First Patch Tuesday coming next week for Windows 8, RT

Microsoft also patching prior versions of Windows 

 

 

Microsoft has issued advance notification for the first round of patches for Windows 8 and Windows RT, which are scheduled to roll out next Tuesday.
The so-called "Patch Tuesday" will be an important event for early adopters of Microsoft's Windows 8 and Windows RT, judging from a Security Bulletin Advance Notification the company issued Thursday.
On November 13, 2012, Microsoft intends to release the initial set of security updates to its brand-new Windows 8 products - including the tablet-centric Windows RT - as well as older versions dating back to Windows XP.

Security detail

Tuesday's updates are comprised of six security patches: Four critical and one each in the "important" and "moderate" categories.
While Windows itself is the primary target for the upcoming fixes, one also covers a flaw discovered in Internet Explorer 9, while another focuses on Microsoft Office 2003, 2007 and 2010, including Office 2008 and 2011 for Mac editions.
The patches aren't all about Windows 8: Windows 7, Vista and XP will also receive the security updates, including Server releases from 2003, 2008 and 2012.
For Windows users who have flipped on automatic updates, the patches will install themselves magically come Tuesday, but can be triggered manually via Windows Update on the Start menu

Microsoft sued over Live Tiles in Windows 8

Surface brings out the patent trolls 

 

A US company is suing Microsoft is over its use of Live Tiles in Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8.

A company called SurfCast has filed the suit over its patent #6,724,403 which is all to do with how content is organised and displayed.
"The present invention comprises a graphical user interface which organizes content from a variety of information sources into a grid of tiles, each of which can refresh its content independently of the others.
"The grid functionality manages the refresh rates of the multiple information sources," the patent reads.

Familiar

It sure sounds a lot like Live Tiles – and Surfcast is after recompense for any Windows Phone 7, Windows Phone 8, Windows 8 and Windows RT device using them.
But Microsoft's been showing off bits and pieces on device homescreens using its dynamic tiles since Windows Phone 7 launched in October 2010; why is Surfcast suddenly all up in Microsoft's grill over it now?
It's all to do with the Microsoft Surface and the potential payout that Windows 8 will afford, given that Windows Phone hasn't exactly made anyone a bundle.
Surfcast also says Microsoft is encouraging other companies to infringe its patent by urging devs to build app tiles for the Windows Store and allowing manufacturers to sell Windows 8 and Windows Phone devices.
We don't expect to see this result in multiple years' worth of litigation between the two companies a la Samsung vs Apple – as The Verge suggests, Microsoft will likely settle with Surfcast out of court and we can all move on.