REDMOND, Wash. — June 1, 2012 — Do you ever feel like you’re spending too much time searching and not enough time doing? If so, you’re not alone. According to a recent survey conducted by Bing and Impulse Research, nearly 75 percent of people spend more time than they would like searching for information online. Time wasted searching is a thing of the past with the new Bing design, which brings together information from the Web, experts and enthusiasts, and your friends to help you do more — available today at http://www.bing.com.

Only Bing brings together the best search with people from social networks, including Facebook and Twitter. In celebration of this new search experience, Bing is joining forces with DoSomething.org to launch the Bing Summer of Doing, designed to inspire people to do amazing things, including giving back to their communities.

New Bing Helps Search Go Social

Most things in life are better with people you trust; in fact, more than 90 percent of survey respondents reported they are likely to seek the opinions or advice of friends and family as part of their decision-making process around events, purchases, travel and more, and more than 90 percent will even delay a decision to first get input from family and friends. The new social features in Bing make it easy to exchange ideas, share opinions and take action, giving searchers the same confidence they get from bouncing an idea off a friend. With Bing, it’s easier than ever to get that input and go from searching to doing.

Whether it’s making a purchase, choosing a restaurant or deciding what movie to see, the new Bing design focuses on unique ways to bring friends and experts right into the search experience. These social results, found in the right column and called sidebar, complement the standard search results without compromising them, offering searchers the chance to start a conversation and get advice from friends, experts and enthusiasts right within the search experience. Bing shows which friends have liked or might know about content related to the query and will identify experts and enthusiasts that can provide recommendations on the topic of interest. In addition, you can post a question and get help from your Facebook friends while you search, friends can easily see and reply to your questions on Facebook or Bing, and you can follow the activity feed to see your friends’ queries and posts in real time, never missing a beat.

Bing also makes it easy to get things done in one place with the new center column, called snapshot, which will roll out in the next few weeks. It includes information, such as maps and reviews, and quick ways to take action, so booking a restaurant reservation or checking hotel rates are now quicker and easier. The new Bing offers restaurant reservations, hotel reviews, movie trailers and show times, maps, and more right within the search experience, giving you everything you need to take action in one place and eliminating the need to visit multiple sites to complete tasks.

Bing Summer of Doing Designed to Inspire

To celebrate the new search experience and inspire people to take action in their communities, Bing is launching a summer-long campaign called the Bing Summer of Doing. As part of this campaign, Bing is joining forces with DoSomething.org, the largest U.S. organization for teens and social change, to inspire people to give back to their communities. The alliance kicks off today in Los Angeles at Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA), with additional community volunteer events planned throughout the summer in various cities across the nation, including Atlanta, New York and Chicago.

Today at HOLA, which provides thousands of underserved and at-risk youth with exceptional free after-school programs in academics, arts and athletics, Bing will work alongside celebrities and volunteers to beautify and renovate the community center through various projects. The day of service will conclude with a surprise unveiling for HOLA students and a celebratory pizza party and surprise performance by Cody Simpson in the Lafayette Park Recreation Center.

In addition, a national daily challenge called “The Hunt, 11 Days of Doing,” which is designed to drive action, will be hosted online by DoSomething.org later this summer. The Hunt will inspire teens to participate in 11 days of challenges to create positive community impact. Beginning July 10, teens will be presented with a new series of challenges each day, focused on a specific cause. Teams will work together to complete the challenges and report back to show how they were able to create measurable impact in their community, all while collecting points to win prizes.

To get involved in your own community, visit http://www.bing.com/doing to search for local projects and use the new Bing to get inspiration from your friends on how to give back this summer.

About the Survey

The survey was conducted online with a random sample of 1,009 men and women, aged 18–34, who use the Internet for information on a regular basis. All respondents are members of the Impulse Research Corp. proprietary online panel. The Impulse Research proprietary online panel has been carefully selected to closely match U.S. population demographics, and the respondents are representative of American men and women aged 18–34.

Research was conducted in May 2012. The overall sampling error rate for this survey is +/- 3 percent at a 95 percent level of confidence.

About Bing

Bing is the search engine from Microsoft, designed for people who do. For people like you who are always doing more and don’t have time to sit still. Now, only Bing brings together the best search and the best people from your social networks, like Facebook and Twitter, to help you spend less time searching and more time doing. So whether you’re on your PC or on your phone, Bing is designed not just to connect you to the information you are looking for, but also to help you get things done right on Bing.com.

About DoSomething.org

We love teens. They are creative, active, wired … and frustrated that our world is so messed up. DoSomething.org harnesses that awesome energy and unleashes it on causes teens care about. Almost every week, we launch a new national campaign. The call to action is always something that has a real impact and doesn’t require money, an adult, or a car. With a goal of 5 million active members by 2015, DoSomething.org is one of the largest organizations in the US for teens and social change. Join us at www.DoSomething.org.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx.

REDMOND, Wash. — May 31, 2012 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the availability of the Windows 8 Release Preview, the next milestone of the highly anticipated Windows 8 operating system. Available for download today in 14 languages at http://preview.windows.com, the Windows 8 Release Preview delivers a fast and fluid experience, along with a new user interface that responds equally well to touch as it does to keyboard and mouse. Since the February release of Windows 8 Consumer Preview, which was downloaded more than 1 million times in the first 24 hours, Windows 8 has become the most tested Microsoft operating system of all time, and with today’s release, it enters its final phase of development before it releases to manufacturing.

“We’re thrilled to be at this milestone with the Windows 8 Release Preview,” said Steven Sinofsky, president of the Windows and Windows Live Division at Microsoft.

New Apps Provide an Even Richer Experience

Windows 8 Release Preview delivers new apps from Microsoft and partners. Highlights include Bing Travel, News and Sports apps, as well as Gaming and Music Xbox apps that integrate with your Zune pass. The Windows 8 Release Preview also features notable improvements to the Mail, Photos and People apps that initially debuted with the Windows 8 Consumer Preview. In addition, Microsoft has worked closely with its partners to deliver apps from around the world through the Windows Store.

Beyond the new apps from Microsoft and partners, customers testing the Windows 8 Release Preview will also experience tens of thousands of refinements across the product, such as increased personalization options for the Start screen, improved multimonitor support, refinements to the way people find and download apps through the Windows Store, and new Family Safety features. The new Internet Explorer 10 redefines browsing, particularly for touch-enabled devices. The Web is as fast and fluid as any app, and with new capabilities in the Windows 8 Release Preview such as “flip ahead,” it is just as intuitive. A touch-friendly and power-optimized Adobe Flash Player is now integrated into Internet Explorer 10, and it is also the first browser to feature Do Not Track “on” by default, giving customers more choice and control over their privacy.

The Path to Windows 8

Beginning June 2, 2012, Microsoft will roll out the Windows Upgrade Offer in 131 markets, including the U.S. and Canada. Consumers who buy eligible Windows 7-based PCs through Jan. 31, 2013, can purchase an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for an estimated retail price of $14.99 (U.S.) during the time of the promotion. More information about the Windows Upgrade Offer will be available June 1. In addition to the Windows Upgrade Offer designed for consumers buying new Windows 7-based PCs, Microsoft will also announce other offers in the coming months that will help consumers with existing Windows 7-based PCs upgrade to Windows 8 when it is generally available.

In the next month, Microsoft will further detail the value Windows 8 brings to businesses at TechEd North America. More information about Windows 8 and how to download the Windows 8 Release Preview is available at http://preview.windows.com.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Some information relates to a prerelease product, which may be substantially modified before it is commercially released. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, with respect to the information provided here.

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx.

WASHINGTON — May 31, 2012 — At its annual Government Leaders Forum – Americas, Microsoft Corp. today strengthened its commitment to creating opportunities for young people in Latin America and the Caribbean in an effort to reduce youth unemployment in the region. The company detailed its participation in the recent launch of a new initiative, New Employment Opportunities (NEO), which aims to train 1 million youth throughout the Latin American and Caribbean region and place at least 50 percent of those youth in jobs during the next 10 years.

Led by the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) Multilateral Investment Fund and the International Youth Foundation (IYF), the NEO initiative is supported by a variety of corporate partners. As part of its participation in NEO, over a three-year period, Microsoft is providing $5 million worth of financial, software and in-kind commitments to provide training curriculum, internships, on-the-job training and mentors.

Microsoft is also launching the regional chapter of Innovate4Good@Microsoft, a global community of young people who have benefitted from Microsoft’s youth programs. Members of the Latin America chapter will gather for the first time during an event in Mexico City, June 14–15, to identify opportunities to serve in their communities, and build and share innovative solutions that are supported by Microsoft’s technology and resources, enabling them to achieve their dreams and envision a better future for themselves.

Nearly one-third of the region’s population will be between the ages of 15 and 34 by 2015, yet one in every five youths, ages 15 to 29, is currently neither working nor in school.1 Furthermore, according to the IYF’s recent report, “Opportunity for Action,” although the skills that young people need to find decent work and avoid poverty are generally imparted during secondary education, less than half of the secondary school students in the region complete their education.

“Young people across the Latin American and Caribbean region increasingly face an opportunity divide because they lack access to the education, skills or job opportunities they need to succeed in today’s world,” said Brad Smith, Microsoft executive vice president. “We are committed to working in partnership with public- and private-sector partners in the region to help bridge this divide and empower young people to imagine and realize a better future for themselves, their family and their communities.”

The company has been operating in the region for more than 25 years and supports a number of programs, in addition to NEO, that are focused on creating opportunities for youth through technology, training and experiences that empower them to imagine and realize their full potential and create real impact for a better tomorrow.

• The Microsoft Shape the Future program has helped more than 5 million students in the Latin American region receive digital access over the past two years.
  

• Partners in Learning, a global initiative aimed at improving teaching and learning by helping educators and school leaders connect, collaborate, create and share, has reached 158 million students in Latin America.
  

• The annual Imagine Cup competition challenges students to address some of the world’s toughest challenges with their technology skills. The Imagine Cup Grants program provides teams with the funding and support to transform their projects into businesses or nonprofits. Thirteen teams from the Latin American and Caribbean region will be competing at the worldwide finals in Sydney July 6–10.
  

• POETA, a partnership between Microsoft and the Organization of American States’ not-for-profit affiliate Trust for the Americas, provides technology and job skills training for those with disabilities and at-risk youth. Since inception, the program has reached 680,000 people across 20 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.
  

• The Microsoft BizSpark program has helped 24,000 software startups in Latin America and the Caribbean, including those led by young people, by giving them access to Microsoft software development tools, connecting them with key industry players, including investors, and helping them market their products and services.
  

“Sometimes you need a little help to bring your dreams to life and to create a better future. By participating in the Imagine Cup, and with the support I am receiving from the Microsoft BizSpark program, I am able make my dream of owning my own business and selling our SkillBox solution to schools around Ecuador a reality,” said Henry Javier Paca Quinaluiza of Team Falcon Dev, one of four 2011 Imagine Cup Grant recipients. The team’s SkillBox solution helps children who are hearing impaired by translating audio received from a teacher in a classroom into sign language.

In the coming months, Microsoft will announce additional programs and commitments designed to create opportunities for youths throughout the Latin America and Caribbean region. More information about Microsoft’s commitment to helping create opportunity for youths can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/citizenship.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

1 http://www.iadb.org/en/news/news-releases/2012-04-13/fact-sheet-new-employment-opportunities-initiative,9943.html

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx.

Today the PHP, OpenBSD and FreeBSD communities announced updates to patch a security hole involving their crypt() hashing algorithms. This issue is described in CVE-2012-2143. This vulnerability also affects a minority of PostgreSQL users, and will be fixed in an update release on June 4, 2012.

Affected users are those who use the crypt(text, text) function with DES encryption in the optional pg_crypto module. Passwords affected are those that contain characters that cannot be represented with 7-bit ASCII. If a password contains a character that has the most significant bit set (0x80), and DES encryption is used, that character and all characters after it will be ignored.

Users of high-security applications who cannot wait for the update are recommended to do one of three things:

• switch from using crypt() with DES to a more current encryption algorithm such as Blowfish.
• download the patch, patch their own installations in source code form, reinstall pg_crypto, disconnect all sessions and restart them to reload the library or restart the server.
• add a check to ensure that all passwords hashed with crypt() do not allow the value 0x80.

Note that users who patch their installations, or who apply the update on June 4th, may need to regenerate passwords for some or all of their application users due to the change in the hashing algorithm. Specifically, after the update, passwords containing 0x80 will no longer work.

The PostgreSQL Project regrets the inconvenience to our users. We are grateful to security researchers Robin Xu and Joseph Bonneau for discovering this issue.

For more information on the pg_crypto module, please see the documentation.