Microsoft Friday released an interim build of Windows Vista to 100,000 Customer Preview Program (CPP) participants, and made the new build available on TechBeta, TechNet, TAP and MSDN.

On Thursday, Microsoft will publicly release a "technical refresh" designed to fix the niggling problems left in the new version of their office suite. The refresh will be available free to the 3.5 million people who are running Beta 2 already.

Consumers will have to wait until the end of January for Windows Vista if the availability for the OS listed on Amazon.com's Web site is accurate.

Windows Live Messenger, the next-generation version of Microsoft Corp.'s instant messaging service for consumers, will be available for download in final form right after midnight Tuesday, U.S. Eastern Time.

Microsoft Corp. is set to release a fully supported version of its Windows Live OneCare software, marking its entry into the security software market. OneCare will be available for download Wednesday on Microsoft's Web site, a day earlier than expected. By Thursday, the software is expected to be widely available in U.S. retail stores, said Microsoft's Samantha McManus, a business strategy manager with Windows Live OneCare.

Sony Corp. will begin selling its first personal computers with Blu-ray Disc drives in Japan in June, the company said Tuesday. Both laptop and desktop computers will be available.

High-definition video fans can prepare themselves for another new format: AVCHD. The format, developed by Sony Corp. and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. (Panasonic), is aimed at high-definition camcorders and makes it possible to store HD content on currently available 8-centimeter DVDs, the companies said Thursday.

Apple Computer Inc. has prevailed in its case regarding logo use in iTunes against Apple Corps. High court judge Edward Mann delivered his judgement at 10.30 a.m. London time Monday, ruling in favor of Apple Computer.

A software player for Sony Corp.'s LocationFree system that is compatible with Apple Computer Inc.'s Mac OS X is under development by Tokyo-based Kaga Electronics Co. Ltd. and should be available soon, Kaga Electronics said Tuesday.

Toshiba Corp. plans to put on sale in Japan in May its first laptop computer with a built-in HD-DVD drive, the company said Monday. The Qosmio G30 is expected to be the first computer available from any vendor with an HD-DVD drive.

Microsoft Corp. Monday announced the release to manufacturing (RTM) of BizTalk Server 2006, which will be generally available May 1, according to company executives.

Admitting that this was something that should have happened years ago, Oracle on Monday will make available a graphical database development tool for Oracle databases.

A new preview version of Microsoft's Internet Explorer, with tabbed browsing, an integrated search box, and RSS support -all features long taken for granted by Firefox users -is now available.