Without much fuss or hype, Microsoft quietly launched a version of MSN Radio which is powered by Pandora.  This is an attempted effort by Microsft to keep up in the highly competitive online streaming music business.

This new deal could potentially introduce millions of new users to Pandora, giving MSN a better shot at taking on their rivals and taking over as the #1 online streaming radio.  Currently Clear Channel ranks #1, and Yahoo Launchcast ranks #2.

Pandora, for those who are not aware, is a streaming music service that offers up “like for like” music recommendations.  For example, you can type in a particular artist or song that you like, and based upon research from the on-going “Music Genome Project”, Pandora will serve you up with others songs by the artist, as well as other artists who they believe you will have a very good chance of liking as well.  It’s a great new way to discover new music.

MSN customers, on average, are not that techie and may be less likely to seek out new technologies on their own.  By bringing the new technology to them, it may make them more likely to pick up on it and utilize the new service.

If you’re a geek, then you probably don’t need MSN to introduce you to Pandora.  Simply go to Pandora.com, create an account and get started.  It’s a very unique music experience, and a great way to find new artists and music that you will enjoy.

Microsoft on Tuesday will take a step toward competing with McAfee and Symantec in the enterprise security market by releasing a beta version of its Forefront Client Security desktop software. The antivirus software has been in limited testing with several hundred Microsoft customers for months now, but as of Tuesday it will be widely available to testers who want an early look at it.

“This is the first time we’ll be in widespread beta of Forefront Client Security,” said Paul Bryan, a director in Microsoft’s Security and Access product group.

The software is now expected to ship by the end of June 2007, Bryan said. This target is six months later than the one Microsoft gave when it unveiled its client security roadmap a year ago.

Many sources confirmed this weekend that Microsoft is set to finalize Windows Vista as early as Monday and release the product to manufacturing. The final build number is expected to be 6000.16386.061101-2205.

In its quest to finalize Windows Vista, Microsoft has faced two hurdles in recent days, one technical and one a bit more unusual. The proposed final build was marred by a few late breaking bugs, which the company expects to squash over the weekend. Meanwhile, a power outage in the Windows build lab Friday night prevented Microsoft from creating a new Vista build that night.

Business companies are able to get Vista by the end of November, private customers have to wait until the end of January 2007.

Microsoft Corp.’s decade-long push into television is notable for false starts, bold promises and failed investments, but the company hopes to finally move into the living room this year with a service delivered over high-speed Internet networks. The success or failure of Microsoft’s Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) initiative could determine the fortunes of a number of telephone companies betting billions that the company can help them encroach on cable television operators’ home turf.

Unlike the video clips uploaded to Web sites like YouTube, which depend on normal consumer Internet connections, IPTV gets priority from phone companies, using the main highways or backbone of the Web to deliver television programs with nearly all the features available from cable or satellite TV. Microsoft sees a future when its IPTV platform will make a television set not linked into an IP network seem as obsolete as a personal computer today without access to the Internet.

It’s about time for something like that!

Microsoft is gearing up to take on rival iPod in the digital music industry, and have brokered for top quality placement in GameStop and EB Games stores. This move indicates Microsoft’s desire to capture a market so far untapped by Apple - gamers, and marks the first time that either store has carried an mp3 player.

The launch date and pricing information for the Zune was accidentally leaked by Amazon.com last week. Zune will launch on November 14th - just in time for the holidays. It features a 3 inch screen and a 30 GB hard drive, and will be available at for $249.00, pricing that is in direct competition with Apple’s iPod Video player. So further sweeten the deal, the Zune will come preloaded with content including songs from Sub Pop, V2, Astralwerks, and Quango, as well as music videos from BT, 30 Seconds to Mars, and Paul Oakenfold. Several video clips will also be included to allow users to sample the Zune’s video playback capabilities.

Pictures of the device have also surfaced, and can be seen here. Additionally, pricing for Zune accessories have also been revealed:

• Zune Home A/V Pack and Travel Pack for $99.99
• Zune FM Transmitter for $69.99
• Premium Earphones for $39.99
• Dock for $39.99
• Remote (dock also required) for $29.99
• Car Pack for $79.99
• Various interface cables from $19.99 to $29.99

Other than the preloaded content, which frankly doesn’t interest me in the slightest, what’s the Zune got that Apple hasn’t? What do they have to convince me to switch from the iPod to the Zune? It’s not any cheaper, and they don’t offer a smaller version, like the Nano. If they want to win over the geeks like me who are already addicted to their iPods, they really have to come up with something that really sets themselves apart. I’m still waiting to be amazed.

Underlining the company’s leadership in developing hardware and drivers to support Microsoft Corp.’s Windows Vista operating system, ATI Technologies Inc. today announced that its driver has been granted the graphics industry’s first Windows Hardware Quality Lab (WHQL) certification for Windows Vista by Microsoft. WHQL certification sets a high bar for quality and reliability, and is considered essential by many business and home users.

Looks like AMD sticks with the ATI brand for now which is probably the best decision.