MSFT Bags Sept Patch Day Update Due to Quality Issues

Microsoft Cancels September Patch Day Update
Microsoft Corp. late Friday cancelled plans to roll out a solitary bulletin with patches for a Windows flaw, citing an unknown “quality issue.”

The software giant announced on Thursday that a single “critical” bulletin would cover a wormable vulnerability.

During last-minute testing, however, researchers at Redmond flagged some problems with the update.

“Late in the testing process, Microsoft encountered a quality issue that necessitated … additional testing and development [of the update] before it is released,” a Microsoft spokesperson told Ziff Davis Internet News.

eBay Buys Skype 4 2 Much Money

When I heard these rumors last week I assumed that it was just somebody’s idea of a bad joke. What does eBay get for its money? A non-standard geek infested VOIP phone system? Why? I getthat eBay could build all sorts of nifty VOIP apps to helps its business, but come on $2.6 billion? Just download Asterisk and go to town. I hope thgere is more to this story.

Slashdot | eBay To Buy Skype For $2.6 Billion
It’s not a rumour anymore. BBC News online reports that eBay will pay ‘half the amount in cash and the other half in stocks to create an unparalleled e-commerce and communications engine’.” The $2.6 billion purchase would give eBay access to the VoIP market, of which Skype claims it has 2 million users online at any given time. BBC speculates that eBay will use Skype to allow sellers and bidders to communicate via voice; I have also heard that live auctions a la Sothebys might also be a possibility. Also reported at Wall Street Journal (registration), New York Times.