Microsoft Updates Surface Firmware, Patches IE Zero-Day Exploit Among 19 Total Flaws

We don't cover Patch Tuesday much here, because the majority of you know how to leave Windows Update on and suck down the new software each month direct from the source. This month is a bit more special, however, as it heavily impacts the Surface line of tablets. Up front, among the updates are a set of Internet Explorer fixes that are worth checking into if you manage PCs.

Windows Phone, Android Gain Market Share While Apple Slips Despite Growth In iPhone Shipments

IDC published its third-quarter 2013 smartphone market share and sales estimates today. Winners this quarter are Windows Phone and Android. Apple was mixed, while BlackBerry managed to implode at a clip so incredible, it reminds me of what happened to Longhorn's dreams.

Quora Signals It’s Favoring Search Ads For Eventual Monetization, Launches Author Stats Tool

30% to 40% of Quora's traffic comes from people searching for specific things, so it tells me it's likely that search ads that leverage intent will be how it eventually monetizes its Q&A service. The news comes alongside the launch of Quora Stats, a new analytics tool that shows authors exactly how much traffic their Quora questions, answers, and blog posts are getting.

Skytap Now Ports To The Amazon Cloud

Cloud automation company Skytap has launched advanced integration capabilities with Amazon Web Services (AWS) that allow customers to develop and test on Skytap Cloud workloads that mirror AWS production environments. The company provides a platform that has until now been used for VMware-based environments. Companies export their virtual machines to Skytap and then provision accordingly.