When Microsoft announced Microsoft Security Essentials, its new free antivirus software designed to replace Windows Live OneCare, it was treated with contempt by the vendors of both other free antivirus software and the paid-for security suites. But a recent testing of the most popular antivirus products placed MSE on a par with the paid-for products and above its free competitors.

Microsoft has good reason to ensure Windows PCs are secure and malware-free. Because if they aren’t, it reflects badly on the company that many blame for the problem in the first place. So it is today releasing its new, free Microsoft Security Essentials software, an antivirus and antimalware product offering protection from viruses, spyware, rootkits, and trojans.

We’ve known about Microsoft’s plans to release a free antivirus tool form some time now, and last week saw the first screenshots of the software leak on the Internet. Now, Microsoft has officially taken the wraps off its replacement for Windows Live OneCare, with a beta version of the now-titled Microsoft Security Essentials, is coming on June 23.

Morro, Microsoft’s new free antivirus software is on its way sometime in the second half of 2009, but some screen shots of it in action have already leaked. They may not exactly be awe-inspiring but they do at least prove the existence of Microsoft Morro.

Geo-blocking of products, services, and media is as commonplace as anything these days. From movies being released earlier in some countries, online video services such as Hulu and the BBC iPlayer being viewable on only one side of the Atlantic, and now access to Microsoft’s Live Messenger being blocked in a number of countries.

Forms of entertainment, be it television, movies, music, or games, is increasingly moving towards being delivered digitally via the Internet. Microsoft is at the center of this move away from physical formats, as is Netflix. Which is why it makes perfect sense for the two to team up to bring Netflix content to Windows Media Center.

Microsoft’s mobile device back-up system, a rival to Apple’s MobileMe, is now available for public use, though it’s still in beta testing. Those who’ve tried it say it’s useful, if somewhat limited and glitchy at this stage.

Internet Explorer 8 was released in March 2009 after being worked on for around two years. Although there are some nice new features, and many improvements over IE7, Microsoft’s Web browser is old, outdated and slower than a snail hitching a ride on the back of a dead tortoise. Is there any point in developing Internet Explorer 9, really?

Microsoft has made a number of changes to its Photosynth software, including integration with Virtual Earth, to make the two services act together. In an obvious attempt to compete with Google Street View, Photosynth is now being targeted at tourism groups, retail chains and the public sector.

It’s a well-known fact that Microsoft has always bundled Internet Explorer with its operating systems. Will this practice end with Windows 7? Probably not. In fact, people who have downloaded the Windows 7 Release Candidate this week have reported even worse than that.

Microsoft Encarta filled the void for encyclopedic content between the print editions losing favor and Web sites such as Wikipedia, Encyclopaedia Britannica, and Google Knol becoming essential tools. But it’s time has now come to an end, and after being seriously injured by those sites previously listed, Microsoft is killing Encarta dead.

We’ve picked out the best free software programs for Windows Vista, so there’s no need to spend big dollars to get top quality applications and utility software.

The larger displays get the more space we have.  The more space we have the more it gets filled up.  Before you know it, you have two 24-inch displays running and are filling every possible pixel with something.

Microsoft is launching a free anti-virus service for Windows users. If it takes off, it could be a serious threat to commercial security products.

Looking for some great free Vista games? Here is our pick of 40 top free games for Windows Vista you can download right now, ranging from the mildly amusing to the downright addictive.