On WednesdayMicrosoft warnedof 9 false SSL certificates that were issued by a certification authority that would affect all versions of Windows which support the ‘Trusted Root Certification Authorities Store.’ The certificates were originally released by Comodo, a company that ironically specializes in Internet security. According to Microsoft the “nine certificates had been signed on behalf of a third-party without sufficiently validating its identity.” In short, a Comodo affiliate called ‘RA’was compromisedand then used to issue the 9 certificates, which effect 7 domains....

Today Microsoftconfirmedwhat wasleaked in April, that Explorer in Windows 8 would sport a ribbon interface, similar to what Office now contains. Microsoft explained the change from a usage perspective, showing that a total of only 10 commands in Explorer account for 81.8% of its use. This made it a reasonable choice for the company to move to a simpler, more graphical interface to allow users quick access to the features that are overwhelmingly popular....

Microsoft has reported its earnings for the quarter ending on March 31, 2011. Total revenues for the quarter were $16.43 billion, up 13% from 12 months ago. Operating income was $5.71 billion, a 10% rise year over year. Net income was $5.23 billion, up 31% from the same quarter last year. Diluted EPS was $0.61 per share for the quarter, up a sharp 36% year over year. Analysts had been expecting earnings of some 56 cents per share....

It’s a moment of nostalgia for Microsoft, as this week marks the 30th birthday of the IBM PC. Sure, other personal computers came before the IBM 5150, but that, to Microsoft at least, isn’t important: “[T]he introduction of the IBM PC was a defining moment for our industry. […] Once IBM entered the market with a system running the Microsoft Disk Operating System, MS-DOS, our industry really began to realize [its] dream....

With reports speculating a mid-September launch of Microsoft’s Windows Phone Mango firmware, the Redmond-based software giant hasseemingly confirmedthe launch of the updated mobile operating system – in Taiwan at least – telling attendees of its Tech Days event that it will come to the country on September 16 (Friday). Exact details are not known as to how the update will be delivered, whether owners will be required to update via Microsoft’s Zune software or have to physically take their devices to specialist shops in the country to have their devices flashed by staff....