Microsoft plans to patch its Windows and Visual Studio products next week, but it does not have a fix in the works for a widely publicized flaw in Word, which hackers are reportedly exploiting in targeted attacks.

Microsoft plans to roll out a new version of its antipiracy Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) Notifications tool for Windows XP over the coming weeks and months, following a barrage of criticism from users.

Google is pulling the plug on Google Answers, a service that allows people to submit questions over the Internet that researchers answer for a fee.

The search giant didn't say why it was closing the service, which launched about four years ago and was one of Google's first non-search projects. Danny Sullivan, editor in chief of SearchEngineWatch.com, said the service never achieved the popularity of Yahoo's rival offering, Yahoo Answers.

Just one week after claiming that users of Microsoft's Internet Explorer 7 browser could be at risk to an online attack, Danish security vendor Secunia is reporting a new bug in the browser.

Bug trackers have had a couple false starts with the release of Firefox 2.0, a top Mozilla engineer said today.

Of the two vulnerabilities reported since the browser's release on Tuesday, the first was patched in a previous version and the second alleged problem couldn't be replicated during testing, said Mike Schroepfer, vice president of engineering.

If you don't like the mandatory antipiracy checks that Microsoft now enforces for Windows, brace yourself. The Microsoft Office productivity and collaboration suite is about to get a similar program.

The company's Office Genuine Advantage (OGA) program will require mandatory validation of Office software starting October 27, the software vendor quietly disclosed today.