Paul Thurrott

WinInfo

In a not quite unprecedented move, Microsoft on Wednesday will release a critical security patch outside of its normal monthly schedule. This isn't the first time Microsoft has done this--the last time was in April 2007--but it is an unusual step for the software giant, which has highlighted its carefully-timed security releases as one of many benefits of the Windows platform.

While details of the patch are unavailable, it appears to concern a currently-unknown vulernability that affects several versions of Windows, including Windows 2000, XP, andServer 2003. Microsoft's latest Windows versions, Windows Vista and Server 2008, are also affected, but the vulnerability is rated as less severe on those systems.

Microsoft will ship at 10:00 am PT (1:00 ET) on Wednesday, Microsoft says. Users are advised to manually run Windows Update if they are not automatically prompted to download and install the patch.

By Thomas Claburn @  InformationWeek

Fulfilling an announcement made in February, Starbucks on Tuesday began offering customers two hours per day of complimentary Wi-Fi Internet access at stores across the U.S.

The Wi-Fi service is provided by AT&T and is available to Starbucks customers who don't aren't AT&T (NYSE: T) subscribers. Previously, Starbucks had a deal with T-Mobile to provide Wi-Fi Internet access for a fee

To qualify, Starbucks customers must purchase a Starbucks Card worth $5 or more and join the Starbucks Card Rewards program.

Starbucks Card holders get the benefit of complimentary syrup and milk for certain drinks, free refills of hot and cold coffee, and a free "tall" beverage with the purchase of a pound of whole bean coffee.

"The benefit to Starbucks is it's an opportunity to offer our customers something they've been asking us for," said company spokesperson Doug Cavarocchi.

Starbucks meanwhile gets to gather detailed data about its customers' preferences through their Starbucks Card purchases.

by PC Magazine Staff

The NASDAQ exchange said Monday that it began offering real-time quotes to traders via a collection of partners, including Google and CNBC .

The quotes will be free on Google Finance, according to Matthew Simmons, a Google "market data gnome," in a blog post.

Typically, quotes are delayed by several minutes in free services like Google, with only for-pay services offering the real-time quotes that brokerages are privy to. The delay can mean that smaller invetors can't react as quickly to trends in a stock price, costing them money.

"This is an important, and in many ways, overdue development in the U.S. securities markets," stated Adena Friedman, Executive Vice President, NASDAQ OMX, in a statement. "With universal access to the Internet and the real-time nature of the web, investors need real time data, and now they don't have to pay for it, thanks to CNBC, Google, The Wall Street Journal Digital Network and Xignite."

Google characterized the program as a pilot. "It's important to have up-to-date market data," Simmons said. "It's equally important that that data stay up to date. Consequently, we're enabling the streaming of quotes across Google Finance. Prices will update automatically, once per second, to reflect current market conditions.

If you were contemplating the purchase of a new MacBook to take back to school in the fall, take the weekend to think about it.

AppleInsider thinks Apple is about to launch a new educational promotion in the coming days, perhaps as soon as Monday. The report says hefty incentives will be offered to those eligible for Apple's educational discount program, which includes students, teachers and faculty members.

Last year Apple offered a rebate on the cost of an 4GB iPod Nano to any student who purchased both a Mac and a iPod Nano or video iPod, and it did something similar in 2006. AppleInsider says this year's promotion is going to be Apple's biggest ever, but offered no details on what exactly the promotion might involve.

The current quarter, which ends in June, is a big one for Apple's K-12 educational buyers, CFO Peter Oppenheimer said on the company's last earnings call in April. But otherwise, it's generally the slowest period of the year: the real educational buying action tends to happen in the third calendar quarter of the year, when college students gear up for another year.

Television company CBS has agreed to buy technology news and entertainment website CNET for about $1.75bn (£900m).

CBS said that the purchase of CNET, which owns sites such as ZDNet and Gamespot, would help to boost its online presence.

CBS has offered $11.50 a share in cash, which is 45% more than CNET's closing price on Wednesday.

The companies said the combined group would have "significant additional exposure" to online advertising.

The deal will make CBS "one of the 10 most popular Internet companies in the United States", with 54 million US users and 200 million worldwide, CBS said in a statement.

The deal is subject to approval by regulators and CNET shareholders.

Other CNET sites include News.com, TV.com, Mp3.com and MySimon.

CBS will combine them with its own websites such as CBSSports.com and CBSNews.com.