the iPad, iPod, and iPhone, I figured Apple's desktop and laptop business would not be as strong as it once was. Perhaps all these new iPhone users are deciding to give Apple computers a try. Whatever the case is, I'm glad to hear Mac computers are still selling well.

If you're one of the people who recently picked up a Mac (apparently there are quite a few of you), check out our Mac Starter Kit for some must-have software you can download right away.

If you're an iPhone user, make sure to come back and check out this week's apps, which include a simple free to-do list app and a platform game that challenges you to dig deep into the depths of dangerous mines.… Read more

Adobe Reader will soon have an additional layer of protection against the many attacks that target the popular PDF viewer.

Adobe Systems is borrowing a page from Microsoft's and Google's playbook by turning to sandboxing technology designed to isolate code from other parts of the computer.

Adobe is adding a "Protected Mode" to the next release of Adobe Reader for Windows due out some time this year, said Brad Arkin, director of product security and privacy at Adobe. The feature will be enabled by default and included in Adobe Reader browser plug-ins for all the major … Read more

The most exploited vulnerabilities tend to be Adobe Reader and Internet Explorer, but a rising target for exploits is Java, according to a report to be released on Wednesday by M86 Security Labs.

Of the 15 most exploited vulnerabilities observed by M86 Security Labs during the first half of this year, four involved Adobe Reader and five in Internet Explorer, the lab wrote in its latest security report for January through June 2010.

Also on the Top 15 list were vulnerabilities affecting Microsoft Access Snapshot Viewer, Real Player, Microsoft DirectShow, SSreader, and AOL SuperBuddy. Most of the exploits observed had … Read more

Microsoft issued four security bulletins on Tuesday to fix five holes in Windows and Office, including a critical vulnerability in a Windows Help and Support Center feature that has been targeted by attacks.

The vulnerability in the online help feature, which is delivered with supported editions of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, could allow an attacker to take control of a computer by luring a computer user to a malicious Web site. The bulletin has a severity rating of "critical" for Windows XP and "low" for Windows Server 2003, according to the advisory.

Microsoft and others criticized … Read more

Foxit Reader has long been the most visible Windows alternative to Adobe Reader, but in the latest update this popular freeware falters. How far it's stumbled depends on how annoyed you get at installation shenanigans. Granted, there are some useful new features added, but where the jump from version 2 to version 3 cut bloat while adding in a few features, version 4 adds some new features while also throwing some unpleasant curve balls your way.

The setup process has grown more cumbersome, without a doubt. It automatically will check you into the Foxit license agreement, and users are … Read more