With the new operating system, Microsoft is offering plenty of new graphics tricks, including translucent windows, animated flips between open programs and "live icons" that show a graphical representation of the file in question.

Google has a new patent: Voice interface for a search engine, A system provides search results from a voice search query.

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Microsoft gives away a free eBook about Microsoft Visual Basic 2005, Visual Studio 2005, and the .NET Framework 2.0.

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The free Web-based Google Calendar, allows users to build online calendars that enable specific individuals or groups of people to access all or some of the events listed. A Gmail account is not necessary to use Google Calendar.

Users can easily search for and add events to their calendars from within the program or directly off Web sites that are either publishing events using open calendaring standards or which have added a Google Calendar button to their site. Users also can search for events from friends' shared calendars and import events from Microsoft Outlook.

Windows Live Academic is now in beta. Windows Live Academic currently index content related to computer science, physics, electrical engineering, and related subject areas.

Academic search enables you to search for peer reviewed journal articles contained in journal publisher portals and on the web in locations like citeseer.

Academic search works with libraries and institutions to search and provide access to subscription content for their members. Access restricted resources include subscription services or premium peer-reviewed journals. You may be able to access restricted content through your library or institution.

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update Microsoft on Tuesday released a "critical" Internet Explorer update that fixes 10 vulnerabilities in the Web browser, including a high-profile bug that is already being used in cyberattacks.

The Redmond, Wash., software giant sent out the IE megafix as part of its monthly Patch Tuesday cycle of bulletins. In addition, Microsoft delivered two bulletins for "critical" Windows flaws, one for an "important" vulnerability in Outlook Express and one for a "moderate" bug in a component of FrontPage and SharePoint.