RealNetworks’ real change: Company bets on high-risk strategy [Seattle Times]

Longhorn: Microsoft’s OS future [Zdnet News]

MSN 8 to foist fees on outsiders. Microsoft is one step closer to launching MSN 8, a major overhaul of its online service that for the first time will charge people who use an alternative ISP. [CNET News.com]

Microsoft buys security software upstart. The company agrees to acquire security specialist XDegrees, in a move to further the software giant’s goals of improving Windows security. [CNET News.com]

Former Microsoft exec nets millions. The software giant forgave a $15 million loan to former Chief Operating Officer Rick Belluzzo when he resigned earlier this year, the company revealed in its annual report. [CNET News.com]

The Conferencing Experience Project, ConferenceXP, is a research and development initiative of Microsoft Research Learning Sciences and Technology group.

ConferenceXP integrates recent advances in high performance audio, video and network technologies to seamlessly connect multiple distant participants in a rich immersive environment for distance conferencing, instruction and collaboration. ConferenceXP provides an extensible foundation for interactive collaborative environments, and serves as a research platform for designing and implementing distance conferencing and learning applications.