Microsoft’s foray into the high-end clustering software market took a step forward May 8 with the availability of the release candidate for its Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003 product, a 64-bit operating system for industry-standard x64 processors. And, at the other end of the software spectrum, the Redmond, Wash.-based software giant also announced the release candidate for Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2 on May 8. The Windows Compute Cluster Server product will mark a milestone for Microsoft when released later this summer as it is a late-comer to a market largely dominated by open-source Linux software.

A British computer expert accused by Washington of the world’s "biggest military hack of all time" should be extradited to the United States to stand trial, a court ruled on Wednesday. Gary McKinnon, 40, was arrested last June following charges by U.S. prosecutors that he illegally accessed 97 government computers–including Pentagon, U.S. Army, Navy and NASA systems–causing $700,000 worth of damage. Britain’s Home Secretary will make the final decision on deportation. McKinnon, whose hacking name was "Solo," has admitted gaining access to U.S. government computers but denies causing any damage.

A poster on Ask Slashdot requested advice on how to reduce or turn down requests for technical support requests, especially from users who aren’t necessarily clients. The resulting responses–421 and counting–responses ranged from predictably snarky, to some practical recommendations that could be enlisted by any IT professional overwhelmed by a client’s demands. The most common piece of advice from those who answered the request was that an IT professional should never, ever work for free.

A third-party audit of the new phishing filter built into the Internet Explorer 7 browser and the MSN Toolbar has given the technology a thumbs up on the sensitive issue of user privacy. Jefferson Wells International, an IT auditing group, has validated Microsoft’s assurances that the phishing filter does not transmit any personally identifiable information without explicit user consent and that any URL information sent from the user’s browser cannot be traced back to the surfer’s personal information.

Microsoft released three security updates, two of which address critical flaws in its Exchange email server and third-party software in Windows. Critical vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Calendar and Adobe’s Macromedia Flash Player in Windows can lead to a remote execution of code on a user’s system, according to Microsoft’s security bulletins. The software giant also issued a "moderate" update for flaws in Windows, according to the software giant’s bulletin.

While most big buyers have massive IT departments to facilitate backend integrations to suppliers, smaller "mom and pop" shops are lacking in those facilities. Business-to-business e-commerce company GXS and Microsoft are out to fix that. The two companies announced a partnership that will have GXS, which has arguably one of the largest electronic B2B trading hubs in the world, and Microsoft, which has some of the most ubiquitous collaboration technology on the face of the planet (if you consider email) combining forces. The companies announced an agreement to embed Microsoft’s BizTalk Server 2006 and SQL Server 2005 into GXS’ Trading Grid. At the same time, Microsoft announced GXS Trading Grid is its "preferred" B2B network.

Microsoft is readying an addition to its Office Live services lineup that will target mobile devices. Code-named Project Bronx, the technology could be released to beta later this month, according to a post on the Neowin.net Web site. A Neowin poster described Bronx as "an effort within Mobile Information Worker group that aims to bring Microsoft Office experience to all mobile phones using SMS." The poster said that Microsoft was soliciting testers for the technology, which will be part of the company’s Office Live initiative.

Microsoft’s new Vista operating system has put the European Commission in a quandary over whether to open a new front against the software giant before a court clarifies the European Union antitrust watchdog’s authority. Rivals such as Google and Adobe are wary of the new version of Windows, set for release early next year. They could formally ask the Commission to act and it could order changes in Vista, following on its landmark 2004 antitrust decision that found Microsoft muscled out other companies.

Fair Trade Authority has released Phishing Detector v.1.0 for Outlook Express, a freeware, new program which takes the guess work out of phishing emails, providing a hassle free way to sort legitimate emails from the illegitimate ones. Phishing (also known as spoofing) is the act of attempting to fraudulently acquire sensitive information, such as passwords and credit card details, by masquerading as a trustworthy person or business with a real need for such information in a seemingly official electronic notification or message (most often an email, or an instant message). Phishing Detector is capable of recognizing phishing emails pretending to come from eBay, PayPal, Amazon, eGold and hundreds of other financial institutions, with a 99% success rate.

Two new cordless home phones from major electronics makers that went on sale May 8 are helping Microsoft’s MSN Messenger leap from the PC and into more office cubicles and living rooms. Each phone comes preloaded with the latest test version of the instant messenger, MSN Messenger, Microsoft said. As a result, the Win 1200 home phone from manufacturer Uniden and the VOIP433 phone from Royal Philips Electronics are both capable of making Internet phone calls via MSN Messenger.