Microsoft last night launched a preview build of the upcoming Windows 8 operating system. Known as the ‘Consumer Preview’, the build is essentially a beta version of the OS and is available for download from Microsoft’s website. [ + ]

Complaints from small businesses about their telecommunications services increased 52% in the last financial year, the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) revealed today. [ + ]

Telstra today launched a 4G tablet and a prepaid 4G LTE broadband modem. Until now, access to the 4G network was limited to post-paid mobile and post-paid dongle plans. [ + ]

The McAfee Threats Report Q4 2011 has found malware sample results that surpass its 75 million 2011 prediction, an almost doubling of malicious sites, an increase in mobile (particularly Android) malware, rootkits and botnets (Cutwail and Grum), and a decrease in global spam. [ + ]

A convergence of cloud computing trends will create new business models for Australian businesses in 2012, according to analyst firm Frost & Sullivan. Executives across all industries are urged to assess how their companies might be affected by developments from tech companies like Apple, Amazon, Google and Facebook. [ + ]

The popularity of media tablets is growing in Australia, with 2.6 million people already using one and an estimated 11 million predicted to be using one by 2016, according to analyst firm Telsyte. The 2016 estimate of tablet users - 11 million - is half of Australia’s present-day population (22 million). [ + ]

The government has given Australia’s mobile operators little financial reprieve after handing down its final pricing for licence renewal, calling on mobile operators to find in excess of $3 billion. [ + ]

Consultancy and technology service provider Capgemini has opened a new office in Canberra. According to Capgemini ANZ CEO Paul Thorley, the new office reflects the company’s commitment to its public sector and ACT-based clients. [ + ]

Enable Services has announced a partnership with Huawei New Zealand to supply the fibre equipment required for Christchurch’s NBN-equivalent, Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) network and for services to manage operations and maintenance. [ + ]

Network security vendor Arbor Networks has published a visual review of DDoS tools that are used by ‘hacktivist’ collectives - groups that hack into computers and organisations as a form of political protest. [ + ]

Two-thirds of web applications tested by security consultants at Context Information Security in 2011 were found to be at risk from cross-site scripting, the consultancy firm announced today. On top of that, nearly one in five web applications risked attacks by experienced SQL injections. [ + ]

Telecommunications company Alcatel-Lucent has sold Genesys, a subsidiary that provides contact centre software and services, to a company owned by the Permira Funds and Technology Crossover Ventures, for a cash sum of US$1.5 billion. [ + ]

Telecoms service provider revenues will slow between 2011 and 2017, despite a healthy industry rebound in 2011, according to analyst firm Ovum. [ + ]

Internet and mobile security software distributor AVG has released it's latest Community Powered Threat Report which provides insight, background and analysis on the trends and developments in cybercrime over the previous 3 months. The Q4 2011 report includes the risks of QR codes, stolen digital certificates bypassing security on mobile phones and the persistence of rootkits. [ + ]

Shipments of ultrabooks will grow at three times the rate of tablets over the next five years, according to a report from analyst firm Juniper Research. [ + ]